4wd conversion
 

serously thinking about going for one... i know its possible rod millen did it in 85 to get 2nd in the pro rally circut in a 1st gen and heres a photo of a 2nd gen NA from him thats also 4wd. so it is possible... my question is how?

https://www.rx7club.com/photo/data/6507RODMILEN.gif

i am thinking of possibly finding a 323 AWD as a donor or and old subaru. with the removal of the AC and PS pump i could probably run a drive shaft up the right side. my other concern is finding some front axels and CV joints to go up front... for right now i am thinking full time AWD in the simplest of forms.

couldn't find anything on google about anyone else doing it, but i may call ron millen to ask him about his...

anyone got any ideas on how to start going about this project

Give $100,000 to Rod Millen to go build you one...

Seriously, you're looking at a AWD trans.&nbsp We're talking like a $10,000 Quaiffe or equivalent.&nbsp You'll need to have superb custom fabrication skills to pull this off.&nbsp Even with trying to "splice" in an AWD drivetrain like the 323GTX, you're talking immense amounts of fabrication to even get it rolling..



-Ted

i know a guy with fab skills to pull it off who would be willing to help me out

as for the trans... what about a center differential such as jeeps have... could keep tranny that way. no special tranny for them, only the 2wd models have a longer rear driveshaft

you can pick up the one that RE-Amemiya has for $30k
it has 4wd 20B with T88 and Motec.

if you want the contact info I can get it for you. I was planning on buy this car from him but I have decided not to do 4wd.

http://rx7.cyberosity.com/gallery/pub/fc3s4wd/
here is a pic of the car that I took about 6 months ago. what it looks like now its been sitting under a tarp out side for like 5 - 6 years.

AWD 20b T88 motec 2nd gen!!!!!!! holy SH*T!!! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

This has been asked before, here's a thread I answered (about half way down):

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...threadid=50512

And that 4WD RX-7 above is NOT a NA, it's a 20B Turbo! See the pic attached to my post.

uhhhh, the 323 tranny might last you about 2 blocks before it self distructed. They can barely handly the power a modded 1.6L B6T motor can turn out, and tolerate *zero* abuse. The only other AWD tranny mazda has is the MPV one. Just like Ted said, if you had 100k, anything is possible.

i stand corrected

87 GTR, I can't believe you didn't buy that. Was it because it was ill suited for drag racing? You could easily spend $30k on a 20b FC that was 1/2 the car that is. I can understand why it sucks for Amemiya San; no support for all the American race products on it.

Get with the times slughead!

one of the old Mazda trucks with 4WD would be a better suited doner. they have alot of stuff that is interchangable. you may be able to change the input shaft on a 4wd tranny. the front drive shaft and hubs will most likely fit better too. Rally if you want frong drive shafts try the Ford Probe. This is the RX7 body and mostly it's suspension. it was built by Mazda. the 90 Probe looks just like the Second gen 7. there is your front suspension and shafts. then it is only a matter of fitting the shaft to the front diff. the major problem you are going to have is ground clearance. your added parts are going to hang low due to the geometry of the car. good luck. keep us updated

I take that as an insult
Looks like a DSM more than anything

Probe and RX-7 have nothing in common except some electrical parts... Probe front suspensions are rear-steer, RX-7 front suspensions are front-steer. Not compatible.

Whatever you end up doing, the car will have to be jacked up pretty high... if the front driveshaft goes on the left side of the car, then the transfer case will be directly under the driver's ass. You'd need to raise the car up 6-8 inches for minimal clearance. MINIMAL clearance. If it goes under the right side of the car, you can cut up the floor and tuck the transfer case up into where the passenger seat used to be (operative word: USED TO) BUT THEN you have a problem with the front driveshaft trying to exist where the exhaust is. That's never pretty, but potentially not as bad as trying to mate a Mazda rotary to a transverse transaxle. Things can be done but be prepared to have a maintenance nightmare.

On a brighter note, I believe (haven't tried yet) a 4wd tranny can be made by getting a 4wd Mazda truck transmission/transfer case and putting a N/A RX-7 front bellhousing section on it. This would limit you to under 200hp and no sticky clutches, the N/A tranny is pretty fragile.

Node you gotta admit it, the 1st gen probe does look like an FC. Its the only car that at night I sometimes confuse the headlights of. And why is that an insult. They made the v6 turbo GT model which can be hooked up.

944, only car FC shoudl be compared to visually in my eyes, and a very worthy comparison

I could see the 4x4 mod beeing a task.

For a start you have to move the engine to get clearace for the drive shafts etc then you need more power to turn it throught the extra trans loss. The biggest one is keeping it together with big bhp as 4x4's are renound for killing boxes

I like the way Node thinks

:D

Mazda designers openly admit the Porsche 944 was a target design study for the FC3S...


-Ted

The 944 is a huge pile of crap... :)

I don't see how the Probe looks in any way like the RX-7... they both have pop up headlights, two doors, and a hatchback. Not very much in common...

Jeez, that's being diplomatic. I'd say they plain ripped it off! Putting them side by side is a real eye opener!
You wouldn't be saying that if you'd spent some time in one.

Gee, aren't you Mr. Opinion today...
First the auto trans crap, and now you call Porsche a pile of crap...



-Ted

RETed, ever have to work on one? :)

the 944 turbos were pretty cool. they had everything already under the hood to increase power. you could even tune it and make it run richer/leaner by adj stuff under the hood. I think you could even increase the boost. but I can't remember. I read I bunch of stuff one on a while ago. I think Porsche basicly designed them so everyone could just pump them up after they rolled off the lot with out having to buy anything.

Nope, and I refuse to.
I HAVE driven one, and I can safely say that stock for stock, the 944 will out-corner and out-brake the FC with ease...



-Ted

While I don't doubt this; If you compare a 1st gen 7 to 2nd gen and also to 924, I think 2nd gen looks more like 1st gen w/ box style flares and updated. While the 924 + flares IS the 944.