just wanted to share my new find. i just picked up an 84 rx-7 i think its a gsl. she's got 4 wheel disc brakes which means its got the lsd. everything works except the engine. got an ok body with minor rust. the engines out and not going back in. its gettin a 351 windsor. i know what your thinkin and no im not a v8 guy.....normally not anyway. i picked the car up for $200. i have an 04 subaru sti with heavy engine work including internals, and an 88' mr2 with some internals and a lot of suspension. i figured that this rx-7 would be a great project. i will post pics soon and if anyone has any info or helpfull tips on this car like what unique things i should look for i would like that. my plans for the car are a 351 windsor v8, 5 lug conversion with 4 pot front calipers and more after that.

 

Hot

 

i don't know much about suspenssions, mine's an 85 gsl, 4 disc brakes, but i'm sure it doesn't have lsd, since i think that only game with the gsl-se's but don't quote me on that cuz idk about suspenssion. I love sti's they're awesome. to each their own :P i don't like the idea of the v8 but w/e man lol. it'll be fast if that's what you're looking for, just a fast car at the drag strip. good luck with the project.

 

Rear discs = LSD... unless someone swapped it out.

 

Just a question. Why put in a 351 Windsor in it? Why not rebuild the rotary or swap a different rotary in?

 

i would love to just put the 12a in it and beat the hell outa it. it just wouldnt have enough power for me, and if i did a swap it would be very expensive to me. im burned out on the costs of building import engines. i can open my summit magazine or go to my local autozone and fix or even upgrade the 351w. plus i haven't had anything v8 yet so here's my chance. im putin a t5 manual tranny in so it will still be fun to play around with. anyone need 12a parts or a manual trans since i will be selling them?

 

Putting a Windsor in will be alot of fabrication, since there are no kits available to drop it in. With all the work you'd do with that you could build a nice 13B for it with enough power for a 2400lbs car, plus you could actually make a turn!! LOL Sorry guy but the Windsor is a heavy motor, throws the balance off. It'll handle like a short wheel base Mustang

 

I used to be one of those people who hated V8 swaps. I don't care either way anymore, but what FirebirdSlayer said is true. The fabrication involved in the Windsor swap will be so expensive that you could buy another FB, and do two 13B TII swaps in them. Either that or a 3 rotor swap into one. (Yes, that is exaggeration, but you get the point).

 

I don't like the swaps but I can respect the work it takes to do it and keep it clean. 20B would be soooooo sweet LOL

 

wow, some of you guys know about your rotaries but not so much about the v8's. im not one to talk because i too used to make the assumption that a v8 powered car will turn like crap and drive strait way better. yeah it may not handle as well with the v8 but the weight difference is subtle. a zz4 chevy motor in a fc only makes it 100lbs heavier then the original fc w/ manual trans. the small block ford v8 which a 351 happens to be, only makes the car 50 to 100 lbs heavier. the weight balance that an fc has after v8 swapping the chevy is nearly 50/50 until you put gas in it then its only like 20 lbs off. and the fabrication, what fabrication? its $160 to get that motor and trans sittin in the car thats it. the rest of the stuff like drive shaft, radiator, and other misc with engine and trans will cost me little over $2000 maybe less. i have an 88' mr2 with full suspension, i mean complete. and an 04 sti that has awesome suspension from the factory. i dont want another car that handles. maybe later i will get an fc to dump alot of money into the rotary not a an fb.

ps. grannysspeedshop.com they make it cheap and easy

 

The LS series of engines doesn't do much for the weight difference, as they are aluminum. The 351W will. My old boss had one, and I drove it a couple times, it was a pig in the corners.


That being said, its not that tough of a swap, my old boss and his son did all the work themselves (his son is a welder).

 

Sorry man, I'm a Ford guy too, the Windsor, with it's cast iron block weighs alot. a 12A fully dressed doesn't weigh more than 250lbs. A Windsor weighs more, alot more. You also have to remember that an FC is 400lbs heaver than an FB to start with. You'd be putting ALOT more weight in the front than was originally there. AFAIK Granny's only has kits for the Chevy 350, I don't know how well that works with the Windsor or if they started making a kit for it or not as I don't visit their website. I will agree 110% though that thw Windsor is a damn fine motor though and builds really well

EDIT: Did a little searching, and the Windsor weighs 510lbs without accesories.

 

Theo only problem I know of from my boss and a friend who had a 351W in a foxbody mustang, they can eat transmissions. My old boss is in the process of putting a new one in his car right now, and my friend went through... 3 I think it was... in under a year (drag racing it).

 

That's why you need a Tremec box LOL

 

My foxbody buddy has one on the way for his new car (427 CobraJet going into a foxbody)

 

Not to nit-pick, but the 350z has perfect 50-50 weight ratio as well... but only when you floor it. 100lbs is 100lbs, Imagine adding that to the front of the car. May seem like only a little gain, but thats from 51/49 to 53 or 54/ 47or 46 weight ratio.


A little is a lot here. Either way, I hope the best. Honestly, I wouldn't mind a V8 RX either

 

they sell the kit for the ford motors now. what you do is take the original engine crossmember and rotate 180 degrees and bolt it back on then the double sump pan from a late model fox mustang will straddle the crossmember and whatever else is there. they sell the adapter brackets for the 302 they will also work with the 351 since both motors originate from the 289 small block. they give you a choice of an auto tranny or manual crossmember. great stuff. many of the bolt ons that work on a 302 will work on a 351. also, my friend had a 351w in his foxbody with a stock t5 tranny no problems until his technician forgot to put tranny fluid back in it. he was making 480 whp all motor. but yeah it wont handle great but i'll do everything i know to make it handle better. i do want a rotory someday, i wanna do a custom 4 rotor that would be nice.

 

because hes new

 

Well I didn't know they made Ford motor kits too. Learn something new everyday

 

because im new? that doesn't mean anything. i may be new to this forum but not new to cars by any means. i want to put this motor in because i can obtain one for under $500. i should specify that its not going to be a stock 351w when it goes in. if i want to spend a crap load of money to get 480whp then i will put the rotary in. but since i do not want to spend a crap load of money then i will put the 351w in. simple to understand right? i suppose i can upgrade the rotary by opening a jegs or summit magazine or any single magazine for that matter. no? why not? oh thats right! cause its an import. i already experience this with my other cars and im trading that experience for a different one. the car is also going to be my body work project. i need to learn autobody and a $200 car is a good place to start.

 

why did they move my thread? im not the one that started ranting about the v8 thing in the first place. i just needed to learn a bit about my car like what to expect when owning this car and what things i can look for as far as improvements.

 

the ford motor is lighter than the chevy small blocks and costs less to put in. not the aluminum ls1, that is too much work and more money than i want to spend. any ways im still on the edge of wanting to rebuild this rotary thing i have sittin here.

 

Quote from you-"my plans for the car are a 351 windsor v8, "

Listed quote form the 1st gen section rules-
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/rules-1st-gen-section-89820/

Any Questions pertaining to non-rotary engine'd First Gens must be directed to the Other Engine Conversions forum located here:

https://www.rx7club.com/other-engine-conversions-non-v-8-118/

If any threads are found in this section that are made for the purpose of discussing piston engines in Rx7s, they will be immediately moved there and you will be sent a warning.

It causes fights, flame wars, and streams of complaints to hit my inbox. So don't do it.

Jon

The 1st gen specific forum is a "Rotary" only forum. :-)

 

hey man take a trip to www.v8rx7forum.com and copy an paste your introduction there. You'll learn that even though this is an RX7 forum that most people here think it's a Rotary ONLY forum and flame you.

 

He is not being flamed but instructed why his thread was moved to the correct forum. :-)