This is definately on a budget! I have a 79 SA, non lsd, rear drum, no sunroof car. I've spent a bunch of $$$ trying to get it running and now that it runs I find out the motor is questionable. Anyway, once the motor goes, I'd like to try my hand at a LT-1 or simple 350 swap. Any issues using the car I have?
Thanks,
~Jason

 

Would you really do that to a '79? Why is the motor "questionable"?

 

Well, unless you have a bunch of extra money laying around to dump into it I would not go V-8. If the motor is really gone swap it out.

Your not to far from Nashville TN. I have a 82 GSL w/97k miles on it. You can buy it swap the motor,tranny, Complete rear end (disk brakes & LSD), the front struts and brakes (Good upgrade for the sa's), and have extra parts to get your 79 up on the road. Put all your old parts on this car and sell it as a parts car for a few hundred. I will sell the car cheap with Clear title in hand. Drive it home today!
$800.00
Car has a RB header and custom exhaust.

Or I have a complete 1987 S4 13b motor with harness and ECU. Drop this into your car and have extra power.
$500.00 for complete running motor with 130k miles on it. Pulled for a TII conversion a month ago.

 

Any rx7 is a good canditate, if you have to get stiffer springs, you might have to swap to 84-85 strut tower assemblies.

302 is easiest swap and if you get a good donor it's CHEAP, and you will have 2x the torque of a built 13b

 

I used to feel strongly against V8 swaps.....


But all RX7s have a great chassis (and looks). If it keep the car from being scrapped, then go V8 swap. But you might look into a 302 HO swap. All you really need is a wrecked late 80s or early 90s Mustang GT to get it started.

 

no

 

Not to a 79 model..

 

Would your car make a good candidate for a V8 swap?

Not in the 1st gen section. It's an RX7! A rotary powered vehicle.

In any case, before I or anyone else around here rips your head off and flames the **** out of you for being so blasphemous, I'm going to move this thread where it belongs. There's an "Other Engine Conversion" forum (which is under the Performance section so don't go complaining) where people will appreciate your piston-head project.

Jon

 

oh can't you just do that to an isuzu impulse or something instead?

 

Welcome to the Other Engine Conversions section. The '79 will make a good swap candidate, but make sure the rest of the car is up to the task. You don't want to complete the swap and difficulty stopping the car. The V8 swaps make the first gens lightning fast, and they need to be able to stop too

 

I apologize for my attitude when moving the thread over here. I was out of line.

They'll take good care of you here Have fun.

Jon

 

what bout 2.3 ford turbo swap? nice straight 4 to TORQUE IT UP!

Mike

 

Been done, and its faaaaaast. Not too sure about the specifics, but obviously youd want to ditch the side mount inter-heater for a FMIC. Also, the car I saw it done in was... uh, a full on drag car, with gutted fenders and gutted interior and a rollcage, etc.

Im reasonably sure it would fit fine in a FC, but in a FB you might need to do some work. Then again, you might not, as in a drag car youre going to chop everything to hell and run skinny tires and they might not have cut up the fenders for fitment of the engine at all!

 

i'd have to say, if you got a RX7, it's a good candidate for a V8 swap.