any car hitting real high numbers will cross into the reliability factor, oh yeah, isn't that why they are JUST track cars?? now, just a simple, stock v8 swap (LS1) will be more reliable than a rotary and will have more power. how much will it cost for a rotary (and we're not talking about anything with more than 2 rotors, so don't start bs about $10k 4 rotors) to get up to the same level horsepower as an LS1 stock?? im ordering my hinson kit tomorrow, i'm pretty sure 10 years down the road i'll still have my fd when you guys will be driving a 77 corolla because your rotary fd ate up your whole life savings.

edit: i forgot to mention about the LS1 sound in a 7. haha is that seriously a factor why you guys wouldn't get one??? damn, that's a bs reason. that's like me saying (if i had the money, of course), i wouldn't get a ferrari or a lambo because it sounds like when you turn on a computer infected with viruses. yeah, that is a stupid reason. i would preffer the "V8 thunder sound" over the rotary sound, many people have pointed out that an fd sounds like a civic with just an exhaust tip, but i still love my fd, im just simply moving on to much better things, my LS1FD

 

Show me a V8 RX7 that can beat me and outhandle me....
Oh, btw....I made 520 torque....

But cool vid, none the less.

 

unless you have modded supension and some other goodies, but stock for stock, they would handle the same, with a V8 or without.

 

noob.

 

Why ignore the r26b? Yea it may be a bit more expensive, say $10k, but it makes almost 700hp n/a with over 500lbs torque. Mean while your crate ls1 makes like 350hp and costs around 6-7k. I mean we are after all talking about engine swaps in track only cars right?

 

Are you serious? Try taking the $10k figure and multiplying it by 10. A well sorted 20b swap will cost you about 25k if you do it yourself, the cost rises exponentially when going to a 4 rotor. Ever priced a 4 rotor e-shaft? Don't tell me that you thought you could just weld 2 2rotor shafts together now did you? You'll have 5-6k wrapped up in just the e-shaft alone. Dollar for dollar, the LS1 has more potential than any rotary...period. I say that with the utmost respect for the rotary, the numbers ErnieT achieved are amazing. I would like to know how much boost he is running and what kind of power he made on pump gas though, as I plan on making in the 550-600hp range on 93 octane in my car when its finished. As far as handling is concerned, it is uneffected, anyone who says otherwise has never ridden in a swaped car.

 

you are. i'm not. my whole swap is going to cost 6,300 + 200 shipping and this will be for STREET USE. i also did mention NOTHING MORE THAN 2 ROTORS.

but you come saying that with the purchase of a $10k rotary engine you have a 700HP car. ok, say.. i ALREADY have my mounting equipment and all i need is the engine ($3,000), give me the remaining $7k and i'll make you an LS1 pushing the 1,000+HP mark. same amount of money used, i think that'd be fair

 

**** dude, i couldn't have said it any better myself

 

Weee the debate continues

Well for me I just say everyone should stay open minded. I just like the rx7 for its looks and chasis, not the motor. But to each his own.

 

im not against the rotary, but it's just a matter of choice one decides to make. i hate people who go on boards and hate on someone elses project, it's like a guy makes a thread about wanting to go LS1 and some ******** comes and says "*** Yo0 LyKe uR StUpiD bcuZ it CaME WiD a RoTArY And LikE If IT'Z nOt DuRr tHenIzh noT A 7!!!" not pointing any fingers or anyone in particular for that matter. like the guy above me posted, "to each his own," if everyone knew how to cope with that and let everyone be then this earth would be a much better place.

 

This is Luke the owner of the car on drewls screen name.

Fast facts.

Video footage of the corners was lost somehow.

Engine only cost me $2700

Engine makes over 320 ft torque at 2000 rpm to the wheels.

Engine makes 400 ft torque from 3500 rpm to redline 7000 rpm.

All the motor has is a cam, headers, intake, valve springs, and retainers.

6 speed.

Car handles great.


I dont hate on rotary motors, they are great for road racing, and i wouldnt mind having one if torque wasnt an issue.

As for you guys not liking the sound. It sounds awsome in person, and I personally think the rotary sounds like a weedwacker/ dirt bike.

Everyone has their own opinion, and thats fine with me.

 

http://www.lukelonberger.com/media/n...luke_drift.wmv

 

what the hell is that lever for right next to the steering wheel? not the shifter but the lever just to the right of the steering wheel.

I know all about engines and getting hated on. I have a 12a rotary in my 66 vw baja. Alot of my friends said build up the bug engine and don't reinvent the wheel and so fourth. Well they say that until I give them a ride and can smoke my 1 foot wide tires clear into 3rd and get side ways anytime I want. They shut thier mouths then. instead of hatin lets help and make it fun. if you wanna hate.....hate on old fords 1930-1950 with chevy motors put in. that what I hate, to see a nice 32 ford with a chevy crate motor in it, thats sad. They say it was cheaper for the chevy motor, but have $$60,000 worth of restoration. cheap bastards.

 

That baja looks like it would be a blast to ride in... I think It's an upgraded parking brake lever, wonder if he even needs it with all the torque now... may be used for something else... I'm no professional drifter.

Luke, great job on the car! Would you mind sharing what exhaust components you went with? I think it sounds really nice.

 

You havent priced out a vette lately have you? You can pick up a 02' Z06 in the 25,000k range if you look, and I had one that dyno'd 377rwhp and 370rwtq on a mustang, with just punched out cats, cold air. So take a price of a decent Rx-7 (poor motor) $7-8k then add ALL the stuff for a V8 swap (Ls6 to be fair) and you dump more than 3k into it, more like 9-10k, so you got almost 18k in a 1994 car thats worth nothing in resale. The corvette would be 7k more, and is about 9 years newer. Not as good as handling!!??!! Have you ever even set foot in a C5 ZO6? They will own a FC in handling hands down, and I personally feel it will hand it to a FD as well (I own a FD, and driven Z06's ALOT) Ahhh, now the weight issue, they are 2,900 fully loaded, a LS6 FD fully loaded as well with a/c and all will be 2,870. Damn 30lbs, SO MUCH MORE FREAKIN RETARD!! Did you forget they have 285 rear tires stock? A stronger driveline to handle the V8 you just put in, and superior factory engineering that works without breaking welds off everywhere? Get off you invisible high horse and reach reality, its not expensive to just buy a damn corvette, most are too hard headed to realize it. Now if you insist one its simply for the enjoyment of wrenching, I can understand, but at the same rate isnt that the whole argument of a someone doing a V8 swap? Less wrenching? If you like wrenching why not keep the little rotary? Yeah a V8 rx-7 is sweet, but they are no means a better corvette, anyone who thinks otherwise needs to come clean with their ego. And come on, everyone knows a 400+ N/a 3-rotor is the best! (hhahah just had to add that)

Oh I almost missed it, knock without blowing up, hmmmm the Corvette has powder rods, man those things are tough(NOT) you knock on that and it will be over, again you never have tuned a turbo LSx motor, dont compare N/A knock to Turbo rotary Knock that isnt even close to fair. Turbo vs turbo on reliabilty of knock.

 

I usually keep quiet, but your childish post eggs it on.

Your little "weld breaking comment". There is only one car that had this problem.

Vettes are a dime a dozen. How many FD's do you see on the road? Most will trip over a Vette to check out a FD. FD's are a badass looking car.

And lastly, it's hard to drive and enjoy your 400 plus RWHP RX-7 when it is in the garage on jackstands all the time.

 

Childish, nice. Well, after I read through Torque central, there were alot of guys break "tranny mounts" in the frame, pulling them out, but whats funny is they are using a damn tunnel brace, and then turn it into a tranny support, of course its going to fatigue and fall off!! Then the hinson kit recall issue, then if you use the ppf frame it starts breaking, then you band aid it and use Jimlabs rear IRS cobra setup, but it still wont hold up to drag racing, only meant for road racing, how much money you going to pour into the thing? I dont think the FD was meant to have 500+ ft-lbs of torque rushing through it for long times and at all rpms. But that doesnt make it wrong. Lots of peoeple do it everyday. I was saying a Corvette will do it longer for less effort. V8-7 is not some paradise with no maintenance, everyone just makes it out to be.

Yes they are, and a V8 in one isnt needed for this effect. Rx-7s are nice.

Damn, you must know how tall I am, where I live and what I ate today too? Dont go around assuming things. I was refering to Fwhp, currently its only putting out 335 rwhp, which is about 355ish on every other dyno. Its n/a and runs everyday, I drive hours to events, beat on it for hours at the track and drive hours back without even poping the hood. Just put in super high 89 octane. It only gets takin apart to change things, not to fix it. But yeah, you got me fair and square. (oh, no, no you didnt)

 

Gtorx7, FDs have better steering feedback and control feel than a Vette, and they're ligther.

And yeah it is cheaper to make a LS1FD than it is to get a Z06 that weighs 300 lbs more :P.

You REALLY are a rotard if youre so gung ho on preventing piston engines from going into a FD, even KNOWING the performance they put out by now.

Also, your car is a 20B, not a 13BT. Its not stock. You put in a engine with more displacement thats N/A... which is what we're doing, except we went with MORE displacement and less cost. Same exact concept there, buddy.

And finally, all this "too much torque" bullshit of yours is... bullshit. Torque and displacement is a GOOD thing. The only reason race teams dont use big displacement engines is USUALLY because race regulations spec lower displacement, or they get sucked into snobbery against large displacement and think peaky high rev power is somehow 'better'.

Also, your 20b is functionally a 4 liter engine, please dont start that old arguement again. The ACTUAL displacement of a rotary engine is 3 times what mazda says it is, but because it takes 3 cycles to use all of it, not 2, its functionally 2/3rds of that, or twice what mazda says it is, and computing BMEP or simply looking at the CFM the engine sucks in can also back that up.

So does simply comprehending how the damn engine works and not jerking off over your low displacement fetish.

 

Gtorx7- please show me a fully loaded z06 that weighs 2900 lbs.

zo6's are awesome cars and if I could've had one for $25k when I started the swap in '03, I would have went that route. As for the fd falling apart from all the extra torque, I have 15k miles on my car since the conversion and no issues. Resale values are actually pretty good, clean, mild build ls1/fd cars are getting $19-22k.

 

hey whats the lever on the side of the steering wheel?

its funny that you argue about this when I am sure you all have work that can be done

 

oh, turbogarrett, torque is a bad thing and twistst the frames of cars! Thats why all superior engines have less displacement and use turbos, vtec, or the like.

Also, GTORX7, I got a picture just for you:

 

Alright "Nih", you should not post anything regarding cars, due to the fact you have never built one. Yes I was wrong the wieght of a Z06 is 3118 lbs, which is 238 lbs heavier. BUT it has alot of electronic stuff that the Rx-7 lacks, power seats ect. IF you stripped both the the min. they would be very close in weight. Steering response is very nice on a corvette, have you EVER driven one? Please let me know on this. Your 3.9 liter thing is simply retarded. If the rotary fires every 180 degrees, it will fire every 180 degrees. The same as a four cylinder, not a 6 cylinder which would fire every 120 degrees. You can spread this out for million degrees and it wont change. Compare a two rotor to a four, and nothing else. I dont have anything against V8-7's, its the damn superiority complex that everyone gets that pisses me off. So "Nih" go hurry up and build a ******* car and beat my *** down or shut the **** up.

 

It still has 3.9 liters of air in it at any given time, and it still goes through air at the same rate as a 2.6 liter engine, regardless of what you say.

Also, Gtorx7, I dont have to hit my dick with a hammer to know it hurts, do I?

Also, I was comparing it to a 2.6 liter 4 cylinder engine, NOT a 3.9 liter 6 cyl engine. You just apparently dont have the best readnig comprehension to understand when I state "what SEPERATES IT FROM" is meaning something more to do with CONTRASTING than COMPARISON.

Both a 13b and a 2.6 liter 4 cyl engine fire off once every 180 degrees and have .65 liters per rotor face/piston. However, a 13b has two more rotor faces... do they not count? Are they full of chopped liver? No, theyre there! FUNCTIONALLY speaking theyre not, because while the piston engine would have started its cycle again and fired two of its pistons again, the rotary still has those two rotor faces to burn. So, rate for rate, a 13b is the same as a 2.6 liter 4 piston enigne. However, thats only because its really a slow 3.9 liter engine - not a fast 1.3 liter, not REALLY a 2.6 liter, either, just EFFECTIVELY 2.6 liters.

Also, you cant attack me for not having personally built a rotary and make the truth change. Id wonder why YOU built a 20b and think its a ******* 2 liter engine

Apparently wrenching on a car doesnt have anything to do with whether or not someone actually totally comprehends how it works or not. MOST people dont truly comprehend everything going on but have practical, anecdotal information. Im sure you have plenty of practical and anecdotal information, but the "displacement" of a rotary engine as told by mazda makes absolutely no ******* sense.

 

This is Luke on drewls screen name.

My car only weighs 2480lbs.

Also i didnt buy a corvette because they suck for drifting, and have you ever priced out aftermarket parts for a corvette?

Also corvettes steering angle sucks.

The lever next to the steering wheel is a hydro ebrake setup.

 

Sorry Luke, I had no bones to pick with you and your FD drifitng. Peopel were changing subjects, and I feel a Corvette can out handle most Rx-7's, not out drift one. (although no-one has really tried, I bet it could drift).