[QUOTE=Aaron Cake]

I don't think people get it...The idea of putting a rotary into a Chevette is not because a Chevette is a good car, but because it is not.

I guess when you look at it from the stand point that the non-standard engine can't hurt the Chevette's value (as it would if it were dropped into say, a Triumph TR6), this view makes sense. It's just that there are so many other small cars that are more suitable, better designed and just as readily available as the Chevette for this purpose.

That said, what about a Honda Insight? 1800 Lbs, all aluminium, 0.25 CoD . Talk about power to weight. A lightly modded 13BT making ~250HP would mean a low 13 second car. Hell, a stock Insight has a better power to weight ratio then a 2nd gen RX-7 anyway...

Now there's an idea. Not only would you have the perfect sleeper, the enviro-***** would leave you alone because they'd think you were doing your part to "save the planet." If only they knew...

 

Uh, I remember when I had my first 7 many years ago (an '81 GX, ie: the Canadian version of the GSL at that time) and had to rent a Chevette while the 7 was having the locks replaced after being stolen and then recovered. The difference between the two in handling was night and day. The Chevette handled like a pig in the corners and had brakes that you had to stomp on to get stopped within a reasonable distance. It sure felt good to have the 7 back.

Yeah, the 7 had "wonder steering" and a garden-variety live axle. But it also had a lower center of gravity, wider track and more roll stiffness. The Chevette had quicker steering and a couple of superior designs in its suspension, but you're right--- the rest of the chassis didn't measure up. This fact rendered those components a waste, because at the end of the day the Chevette was just another domestic-designed ****-box trying to compete with superior Japanese shitboxes of the day--- and failing at even that modest goal.

 

Slammed, flared and braced; a chevette is actually a really good handling car. Bolt on the Fiero brakes and you've solved that problem. The only real problem is that they go like ***, and the engine is a heavy bastard. I almost thought of doing an H-stock Chevette, but then I sobered up. The thing is that they have so much potential, but to unleash it you'd have to prep your way all the way up to a Prepared class. However, they do make for excellent sleeper and they weigh even less than a 1st gen by like 4-500 Lbs.
Grant

 

Talking about Fieros, can a rotary be hooked to a transverse transaxle? I think a rotary in a Fiero or MR2 would be a better swap than a Chevette, though I'm still a fan of the chevette swap.

 

Yes, a rotary can be hooked to a transaxle. It's been done in Fiat X1/9s, at least one Honda Civic, and there's been a very professionally executed 20B swap into a DeLorean in Florida.

As for the Fiero, they were the epitomy of lemon-hood, but many of their problems were engine and cooling system related. The rotary would solve the engine issue, and with proper cooling system design the overheating issue would go away as well. And since the car was designed as a sports car it would handle well even without suspension upgrades.

If you can live with the poor quality, fit and finish of just about everything else on the car (problem that are really no worse on the Fiero than on the Chevette) it would be a viable swap. And Fieros can be bought for very little money because everybody knows they're lemons. This means you wouldn't be hurting the car's resale value since it doesn't have any to begin with. (although you'd probably have more than twice as much invested than you could sell it for after the swap has been completed). Besides, the body panels are plastic so they would never rust.

I'm not sure what the Fiero weighs, but I'm guessing the Chevette would be lighter. Still, that's what turbos and other performance upgrades are for. If it were me I'd choose the Fiero over the Chevette, even though this choice represents more work and cost to complete the swap.

The MR2 would be an even better choice, as long as you could live with the reduction in the car's resale value over what it was before the swap. These cars were (and are) known for their reliability, performance, economy and handling. With a turbo rotary swap you'd improve the performance but the fuel economy would go down the *******.

 

ok i am gonna start to build the mounts as soon as i get my next pay check. I am thinking that the best way to go about this would be to make a mount out of aluminum but i am worried about the durabilatiy of this. I know that the stock mounts are aluminum, but the mounts to put the motor in a chevette are alot longer in length anb a would be afraid of them flexing under heavy stress. I have also ordered a porting template and I am am looking for a good set of S5 NA rotor housings and rotrs.

 

ok i am gonna start to build the mounts as soon as i get my next pay check. I am thinking that the best way to go about this would be to make a mount out of aluminum but i am worried about the durabilatiy of this. I know that the stock mounts are aluminum, but the mounts to put the motor in a chevette are alot longer in length anb a would be afraid of them flexing under heavy stress. I have also ordered a porting template and I am am looking for a good set of S5 NA rotor housings and rotrs.

 

Only someone from WV would think of putting a rotory in a chevette hehe Love the idea! think I will do it to (got to love WV prices for chevette's 4 for $1! LOL)


Peace
Mage

 

The first IT race car that I know of being built was a 'vette of the 'che' variety. The car met its death at MIS in '92 or '93. It handled pretty well but was slow as technology caught up with it. I know some engineers from GM built a chevette with a chevy 2.8 V6 and it kept up with the Corvette of the day(early 80's) the big wigs ordered it crushed! I think a rotory would be awesome in the car and you can always pull the engine out after you total the car . Keep it stock looking so you get to see peoples' best 'holy crap' faces when you pull away from them. And post pix for us if you can.

 

I will try to have pics up in the morning. I have another ? the rear end in a chevette is geared high to have better gas mileage. I was wondering if a gear in the rear of i think it is 3.15 would allow the rotary motor to run within its power band at all. I know it revs high and the chevette revs low and i dont want a car that would go 60 in first. Just looking for opions.

 

This is almost as big of a turd as a Chevette.. Those PR boys will put a rotary in anything.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1982-...ayphotohosting

 

i say put a 3 rotor in a fiat

 

ive played with the idea of 20bt in at 80s corvette.

 

that and this was an intersting thread and not terribly old. so :p

 

YA I know I am bringing up the dead but meh. The car I had was crushed, so I got another one for free. I also sold the motor I was gonna use, so I had to find a new motor and I think I have. There is a SA in the local pay and pull, its a totaled car from the rear but the motor looked fairly decent. I can probalby get it for next to nothing, maybe even nothing.

My knowledge has grown some and I just relized how ignorant I sounded, I still kinda do.

I have set aside a small budget for this project, just like all my other ones, that way one day it will get done. But seeing how I am spending next to nothing on the car and the motor for basically free, I am goning to do it as cheaply as possible.

So far I have the following.

82 HS Chevette with a busted engine and cracked head (oh well), the body is strait and has no rust. Total cost in it is 25$ and that was the tow home.

79 SA totaled, engine is either god or not, going to go look at it extensively tomorrow, total cost on it should be somewhere between 0 and 100$ for the whole car.

Holley blue electric fuel pump, 10$ at the pay and pull

aluminum radiator from a VW Rabbit, free from a car that was gonna be crushed

Pontiac Ferio front suspension ( A arms out) 35$ from a friend

And so far thats it. I will update anytime I get something new and make any real progress. I will also take as many pics as possible, and of course I will probably have some questions on mounting so things.

 

crazy

 

Crazy yes, waste of money, probably so, but its still gonna be fun as hell.

 

True! I wanna see pics!

 

Of course I will post pics, and probalby a small write up or how to, the chevette is the same as a kadet, Vauxhal scooter(i think thats right), a **** load of popular AUS econocars, and a few others.

I mean if you can get the parts and car like I am getting, or just have a spare motor laying around and dont have anything to do with it, why not do something fun with it.

 

I had found an Opel GT with an extraordinarily clean body that I was going to buy and drop a modded 12a into, but I didn't have the extra cash for that and to mod my FB as well. It sat there for about 7 or 8 months, and it wasn't until about three weeks ago that it was sold. Man I really wish I would have been working a lot more this year so I could have had the money for it.

 

Well I went out today, but didnt get a chance to see if I could get that SA, but I did get a ford 8.8 and another 9in for free today for helping out a friend. I figure Ill just use the 8.8. The width is about right and all I really have to do is weld on the mounts I will need and change the gear ratios, it came with rocket gears (2.77 I believe) so they will need a change.