I could do it for $5.5k. But I'm a tightass and would wait untill I found a pullout for $2k or something of the like. If not on a budget, expect 8-10k

 

no reason you cant find a 98 LS1T56 for $2500 on the cheap and keep everything else as cheap too.. steel driveshafts are almost free, taurus e-fan and fbody radiator, etc etc.

 

in my opinion, i prefer the v8, which is what im saving up for for my third gen. it comes out 15 pounds lighter and generates alot more torque, but one reason that really attracts me to it is that a nice chevy small block can really take a beating. the rotary is a little more delicate and meticulous, and also the v8 makes a nicer sound (but thats really just my opinon, as i LOVE the sound of a turboed rotary.)

 

And that is why im thinking about doing the LT1/T56, because those engines are about in the 150-400 range.

pull a part needs to get an Ls1 equipped car in so i can grab it for 150 flat rate pricing!

then there is the 6.0L LQ9 "iron LS1"....

 

I have one already....... but I need it to stay in my truck. Trading it for the 12A wouldn't be to good, because I don't think the 12A would pull a 7000lb truck.... LOL

Still in the planning stages ( as I have been for the last 4 years- wife, 4 kids, bills,etc.) But will do it one day. I know it will be worth it. Just the difference of going to a stock 350 over the stock 4.3 in my Astro van was a huge difference. I can only imagine what replacing the 12A with a nice LT1 would be like....

Later,
Bill

 

My father had his FC built w/ported engine from MazdaTrix, FMI, bigger turbo, additional injectors, the whole 9. He was putting 315 to the ground before he blew the engine at a track event. After this final engine let go he said screw it and gave up the Rx and bought a Mini Copper S and said do whatever you want with it, I'm done with those.

So after my second factory rebuild went bad in 2000 miles and they wouldn't warranty the engine I started looking into the V8 swap I'd always heard about.

By selling all the turbo performance parts I completely funded the V8 project.
$3500 for LS1, T56, harness & computer delivered.
I probably spent another $3000 for all the necessary parts, and now...

WOW, I wouldn't go back to the rotary for anything! I miss the sound, I miss the blow-off valve, but...

MAN the torque! Now I have a reliable engine that puts 290 to the ground and 290ft/lbs of torque from 1500rpm through redline.

As soon as I can I'm getting a head, cam & ITM package and hopefully be putting around 450-500 to the ground...

and that is before the nitrous kit :-)

I'm a big roadcourse fan, love the twisty turnies, but every once in a while its fun
to just run it full out or see the look on the face of someone driving a 06 vette when I pull away from them :-)

V8 Swap... produces one of the best and most fun cars I've ever driven.

Couldn't be happier!

 

^--i like to read stories like this.

Most (not all, but most) V8 swappers were once rotary guys who were simply fed up with blown motors.

 

Here's another happy LS1 FD customer....just completed my swap recently....gotta break in the clutch/flywheel before i can really give 'er hell.

 

its always nice to see big hp rotaries replaced with lsx's ^
kinda reminds you that guys who know what their doing with their cars arent the ones boo hooing about its soul.

 

hahaha..... i love this ls1 stuff......is snyper's car done??? im still waiting... i just ran 150mph in the 1/4 on 20psi and drove home... lol chevy trash... I must have the magic pixy dust because i didnt break yet....lol when i race one of you idiots.. im going to make sure its an 8.80 instead of a 9.20. o and im still going to drive home. how many v8s drive to and from the track trappin 150mph+..lol. I didnt even take any weight out or turn up the boost yet and still runing a stock rear with full interior

 

snypers car is for sale, not completed. i dunno what thats all about, or if he's building something else, but it looks like your grudge match is at least postponed..

 

thats even worse

 

an ls swap is way better than keeping the rotary. no longer will you have to continuously spend money and get almost nothing in return, no longer will you have to consistently have your engine rebuilt, no more will you have to get 10 mpg with the turbos. with an ls you get better sound, torque, gas mileage, power, and you get to keep the handling. what more could you want?

 

The lower center of gravity, the ability to hold power at the end of a gear, sound is per your own opinion, I much prefer the rotary sound over the V8. You do end up losing a slight bit of the handling (not enough for most people for notice at least), but you make up for it in the drivability so I guess it's not a bad choice. People have gotten mid to high 20's mpg with turbo's......Just don't drive like a jackass.

For big dollar racing, give me a peripheral ported aluminum rotary any day of the week.

 

The v8 is a better choice overall. Now im not going to sit here and tell you that you know, its the best for the track, because if i were only going to drive it at the track then i would rather have a 20b in it. but for day to day driving and having fun with it? the v8 is a way better choice over all and all around. i have tried to get good gas mileage with the rotary in my fd, and it is simply impossible. even without using my turbos, attaining gas mileage of 18 is BARELY possible, and thats only if there are enough hills to coast on. Driving normally, like shifting at 35 and accelerating with the turboes, you might get over 10. The rotary is terrible on gas mileage. I will admit that the swap MIGHT make you lose a very small amount of handling, but its not always necessarily true. i would rather have the power and torque of a chevy small block over the gas guzzling but still trying rotary any day.

 

I get 24 mpg..... And there are reports of 28 mpg (Guys going over 400 miles per tank on the 16 gal S4 tank)

I get 450 miles per tank on my S5 NA with the 18.5 Gal tank.

 

oooh big deal, in your NONTURBO big deal.
no **** you better get good mpg because the rotary is SO EFFICIENT as touted by mazda, 3 moving parts, woohooo its amazing! then why isnt it also super lightweight and super powerful and super gas sipping efficient...

Mazda spun it all off as propoganda and you guys bought it.
yay for rotary *****.

dont get me wrong here,it is an amazing motor and its great for 24hours @ Lemans, but I would MUCH rather have my LS1FC than your NA 13B S5, no doubt, I'm pulling in at least 24mpg like you, but I'm putting down twice the power and its thru a tightly geared six-speed... if you havent had the chance to drive one (LS1rx7) yet then you owe it to yourself to find one and ask nicely.

 

rock on man!
thats awesome, congrats on the new setup and glad you love it.

 

My point is that the rotary isn't as bad as it sounds. And so what about non-turbo? To get that kind of fuel mileage, you have to stay off boost anyway for the whole tank.

Look up the S4 turbo guys that make 28 mpg per gallon. J-rat makes 24 city and runs 10's I believe.

I've been in an LS1FD, and while it's a capable car, it doesn't appeal to me as much as a properly setup rotary RX-7 does. It's just more expensive, but I don't really care about power/$ or any of the other /$ comparisons. If you wanted to get something good /$ and that's what you really care about, you really shouldn't be driving an RX-7 in the first place, LS or not.

 

Since i'm still getting used to having a 6 speed i accidentally started in 3rd gear the other day and still broke em loose when i goosed it around the corner

 

Yeah these ls1 guys are so stupid. It takes a real man to pay someone else to build their car so they can go on internet forums and toot their own horn in the section for other engine swaps.

How much have you spent on that car now? We all know anything can be fast with enough money....

If you don't think there are v8 powered "street" cars that would stomp on your big bad 3-rotor then you are just ignorant. Turbos work on all kinds of engines

 

You guys are arguing like idiots now. You're comparing a stockish LS1 swap to a non-stock turbo rotary or even N/A rotary? You know they make turbo's and super chargers for LS1's? Can you compare them? I just started thinking about this swap literally 2 days ago, and out of all the engines, the LS series have been the best until you spend $10,000 on just the engine. I bet you guys wouldn't argue about the Nissan VG30E/33 swap? Did you know it can handle 600hp on the stock bottom end, from any vehicle and they interchange easily to transmissions? Thats a $500 engine. I've been pure rotary up until this point, because I really need a vehicle that is going to be fun all around. I know how much fun my N/A 85 GSl-SE is with a GTU engine, whats it going to be like with 300hp and torque?

 

wheelspin in 3 gears?

 

A vg33 will not fit and can not handle 600hp on a bottom end, as per altered atmosphere in maryland who specialize in 350z/g35's.

a vg30 will need a custom manifold/turbo setup to fit. Thoe are expensive, and that engine is heavy in comparison to the ls1.

I think a car tuned to one's driving characteristics/preferences is most important. I drove a vette after considering the v8 swap, and it wasn't for me. Low end torque and my driving style did not get along at all. There is a reason bmw/ferrari build high comp/high revving v8's.

Tommy: specs of your build? COST?!

 

I am new to these forums and am considering a 93-95 rx7. However I want to put a V-8 or a V-6 from a biuck grand national in it. Any opinions? Can someone write a good website for an engine swap kit. I read somewhere about a cobra irs for a rearend swap or is the stock rearend good enough?