The death of a loved one.

My phone rang this morning at 7:45. It was my son. He was sitting on the side of the road in my 83 RX-7. It shut off coming up to a red light on the way to work this morning. It would start and run, but acted like a 6cyl running on 4.

I pulled the plugs on the side of the road and checked the spark. Swapped the coils around and pulled the distributor cap. No problems found. My guess is it lost/ate an apex seal. Eight years of hard driving and an astounding number of autocross runs finally caught up with it.

So, what's next. Putting several thousand dollars into a 12a is not going to happen. There is cheaper horsepower to be had and it's time for an engine with torque. I have one spare 12a, but I am saving it for the Abomination so I will still be able to get my rotary fix. I have been kicking around the thought of a 3.8 GM/T5 swap with Jensenman. Or possibly Nissan VG series engine. Turbocharging is a distinct possibility. Yes I know a LSX will fit, but I doubt I will be spending that much on it. Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Anyone in the southeast have something interesting in the shed they might want to part with. Maybe a gas turbine...

More torque? 20B

Find a cheap 4g63 and get an adapter plate from Buschur to mount it longways against a Chevy trans.

Miata swap? Lots of work for not much power ( before the turbo ) but still way cool in my book.

Plus its "the" answer.

I was always under the impression that a SBF was really easy (for a radical engine swap) into a 12A first-gen RX-7.

www.engineswaps.com

Lord knows ratty 5.0/T5 stangs can be had for cheap enough if you look...

302/5.0L Mustang V-8s are an easy swap and can be found for cheap. They aren't much heavier than the 12A either, so the handling won't be affected much.

Used 12a is not all that bad. The swap is an afternoon if it is down and dirty doing the minumum.

I'd say 5.0/T5 or the GM 5.3 truck motor/T5, could even do an L33 so you still get an aluminum block V8 for cheaper than LS1.

Miata

Is

Always

The

Answer

Unless it isn't. How about the 2.3L Duratec from a Ford Ranger with it's 5 speed. No adapters needed, more torque, shouldn't be much more weight.

In reply to TJ:

I think underhood height is an issue with 1st gen RX-7s. Though I have seen an older 2.3 Ford turbo engine in one, so it is doable. I think the V blocks tend to fit under the hood better in general. Of course, I'm sure a modded oil pan could mitigate height issues, too.

Hmmm... RX-5.0 That's got possibilities. Off to Craigslist.

Dood. We talked about this. L67 3800 S/C with a 5 speed.

Ah, come on now, you are in engine swap heaven with that car. SBF, SBC, SBmopar, all bolt in. VG30 as well. Room for almost anything. No need to spend megabucks on exotica. Turbo 2.3 Ford? BTDT. Be creative, get a Ferrari engine, drop that in, send pictures.

Read up:

http://www.grannysspeedshop.com/

Click "Conversions" at the top of the page, then scroll down about 3/4 of the way down the next page. Granny's has instructions on how to install an SBC and an SBF into a 1st. gen. with their swap kits. I think you can fabricate the mounts yourself if you are handy with a welder; you'll have to check out the V-8 swap sections of an RX-7 board for details.

SBF or nothing.

z31maniac wrote: I'd say 5.0/T5 or the GM 5.3 truck motor/T5, could even do an L33 so you still get an aluminum block V8 for cheaper than LS1.

what immediately popped into my mind

Toyman01 wrote: My phone rang this morning at 7:45. It was my son.

Dude, don't start a thread with that title followed by the above. I thought the worst.

Appleseed wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: My phone rang this morning at 7:45. It was my son.

Dude, don't start a thread with that title followed by the above. I thought the worst.

Yes, but being in the main forum, it would be a car...

cwh wrote: Ah, come on now, you are in engine swap heaven with that car. SBF, SBC, SBmopar, all bolt in. VG30 as well. Room for almost anything. No need to spend megabucks on exotica. Turbo 2.3 Ford? BTDT. Be creative, get a Ferrari engine, drop that in, send pictures.

Ferrari? Why not indeed? But if all else goes in the crapper, the SBF is a (somewhat) sane backup plan. 'Plan F', as it were.

Bunch of boinger blasphemers! Keep the rotary!

How many miles on the engine? I wouldn't write her off without doing a compression check.

Jerk. I was apprehensively waitng for you to say your son,his girlfriend or someone got squished by a car.

Just buy a 914. the fun factor is wicked high.

Dan

Appleseed wrote:

Toyman01 wrote: My phone rang this morning at 7:45. It was my son.

Dude, don't start a thread with that title followed by the above. I thought the worst.

This^^^

I seriously took a moment when I clicked this to collect myself in case this was not a fun thread

but since it is, I vote for a boosted 4 banger - SR20DE/4AGE/4G63...is there any way to stick a Subie 2.5 in there and get the power to the back?

I would have to say its time to embrace your inner Hindu side and re-incarnate that sucker as a 302 powered monster.

This swap is a road oft traveled by other pilgrims, and in this instance, with a cheap enough donor, might defy the first rule of engine swaps that states that they always cost more than a rebuild on the original engine.

Then again, the Hindus have a thing with Shiva the God of destruction...so who knows what you could be getting into!

Sorta offtopic- Don't rotaries ALWAYS sound like 6 cylinders running on 4?

Look for a wrecked RX-8 and swap its guts in?