I have a 1995 LT1 with a 4l60e 4-speed auto in mine, however, there are a lot of different swaps that are just as popular.


As I personally did my own swap, I will only give you straight-up advice, just ask away.

I do not notice any major changes in handling, however, I did replace all struts, new Eibach sway bars, rear steer eliminator bushings and polyurathane bushings all around, 17" rims with low profile Kumho's.

Can't be any mature than this... Gas milage is better than the rotary at 25+ MPG and more than enough power for the average race fan. I have some goodies planned though, bigger cam, maybe some nitrous and possibly (if Santa likes me this year) a paxton supercharger.

 

What kind of manual tranny could I put with a 327 or a 350? I would go for the LT1, but I don't know if I would have the budget for that AND the conversion.

 

You didn't have a it depends option. What's the big fuss anyways? Who are you trying to impress whether you have a V8 or not? It's your money, so it's your right to do whatever you want, no matter how silly someone else feels about it.

 

Oops, meant to put ( ) around LT1 part. I do realize that LT1's are engines, not transmissions

 

Manual tranny that can take punishment from a built 327 or 350? You're pretty limited to a T-56. A world class T-5 can do it, but it won't take the punishment for TOO long, then it's rebuild time.. T-56 is a beast of a tranny though, unless you're aiming for well over 500 bhp you'll be fine with one, they fit awful nice in the 2nd gens as well.

I personally went with a built 700r4 for my conversion, along with a somewhat mild carb'd 350.

 

Heres a legit documentatation of the meaning of "RX" in RX-7. It is a review of rotary history and the introduction of the RX-8

The RX-8 is the third wave of Mazda's product-led war, and arguably the most potent. It's a completely new car, the result of four years work, and not the spiritual successor to the RX-7.

It follows in the footsteps of a host of rotary-powered vehicles, started back in the late 1960s with the Cosmo. Australians would best remember the RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, RX-5 and of course, all seven RX-7 series. RX, by the way, stands for Rotary eXperiment.Essentially the RX-8's rotary engine -- Renesis -- is an advancement on the last RX-7's 13B engine. It's a two-rotor unit with 654cc each, now with 30 percent larger intake ports located on the side of the chamber, as are the exhaust ports. Mazda claims this change, which eliminates port overlap, improves emissions and fuel economy.

I'm not trying to attack or **** anyone off, opions are like ******** everybody got one, and I'm just stating mine. You want a V8 get you one heck heres a place that sells everything you need

http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/rx7.html

So considering this is an argument that has no end I leave at that.

 

u guys flaming ppl for putting v8 in are just stupid im sorry. im planning on one in if this motor is blown but i still want a rotary b/c a ilove the creamy smooth run to 8k. but a fast car is a fast car and its been proven they keep the wieght distribution and can handle great. im all about sleepers and hybrids there cool cuase they are unique i appreciate a 12sec omni as much as a 12sec ferrari b/c they both are fast but reflect diffrent budgets and personal tasts. besides if u think shelby cars are cool u have to like a v8 rx7. i still want to build a hi-po rotary fd with a big single but a v8 will for me be fast fun to drive and suit my daily driver budget needs.(my first gen) all of u purists out there i can undrestand not wanting to tear up a pristine car trust me im into old vws and those guys go nuts about not restoring anything older than a 1960. so to all of u v8 guys mad props and the same to u rotary fellas too.
thats my 2 cents and then some

 

I'm with the guy above me. Who cares whats under the hood. If it's fast it fast and theres no debating that. If my 20b ever lets an apex seal go guess what i'm putting in the 2nd gen? LT1 with t56 trans. I can't understand why people are so single minded about the stupidest things????

-Destin

 

i am in the process of putting an LT1 from a 95 camaro and the t56. It is easier than you might expect and the handling aspect different than many of these closed box people are realising. I worst weight distribution i have seen was 54/46 the best? a perfect 50/50 w/ driver. I really just depends on the chassis used. The turbo models get 150 ish lbs lighter when you go chevy. That is a fact. I can go and find it for you on at least ten webpages w/ vids and pics.

I like the rotary motor idea. but if i could just rebuild the cursed thing w/o having

a. a livng nightmare
or
b. no more money

then i would stick to it. But for 5000 i can have 400 rwhp and 500 ft/lb torque with great reliebility! So that is what i am going to do. And you what? the RX badge is staying.

 

he is all kinds of right. Go to vwvortex forums. There are some seriuosly hardcore people on there.

 

what a stupid debate. and doesnt it mean rotary EXPORT anyway?

your allowed to put whatever the hell motor in it you want.

just because you have a rotary in your rotary born car doesnt make you better than people whove done a v8 swap or even people that just dont have an rx-#. there is now a forum for the superiority garbage like that its called jdmsupercars.com

 

hell yes! <--lol chef

 

Geezus! This thread is still alive? The rotards just can`t let it go!

Toughguy

 

I knew before I even got my RX7 that I would put a v8 into it. Then I started driving it. The little 12A sings along happily and smoothely. But then I got back into my stock replacement 350 TBI injected, cruise controlled, airconditioned Astro van and promptly out ran the RX7. the engine in the van is a stock replacement engine for a pickup. the van weighs 4,000 lbs.

I built it because I like putting 350s into things they never came in. Mostly I stayed with Vega's and Pinto's and Monza's(well the monza came with a 265 sbc v8 so that doesn't really count) and s-10s. Then a friend of mine built a 240z with a 327. That car was a blast. But putting a v8 in a 240/260/280z is about as common as putting them into an s-10.

I like doing things different. I am going to put the 350 in my RX7. Then we are gonna put the 12A into a 77 Carola for my son. I think that will be a good car for it. I just like stuff different.



http://www.cardomain.com/id/astro350ss


You are right. He is right. She is right. They are right. I am right. See, I can please all the people all the time.

Later,
Bill

 

You guys are crazy I think. What the hell is wrong with putting a V-8 into a beautiful car like te RX-7. Who said V-8's in foreign cars is dumb? Anyone ever hear about a little foreign car gone bad called a Shelby Cobra. That V-8 swap sure didn't devalue those cars. Anyway, rotaries are cool, quiet, smooth. Has anyone seen the LT-1/6 speed T-56 conversion on the net. They make kits for it. The guy says the car retains 50/50 balance with 50lbs of ballast in the rear. If one were to use a LT-5 all aluminum chevy from a zr-1 then the ballast wouldn't be needed. The pics look pretty good. Take a look. Later
http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/hagen.html

 

The V8 RX I jus tpicked up did just fine in auocrosses, and is a joy to drive! cheap motors, cheap bodies, light RWD cars, whats to complain about?

 

Some people just have so much time on their hands to complain because their rotaries won't start and they ran out of ATF to dump in the spark plug holes.

 

welll , from reading another post i would say the v-8 idea sounds alot better then a S2k engine , alot more power AND its not HONDA!.......

 

I guess I say go with the v8, The less I see these cars the happier I am to know that I own one.