I am considering picking up this car from my roomate for next to nothing

http://www.zaxjax.com/images/P4130086.JPG

I have done many engine swaps..turbos..full car rebuilds in my time, but am some what new to rotarys. I have help rebuild a few of these as well.

what I am getting at is this is a base model na 87 and it comes with wheels tires but no long block.

I want to swap a jspec TII motor in it with microtech upgraded clutch
and max out the stock turbo on an open downpipe

later down the road i will put in the TII driveshaft tranny and rear dif

does this sound like a good idea?

Im trying to keep the power relatively low for now untill i feel more comfortable drifting/auto-xing the car.

for maxing out the stock turbo what injectors (already has a walbro pump) and other parts will i need to acheive this.

btw the car will never be street driven...full cage, fuel cell etc etc

 

It's not going to be a very good drift car with the stock driveline, since it's just a one wheel wonder, not to mention with the abuse it'll be taking it probably won't last very long.

 

i plan to do the full driveline change after a few months. it is just to get it up and running my main concern is using the microtech and the turbo swap

 

Stock injectors should feed stock turbo. 10 to 12psi. If u dont swap driveline make sure you get the flywheel counter waight correct. Other then that it should take a day to 2 + the microtech. providing all parts you get are good and work upon hookup.

 

where in virginia? i believe i recognize that red civic hatch in the background from my local TSCC autocrossing association. is microtech similar to haltech?

 

Yes

 

Even at stock turbo power levels I don't know how long the NA trans is going to last.

 

As long as he's not too abusive with it it'll do fine, though in a drift car people generally aren't nice to their drivelines. But then again, a one wheel wonder is a bit easier on it, but still, it's generally a bad idea.

 

Drift and Autox?

Hum, something tells me the mods you do for drift are going to put you in some AutoX you wont even be remotley competitive. They might put you in SM2

What is goal with AutoX? Just to Autox or be compeptive?

 

auto-x will just be for fun untill I finish the car. The main goal is to run at VIR and summit point in SCCA and drift it occasionally (5-6 times a year).

I have an audi A4 for the auto-x that is pretty consitiant, but like I said i will auto-x the FC just for fun untill the car is done.

well i have been finding T2 trannies for 200 bucks so i can easy afford that, but its hard to locate a driveshaft and rear end.,

how much do those go for?

 

you cannot drift and autocross with the same car and be competitive in both.

 

A N/A transmission will not hold up very long with the added power of a Turbo. Heck, they don't hold up very long with added power of an N/A.

In the roughly 10 years that I drove the car daily I had to rebuild the transmission 3 times. Had to completely replace the differential once. Broke the rubber portion of the rear diff mount. Then broke the rear diff mount completely. Ripped it off the subframe.

 

I know Zach autocrossed the heck out of that car and did REAL well, what does he have left on it after his GTU project car?
He's the one you should talk to about setting it up as an autoX car again.

 

never have had problem like that or anyone i know for that matter. what the hell where you doing to that poor transmission?!?

 

you won't be running a stock turbo with a open down pipe for very long. Boost creep will kill the motor first time you redline in third

 

I was also thinking of swapping my n/a motor for a turbo but is it really gonna cause problems and would the stock parts take the extra hp? take into consideration its not gonna be used for racing, only cruising.

 

well i just recently found some good deals on driveshafts about 90 bucks, so that isnt too bad.

I dont look at drifting as a competative sport. Its a way for me to throw the car around and have some fun chewing up some stock old tires. the car will not have drift coilovers or whatnot on it. It will be setup to grip the road and will be auto-x with the stock turbo. once I can afford a cage, safety, and more power, then I will take it out on open tracks as mentioned earliery.

I feel that with my setup and some stock tires on stock rims I can have fun drifting.
sorry to make anyone think I was trying to make a competative all out race car in all fields.

 

geh...check out the SCCA guidelines before you do anything!!! because, well, you cant do half the things you mentioned without ending up in an unlimited class where you will be up against tube chassis stuff. go wo www.scca.something and read up.

 

At a minimum get the TII tranny and an adapter driveshaft.

Currently I'm running a TII enfine and tranny with NA LSD rearend.
I think I've toasted the LSD(due to age) but the rearend has held up fine.

I dynoed at 180hp/182tq @ rear wheels on 8-9psi.

I've done my share of drifting and drags too.

 

well i have found all of the drivetrain parts I need.

I just need to find an engine and I will be good to go.

To the last poster......are you using a T2 ecu or microtech?

I will be immediately maxing out the stock turbo and eventually be in the mid 300 whp range this time next year. So do i need to get the micro tech right away? or hold off and use that money for suspension.