Fumi

has any one tried or looked into taking the awd crap off a mpv and adapting it to a 7?

GTUsRX-7

did you search? Im sure this has been asked a bunch of times before. https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...hlight=AWD+rx7

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...&highlight=AWD

shiftnmadkwik

people have built awd rotary subarus

NZConvertible

Go outside and look at your car. Look hard. Look where the front axle line is in relation to the engine. Look where the engine is in relation to the firewall. Getting drive to the front wheels would require major structural changes to the car, most obviously completely rebuilding the fire wall and trans tunnel (and hence most of the interior) so the engine can be relocated ever further back than it already is.

Yes 4WD has been done before, on serious, high-dollar competition cars using the proper gear, not MPV bits. Unless you're an engineering genius with a lot of money and a full workshop at your disposal, you can forget it.

Can we kill this one now before all the kids get excited?

*a*jones*

more importantly why the HELL would you want it? do you like having drivetrain loss? or is it just becuase you want to be like the "cool" wrx's and evo's?

(Edit for signature)

totallimmortal

seems that for the money you could spend that all on other upgrades to make your fc handle and accelerate better than most anything on the road

Terrh

iTrader: (7)

I think it could be done for under $4k. Here's how:

Buy cheap AWD DSM ($1k?)
Buy cheap FC.

Cut up body panels on DSM, install FC body panels. Ghetto weld it up so it works.

PRESTO, AWD FC.

This is the ONLY sub $2349072903874023 way to do it folks....

Madrx7racer

It was done using a Mazda 323 drivetrain into an rx7.......sure this was a rally car and really expensive but it can be done.

NZConvertible

It's obvious from that attitude you've never actually driven a performance 4WD. It's got nothing to do with being "cool".

FDreaming

AWD is simply a gimick, it's for old ladies that live in Alaska and have to drive around on the snow all day. It's a safety net for people who can't drive. It can also hold a good car back. All too quickly AWD becomes more of a hinderance than a help. There is a reason the JGTC Skylines are RWD. The fastest Skyline in the world ran a 8.02 1/4mile nothing to be scoffed at, but it also puts down over 1200hp. Cars with that much power could be long into the 7second range if the AWD weren't holding them back. Anyway, I'm rambling. Don't do it, it's not worth it.

White_FC

626 parts actually...
All they used from that was just the hubs though IIRC, had custom just about everything else.

NZConvertible

Again, that's the attitude of someone who's never driven or been in a performance 4WD car. The performance advantages of 4WD are long proven. Calling it a "gimmick" is laughable.
I can't wait to hear you explain that one...
Yeah, the rules put in place to bring their performance back into line with the cars than don't come from the factory with 4WD. I can think of a long list of racing formulas where 4WD has been banned (or was simply never legal) due to the advantage it gives the users.
Right... These mega-dollar race teams can build 8-second cars, but it's beyond their ability to remove the 4WD system that's "holding them back". Uh-huh, whatever man...

totallimmortal

OK I was really hoping this thread wouldn't go this far. AWD does have advantages and disadvantages, Have you ever seen an AWD top fuel or funny car? No the fastest cars in the world are rear drive and thats a fact, I've driven nice AWD cars and know that the advantages are nice such as high RPM launches that pin you, but again you can get that with a posi and slicks in RWD. In any limited traction situation AWD will rule, but otherwise it's really not needed, a good drive can drive just as well in a 2wd car in most conditions. But besides all that think of what else you could do with that money, If I had to chose between an AWD rx-7 and one with the same amount of money in suspension and engine I'd know that the latter would be the wiser choice, But if anyone does find some pics or info on one that has been done it would be nice too see, just seems to me that there wouldn't be much clearance under the engine for a front axle

BoostdFC3S

Understeer???

bingoboy

not just top fuel and funny cars. how many twisty track cars are AWD? there you go. oh and yeah the logistics of doing this on your own car would just be horrendous (as previously mentioned).

NZConvertible

Let's be a bit more realistic. What would you rather have on a street car? 4WD or a horribly crude diff and illegal slicks? It's a no-brainer...

Trying to argue you can get the same overall grip from a RWD as you can from a 4WD is silly. On a well set up 4WD, by the time it starts to understeer it's cornering faster than a RWD car of similar power and weight. It may not be a huge difference in the dry, but it will be there. And with even a hint of a slipperly surface (lots of them on real roads) the difference gets much bigger. Don't get me wrong; I love RWD. But I'm not fooling myself about any comparison.
You talking about a vehicle that's basically impossible (a streetable 4WD FC), so saying "the same amount of money" is meaningless. Even a dedicated race car is in a whole different finacial league.

Man I hate repeating myself... In case you missed it, I said "I can think of a long list of racing formulas where 4WD has been banned (or was simply never legal) due to the advantage it gives the users." Most "twisty track" cars are not allowed to use 4WD, because overwhelming experience has proven them to have too much of an advantage.

ROTILLA

awd is awesome. But NO, I wouldnt want it in my rx7. I think it is perfecet the way it is, or will be with the S/C. Or maybe a 20b motor, with a S/C. But those are my ideas for MY car. You build yours the way YOU want. If you want awd in yours, go and do it. But don't think it will be easy. Just plan accordingly.

Leslie

RotaryWeaponSE7EN

iTrader: (6)

RE Amemiya did it to an fc, but of course they have lots a $$$$$$.

Bebesito21

I saw the RE Amemiya car in person. They had it parked on the side of the building, rotting away. The firewall and tranny tunnel was redone. It had a 20b in it i believe. Their 3rd gens were much more apealing....

*a*jones*

ok have your 500HP awd and your 500HP RWD and tell me which one you have to keep putting money in because the drivetrain damn near has more parts than the engine

i'll come out and say it.....AWD is a fad, yesterday civics, today WRX's and AWD rally cars. i remmber having these fights with people saying FWD is the best, just break down and admit RWD is king

gerbraldy

If you want something fast and awd, get 92 sentra/sr20det/pulsar tranny, transfer case, driveshaft, front, rear axles. My best friend has a 92 sentra gutted, it ran 12.9 on stock turbo 12psi, front intercooler, slicks on the front. Hes looking to make his awd,

If you want awd go get a nissan


No, No, Skylines are the kings, but america is gay so the best thing we have is an rx7.

What handles the best, is the issue for me, and awd cars will woop on a slalom course compared to a rwd car. I love rx7's , we can't beat a skyline.

RotaryWeaponSE7EN

iTrader: (6)

Obviously RWD is king. Look where all new car technology is tested first F1 racing. Also F1 is the fastest lap racing in the world.

j200pruf

iTrader: (4)

One reason why F1 never had AWD was already stated by NZ, IT'S AGAINST THE RULES!!! Hell look at the Audi's in the Speed GT series, they have always done pretty good, even one a few championships, and oh **** what do ya know, they are AWD!!! Yeah AWD sure holds them back.
And again not all new car technology is tested in F1, there are quite a few things that are banned, such as rotarys.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

There now, isn't that much better after all the crap was cleaned out? Let's not let it happen again...

FDreaming

The advantages of AWD have been long proven by lunatic Rally driver's hurtling through the snow at 100mph. Snow is not tarmac.

Never driven an AWD car? I've driven DSMs through trees, and I've drag raced my friends WRX for him.(it was to complete a bet that I could drive it faster. two tenths of a second later, I was eating free dinner) The advantages of AWD are to get ametuer drivers out of bad situations. It can make a mediocre car a good car, but it will make an amazing car a decent one. The guys running the 8-second Skyline are leaving the AWD in to be the fastest with a stock driveline. They are a Getrag sequential box away from sevens but that's not what they set out to do. Put a 300hp WRX by a 300hp RX-7 in the 1/4 the WRX will win, take them to a track, or to the freeway and Wankel will wip the scooby. By the time you start really pushing the performance envelope the drivetrain is sucking up more power than it makes up for. Look to Porsche, the have an excellent AWD system in the Carrera 4S, and even some of the Turbos come with AWD. That is there so that the yuppies that buy them to look pretty won't kill themselves if they hit second too hard. As soon as you buy a real performance Porsche the AWD is gone.(GT2, GT3, Ruf will add it back in but they advice against it)

The bottom line is that if you have big performance asperations the benifits don't outweight the downsides. If AWD were such a pure performance option F1 would use it, and minivans would not come with it.