I have a gilmer kit for sale. Give me a pm if interested.

Nice work, I'll be stealing some of your idea when I make my own.

I'm looking into buying a welder right now, what make/model tig did you buy? It looks like it does a great job.... or was it just the fabricator.

It was the fabricator..........:wink: It's a Miller Econotig. It's one of the cheaper models (still expensive as hell), but does a fantastic job. The fabricator I work for on the side likes it better than his watercooled Miller. (I forget the model) I've welded with both and have to agree. I've welded aluminum intakes, exhausts, exhaust manifolds, intercooler piping, and even transmission belhousings with it, and it's done an excellent job on all of them. Doesn't do a bad job on stick welding either. It does require at least 50 amp, 230 V, single phase service though.

Finally finished the wastegate tubes and turbo brace. Turned out much better than I hoped. After I get back from vacation, I'll post the final pics.

Looking good. How long before we hear it run?

i agree with trianwreck.. badass.

Unfortunately, forever + 1 day. Talked to the paint shop and it looks like it's still going to be August timeframe before the car gets back to me. Good news is, they are making progress. As soon as I get it back, the motor goes in for one last final fit so I can wire the Haltech, make the downpipe and new intercooler piping. Then, it's off to Gotham for porting/rebuild (which they say is a two week process). Bottom line, it'll probably be EOY. Damnit....now I'm depressed.

ehh.. i think you should of kept a v8 in the nova

Hell no! This is payback for all the a-holes pulling good rotaries and driopping in a V8. Go get 'em!

If you ever get the itch you can come work on mine :lol:

Your welds look fine, the hardest part about welding is consistency. Try a number count in your head and get a rhythm going after awhile you wont need to count anymore. Slag is easiest to remove with a good cold chisel. If you try and sand it out it only seems to want to embed in, then your stuck sanding it all out. Cold chisel works for me just about every time. Works better when still warm or hot and on pipe. Doesn't work so well on tubing. On tubing I slip a smaller diameter piece of scrap inside and that works well.

That thing is sick!!!

v8 vs rotary conversions
 

I agree 100% putting a v-8 in a mazda rotary is just wrong. It takes very little talent or imagination. However to have the balls to put a rotary in a traditional v-8 muscle car takes talent, imagination and a lot of courage.
Good luck with this project!

im sorry but just like i dont want to see an rx with a v8 in it i dont want to see a rotary in anything else. im so tired of seeing dimes with rotaries in them or any of the other datsuns that everyone feels the need to put a rotary in. that is no imagination. researching traditional nissan motors and finding out whats available and what can be mated with what takes a hell of a lot more imagination and talent.

and honestly i hate to say it but the rotary in a vehicle that big and heavy is just stupid.....it ruins that car and takes away from its brutish charm.

and before you jump down my throat i grew up with/working on muscle cars just like the nova and its plain wrong in my eyes. im sorry

I would rather see a rotary in a Nova than see some douche nozzle run a FD into a wall at a drifting event.

Yeah you must have the largest imaganation in the world to believe your statement guys like you arent really car guys. You believe since you drive a rotory powerd car your some sort of eliteest. I personally think any person who does any kinda swap is cool in my book. If you do your own work and build something that you like for you then thats cool. Who the hell cares what anyone else thinks is cool. It takes no more talent to do this nova swap then it does to put a any other motor in to a formerly rotory powerd car.

I do think this swap is pretty cool. Not something I would do though. I would of put a 502 in it or something and really had a fast car. I mean a nove is a straight line car peroid so throw something beefy in there.

Im kinda wondering if your gonna throw the handleing way off with that rotory. The 50/50 weight balance of that tank of a nova will be way off. It will probably be more like 40 front, 60 rear LOL. You guys over here really crack me up with your rotory is God views.

^^lol thank you

hey jpaker7 and 2cute you know what we call people like you.... BUZZ KILL!!!!!!!!!!! lol i like this cause recelty i saw a 2JZ 69 camaro there is the RB26 Mustang for TD, and this a rotary nova. its awsome.

haha all i can say if damn you for stealing my idea. i have a 73 ss i was dreaming about puttin a 20b in

1 why would anyone use an rb26? but w/e

im not trying to be a buzz kill. if you look at my first post in this thread you will see that. i stated while i dont agree with it i can appreciate the work.

get over yourself. and stop thinking that the rotary motor is the end all motor. its not

all that came to mind when i saw this was "no go" lol


anyway, i think its a cool project. I like seeing interesting combinations of parts coming together. How many big block novas are out there? Probably a lot. And it gets boring to look at in my opinion.

I'm half tempted to buy a nice GT fox body and a lovely black turbo II in my area and just swap the engines between them. Piss of everyone!

Impressive build... and I think I get confused looks at my exhaust note!!

For what it's worth I'm beginning to think that folks love/hate of a setup has more to do with engine preference than body. All the muscle car guys love me we v8-7 bretheren get most hate out of this board.

I think it's kinda funny that here you have the majority of rotary boys giving you props... but I bet you'd have a lot less pleased folks with your efforts if you posted this on a musclecar page.

I say, nice work and way to be a fabricator.

I can't believe there are idiots saying the Nova is big, heavy and is a straight line car only. Body dimensions might be pretty difficult to change, but if these clowns would have paid attention they'd have read the"under 2700lbs" quoted by the builder. And you can make ANYTHING handle with the right suspension upgrades.

No talent or imagination to this project? Seriously - the guy learned how to TIG weld so he could build a fucking manifold. What's the percentage of people on this board that can TIG weld? 3-5% or so? And the percentage of the people making negative comments about this project? Somewhere around 0% I'm guessing?

To the OP:

Don't worry about the assclowns saying anything negative about your car. You know how you can pull into a parking lot full of nice hot rods, and there's always some douchebag there with a few primered panels, missing a bumper and one of his windows, milk crates for seats, and oil smoke rolling out from under the car? Yea.. that's these fuckers.

Good luck with your project, and when you're done, I'd love to take a ride in it.

^Nicely said :) OP: much props on the originality, fab work, and effort. Looking forward to the finished product!