so i think im going to put a ls1 in my fc. my last engine ruined the bearings due to a crappy builder. im not giving up on the rotary because of that event alone...but in terms of longevity with a 400+rwhp 13B (probably only 40-60K lifetime expectancy.

anywho i think im going to go with a ls1 bolted it with either granny's speedshop or hinson supercar's kit.

thoughts.


I realize i'm taking the "R" out of RX-7. but hey.

torque, reliability and gas mileage are a plus. and trust me...a ls1 will get better mileage than a 550/1000+ cc fuel injected rotary. hahhaa

 

I don't know, I have a pro built aluminum olds 215 V8 in an 83 backed with a T-5. Motor weighs the same as a rotary, maybe less tha one with all the street crap on it. Instant torque, can ease away from a stop in any gear, lots of fun. Need to get something like a granny's rear because all the Mazda stuff is just too low geared for anything with significant torque and a limited redline. No flames here. My EP racecar is still a rotary, so I think there is plenty of room to enjoy both.

 

no flames here, more people are seeing it from a different perspective all the time.

If I can get a real job, my ls1 rx7 will become more of a daily driver....

 

i have nothing against the v8 swap..but i just preffer the 13b..., but a V8 in a FC is nice with the torque...so ill give you that.

 

I just picked up an LT1 / T56 87 turboII yesterday and it is a blast to drive.
I still have an 89 RX7 convertible that I enjoy as a rotary but the v8 is definately fun,, GO FOR IT!!!
If you do it go with a 94 or later T56 trans to get the .50 overdrive, it makes the stock 4.10 gears very streetable

 

I have an S5 GTU that I put a 5.0 L 302 in about 5 years ago. still running strong.

if you are going to do an LS1 swap I suggest registering at www.v8rx7forum.com we have a bunch of information on sticky in the forums and will answer all questions. also yes it may be a longer wait time from Hinson supercars kit but they have better fitment compared to granny's and way better customer service along with quality parts.

I say go for it. you will love it!

 

i have an ls1 fc. i like it much better than when it was rotary powered. the car is much more civil now because i dont have to rev it to get moving. in daily driving, i never get over 3k rpm, and can pass with ease. 300lbs/ft off idle is nice.

 

I cant belive what I am hearing. A RX-7 V8 swap and no flames. HOLLY B-JESUS. I left here a long time ago because of the bashing of V8 7's. Not so much in the NW section. I come back for one day looking for parts and *BAM*.

Dude I say good for you. My FD LS1 has been garaged for a while and I have just resently started working on it again. I am a member of RX-7Forum as well and you can get all the info you need over there. I would also recomend Hinson over Granny's (when it comes to FD's), better yet if you can and have the time do it yourself. I started with Hinson and the subframe did not fit the way I liked it to so i built my own. I also dont the bump steer that Hinson made it also did not fit properly. The last thing is the cooling system. I went with Hinsons just to save time and I would think the $652.00 after shipping it fit perfect. NOT.... I am having to do some mods to it to get it to fit right. Its a little strange their quality of work and product is good but for me it just doesnt fit right. Also I have noticed that if you are looking for a show piece Hinson is lacking a little in this department. My radiator top support has a deep scratch in it and the HinsonSupercars logo is crooked. Just some things to think about.

GOOD LUCK, and may many happy LS1 days come come to you.

 

I was just about to v8 swap my fd due to fear of my motor blowing and being stuck with 20k in parts but no motor. Then I got onto a new project. Gonna do an LS6, with heads, cam, etc., in a cobra replica. My dads buddy has one with an iron block 427 in it, and it was by far the most stupid fast car I have ridden in. Puts my 400 whp fd to shame for sure. Cant wait for the care free sbc days.

 

flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame flame

 

hahha

new motor from speed machine performance in the workz..

im gonna see what my gt32 will do on pump. if this motor takes a **** im going to shoot myself in the head.

then my friends will part my car out online IE matlock.

hahah

 

whats the average cost to do a v8 swap?

 

depends what you fab yourself. check out grannys peed shop or hinson supercars

if you do proper IMO you run fuel injection ie LSx and it gets spendy. a t5 trans or whatever is in the camaro's and firebirds is like 1k

 

plus a stock v8 roaring form a rx7 makes me dick crawl between my legs and hide. they sound sweet with a bigger bumpstick and other shiatz tho its just wierd hearing it coming out a of a rx

 

cost of the swap depends on what your goals are, what your resources are, and your ability to fabricate stuff.

LSx swaps on the cheap start at about $2500 cutting every corner, knowing what you're doing. I have about twice that in my engine/trans alone. not to mention the intake, exhaust, cooling, fuel, driveline, mount kit, and misc BS. it adds up fast.

doing a carb setup(SBC, SBF, or SBM) can be done much cheaper depending on your resourcefulness and goals.

there's one guy I read about running a 4.3l V-6 getting 30+ MPG.

 

As an FYI, I don't know anyone that get's a lifespan of 40-60K miles on a built 13B pushing 400rwhp.

 

what do you see people get out of them then?

 

my entire car, to include ls1, t56, suspension, wheels, etc is somewhere around 10k total (i think). to include the car. i didnt keep track of it all, but thats my best guess. its kind of expensive for a 20 year old car, but considering how fast it is and the killer gas mileage.. maybe its cheap.
btw- 12k miles so far (55k on the engine) and not a single problem yet. well, i dipped my alternator in a puddle, and it died. but thats it.

 

Not my thing, I prefer rotary But more power to you, V8's defiantly make for fast cars and the LS1 is relatively light and small. I wouldn't say the rotary is unreliable more like maintenance heavy. Torque is a always a good fun thing, but I just like to hear my engines scream @ 8k rpms.

Have fun though V8's are fast, though a little expensive for a swap kit and the swap (imo). Still, very very fast.

 

there are some V8's capable of turning 10k RPM if that's your goal, it can be done... but it won't be cheap.
a properly built LS1 is easily capable of 7k+.... the stock redline & rev limit is set at 6200 RPM

 

When you got all that extra torque you don't need as much revs. Besides he is doing this for reliability so I imagine he will want to keep the revs lower anyways. That many moving parts going in opposite directions + high RPMs= scary **** LOL!

 

The 5.0 Ford in my 84 will rev freely to 7,000, but I see no benefit to that, never run it over 5,000 as there is no "power band" you need to stay in when you shift. It is all about brute torque. It pulls pretty strongly from about 2500. Mine is carbed, so the mileage is not as good as a LS-1 or LT-1 - getting about 18 mpg.

 

Just kidding. It's an FC... do whatever you want to it. As long as you like the way it drives with a V8, that's all the matters.

 

That depends on how it's driven...

 

Dave at speed machine performance is building my shiatz right now. Im contemplating running a bigger snail though and some more fuel. current setup is in my sig. gt32 should do 380-400rwhp at 15ish psi its just so tempting to find like a used t78 and put down big numerzzzzz