blood_44

im hoping that someone will be able to give me some quick info on a few questions i have.

this is the first time ive dealt with an rx-7, or import period, but im just obsessed with the potential looks of this car. but since im not well versed on the rotary engine and still have a love for V8 muscle, what better than combining the two as many have already done. ive already been called a traitor from both sides (true rotary enthusiasts, and true V8 enthusiasts) but dont really care at this point and dont want to get into a loyalty war. my father and i have just completed a frame up, numbers matching restoration of a '70 Chevelle SS 396, which turned out amazing, so i do have a good deal of experience with engines in general and other factors dealing with customizing a car.

but enough with the background stuff....

im looking to find a third gen. rx-7 that is in workable shape or wrecked (hopefully cheap and gives me the opportunity to rebuild from the ground up) and i already have a '00 Camaro SS lined up that was in a rear end accident for the engine donor.

One of my questions is if there are any modifications that need to be done to the rear end to handle the new found torque from the V8, or if the stock rear end is already capable of handling it. I plan on modifying the engine to put out close to 450hp, and over 400 ft.lbs. of torque so it wont be anything close to stock.

another initial concern was the weight difference of the additional 4.4 liters and the effect on the handling and suspension. ive heard that the V8 is only 60 lbs heavier, but i was hoping that someone would verify that.

last is the amount of work that needs to be done to the engine bay itself, as far as motor mounts, transmission hook ups, etc.

ive been to a few other forums and searched through god knows how many posts, but many of the people that i have seen either dont know what they are talking about, or they have extremely conflicting views. thats why i came here.... from what ive seen and read, many of you have a great deal of technical knowledge and or experience with this modification. so please dont send me off to another forum, id like to hear it from a few true rx-7 owners themselves. thanks for the time, info, and patience with putting up with a rx-7 newbie!!!!!

TC

wingsfan

Try searching. There are plenty of threads covering your concerns. You just need to use the right key words and look in the right subforums.

Most likely it'll be fine. There's always the chance you'll grenade it, but there are plenty of people making that kind of power on the stock rear end, or with slightly upgraded parts.

If you're concerned you can upgrade the diff and axles, or convert to a Cobra IRS (Ford 8.8" rear end). There's a potential group buy on the Cobra conversion cradles right now if that's something you're even considering.


Weight threads
https://www.rx7club.com/v-8-powered-rx-7s-299/weighed-my-ls1-fd-today-50-50-myth-debunked-274368/
https://www.rx7club.com/v-8-powered-rx-7s-299/ls1-fd-2825lbs-f49-59%25-r50-41%25-428308/

Handling threads
https://www.rx7club.com/race-car-tech-103/autocrossed-my-ls1fd-today-1st-impressions-280030/
https://www.rx7club.com/race-car-tech-103/ls1-fd-pulls-1-13gs-skidpad-431720/

Hinson's kit is bolt in. You just need to send him your old engine cradle and they'll return the modified cradle. You will have to nibble off the battery supports in the engine bay, and you'll likely have to dimple the firewall a bit to get the MAP sensor to clear.
OK, you said you don't want to be directed to another forum, but this forum isn't the best source of info. Head over to http://www.torquecentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=11