any good ideas

 

um, what kind of V8 are you looking at? Some will screw up your weight balance no matter what you do while others I suppose while increasing the aggregate weight of the car can still retain the weight balance if its mounted further back. If you are looking to keep the same handling, it has been discussed and while some people believe its possible for the car to be just as manueverable, others will tell you there is no substitute for the weight and balance of the car when it comes to handling. So, are you doing this for drag, autocross, track days? And what type of V8 are you considering?

 

350 only type i already have. it adds around 180 to the front or sumthin like that.u can set them back too.

 

battery relocation, take out the core of the front bumper (is that the right word? im talking about the metal and styrofoam in there...) take out power steering, ac, and bracket, heater core in front of the radiator, and you should be well on your way to getting back all that weight.

 

adding 180 pounds to the front of the car, you will never be able to regain the balance and handling abilities that the car has with its original engine but by removing the mentioned items, you will help the weight balance and improve the handling so it is closer to normal. The extra weight up front will impair the cars handling no matter what you do. You should worry about minimizing it now.

 

o well i plan to get another rx7 anfd keep the rotary

 

a 350 is not going to add an extra 180lbs to the front, and even if it did thats only a 58/42 weight distrobution in a 1st gen not to mention all the weight you can save with aluminum heads, aluminum intake manifold, alimunum hood etc. that would easily make up for the difference, but relocating the battery to the back is a good idea, as you know, battery's arent light...

Besides what are your choices for decent power with a FB... a 13bt swap will way the same or damn close to the v8

 

fc there buddy but your right. im definitly gunna relocat the battery into one of my speaker cabinets. until i can find another suitable place.im goin carbon fiber with the hood and fenders. im doin light weight evrything basicly.

 

Why not throw away the 350 and get a Ford 302? The Chevy is made out of iron only slightly stronger than Silly Putty which is why Chevy engines are so heavy. Ford uses actual good-quality iron so they don't need huge wall thickness and half a million main bolts. The lower deck height is also a plus.

You could easily save 150lb just by using a Ford engine instead. The only issue I can see is that the oil pump is in the front which may interfere with the crossmember.

Carbon fiber body panels won't save you much weight. The stock stampings are only slightly thicker than Saran Wrap and hardly weigh anything at all. Save the money you'd spend to save a couple pounds and save well over a hundred by using a FORD engine.