I think that I should first state that its an 86 GXL, if that makes a difference. I'm looking to do a "fun" build, that is a blast to drive, and would scare the living hell out of me. I guess another part of this is whether or not I should keep the N/A 13B, or swap in a Turbocharged V8. Maybe a T5 or T56? Any suggestions would be more than welcome. I've set a budget of $10000 aside for this build, so I'd like to see how far that gets me. Thanks in advance!
~Cheers~

 

Is the purpose to have fun bolting strange parts together or to have fun driving the car? Also, is this going to be street legal?

A $6K bike will scare the hell out of you more than any street legal car, so if that is the main purpose then sell the car, buy a scary bike, and invest the rest of the money. I recommend contributing to a 401k or IRA, and of course life insurance if you have dependents.

 

Firstly, throw street legality out the window. That's not what this is going to be meant for. However, that being said, it's also NOT going to be a straight-line car either. The goal is a rally-ish kind of idea. I want it to take corners like nothing, and handle every surface. Make sense? The bike idea is great and all, but not really my forte. Also, No, this will not be a "thrown together" mock-up car. I want it planned, and perfected. Also, on this same note, still not sure on the engine...

 

No, it doesn't make sense at all. If it is not a street car then it is a race car, and all race cars must comply with the rules of their respective racing class. Until you decide on a racing class, there is no point in speculating on car parts because you don't know what is allowed for competition.

 

not my kind of discussion, but i will say this much ...

so far, i have NOT heard the plan on what is perhaps THE MOST important part of this build you propose. who is building this car?

having $10,000 to dedicate to building a car is fantastic, but if you're NOT building the car yourself, you will likely find that it's not going to get you very far and that pretty much equates to either a stalled build and/or a thread entitled ... wait for it ... "Where can $20,000 Get Me?"

in terms of your plans ... you might want to start with trying to get as much information on Rod Millen's old race car(s) as you can. if you're still going to want a twin turbo V8 after that, then you'll obviously need to make whatever adjustments to the plan necessary.

 

oh ... and by the way, this is pretty much a myth. you'll basically need to build about 4 versions of the car, utilizing only ONE at any given time. so, engine aside, you'll need to build the car 3 or 4 times.

 

w

 

20b

 

Sorry, but I'm the ONLY one here with a $10k 20B FC and it was done by getting absolutely EVERYTHING discounted, making it a record that will probably stand for all time Just the engine alone will set you back almost $6000 now, mine was $2800. Then comes an ECU to run it, such as a Haltech or Megasquirt (starting around $1300) and quite a bit of head-scratching and fabrication to package everything nicely.

Personally, I'd recommend you check out Aaron Cake's Project Tina to get you in the right direction for a well-built fun car that you can realistically live with as a daily driver.

 

Q: How much does it cost to install a 3-rotor engine in my RX-7?
A: In the US, it costs about $10,000 to do it yourself, and about $35,000 for a professional conversion. Prices are lower in countries with lower labor costs and better access to Japanese engines, such as AUS, NZ, and Japan. See "3-Rotor Conversion Planning Websites" in the Links page below.

https://www.rx7club.com/20b-forum-95...-links-370451/

 

That information is exceptionally outdated, circa 2006 IIRC. Engine prices have gone up since then. When I began my conversion in 2010, the going rate was about $4000 for one that would most likely need rebuilt before install. Since 20B engines are getting rarer (I have the entire production database), they're seemingly fetching more now.

Speculation aside, our 20B FAQ is in need of a big update based on this information. Once I have some time to set aside for it, I will handle it personally. Untill then, $10,000 is a MAYBE for a 20B conversion

 

Agreed! 10k is a nice starting point if you decide to do most of the build yourself. As always, things add up very quickly.

 

That is a loaded question, are you doing the work or a shop?
a 10k home project with a JDM swap

I uploaded a list I found the prices are not exact but close enough to get you on the right track.