elysium19

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some advice about the current market for 13B engines. I'm an RX8 owner who is only starting to appreciate the wonders of rotaries.. I want to learn about them in as hands-on a way as possible, without messing with my $30k daily driver. So- I'm thinking about buying a decent 13B engine (just the engine), doing a complete disassembly and rebuild, and then selling the thing. I have a garage and a good set of automotive and other tools. If anyone can offer advice about the following questions, I would be really appreciative.

a) Is there any particular engine model that is in relatively high demand that would be a good choice? A quick scan on the forums suggests that the late-model twin-turbo 13B's are what some people are clamoring for. If I'm confident I can re-sell it, I will shell out the money for it.

b) Is there a decently-reliable stream of engines being bought/sold out there? I DON'T want to do this if there is a good chance I'll be unable to sell it at all or at a significant loss.

c) This project is mostly for my education and not to make lots of money. I would be getting all the instructional books/videos I can get my hands on. Still, is it reasonable to expect that I can buy an engine and a couple hundred dollars worth of parts (new gaskets, seals, etc) and ultimately be able to sell it either at a profit or at least break even?

d) Any details on what I should be looking for as far as degree of wear? I don't want a project engine that is nearly destroyed and that I, a novice, won't be able to service properly. Still, I don't want something that looks nearly new, will cost a lot, and I will probably loose a lot of money on.

e) Any knowledgable Long Islander's who'd want to help me with this? :-)

Thanks again, from one of those 'other' rotary guys...
-Andrew

3Faced

I'm not sure you'll get what you want out of the resale. I had so many probs with my engine I'd never buy a rebuild from an inexperienced builder. If it's something you want to do then do it for yourself and enjoy the process but consider it a loss financially.

Edit: I also own an 8 which gave me a new found passion for rotaries. So I researched and then bought a 2nd Gen. No one knew who did the rebuild but it seemed to run great. A couple months later nothing but problems. Cracked it open to find a masked coolant seal failure, mix and matched parts, and 2nd and 3rd gen rotors. Yes one 2nd gen and one 3rd gen! I still love my car but it's being fully redone by me for me. Well except for the rebuild which is being handled by a professional which is Glen over at Arizona Rotary Rockets. If I sound a little bitter please know it's not directed at you just letting you know where I'm coming from. I say do it and keep it. Buy yourself a cheap rolling chassis and pop it in