Chevy 350 Engine in my RX7
12-11-01, 11:51 PM
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Chevy 350 Engine in my RX7
Hey guys was just wondering what you would think of installing a Chevy 350 engine in an 86 RX7. My friend has an 84 RX and we are both contemplating on this swap. I have visited a website, can't remember what its called but they were crazy insane people!!! They did engines swaps with old school domestic Chevy carbureted engines. They sell special mounts for the engine. Was wondering if any of you would advise me or offer info on whether its a good or bad idea.
Thanks.
Thanks.
now go before everyone makes fun of you 
12-12-01, 12:33 AM
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I think this a fair subject, and IDEA!
I own 2 rotary 7's so don't blow me off!
As an experienced engine swapper I say there CAN even be improvements to RX-7.
No, I'm not putting down the great rotary performance and sophisticated systems the 7 is capable of.
The swap is a poor mans way to get great performance with improved
reliability, albeit at the cost of (POTENTIALLY) more weight and poorer handling. I have seen those obstacles overcome, and the result can be incredible!
Yes, it is real easy to butcher the car, if done carelessly or without pride of workmanship!
When done properly a v8 RX-7 can be formidable for very litle money.
As an experienced engine swapper I say there CAN even be improvements to RX-7.
No, I'm not putting down the great rotary performance and sophisticated systems the 7 is capable of.
The swap is a poor mans way to get great performance with improved
reliability, albeit at the cost of (POTENTIALLY) more weight and poorer handling. I have seen those obstacles overcome, and the result can be incredible!
Yes, it is real easy to butcher the car, if done carelessly or without pride of workmanship!
When done properly a v8 RX-7 can be formidable for very litle money.
12-12-01, 10:37 AM
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Im just going to say that im not a fan of putting V8's in import cars. I mean what would you V8 lovers say if i said I was going to put a 2.0L in a 1970 454 stingray? well they did it to a supra but thats besides the point.
Jeff
Jeff
12-12-01, 12:42 PM
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12-12-01, 01:07 PM
#8
I read a few posts on that V-8 rx-7 forum thing. Alot of them are saying that they autoX the cars after the v-8 swap and it handles better because of better weight distribution.....
..?? I know that 2nd gens arent perfect..like 51/49 I believe, but how would putting in a heavier engine make it better?? Wouldnt it be alot worse? Is there something to this or are these guys just making up stuff?
..?? I know that 2nd gens arent perfect..like 51/49 I believe, but how would putting in a heavier engine make it better?? Wouldnt it be alot worse? Is there something to this or are these guys just making up stuff?
12-12-01, 01:25 PM
#9
Former Moderator. RIP Icemark.
Hey guys was just wondering what you would think of installing a Chevy 350 engine in an 86 RX7.
Is 0-60 or 0-100 straight line performance really that important?
IMHO, all those conversions scream that someone is trying to make up for perhaps a self perceived physical or mental inadequacy???
12-12-01, 04:15 PM
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12-12-01, 04:33 PM
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Man you guys are ruff. I mean I love my 7 but I also love cars and swaps and making street rods can be a lot of fun so give the guy a break.
http://www.grannysspeedshop.com/
http://www.grannysspeedshop.com/
12-12-01, 04:52 PM
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Originally posted by Icemark
IMHO, all those conversions scream that someone is trying to make up for perhaps a self perceived physical or mental inadequacy???
IMHO, all those conversions scream that someone is trying to make up for perhaps a self perceived physical or mental inadequacy???
Yeah that 's what Shelby did a few years back, but it was a lot more than AN ENGINE SWAP. As for the handling, if you're used to driving a V8 then a RX350 will naturally come to you. As for the rest of the world i would have to say that NO it doesn't handle better. It sure as hell isn't going to break better. Not on the stock breaks anyway. Why not use like a Cavalier or something. Take something and improve upon it's design, don't bring it down a level.......Even if it is yours.
FOR ALL WHO THINK THIS IS A GOOD IDEA.....I FART IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION.
12-12-01, 06:54 PM
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I think some of us are looking at our cars as more than what they are. The RX-7 or any car is a machine; spark ignites fuel and air which moves the rotor, which moves the eccentric shaft, which moves the drive shaft, which moves the wheels, that move the car. There's no soul to tamper with or any psychology involved; the machine just operates. Some people want the machine to operate differently and I don't see why anyone should have a problem with this.
My engine went bad on 9/22/01 so I'm in need of a rebuild. Someone suggested to me that I replace it with a V8, but I'm perfectly happy with how rotary engines operate and the performance that they can produce. I also love hearing a screaming turbo so staying with the stock engine makes sense to me. Some people don't have the same wants.
My engine went bad on 9/22/01 so I'm in need of a rebuild. Someone suggested to me that I replace it with a V8, but I'm perfectly happy with how rotary engines operate and the performance that they can produce. I also love hearing a screaming turbo so staying with the stock engine makes sense to me. Some people don't have the same wants.
12-12-01, 07:32 PM
#16
1fastT2 and IceMark: Yes the 13B is a nice little zippy engine and yes you can make decent power from the turbo'd version.... but they don't make torque... fact and it will never change due to the low displacement.
1fastT2- you car looks nice and is very clean... but until you are running fast and blowing away most car on the street you shouldn't condemn a V8 swap. An LS1 swap would probably weigh less than a 13BT setup as it is all aluminum and would make twice as much torque with minimal mods.
ICEMARK- Is Cotati near SF? If it is we should go race at either Sacramento or Sears Point raceway and I will wax your little car all over the place. Dragstrip and Roadrace course.
The RX-7 chassis has the potential to be a supercar and just needs some more kahones and better brakes. The factory GXL and T2 brakes are good but better brakes and more hp can make this car untouchable for a reasonable price. Just like "Shelby" did back in the day by stuffing american muscle in a lightweight British sports car.....
Chris Vetters did a Ford 302 swap with aluminum heads into his 2nd gen RX-7 that was already prepped for road racing and he said he turned faster lap times with the V8 and no degradation of handling than with the 13B. It also ran a 12.1@119mph which is about as fast as a 3rd gen with intercooler, exhaust, clipped turbos, fuel upgrades and the 3rd gen costs 5x more and still has those pesky APEX failures.....
Who would want all that power in a 2nd gen?
I would......
GNX7 (believer in well built/thought out home built 2nd gen RX-7's with alternative power).
1fastT2- you car looks nice and is very clean... but until you are running fast and blowing away most car on the street you shouldn't condemn a V8 swap. An LS1 swap would probably weigh less than a 13BT setup as it is all aluminum and would make twice as much torque with minimal mods.
ICEMARK- Is Cotati near SF? If it is we should go race at either Sacramento or Sears Point raceway and I will wax your little car all over the place. Dragstrip and Roadrace course.
The RX-7 chassis has the potential to be a supercar and just needs some more kahones and better brakes. The factory GXL and T2 brakes are good but better brakes and more hp can make this car untouchable for a reasonable price. Just like "Shelby" did back in the day by stuffing american muscle in a lightweight British sports car.....
Chris Vetters did a Ford 302 swap with aluminum heads into his 2nd gen RX-7 that was already prepped for road racing and he said he turned faster lap times with the V8 and no degradation of handling than with the 13B. It also ran a 12.1@119mph which is about as fast as a 3rd gen with intercooler, exhaust, clipped turbos, fuel upgrades and the 3rd gen costs 5x more and still has those pesky APEX failures.....
Who would want all that power in a 2nd gen?
I would......
GNX7 (believer in well built/thought out home built 2nd gen RX-7's with alternative power).
12-12-01, 07:38 PM
#17
RXER-
Please visit http://www.v8rx7.com and click on the messageboards to see what others are doing.
Register and participate on this V8RX7 board. Rotary enthusiasts take offense to people that think outside of the 8,000rpm 1.3i no torque mindset.
2600lb RX-7's with 400ft/lbs of torque (V8 swap or similar) and a wide powerband will make believers out of narrow powerband low torque rotaryites. Plus with a T-56 you will get better gas mileage! Get heavier springs up front and the handling degradation will be minimal... go with an LS1 and it will probably handle better!
my email: gnx7@hotmail.com
Later,
Mark
Please visit http://www.v8rx7.com and click on the messageboards to see what others are doing.
Register and participate on this V8RX7 board. Rotary enthusiasts take offense to people that think outside of the 8,000rpm 1.3i no torque mindset.
2600lb RX-7's with 400ft/lbs of torque (V8 swap or similar) and a wide powerband will make believers out of narrow powerband low torque rotaryites. Plus with a T-56 you will get better gas mileage! Get heavier springs up front and the handling degradation will be minimal... go with an LS1 and it will probably handle better!
my email: gnx7@hotmail.com
Later,
Mark
12-12-01, 08:19 PM
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Originally posted by gnx7
1fastT2 and IceMark: Yes the 13B is a nice little zippy engine and yes you can make decent power from the turbo'd version.... but they don't make torque... fact and it will never change due to the low displacement.
1fastT2- you car looks nice and is very clean... but until you are running fast and blowing away most car on the street you shouldn't condemn a V8 swap. An LS1 swap would probably weigh less than a 13BT setup as it is all aluminum and would make twice as much torque with minimal mods.
1fastT2 and IceMark: Yes the 13B is a nice little zippy engine and yes you can make decent power from the turbo'd version.... but they don't make torque... fact and it will never change due to the low displacement.
1fastT2- you car looks nice and is very clean... but until you are running fast and blowing away most car on the street you shouldn't condemn a V8 swap. An LS1 swap would probably weigh less than a 13BT setup as it is all aluminum and would make twice as much torque with minimal mods.
12-12-01, 09:26 PM
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First off I'd like to say that if it were me...I would not even ponder the idea. BUT its not me...I don't understand why when people ask honest questions they get flamed and made fun of. He came to us for help on an idea. One of the things I love the most about this forum is the fact that everyone has always been helpful to me whenever I have had problems. I know that taking the rotary out of the rotary rocket for some is the biggest sin in the world, however it is in fact his rx-7 which he did pay for. Some people like RX-7s with bodykits some people think bodykit's on the car take away from the stock beauty. Some people think tinting the windows is ricey some people say tinting the back adds marvels to the appearance. In the end we do with our own cars what we would like. If you do not want to see another Rotary converted to a V8 why not give some straight up facts, numbers and proven evidence of the pros and cons. If the rotary suits what he needs out of the car then he'll stay with it. If it doesn't then well guys, most of us modify our cars so they do what we need/want them to. The rotary engine IMO is a beauty. It makes the car unique and a whole other world to drive. It can be tweaked to provide a lot of power including straight line. I hope that you stick with the rotary, but if you don't I wish you the best of luck on your conversion. Just my .02
Dan
Dan
12-12-01, 09:37 PM
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It is his car!
There have been some worthwhile responses here.
And a few that were weak and unworthy.
ICEMARK: You scare me. And you know nothing about psychology.
Only you know what is right, and every one should walk to your drum beat?
And a few that were weak and unworthy.
ICEMARK: You scare me. And you know nothing about psychology.
Only you know what is right, and every one should walk to your drum beat?
12-13-01, 12:47 AM
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Apparantly some of us haven't taken an English class. Personofication is the attribution of personal nature to inanimate objects. SO when someone says, that taking out the Rotary is removing the soul of the car then he is simply using a rhetorial figure of speech. It is understood that the car really has no soul. It's a machine. Since someone wants to be smart, then here's your lecture.
Oh yeah i have driven an RX350 and there is absolutely NO WAY, ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH, that your LS1 will be just as light as a Rotary. Yes the torque is there, and there is more HP. But physics prevails and it also needs 1.5X the power to produce the same rate of acceleration. Given that all else is equal. 2,600 lbs 2nd Gen with a V8. Maybe in a fully gutted race car. To still retain the stock interior and normal accesories it would be somewhat challenging to tip the scales at under 3,000 lbs. Considering that they came with about 2,700-2,980 lbs (depending on the model) with a rotary. How else then does my car beat stock Mustang GT's (any year) and your fabled LS1, up to the 2000 model. Yet car w/ mods i have only spent a total of $7,000 dollars. A new Z would cost $25,000. the motor alone would be more than my car.
Dont get me wrong, it's a good idea......but a bad investment.
Oh yeah i have driven an RX350 and there is absolutely NO WAY, ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH, that your LS1 will be just as light as a Rotary. Yes the torque is there, and there is more HP. But physics prevails and it also needs 1.5X the power to produce the same rate of acceleration. Given that all else is equal. 2,600 lbs 2nd Gen with a V8. Maybe in a fully gutted race car. To still retain the stock interior and normal accesories it would be somewhat challenging to tip the scales at under 3,000 lbs. Considering that they came with about 2,700-2,980 lbs (depending on the model) with a rotary. How else then does my car beat stock Mustang GT's (any year) and your fabled LS1, up to the 2000 model. Yet car w/ mods i have only spent a total of $7,000 dollars. A new Z would cost $25,000. the motor alone would be more than my car.
Dont get me wrong, it's a good idea......but a bad investment.
12-13-01, 01:17 AM
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Originally posted by Rxmfn7
I read a few posts on that V-8 rx-7 forum thing. Alot of them are saying that they autoX the cars after the v-8 swap and it handles better because of better weight distribution..... ..?? I know that 2nd gens arent perfect..like 51/49 I believe, but how would putting in a heavier engine make it better?? Wouldnt it be alot worse? Is there something to this or are these guys just making up stuff?
I read a few posts on that V-8 rx-7 forum thing. Alot of them are saying that they autoX the cars after the v-8 swap and it handles better because of better weight distribution.....
..?? I know that 2nd gens arent perfect..like 51/49 I believe, but how would putting in a heavier engine make it better?? Wouldnt it be alot worse? Is there something to this or are these guys just making up stuff?
Personally, if I wanted a V-8 car, I would buy a new Corvette or Camaro with TRACTION CONTROL. Obviously, tossing an old, nasty, V-8 into an RX-7 isn't an optimal setup, but I think that it would be a good project for those who have a whole lot of time and very little money or credit. A friend of mine is building a 302-powered 1Gen. Why? Because the car and engine were free. Makes sense to me.
12-13-01, 01:24 AM
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Do what ever you feel is right... If you want to swap , then swap just dont expect to get help from the general public on a "Rx7" board... Rotary is a very "special" feature of the Rx7, and taking it out to some is a bad idea..
Personally I could careless what you do, and honestly I dont beleive you will even do the swap.. Only a few have done it like GNX who has an extremley fast car... I understand some people here having issues swapping, but if it comes down to reliability issues A LOT of people have had bad issues with rx7s...
And for some who dont really think the l-t1 engine swaps are fast... Think again a L-t1 with a t56 (6speed) with no mods other then a KN filter.. Will run you low 12's time and time again...... Whats a stock GXL??? Easily a 17 second car at a track with no mods, possibly higher since I have seen new 2001 GT Eclipses run high 16's...
I dont know what it is but everyone on this board has a "snobby" atitude, even towards the body kit I posted ...
Personally I could careless what you do, and honestly I dont beleive you will even do the swap.. Only a few have done it like GNX who has an extremley fast car... I understand some people here having issues swapping, but if it comes down to reliability issues A LOT of people have had bad issues with rx7s...
And for some who dont really think the l-t1 engine swaps are fast... Think again a L-t1 with a t56 (6speed) with no mods other then a KN filter.. Will run you low 12's time and time again...... Whats a stock GXL??? Easily a 17 second car at a track with no mods, possibly higher since I have seen new 2001 GT Eclipses run high 16's...
I dont know what it is but everyone on this board has a "snobby" atitude, even towards the body kit I posted ...
