Hey everyone, I have $20,000 Australian $15,700 U.S to spend on an FC. What I want is a race car pretty much I want it to have plenty of power at low rpms and carry pretty much all the way through to redline. I have absolutly no practical exp on rotarys or turbos, but heaps with n/a engines in general. I've been reading heaps about FCs, like 3 hours a night for the last month hehehe. So I wanted to ask you, the experts on what I can expect from a setup like this car, then using it's ECU, Turbo and other mods, with a full engine rebuild.

this is pretty much what you can get in Aust for about $12-15k Aust $9,400-11,800 U.S

1989 Rx7 s4 is in verry good condition and first to see will buy. the Rx7 has 330 RWHP on 13psi car was Dyno'd at Dyson Rotary on the GoldCoast. the specs are as follows- Interior: Bog stock except for a boost gauge, Apexi AVCR Boost Controller, Microtech LT-8, Engine and fuel system, Rebuild recently, 3mm seals, ported mildly, Garret T04E turbo, Turbosmart 45mm external gate, K&N Pod Filter in custom enclosure, Custom series 6 intake manifold , Greddy exhaust manifold , 3" exhaust with 5Zigen muffler and screamer pipe, ARE Bar & plate intercooler, 2.5" HPC coated cooler piping, Oil/air separator, Turbosmart Type II BOV, Custom fuel rails , 4x1000cc injectors , 2 Bosch external pumps, 1 walbro in-tank pump, Surge tank, Malpassi Fuel regulator , Upgraded fuel lines, Stock series 4 turbo box and a heavy duty clutch, new alternator, Suspension and brakes: DBA Slotted rotors on the front, with Bendix pads, Braided lines all around, 8-way adjustable rear shocks/ heavy duty lowered springs, New shocks and heavy duty lowered springs on the front, A heap of bushes etc replaced with nolathane units,
$14,500 ONO Aust. $11,424 U.S

So thats the car I want to start with. Is it worth getting the engine ported, doweled and rebuilt again if it needs it.

Engine: Supply Own - (Existing one in car...)
Porting: Bridge porting
Rebuild type: Rebuild with S/H or existing housings - (Says, recently rebuilt.. But Driven like he stole it? most likely..)
Engine doweling required: Yes, 8 extra dowels for high performance high boost engines
Intercooler: Use the standard intercooler - (Intercooler that comes with the car)
Turbo: Just use the standard or no turbo - (The Garret T04E)
Engine Management: Just use the standard computer - (The microtech LT-8)
The estimated cost for this work is: $3100 Aust and $ 2,400 U.S.
Or I can get the same, but instead of bridge ports get perphial ports for $4200.

So is it worth spending the extra cash on the doweling and porting, so I can run 15+ psi boost without worrying, and what kinda gains will I get out of the car with the new engine and the original running gear. Or if you professionals have a different way you would go if you had 20k to spend on an FC? Also when you're running a bigger turbo like the garret, do you get bad low end power and just a whole lot of high rpm pull?

Any feed back would be much appreciated thanks.

 

Why an FC?

 

Why a FC? - Because a FD is worth about 35-40k, thats pretty much standard, and I don't like FBs.

 

Since this is a track car, why not a peripheral port NA 20B?

Dowling on the S5 block isn't really needed at "just" 15 PSI unless that 15 PSI means 450HP or more. Certainly it will not hurt if you are looking for ultimate reliability.

What are your goals? Drag racing? Road racing? Autocross? How much power do you want to make? Then, how much power do you actually need?

 

a 3 rotor!!!!

otherwise a FD or a different car.. sorry I love my FC but I dont think it is a race car by any means

 

haha, I was oing to say get an FD. Like Aaron Cake said, what are your goals first?

 

Basically, I want as much power as I can get, of course I'm not always going to be able to use it, or even get it to the road. Just want to know if porting the engine, and running a bigger turbo, will effect the ability to make as much power at lower rpms. With a handcontrol for the LT-8 I can store different maps for different jobs. So if I build the engine like this, with the doweling I can run as much boost and fuel as I want on one map and have a normal every day map that doesn't put too much stress on the engine. Or maybe I think I'm being abit premature, I just want to be able to beat most of the Imports Around here. Also sorry for missleading, it's not a purpose built race car, I just want it to feel like one. Also, still debateing on if I should premix the fuel or keep the standard setup. Whats better for not blowing an apex seal?

 

20B, stock ports, big single turbo. 500HP all day. Your goals are too vague.

First, decide whether you want to stick with a 13B or upgrade to the 20B. The 20B will make more torque all the way around, and be more reliable at higher power levels. But of course it will suck up the budget.

 

Ok 20b $7.5k Aust. So the goal is as close to 500hp out of the 13bt as I can get. Porting and doweling and ++boost is the only way.

 

paging J-rat

 

i guess rotary stuff is MUCH more expensive in AUS than here in the states?

 

I know import japs from japan are expensive as so why dont you import a FD to NZ and then Japan or just bring one over from NZ? There are plenty of non complience fds here for under 10K NZ for your 20k $AU (22900 NZ$) you couldbuy and import a NZ non complience FD for 12K, pick up a 20B for 5.5K (tops) and spend another 5K on a $2500 turbo $1500 ems and 1000 for fuel mods

 

most/all ( as ive never seen one ) 20bs are auto ( cant have been thrashed that bad ). so you can use a stock motor with a big turbo and the right fuel/ems and you'll be sweet as.

whered you get your 7.5K form? I see 20bs in Auz mags like hot4 etc for $5500 all the time

 

mate come to ausrotary.com and have a chat.

you can easily get a non complanced FD shell for about 8G.
20B will set you back out 4.5K, hell one for sale as a fully rebuild BPT setup, for about 9K and had 800 Rwhp with computer.

but what field are you going to race in ??

but if you really want a FC, theirs a really good race shell for sale in perth, check out the perthrotaries.com web site.

 

What?

 

If you're looking for alot of power at low rpms, you need to look for some pistons. Rotarys are built for revs. The power band on the 13b is about 3500 to 7500. And you can't REALLY feel the power until about 4 to 4.5 grand. That's just the way it is. Porting and polishing the block will give you more revs to play with. For instance, you'll keep gaining power until about 8500 to 9 grand. Another idea would be to fabricate your own twin turbo configuration. Sequencial turbos. If you don't know, sequencial turbos have different size exhaust turbines so that they spool at different times/revs. You could get one that spools around 2500 and have the other spool around 4 to 4500. That would give you major satisfaction I think. Pretty much your only other choices would be putting a 20B or buying the LS1 conversion kit.

 

yeah, thats pretty much what i was thinking, I'm a welder and have some machineing exp so fabing the manifolds shouldn't be too much of a problem. But what about the manis on an FD they come pretty close to a FC? Should I run hybrid turbos, like with smaller turbine on the first, or should i just use 1 small and one big one?

 

so where are you at with your quest.

 

You can get a used FD twin turbo for 15000-20000 US, why bother with an FC?

 

FD"s are much more expensive than that in Oz? That's probably why.

Some people just like FC's over FD's.