crap... double post... :(

besides the motor fb's are great cars, and not exactly rare

great car + great motor = really great car

and no holdens here :(

btw i mean datsun 510
lol

My friend is gonna drop in an ls1 v8 into his rusted ass 1st gen that he picked up for 100 bucks....stay tuned fellas...this fucker should fly. :)

Is he going to document his progress? Do keep us posted.

ill try to get him to document all his work.

Im a HUGE RE fan, and i think a V8 in a RX is sacreligious, however, if anyone has ever seen Brian Hinsons LS1 FD (as mentioned a few post back) it will make you ponder it. I beleive his best run to date is a low 11. And he hooks...even on the street. (Sounds crazy)
www.hinsonsupercars.com


The LS1 is a great and proven engine and it doesnt take alot to make it a true beast. However, the 13B is a awesome engine with an awesome design. And with a turbo can have an incredibly high output. I would go with a 13B T for sure.

I like the LS1 so don't think I am flaming the idea. You just don't ever see anyone dropping a rotary into a Corvette or a Camaro. Which engine is "better" is subject to opinion. I think someone should drop a turbo rotary into a new C6 just to be different. Like a V-8 to RX-7 conversion, it would still mess up the Vette's handling a little, still be loved by some, still be hated by others, and still not be where it was designed to be. Why would this be any more sacreligious than a V-8 to RX-7 conversion?

Hey you hoe! What do you think you're doing disgracing the rotary! Piss-ons are teh ghey. Either you swap in another bigger rotary, or take a hike.

this thread makes me sick.... RXMFN7, so your telling me that an ls1 only ways 150lbs more than my 12a turbo? i can pick up my whole engine, so your telling me i can just pick up and move an ls1? BS....and my engine sit way further back than any v8 ever could

Here's an idea for you: put a 13B turbo in a Vette! It would be great... reduce weight, improve handling... Remember. the Vette was supposed to become a mid-engine rotary in the mid-70s until the gas crisis hit. GM had plenty of prototypes built and running around; it was a last minute kill. Maybe it's time to fix that bad decision!

The simplest, most cost effective V8 swap is to swap in a 5.0 from a Mustang. The engine is light, is easy to install (you just reverse the front crossmember) and has great power potential. There are several guys running around these boards with the 302 installed and they have nothing but good things to say about it.

I like the rotary and would probably never do the V8 swap, but it is a viable option and can be done for a fairly small sum of money, depending on which motor you choose.

any pics of your v8 swap rotor vs piston? :)

Here's a couple. I just relized I don't have any current engine bay shots, these are well over a year old and it's better sorrted now. The shot of the car is within the past two months, it's sitting higher in the rear due to the taller tires back there, with the stock -SE wheels and rubber all around it sits flat. I'm planning on paint around the end of winter.

I have a question... Its been pretty well shown that, properly installed, a V8 won't mess with the front/rear balance of the car. What about center of gravity? it seems to me that the weight distribution top to bottom in a pushrod V8 would be very different from a rotary.

RX-7s are quite a bit lighter than Corvettes and Camaros you know.

nice...that's a sleeper in disguise. :)

The guys here are too close minded (sorry boys). Go to http://www.torquecentral.com and get on the v8rx7 forum there. They are a ton of help. LS1 is a lot harder than a ford 302, all you need for the ford is the motor/tranny mount, and a driveshaft, a little relief on the firewall and a few bolts/wiring and you are done. Chevy into first gens are a lot more involved.

Marques

these close minded people wont by saying shit when their rotary gets blown away by a v8 rx7....:D

This my version of sleeper.
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/698542/1

I would never swap a piston engine into a rotary car.

I know you guys don't like to see this stuff but just thought I'd show a picture of what my rex looked like a while back. It's come a little further.

I think this whole piston vs. rotor thing is really kinda dumb.
The rx7 is an amazing car for it's simplicity, its ability to handle and stick to its purpose. Yes the rotary is a nice lil machine, but I wouldn't get off to it. But I wouldn't say the v8 is superior either.

Hate to bump the thread. sorry.

The first Gen is such a great car... small and light, yet sturdy and solid. The styling is timeless ... it looks as fresh and appealing today as it did in 1980. The company and tiny (but robust) rotary adds to the charactor and provides the "mid-engine handling" by its ability to be positioned behind the front axle.

Although the power of a V8 in a FB would be impressive and maybe intoxicating, I fear the 1st gen would lose its specialness in such a design. I mean, people have been putting V8 engines in the Vega, Pinto, Mustang II, and other tiny cars for years. I don't think they are special. With such a conversion, the great handling would be lost or at least comprimised... the ability to rev to 9000 is gone... and the smooth low vibration piston-free engine is gone.

Yes, V8 engines are cheap and plentiful, which makes such a conversion appealing. If I had my dream conversion, it would be a Renesis 13B in a 1st Gen SE with updated front suspesion (improved ride, rack in pinion replacing the recirculating ball) and an IRS.

(... although that 20B Turbo is very appealing too! Nice work RotaryForLife - awesome).

By that logic everyone should have V-8 powered Festivas, Yugos, and Metros running around. They're lighter yet.

rev x 2
 

if the engine fit easily I think we would have those running around everywhere.

one thing that I've heard.. not sure if it is true... the rotary engine does not actually rev to 9k, it rev's to 4.5k and has a multiplier built into the engine that turns the flywheel twice as fast as the "crank"... any truth to that? and what would a v8 be like with that on it... reving to 13k would be pretty easy for sure.

that's completely the opposite of what i was suggesting...



But more power never hurt anyone.