Does my engine require a rebuild....massive amoutns of pressure in coolant system
 

So driving the 88 vert the other day and next thing you know I have a TON of smoke coming out the hood. I quickly turn the car off and pull over to find that my radiator has completely blow into 3 pieces, the center and each side all separated.

Figured the thermostat got stuck built up pressure and blew a 25+ year old radiator and didn’t think twice about it. Got the car towed home, picked up a new radiator and thermostat and decided to grab all new hoses and just freshen up the system a little. Installed everything and started the car and everything looked good, until the drive.

Went for a quick ride around the block and when I pulled back up to the house realized I was leaking coolant. Opened the hood and realized there was a massive amount of pressure buildup in the cooling system and it was literally blowing everything out the overflow tank. Thinking maybe I just overfilled the tank I just let it flow out and let the car cool down.

After a hour I went back to the car and topped the coolant off, check the overflow tank and filled it to the line and drove off on trip 2. Got back home after 5 minutes and the same thing....this time I was a little more worried. Decided to pull the thermostat thinking well it could be a bad unit and went to purchase another.

Well the 2nd unit is doing it too and I just noticed that im getting some white smoke in the exhaust on startup....do I have a compression leak going into the water jacket of a rotar? All things point to this, but being that I have very little experience in the roatry world just want to get a second opinion before I pull the engine.

It sounds like you've pin pointed it well

My suggestion would be top it off with freeze, leave the radiator cap off, jack the car up, blast the heater and start it and let it idle. You may have a bubble in the cooling system, but being as your radiator literally "blew up" its very possible you have a bad cooling seal

Also, get new radiator caps first if you havent already, a faulty cap can give the same problems

White smoke in the exhaust AND pressurizing the coolant loop? I would be shocked if you didn't need a rebuild at this point...

Guess this car wont be making it to the IA meet this weekend. Going to drain the fluid and let the car sit so no further damage happens.

IA hasn't been good in many, many years. You're not missing anything.

How fresh is your radiator pressure cap? Sounds like it's not cracking open untill far too late. Might be wise to take it into the parts store and ask them to test it with their tester kit.