"Also the average 13b-REW depending on stock boost can easily see over 120k if taken care of. More boost = tougher on seals means less miles."

Complete and utter bullshit. I have zero mods on my car and have completely babied It for the past 6 years and the engine blew at just over the 60,000 mile mark.
20b4me, do not buy an RX-7 unless you have a great deal of money that you want throw at the car

No it's not BS! Could you provide more detailed info on your situation?

i dont think 120k is accurate...maybe 80k....100k pushin it.....not that its a bad thing...if i get 50k miles out of my engine in happy....the fd will not be my only car so 50k will come verry slowly....i think the rewards u get driving them 50k miles will out weigh the repair costs:D

These cars were too complicated for most mazda dealership mechanics to begin with. Add their warranty-recall pay and they couldn't give a sh't. Great car but you need to bank on your own knowlge for this car from the begining. This fourm is a great place to start before you buy. Just like any project it is YOU that will make it work. Buy a new corvett or a viper-less work. 93rx7 will kick 93 vetts ass for 35,000-history. These are the only peope that care. Love mine

After reading these responses!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont understand how there is still debate on why u shouldent do the LS1/T56.

Not to start a big argument but could someone give a GOOD LOGICAL resone with facts to back it up to not do the conversion. Not some silly resone that just wants to bash recips. I hate to say it but the only one I can come up with is that the 7 was borne with a rotory.

you're right SVT, alot of us bought the car because it was good looking, has great handling and performance, AND a rotary. if i wanted a vette engine in a car that looks like the FD i'd have bought a vette. i think that is the case for a number of people on here. i take great pride in knowing that there is something unique under the hood of my car when i'm cruising with all the pistons. i'm not knocking the LS1 conversion, but call me a semi-purist... i bought a rotary to drive a rotary :)

Similarly, I bought a FD to drive a FD ;) I didn't buy a FD to let the FD sit at my house. I can understand the people who will never swap their rotary for anything, but I think they should be able to understand some people are dissatisfied with their rotary for good reasons. And also be mature enough to understand the reasons someone would put a v8 in their FD.

the only logical reason i can see is the weight difference, causing more front weight bias. but then again, this setup may be easier to drive for those people used to driving front biased cars, like the f-body.

personally, my FD is keeping her 1.3L motor.

Which has been proven to be an inaccurate assumption.

When it comes to reliable "BIG" hp, there is no question that a ls1 conversion is the way to go. However me being a true rotor head :) there is no way I would put any piston engine in my RX7. I would rather spend the extra money and install a 20b which could be nearly as reliable if properly set-up. IMHO a v8's exhaust note just sounds completely wrong in a Rx7.

After I complet my conversion my car will actualy weigh less than it did stock. Now my was orig a automatic wich put my car at 2990lb after the conversion my car will weigh 2850lb with a 1/4 tank of gas while maintaining the 50/50 balance.

If I wanted a vette I would have bought a vette but I wanted a FD. To be honest ONE of the things that attracted me to the FD is the rotory motor. After one motor poping at 50k and the other a O-ring ar 18k I have decided that I would prefer to drive my FD insted of letting it sit there, broke down and having to always sink more money into it to keep her running. The feeling of getting into my 7 and driving it without the question of wether or not shes going to make it or not just dosent make it a fun drive for me. The rotory pops with no notice do you know where you will be. Atleast the recip gives symptoms that shes about to go ea. rod knock, there is no sound to indicate when a apex seal breaks you just know it when it does.

I have decided to do the LS1/T56 conversion and have taken some bashing for it in the past, witch doesnt bother me. I wounder what kind of bashing there would be if someone a true rotor head decided to take the FD and make it NA for reliability (he would be ran off the forum.

my rotary has never been unreliable , if it popped i would know why and usuallt it was my fault ( too much boost /lean)
i dont drive my rotary everyday , its my "toy" and it was never intended to be driven everyday when i bought it
and no i am not against the v8 conversion , but i am not for it either , like stated above the rx7 with a v8 exhaust tone is ....well just dont feel right ,
if i want to drive a v8 , ill just jump into my mustang and rip but , thats just me , rotary to the bone
i love to be different , so my seven stays rotary