Starfox07

I've been a member of this board for...quite a while. I've owned an FB (GSL-SE) RX-7 for about 10 years, but it's been sitting engine-less in a garage in Texas (my previous location) for about 6 years now. This makes me sad. I miss the car, and I have the funds to bring it back to life. However, I understand that getting everything kosher in the golden state isn't all that easy. I've lived here (in Marin county now) since 2015.

Those with experience here in CA which route do you think makes the most sense? I figure I could spend about $10k getting the car back on the road, but I don't have an opportunity to do any work myself, sadly - I will need a good shop to do it. For the record, I don't really care too much about going fast, but more just enjoying the car for what it is. Not interested in turbo engines.

1. Restore to original - I bought my car completely stock, and have most (if not all) of the various emissions components still hanging around. I doubt most of that stuff still works though, so this seems like it could be really frustrating. The stock engine dropped an apex seal, so it will need a new rotor housing at minimum.

2. RX-8 Engine - I've seen a few of these swaps done. If I go the legal route, it would be quite an undertaking, as all of the emissions components, and even the gauge cluster would need to be swapped over, IIRC. I primarily like this idea because RX-8 engines are still relatively new and there are a lot of cheap ones around. I don't care about speed that much, but 200+hp would feel really great in a 2400lb FB. I feel like this would be a really tractable, reliable setup if done properly.

3. 1.8 Miata Engine - Yeah, this is definitely a travesty, but at least it keeps it in the Mazda sports car engine family. These are considerably more plentiful than rotary engines, and an OBDI swap seems much more straightforward from a smog perspective. I don't know how often (if ever) this swap is done, but it seems like it could be a fun combo, despite a lack of power.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. If you guys know any shops that do custom work (as would be required for option 2 or 3) that would also be appreciated.

RXSpeed16

iTrader: (41)

Smog isn't too bad if you have stock parts.A smog tech isn't going to be able to pick out subtle component differences between years, so there's some flexibility.
Look up what county you're in and see if it's basic or enhanced.

I'd restore it with a 1st/2nd gen 13b.

1: Pros: Cheap, available parts. Easily the fastest build. Cons: It'll be as good as it was, but no better
2: Pros: Modern engine management, powaaaa!! Cons: Engine condition is hit or miss, Requires BAR certification, Complex engine management integration (Lots of time = $$$$)
3: Pros:......engine longevity? Cons: Requires BAR certification, How much would you really pay someone to make this happen?

Starfox07

Thanks for the reply! So do you think an all/mostly OEM S5 engine would get through Smog without too much hassle? That was always my plan when I was in Texas.

RXSpeed16

iTrader: (41)

The emissions are based on having stock parts, so that's the ideal way to go.
The S5 intake looks a bit different from the GSL-SE intake, so it would be the least likely to pass the visual. It just depends on how closely the tech is looking and knows these engines.
Some brief reading says the GSL-SE intake bolts to the S4 block. The port air passages need to line up in order to let the ACV work, so I'm not sure how those align.
Personally, I prefer the S4 NA intakes for normal driver since they felt a little torquier down low.