Hey. Im looking at buying a certain '81 rx7. It seems a good buy for $1300. It just needs a few things such as an engine.

What i need to know are my options for different engines to fit to the s2 12A 5 speed and the engine mounts.

The obvious answer is another 12A, but ideally i would like something with a bit more power sauch as a 13B and preferably injected.

I have a budget of about $1500 to spend on the engine after i get the car, so i would like to know the costs involved in putting a new engine in, keeping i mind the old engine is still in the car but does not start and is not in good shape oil seal wise.

I have about a month to complete this conversion and get the car on the road, so what would you guys suggest is the best option keeping in mind my budget and time frame, and the fact that i will probably have to get someone to do the work for me:
-rebuild
-replace
-upgrade

 

umm.. id like to go slightly off topic and point out that 1300 for a blown motor first gen is quite pricey.. you better be able to look into the fenders and count your pores...

how much body is left on this beast? what else has been done to it?
1300$ could get you a second gen (IRS, injected, good motor...), and a hacksaw to lighten that pig down to something reasonable. maybe an angle grinder too...

 

You should put a vTec in it...

 

sorry, i should say $1300AUD in australia, its fairly raesonable considering the price of a decent running, nothing special 1st gen is about $3500-$5000. Its got a 3 year old silver metalic 2-pac paint job which isnt too bad looking, big fibreglass front bar, and only a little rust on the bonnet and under the rear hatch, not visible but bubbling the paint a bit, probably about 5 square inches. rear discs, etc.

 

Well down there that may be a good price on that car. Guys dont forget that Oz is a totally different country with different dollar values.

Well your options are only limited by your budget and what you plan to do with the car. Other than oil seals, hows the engine run?

 

it doesnt, the car was taken of the road 5 years ago after blowing a lot of smoke, it has been started for 5 years i dont think, From what ive heard it will not start, siezed by now i guess.

 

Well again then, it depends on your budget, what your plans are for the car and what goals you have for it. Start there aned lets see what we come up with.

 

Go for an S5 13B. 160HP stock and doesn't have the flooding problems of the S3 and S4 13B's. I'm sure one of these engines can be had for a good price, and they are quite easy to swap into an FB. All you really need is the 12A front cover (which you have), and an S3 13B oil pan. Other than that, its just a little bit of minor wiring and your off. The engine bolts up to your original tranny and with a little minor tweaking of the original engine mounts, it just slides right in.

 

i just looked at your cardomain site and it says you ran a 15.5 in the 1/4. that cant be with the set up you have in your sig. if it it, how? if not, have you ran it with this setup, and if so, what did you run?

 

what sort of work needs to be done to the mounts to fit the s5 13b in?

and how hard is it to chage the front cover to 12a?

thanks for the feedback everyone, keep it coming.

As to my plans for the car, probably turbo 13b eventually, i plan to spend at least $10000AUD on it, but for now i only have $5000 to buy it, put a motor in it, and get it registered and insured, hopefully with a little left to spend on brakes, suspension, interior etc after i sell my current car, should hopefully get $750-1000AUD