I have a 1990 GTU with the higher mileage stock drive train. I have been doing a lot of research on here about build/upgrade paths and wanted some opinions.

For being in the Midwest, the car hasn't seen much, if any snow and is very clean besides the rear wing center mounting holes and a small spot of surface rust on the rear quarter panel. It does have 3rd/4th gear synchros going in it.

What I would like to do is take it out to MAP Proving Grounds to slide it around, but I think I would need to get the transmission sorted and possibly an LSD/Welded Diff, along with a set of coilovers and new rubbers.

Here are some things I was thinking of doing, in order of what I kinda would like.

-Find a 13b Turbo either donor car or Engine/Transmission/etc.
-Replace Tranny with reman and weld/put in lsd.
-LS1 Swap - cause I heard it is easy.
-Beat the hell out of it as it is and look forward to a FD.

I really like the rotary, but maybe it is not the best first car for tooling around/drifting in as I have 0 support in Eau Claire or the surrounding area.

I want to learn and willing to help wrench on other peoples cars, since that is how I typically learn so I am definitely open to working with the rotary. The thing that scares me is finding a Donor or a FC5S Engine/Tranny to throw in my really good shell.

Anybody have any opinions or know where to get an engine from? Appreciate any help.

 

A FD is a completely different animal than a FC, if that's what you really want, you should skip the disappointment and just get one.

The Lsx swap is heavily documented and very well supported.
Starting with an empty bay, you can have the engine/tranny in place in a few short hours.
It's the eighty million details that follow that take all the time/effort/money.

 

You can easily turn a good car into garbage if you go into an LSx swap thinking it will be easy. As clokker said, it's all the details that make the difference. And I agree as well, if the eventual goal is an FD, don't bother doing anything to this one and just use as is until you can buy an FD.

 

Okay, I think that saving up for an FD would be the right way of going about things.

That being said, does anyone happen to know if there is more or less drivers room inside the FDs?

 

I found the FD to be more close coupled/claustrophobic than the FC.
Leg room was fine but I always felt like I was rubbing up on the passenger (maybe a good thing, maybe not).
The FC has a lot more glass area, maybe that's why it seems so much bigger inside.

 

If you need a n/a trans, im in milwaukee and I have a couple of them

 

Not sure why this didn't send me a notification, but I would be willing to grab one off your hands.

The damn Shift Tower is leaking and is almost impossible to shift without grinding since it is leaking so much.

Sent you a PM at any rate.