I've got an 87 NA base model, Automatic tranny. The car itself, is in rather good shape, but it has a couple of maintenance issues I need to deal with. The engine has around 125k on it, & it runs ok. It's my daily driver.

I'm working on those maintenance issues now.

But why I'm really posting is, I ultimately view this car as a project. And am really only planning now. I'm planning on replacing the existing engine, going turbo, swapping in a manual tranny, converting to 5-bolt hubs, etc, etc, etc.... the jury is out on coilovers... Its purpose is going to be a street toy, so I'm thinking spring & shocks should be fine. Too many details to be sure, but i'm really planning refreshing almost everything... I know I'm talking about a significant amount of cash, but i have time, & teenage son who's dying to get involved.

Key expectations I want to hit with my future project...
-- 300+ RWHP
-- Daily Driver dependability ie Reliable. (I decide to drive on a vacation, I want to KNOW it'll make the trip...)

What I'm really asking is, can BOTH of these objectives be met, or do I need to adjust my expectations?

 

I think your on a great start already. You have 2 goals that need to be meet. Most people don't know where to start.

It is possible to create such a toy: Reliable yet powerful.

It is known, with a set budget, that the more power a motor produces, the less reliablity you have. You could increase the budget to add more reliable components, and keep the same power.

You can only have 2 though.

1. Power
2. Reliable
3. Cost

There is a happy medium between the 3, but some want more power, some have a set budget, and others have the dough.




Edit: I currently have 2 projects...well 3, but the 2 important ones are: 300RWHP Non-turbo show worthy vert, and 500RWHP Urban Assault Vehicle, with a license plate that reads...20B-UAV. Both budgets are 15k.

 

I noticed that cost was not your primary objective. That's good.

Yes, you can easily meet these objectives. It does, however, involve going turbo. Getting that power level with a 2 rotor NA that is in streetable form is going to be basicaly impossible. For all out reliability over power and uniqueness, this means installing the TII engine. If you are capable of installing and tuning it, then a standalone ECU is best.

 

You asked for opinions....

If you want a 300 RWHP daily driver....... and i REPEAT.. Daily driver...

Ditch every thought you've ever had about putting a turbo motor in that car..... Get a kit from Granny's or Hinson and put a v-8 in it.

You are talking to a Turbo owner here.... I've got over 300 HP to the rear on my car and ya know what..... I wouldn't trust that sumbitch as a daily driver.... I'd ride a bilke first...

AND, my car is well maintained, everything is done RIGHT, nothing jury rigged, its NEVER broiken down on me.... BUT.... when you start modding these engines... **** starts happening...........

ALSO.... You'd better think about GAS PRICES....... My TII gets 15MPG in the city or LESS.. on the Highway, its over 20.... until i boost it... then.. forget it...... and i have the O2 sensor installed on the Haltech and I have it tweaked!!!!!!

I would NEVER take my car on vacation.... NEVER....... like i said... its never let me sit... BUT.... taking the car THAT far from home is asking for the rotary gods to take a giant crap on you.

I have an FC thats waiting for a 289 and a C4 tranny next spring...

And SCREW ALL YOU IDIOTS who are going to naysay the V-8 rx-7... The rotary is fun and I love my TII, but, you simply can't make the HP and Torque numbers with the reliability of a V-8 with a rotary engine... Just admit it, and ya'll will sleep a lot better at night!!

 

I haven't slept in days, and I feel fine. I'm also putting a 10A in a Z06.

 

 

Huh,

I didnt expect pro-V8 replies.

 

we tell it like it is...

 

or you could just buy a v8 camaro and save yourself a lot of cash and work

 

I think you should adjust your expectations.

The best advice I can give you is to calculate out how much you expect to spend upgrading your current car to a Turbo with a Manual and 5 lug suspension etc, etc. Then upgrading that to make 300 Whp.

Once you have that number multiply it by 25% to be conservative.

With that new number look in the for sale section and pick out a car that alreayd has everything you want done to it. I know that you want to make a project out of your current car and that something you have is better / more fun to build up than just buying a car. I agree. But overall you will be better off having one car that is a good daily driver that is reliable and having another car that when it breaks will leave you with no transporation at all.

 

This is actually an option I'm considering at this point. My only hesitation is, the body on my NA really is in good shape, so, if you were going to start a project, its a great shell to begin with. I'm leary, that I might not find a TII in shape this good.

I'm not a camaro fan. I have owned a mustang or 4 in my years. But, ultimately, that doesnt seem true to the intent of the vehicle...

 

capitalize on your current cars great condition and sell it. Use the money to buy a nice TII and start rebuilding everything.

 

yeah, for all the cash your gonna have to spend swapping the manual tranny plus the 5 lug before you even get into the performance stuff, you'd be better off just buying a t2 and just go from there. or even just a t2 shell in good cond and put in a j-spec motor and trans

 

As was said earlier, even if you start with a TII, at 300rwhp, they don't become the most logical daily drivers. A v8 swap *is* the best bet for 300rwhp, decent mileage, cheap repairs, and staying reliable.

 

Except I have only seen two V8 swaps that were not all cobbled together and with worse reliability as a daily driver done in a FC.

But I feel 300 HP on a daily driver (V8 or Rotary) is starting to get into the unreliable area. The exception would be for the few cars factory built to that spec to start with.

And while Camero's did come with 300 HP near the end of their run, ask any owner... the basic engine was the only thing that was daily driver reliable on them. Things like alts, trannys, brakes, engine managment, steering all failed or had recalls.

Better to scale back and run with 200HP and have the motor and car last for a long time.

 

Wow, you should browse the other forums (torquecentral, etc), there are quite a few of them done pretty nicely, though, around here it's common to see something just shoe-horned and welded in with who knows what for wiring and transmission mounts. I've seen WS6 w/trannies go for as little as $1300 from wrecked cars/etc, that's not too bad for a 320bhp with 20/28mpg, that and they're pretty solid blocks. But regardless, everything comes down to deals and whats available, and as you said, 300hp out of either without some good deals, isn't going to be very cheap or reliable.

 

Ah... Here's the rub.

This car will be a project car, but is currently my daily driver. If I spend the dinero necessary to achieve my targets, its usage will be greatly diminished. Drive to work on nice days during the summer, maybe a trip to Vegas or something... But, hardly daily driver....

From the economy stand point, great gas mileage isnt necessary, as it will eventually become a project car.

I agree, re: the remarks concerning v8 swap jobs... they're usually best left to someone who's a professional at that type of custom work. It's still custom work. Custom work, for which there is a smaller knowledge base to draw upon, for when things go wrong.

I'm beginning to think 200hp figure might be a little more reasonable...

I truly do appreciate the feedback... I'm more of a collaborator. Again, thx.

 

i think a v8 ruins the whole ideal of a FC in ways unless you dont care what a rx7 is but other then that i love v8s n how they sound but i prefer rotary over a v8..well a 20b rotary engine that is.. lol.

 

It's a car, it's only ideal is to move. Add into that, it's a sports car, so it should move fast and turn, which either engine can do. If it's not going to be a daily driver, then go ahead and do the rotary!

 

Again, thx for the input...

After scanning thru the Granny's sight, it certainly does seem that the v8 route seems like it does introduce alot more custom work, than keeping a rotary of some sort in the car.

That said, I'm thinking I'll stay rotary, & go in phases.