Ok, guys my name is Jared and i am new to this site. I do not own a rotary car, as obvious by my signature. However i have loved them ever since my old chevy nova got spanked by a little grey FD back when i was in high school.

So i have always had the rotary love, but it has never come to fruition. This is largely due to the kid that owned that little RX7... It was a rare occasion that he ever got that car out of the school work shop. He went through 2 motors before he even graduated. I realize now that that this is mostly due to him driving like a dumb *** with too much boost and improper tuning. But regardless of this, i cant shake the idea that rotarys are unreliable.

So my question is this, Is it true that rotary engines have a typical life span of 75000 miles, or is it possible for these little gems of internal combustion to provide excellent performance (lets say 300 hp) and reliability?

Can this reliability be had with careful tuning and mere bolt ons, or does this require careful choice in internal parts?

Thanks for helping out a noob,
-Jared-

 

Well Jared, of course you can't just throw lots of boost and random parts at a rotary, any more than you can a '73 nova with a small-block 350. But if you have the patience to re-learn half of what you know about engines, then I recommend starting with a first-gen car ('79-85, with 12A) before you move on to the more complex fuel-injected cars.

As for performance, I recently built an '84 model that outran my friend's 2007 Mustang GT by several lengths. I spent $800 on the initial purchase, and another $3000 for performance parts, most of which was suspension and brakes. And to cover reliability, I didn't even rebuild the 240,000 mile engine, which had been sitting over a year when I bought it. The only reason I sold it was because a guy offered me twice what I payed for it if it could keep up with his 550hp Cobra Mustang. (needless to say, it did, and very well!)

The secret to the 7, besides the engine design, is the incredible power-to-weight ratio. A stock 12A engine puts out about 110hp, but with the interior stripped, will scream to 60mph in about 5.5 seconds. The only drawbacks are the same as typical of any rodded car, plus one. Of course since the rotary is a very high-revving engine, fuel consumption and emissions are terrible, but there is another unique problem with them--you feel very, very alone when you run into a problem, as very few people actually know anything about them, much less the intricasies and quirks of the particular engine or carb you are dealing with. All that said, go get an old first gen with a 12a and a stick shift, and start tinkering and reading up online. The FAQ pages on this forum provide a wealth of knowledge, by the way. Good luck, and have bucketfulls of fun!

 

i was 16 when i first got my 88 rx7 tii,(17 now) the car for me is simple than any v8, less moving parts its easy to learn about them plus you got this website to guide you. its once you get into boosting that you need to be careful any little problem with the tuning can cause a problem, so for safty when or if you boost BUY A WIDEBAND ! im running 14psi with stock ecu, intercooler, and turbo. just gat a chip(fuel cut defender) that tricks the ecu then baught some gsl-se '85 injectors wich are 680cc and vuala im at the brink of 300hp on my car =) 13.5 on the quarter(other mods are exhaust,intake,MSD)thats it. i cant tell you this though, non turbo rotary's can last a life time with proper maintenance of course. 12a's are slow =\ youd probably have to swap that in the future for a 13b plus since its older and more rare than 2nd gens thus parts are harder to acquire.

 

Heh well man I can put it like this... All I ever been around were Fords and Chevy's just about all my life. I bought me a 1986 rx7 and everyone I talk to tells me that they are alot easier to work on than the ones I've been around... and to be honest... it really does seem easier. I'd get one, even if just to play around and learn. Welcome and good luck

 

I dont wanna start a flame here, but if you go looking in the right places, you can find lots of parts for the 12A, and cheap. The deciding factor should be whether or not you are gonna build a racecar, or if you want a mild street tuner to pass emissions testing. For any street car that has to pass emissions, or for a daily driver, I would go with a 13B. But if you really plan to go fast, and dont care about emissions, get that 12A. They are much simpler, eaiser to work on, and can put out far more horsepower without the $2000 aftermarket ECU investment.

 

wow guys, what a great response. Thanks for the cumulative answer for my concerns of reliability. I am still curious about how these engines compare to piston engines. From what i can gather, these engines like to rev relatively high. But what i am unsure of is what the torque curve looks like.
-Are rotary engines relatively gutless at lower rpm?
-Does anyone have a typical dyno chart available for a N/A rotary?
Thanks,
Jared

 

good ques. and good answers

 

Thanks to everyone posting in this thread! I am looking for an rx7 and all of the post from this helps!

 

Hello, I would say I am still a noob also with rotary, but I just recently purchased a 83 rx7 with over 98k on the motor, and it still started like a champ. To me it depend on the person who drives the car, if they beat it on a day to day basis and don't keep up with maintenance, the car will eventually break down. You should get a rotary, just make sure you keep up with the oil changes and check the coolant levels on a regular and the car will last you a long time.