epitrochoider

Hey, I have an Rx7, but I need an economical vehicle to go to college with. An Rx7 is most definitely a fun car, but, not a economical wallet friendly commuters car. I will probably still keep my Rx7, but I was thinking about getting a Geo Metro to take to college. I could reallistically get 40 mpg, and the car is cheap, cheap, cheap. I checked one out today, and it is so easy to work on. There are no other cars that I know of that are as cheap to own and operate. Now, the reason this topic is on this forum. How cool do you think it would be to turn the car into a conversion project. I was thinking about leaving the front end alone, and keeping it stock, slow, and economical. Then hopefully by the end of college, put a 13b in the rear hatch. I could either take the rear end from a old VW beetle, and hook up the 13b to that tranny and stick it in the back. Or i could transversely mount the engine, and hook up the rear wheels via cv's like a FWD car. I was thinking this would be cool because I could have a economical car thats cheap, and have a drag car for the weekends. I want to try building a staged/stepped pport 13b engine. Having two engines would be cool. This way, I think I could have a fun car legally. I personally lean towards the all go/no show side of things. As in, I know a 7 is cool, and a geo metro really isn't, but fuel economy, and doing something i don't already know of sounds good. do you guys know of anyone who added a rotary into a car instead of swapping it. I really like this idea, because, as much as i love rotaries, i don't like their fuel consumption, and their inabillity to legally smog Opinions and knowledge please!

Kill No Cone

iTrader: (6)

You have the best of both worlds now...an economical car and an Rx7 to play with. Leave the Geo alone and have a blast with the Rx7. Build your PP 13B and go race your 7, but when it is time for school stick with the stock Geo.

It is good to hear folks thinking out of the box and go build a wild Mazda!

epitrochoider

help me think of a way to hook up a manual transmission to the additional engine with not interfering with the original engine's controls. Another gear shift would be fine, but an additional clutch might be tricky

Michael_Rudy

i was actually thinking of building a rear wheel drive geo also, but with the engine in the front, and massively tubing the back end, and putting like a 4 link back half in it, so scary with such a short wheelbase

DriveFast7

iTrader: (1)

My girlfriend has a 94 Metro, 3cyl 3speed auto. Gutless but she only fills up every 2 weeks. Needed a good K&N air filter and MSD wires to make it, well, more responsive.

If you drive it on the freeway more than 70mph it gets bad gas mileage, because u gotta spin the motor up pretty high to maintain that speed.

Eriks85Rx7

I myself have been thinking about this getting best of both worlds! I really hope you do this! Get a 5 speed version!





IF you have no regards for safety at all (even tho the Metro isnt the safest in the first place but neither is a Rx7) heck be sporty and get a convertible Geo!

'85GSL-SE

iTrader: (2)

Man I say go for it! Look at Gas prices today . I myself am getting a '99 Geo Metro LSI Turbo 3 cylinder putting out 70FWHP out of a 1 liter engine while maintaining 50+ MPG or so the metro forums say. Put a few computers onboard and have a 100 HP for agressive driving then back it off to 70HP for the gas savings! The best an economical car can get! I say get a GEO Metro and don't waste time on hondas.

My Best to ya,

Dan

epitrochoider

seriously, something does have to be done to get it to travel at highway speeds. I was thinking about puting a very good cold air intake on. the radiator only takes up half the front of the car. Im thinking about putting a flared funnel where the radiator isn't. this would help push the air in at higher speeds. you could do cat back exhuast, as long as it didn't sound to annoying. maybe better ignition. Actually, finding a really small turbo charger w/ low psi might help enough without drastically decreasing fuel economy.
I will keep a 7 probably like kill no cone said, but thats not as revolutionary, or innovative. plus, the main reason to keep a 7: so i can attend the rx7 club in San Bernardino, cuz that is fun.
I am still amazed about how simple and easy that thing is to work on. I thought the rx7 was the best (1st gen only) ( and it is still pretty good), but the geo metro is even way easier.

As far as hooking up a rotary in the back, a CVT from one of those new Nissan SUVs in a junkyard would be nice. I would hate to hook up all the sensor/computer crap. I know computer controlled things are more efficient, but, mechanical things are just so much easier to hook up.

My friend was telling me i should put a 1 rotor engine in the front instead. What do u thik of that. I would guess that 30-40 mpg would be possible. Maybe 75 hp with half a 13b. What do u think about putting a 10a rotary engine in. Thanks for the responses.

DriveFast7

iTrader: (1)

cold air intake would help. i think a 12a would be easier, and have a real nice power to weight ratio. Of course MPG wouldn't be that of Metro but still fun and rotary.

1985_RX-7

Get a motorcycle or scooter...

RoadRaceJosh

I just asked these folks about the rotary powered 323 wagon they did.
http://www.nocamzmotorsport.co.nz/

Remember this is New Zeland dollars so it's not quite as bad as it seems, but it's still awfully expensive.

Here is the e-mail exchange...

Its completely custom

If you would like your mazda rotary powered fwd,, we would need car to
carry out conversion

Costs you would expect will depend on what parts you have allready

But for the adapter plate, flywheel, custom cv, custom starter motor
and custom engine mount will cost you around
$5000


Thanks
Brendan Copeland

No Camz Motorsport Ltd
56 Newton Street
Mt Maunganui Ph 07 574 7071

www.nocamzmotorsport.co.nz


-----Original Message-----
From: Joshua S [mailto:joshuas@centurytel.net]
Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2005 9:41 a.m.
To: Nocamz Motor Sport
Subject: Enquiry from Nocamz Motor Sport



Is the transaxle for the rotary powered wagon custom or a standard Mazda
piece? If it's custom how much is the transaxle?

Sincerely,

Joshua Skinner

88 GTU

i want that damn lawnmower lol

stilettoman

iTrader: (1)

If you or anyone else on the forum want to build a car using a transaxle, whether it is a conversion to an early Subaru or something radical in the back seat, I have just what you need in my garage, and will sell it for a very reasonable price.

I had an NSU RO-80 sedan with no engine and trans, and I was getting ready to put a 13B in it, when someone talked me out of the car for restoration and hauled it away. However, I still have the conversion bits, a Kennedy Engineering transmission adapter plate, modified flywheel, clutch, throwout bearing and fork, even the special pilot bearing, and two very low mileage Subaru 1800 front wheel drive transaxles. I even have the Subaru shift mechanism and a Subaru speedo, everything you need for the conversion. These are 5 speed trannys, and are the only way to go if you want a transaxle for a Mazda rotary.

However, if I were considering a project such as you suggest, I would make to 2 suggestions.

1. Find a second car, can be a non runner, and do the conversion on that. Otherwise, you will end up with a ridiculous freak car, and will have nothing to drive for the year or so that it takes you to do the conversion. If you think you can do it in a month or two, you have obviously never done anything like this. And yes, I have done my share of conversions.

2. Forget the rotary engine. Use a Mitsubishi Eclipse, Honda or Audi engine and transaxle, more economical and potential for a lot more power with readily available bolt on parts.

Can't remember the year, and don't recall if it was Road and Track or Car and Driver, but one of those mags had a conversion to an early CRX with a second engine in the back seat. At least they had the same engine, so they could run both at once for performance. The obvious fact is you cold spend the same money and effort and get a much faster car by just hopping up a turbocharged ricer.

Some of my silly projects are shown here (4 pages):
www.cardomain.com/ride/646433

epitrochoider

hey stilettoman,(i like ur projects, sweet!) i would take u up on that offer, but this was one of those projects i was thinking about, and itl probably be within the next years. what im trying to say, is i got no money right now! lol. i don't want to take a piston engine, i'm fairly set on a rotary, because im a fan, its uniquely interesting, i am friends w/ a professional rotary engine builder, and there are a couple new things i most definetly want to try with the new rotary i build. Yes, i know projects take a long time. putting a custome 13b into my 1st gen took long enough, cuz i waited on different people for different things. What is your opinion on the VW rear end from a beetle. i would like both wheels to spin good, not some crappy differential.

Rotary4tw

iTrader: (3)

Geo Metro is the way to go. We have 3 of them, and 3 Rx-7's.

My father has them all tuned, and I got 47mpg last tank daily driving to work.

We just picked up a 98 White with 60k, for 2 grand. It has a 3 cyc. engine... those are the ones you want. (So easy to work on)

Geo metro to work, Rx-7 at night and on the weekends... you can't beat it!

-Rotary4tw

epitrochoider

i was hoping someone like u would post. HEY, that little 3 cyl. engine is so small. Do you know how much it weighs, and do you know what its like to rebuild one. I was thinking about rebuilding one of the engines. I found a rebuild kit for $250 I am thinking it would worth doing to get the most milage out of an engine. So if i put a rotary in the back, i would have to get one of those huge roof scoops to cram air in down below. I am still having trouble picturing it on a geo metro, but hmmmm....

Anyways, what did your father do to "tune" them. Did he make them all meet manufacter specifications, or customize them a little to get more out of them. If I did that, I would think about customizing the head. A while back, I read this article in Popular Science magazine. It is about this guy in India who had and idea about internal combustion engine. If i rebuilt a piston engine, I would seriously think about trying this. Please read and comment. http://www.popsci.com/popsci/futurec...679464,00.html I am going to statrt a thread about applying this concept to a rotary engine.