Hello, my uncle is giving me his RX7 body. It looks real old, like 1979-1981. Good, solid body. No dents, no nothing, just needs new paint. I wanna put the cheapest engine in it (I'm really cheap and don't have that much money). Also need a tranny with it. Thinking of getting a V8?
How do I do it? Please leave your comments, thx

 

I'm not sure how it is in all states. But in my state its illegal to install a V8 into an RX-7, up to $20,000 fine and 5 years in jail.

But if its legal, check those laws! and you really, really want to you
can go here -> http://www.grannysspeedshop.com/

 

i say save up your money and buy a 13b or put that dirty v8 in something american

 

www.grannysspeedshop.com

www.rx7v8.com This one is in Canada.

 

The question is not how, it is why?
You will spend far more money trying to install a V8 in an RX than just putting a used rotary 12A back in it. Plus, you will spend forever making it driveable.
just my opinion,
hanman

 

Granny's speed shop has good kits for that, like ken said, but you can probably pick up a 12A rotary for ~$650. If you want a lot of power, the 13B turbo puts out well over 200hp with few modification and is very light. They bolt it fairly easily and you can pick one up for ~$950 if you shop around. Good luck.

 

yea your choice on what to do here,but it wont be as cheap as you hope,you have to buy the v8,the tranny,the rear end,custom drive shaft,all mounting hardware,new radiator,and more,add it all up and you could have one bad 12a.get a 12a with low miles,throw on a aftermarket car and intake,nice rb exhaust,ignition,etc,for the price im sure you could push 200hp.zoom zoom.the weight savings will make up for the added power of the v8.id work up two price sheets then compare hp and weight.see which one zooms better.good luck.

 

Besides being a damn shame, the one thing you should have noticed in most of these replies after cost was the weight difference. Your front springs are rated for the 275 lb, rotary. A 450 lb mouse motor is going to give you a slammed to the ground look on those tired springs and crash to the ground all the time.With that extra 200 lbs or so all up front, your weight distribution and thus your braking and handling are going to be crappyascrapgets . Unless you go all $$aluminum$$, you'll have to set that motor back in the chassis which now means cutting up your firewall for clearance. Oh, the woes...

 

It's a lot of work. I have a 5.0 Ford in my '82. Weight does go up some, but distribution isn't a problem. Mine weighs 2738 lbs, 51.4%F, 48.6%R. This is 200 lbs heavier than a stock GSL-SE, and about the same distribution.
BUT... it's not the easy (or cheap, unless you already have the V8) way to make an RX-7 run. If you're just trying to get it going, stick with a rotary.

 

Kerry - How does your RX handle with the 5.0L in it? Is it much quicker than a rotary, or do your tires just spin like crazy with the extra power? Did you use the motor mounts etc... from Grannys Speed Shop?

 

I don't think I will want to spend that much money on it, thinking of just getting a 3rd gen instead, how much would this body sell? Its just an empty shell that has been sand-blasted in and out, LMK, thx

 

I can feel the extra weight... I moved the battery to the rear long before I swapped engines, and I could feel the difference. After the swap it felt like the battery was back up front. I'm running some unknown blue front springs that are quite stiff. The car did not sag from the SBF, but I wouldn't recommend the SBC without some intensive weight reductions. It will handle great once I address the alignment issues I caused by building my own crossmember. It's very easy to spin the tires in first gear, other than that it's sweet. I'm running 3.63 gears in an SE diff. First gear was unuseable with the stock 3.91 gears. I may swap to an 8.8" diff to get a bit taller gear. I'd recommend Granny's kit to anyone wanting to swap. It's a bit industrial looking, bit the fit is PERFECT.

Kerry