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Personally I think you should go for it, we all know that putting in a BP or BPT is the easiest, most cost effective swap but I am all for someone trying something new. There was a guy here who was looking at putting in a fully modded JDM B18 Honda Integra Type R engine into his MX3 but I am not sure what is happening there.

Keep us posted on the swap if you decide to go ahead.

Well seeing how I have access to a machine shop if I need it, combined with my experience as a machinist/welder, I dont really find anything to complicated, actually I wanted to take a chevy 350 and make a transmission so it was front wheel drive and drop it in my mx. However I find that you cant beat a free engine trans susupension etc.



p.s. I will have some extra parts out of the car if anyone has any need for any of them. Also have a couple bp blocks I may build and sell if anyone is interested.

lol have fun with that

Fiero transmissiona nd custom axles from the drive shaft shop.

Oh by the way to make it seem more like a PITA, you have to cut a lot and you aint gonna have to much room to fit accesories and such. Maybe some firewall chopping too

ill buy a bp block off ya, i can build it up myself!

PM me

Not to worried about cutting ad no accessories go on it(power steering and a/c.

xmaster19 wrote:A Zetec would be out of the ordinary mx-3 swapper route. Try to guess why I have a B5-ZE...

What year is your engine? The '97-'98 B5-ZE came stock with as much power as the BP-DE and is mod for mod equal to the BP. Starting to see more of these swaps being done.

This should be an almost straigth bolt in the only real issue in the eletronics. Several guys have done the swap around here. The good thing about this engine is the performance parts from Ford are cheap. I met a guy with a ZTEC in his MX-3 making 135 WHP N/A with bolt-on parts and a Diablo programmer. The ZX-2 turbo kit bolts in with little modification.

forcedairram wrote:Just wanted to let everyone know that the sleeper is getting a bumpup in displacement, muahaha. My sister wrecked her zx-2, unlucky for her but lucky for me, if everything checks out OK im dropping it into my mx-3. Yippie!!!

Yoda how come you are the only person who bumps into people with these weird mods constantly. You seem a bit sketchy. You have good and sketchy info. I'd watch it buddy.

I'm sure I not the only one their runs into these cars. Some of these swaps were done as much as 8 years ago when people wes still arguing whether a KL could be swapped into a MX-3. I was called a liar back then too and actually had people drive several hours just to see the swap and I met with corporate reps from Mazda at the show in Carlisle. PA one year. The problem is I am in Quebec and outside of the few of us that live in Montreal or Hull/Gatineau area there are far more MX-3 owners that don't even speak english let alone read or write in english. This forum is pretty much useless to them. Most of these guys don't even think there are doing anything special. I most common comment I hear at show and races is "I didn't think I did anything special, if I can do it I throught there must be hundreds of Americans smarter that me that have done it before". They always look shocked when I tell them that one guy on the internet will say it can't be done or it is a stupid idea then no one will do it. Since they never see any of the negative info posted on the internet it is less likely that their creativity is going to be blocked so they just go out with a tape measure and see what will fit into what chassis. The French Canadians and the guys down in P.R innovate a lot of the modifications and swaps just because of the language barrier.

Just wanted to give you an update, the zetec went into my mx-3 today, everything bolted right in, no cutting no hassel etc etc. all of the escort sport electonics will be swapped over, hopefully soon to be replaced with a haltech, since the old school dfi we have wont control ignition systems without a disty. The only problem that I can see is the fuel system, the zetec uses an electric pressure regulator, and has no return line, which I am not sure my walbro 255 will work with, will know soon enough I guess.

pictures of progess would be nice

Ok I will try to get some on my cardomain page, I took a cpl last night but they were with a camera phone so I dont know how they will turn out.

and we do have a section for that Worklogs.

forcedairram wrote:Just wanted to give you an update, the zetec went into my mx-3 today, everything bolted right in, no cutting no hassel etc etc. all of the escort sport electonics will be swapped over, hopefully soon to be replaced with a haltech, since the old school dfi we have wont control ignition systems without a disty. The only problem that I can see is the fuel system, the zetec uses an electric pressure regulator, and has no return line, which I am not sure my walbro 255 will work with, will know soon enough I guess.

You might want to contact Jayco. They are a small company is southern PA that specialized in the ZTEC and apparently that have made a swap kit to put the ZTEC into the older 323 based Escort since the 323/ Escort and MX-3 are 90% the same car. Chances are that they already have a solution for you. As for the F/P there are ZX2 guys running the 255lpm pumps. Looking at my ZX2 and MX-3 the fuel system is almost identical just the return line is missing and the where there should be a fitting on the tank none was ever installed. The OE ECU is not that bad especially with the SCT flash programmer. and unlike a chip for the chippable MX-3's The SCT does make power across the whole powerband not just outside the emission curve. It is the only was to go if you want to change cams and disable the VCT. If you are looking for headers the Kamikaze have the best dyno results. BTW the ZTEC in ZX2 is different for the one in the Focus except for the SVT. The Focus SVT engine have the same casting numbers as the '98 ZX2 ZTEC just that the VCT in on the intake side instead of the exhaust. It appears that the extra 40Hp in mostly due to more aggressive ignition and cam timing and a free flowing exhaust.

Also found out some parts for the 3.8 & 4.6L mustang engines can be used on the ZTEC as well. and recently saw part of a bolt on Roush racing turbo kit being installed in a ZX2 with a MSD DIS-2 in place of the supplied Focus "chip". It looked like the only mod made to the kit was to re route the I/C tubing and replace the OE rad fan to a aftermarket pusher fan.

I don't know if your donor car was rear-ended but you may want to consider swap out the rear suspension assy as well. The cross member is beefier and attachment points have been gusseted and reenforced over the original Mazda design. If you do this just remember to convert to the MX-3 rear spindles and hubs to maintain the correct track width.