Yeah, I'm still relatively new to the 12a, just wondering if it is possible to travel long distances with, say Utah to Michigan, about 1600 miles one way? Like I said, I have no idea with the 12a...thanks.

 

Definitely possible. How many miles on the motor?

 

All of the standard "older car" check-up stuff will apply,but yea...rotaries make great long distance engines.

They have an absence of moving parts and vibration,so they make great endurance engines....provided they are taken care of and not abused or overheated.The 1st gen 12A and 13B engines are known to last 200K miles and more,without any rebuild.
The only caveat to long distance running with a rotary is that the fuel milage isnt the greatest,but its on par with similar aged/sized cars.Plus,youll have to keep an eye on the oil level since oil consumption is a normal part of rotary operation....

 

no prob but CHECK THE OIL!!! during the trip. My 70K RX burns thru a quart in about 6-800miles, all perfectly normal (part of the design) but you need to WATCH IT!
happy travels
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Definatley possible. It depends on the how well maintained it has been though.

 

This all depends. Has the car been sitting somewhere for a while, or has it been driven on a regular basis?
If driven on a regular basis, it should have a reasonably good track record for being fairly reliable, or not.
If it has sitting somewhere for a while, it likely will have a few fuel system and electrical gremlins that will start to show up during a trip of this nature.

 

Rule of thumb is to always check your oil, and water on every full re-fill on gas. I least I do that, just to make sure everything is level out. I carry some water and oil with me just in case because you never know.

 

that makes me feel better, because the motor was rebuilt a few years ago, there's 148.5k miles on the chassis, not sure on the motor, and it was garage kept and babied as a toy for two years before I got it. Thanks for the feedback.

 

Sounds fine.
Just be sure to do a FULL once over before you leave.Look for leaks and inspect the hoses and belts,especially the heater hoses under the oil filter which are known to fail.Its also a good idea to change the tranny and rearend oil if it hasnt been done in the last year or two.

 

How many miles are on the car?


see...................... it's made it that far!

 

mine went 4000 mi winth no prob, aside from it leaking 1qt of oil every 50 mi

 

I don't know who but I've heard of others making it to over 300,000 miles on their 12a's... It's not like an FD I'd think you'll last a while.

I'd think just make sure all your fluids are decently fresh before the trip and then maybe take a little coolant and oil along w/ you

 

I have an '84 GSL 12A stored in my garage with 301,000km (approx. 187,000 miles) on it with no problems.

Also, I drove one of my earlier 1st gens (an '82 GSL) from Vancouver, B.C. to Woodstock, N.B. and back (a distance of over 3500 miles one way) over the Christmas break in 1994-'95--- often at cruising speeds north of 70 mph. This engine had around 40,000 miles on it since rebuild.

One thing to realize is that highway miles are actually way easier on an engine than daily commutes are. This is true even for piston engines but even more so for the rotary. At 6000 rpms the rotors are only spinning at 2000 rpm--- a cakewalk by anybody's standards. But at highway speeds you're only turning between 3500 and 4000 rpms, which means those rotors are loafing along at between 1200 and 1400 rpm.

With sufficient fuel and ignition and cooling these engines can run for years without ever being shut off. In fact, some have been sold to use as incinerators in the oil industry and actually do run for years without stopping.