Not really a technical discussion even though aethestics blend with some technical realities in this discussion.

I don't have a carefully crafted out design or purpose to my build on my FB. Some stuff I feel needs to be kept looking like from the '80's. Some stuff Mazda also really nailed on the SA's and FB's. Some other things about the vehicle can be improved upon and I agree with and want to do.

What is everyone's opinion on the 12A? I'm not a purest, but there is something I find romantic about going with the 12A, Carburetion, etc. What is this sub-forums opinion on this?

 

The 12a is worth keeping.
Reasons to 13b are:

Easy availability.
More power.

I am a 12a dinosaur.

 

I keep getting pulled toward the 12a and carburetion, I guess I'm part of the 1%.

 

1% er's here ... my SA and the wifes GSL in my current sig are .... 12a's all day

 

I am a 12a guy myself, a friend of mine who is an FC owner asks why and insists I need to go 13b. Now I do know that at some point I will have to go 13b, unless Mazda starts making 12a housings, ect. again at some point or I stumble upon a warehouse full of 12a/first gen parts but, until one of those days comes, my girl will have a carbed 12a under the hood! Just call me nostalgic but if ya can I'd keep the 12a.

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8 months ago I stumbled across so I think the community is going to be good on housings for a while.

 

I think the best compromise is the old school 13B with a carburator, made with 12a irons, GSL-SE housings and S4 rotors.

I even have an adapter to allow me to run a 12a Manifold, which I think would allow a stock mani and a Nikki if I wanted so you could have a "stock appearing" 13B.

 

I'm just to lazy to do an engine swap at this point and my 12a is running pretty good for a daily. So yeah I'm not going to do v a swap any time soon until this thing dies. And when I do it probably will be just a carbed 13b with a nice shiney webber.

 

A good job for a Sterling.

 

Since i recently have acquired 5 running 12a's, 2 of which are blueprinted, i now plan on being a 12a'er for life. And after seeing the kind of power Jim at Mariah has coming from some of the 12a motored cars in his shop, performance need not be a worry.

 

You're not crazy, going EFI is more work than you'd think. In the middle of the swap now and more than once have I thought that I should have just stayed 12a but I know it will be worth it in the end. I completely agree that the simplicity of the 12a and it's carburetion is a thing of beauty

 

Running a Sterling on my 4 port 13B. It's a nice combination. The throaty howl of the carb gets me every time. If 12A parts weren't so hard to come by and 13B parts so readily available and cheap in comparison my car would still be 12A powered. I think about going EFI sometimes, I know I want more power but I've got so much into it as it is, why deal with the headache of changing it now. When I want an EFI rotary I'll go FC.

 

i like the 12A too, and there is nothing wrong with keeping the stock engine. its just as nice to see a stock car as it is the hot rods.

that being said a friend of mine put 13B rotors and housings in his 12A, and found a JDM 81-82 13B manifold, which bolts up and has the same plumbing as the 81-85 12A intake, so it was just stock+1, which seems like a nice combo

 

If it isn't broken don't fix it, but when it comes time to fix it... the 13B sits nicly under the hood with lots of carbs to choose from.

Don't get me wrong the 12A is a fine engine, but its not my style. I'm the guy that would (wants) take an old Dart and drop in a 200hp high output cherokee engine.

 

12a guy here...I recently took apart a formerly running 12a whose apex seals looked like tooth picks...the was hardly a spot of chrome left on the rotor housings! Only clue to its worn out condition was a bit of a hard start in the morning. Car made decent power for what a 12a is and ran all day as a pizza delivery vehicle. Its that kind of durability and willingness to run that endears me to the 12a for life. I too have seen them ported within a inch of their lives making decent passes at the track...also inspirational

 

No you won't. You'll be FB for life.

 

FB, 13B, EFI.

Carbs are for pasta.

 

+1

 

I could easily swap in a stock FC ECU and harness in the FB. Or I could test a MegaSquirt. Probably need to swap in an MSD pump first though as the walbro is too strong for stock. Maybe I could get away with it with the MS. That's where I'm at.

Interestingly right before this, I had the race prepped Nikki on there. It's the 465cfm monster. The manifold sucked but the carb itself is kinda decent after doing some additional Sterling inspired mods. The flat spot right when you open the secondaries is gone or a lot less pronounced than before.

 

+1

 

+2

 

Now I like EFI but, I like playing with carbs, it's pretty fun, that said I would love to set up a 12a with EFI. Haven't put much thought into it yet really but, I'd like to give it a go, anyone else gave that any thought?

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i <3 my weber

 

+1 I just finished cleaning up my side draft and my intake, impressed with the amount of carbon I transferred from the metal to my hands.

 

I have a bunch of times. In fact I might be using one of my old 12a's in my AE86 project and would love to FI it. Lots of ways to go about it, haven't decided which direction to go yet though...

Hard to argue with the simplicity of a carb, but FI is quite nice and I wouldn't go back at this point