What kind of offer should I make on this RX7?
#26
#27
For me, I love the style and looks of the RX7, and the engine too, but when it comes to putting $2000 out for another rotary or a little bit more for a LS1...well, it just makes sense. More power, same handling, better reliability, better gas milage, better emissions, less maintanence, no flooding worries, the list just goes on and on.
you are correct about failure in a rotary being usually catastrophic. However it really isn't hard to compression test your engine every few months, and doing so can prevent catastrophic damage buy just cracking it open and replacing what is necessary.
I do want to aplolgize for earlier statments about bastardizing something else. These are your cars, you can do what you want, i wont argue that. Do what makes you happy, this just makes me sad.
Last edited by well uhhh; 05-21-08 at 10:10 AM.
#28
I have bought and owned 9 RX7's over the past 20 years now (from a 79 to a 91) and without exception, all of them (except the 89 I have now) have had engine problems. Most of them had the "Famous" apex failure with a few having coolent seal problems and only one having a main bearing problem.
Now having a engine problem in itself is not that bad as you just either get it repaired or if you are able, repair it yourself. Here is where the first problem comes in. For a small, simple (only three main moving parts) engine, this is the one of the most expensive engines to repair!!! If you do it yourself, and get all the parts wholesale, you still will have over $750 (seals and gaskets) to over $2000 (seals, gaskets, housings...etc) in the rebuild. No way around it. If Anything goes wrong with it internally, it is rebuild time.
And on average, it is around the 100K-125K milage that they usually go out. Now this is also an average for a lot of other engines, but at a WHOLE lot less to rebuild, and you DO NOT have to rebuild the WHOLE engine (wise to but not always necessary). And after a rebuild, if these "Other" engines have a problem after, a complete rebuild is usually not necessary. Example...got a head gasket go bad....replace it, only. Got a cam go bad, replace it...only....etc.
Second problem is that a rotary almost always gives no warning that it is going bad, just up and dies on you or starts eating water like there is no tomorrow. They also have very bad emissions, use an ton of gas for the size of the engine, have no torque to speak of and have to put a lot of $$ into them to make any decent power at all. Then, when you get some bad gas or a little bit of detonation, "pop"...there goes that new apex seal...time for another rebuild.
For me, I love the style and looks of the RX7, and the engine too, but when it comes to putting $2000 out for another rotary or a little bit more for a LS1...well, it just makes sense. More power, same handling, better reliability, better gas milage, better emissions, less maintanence, no flooding worries, the list just goes on and on.
Now having a engine problem in itself is not that bad as you just either get it repaired or if you are able, repair it yourself. Here is where the first problem comes in. For a small, simple (only three main moving parts) engine, this is the one of the most expensive engines to repair!!! If you do it yourself, and get all the parts wholesale, you still will have over $750 (seals and gaskets) to over $2000 (seals, gaskets, housings...etc) in the rebuild. No way around it. If Anything goes wrong with it internally, it is rebuild time.
And on average, it is around the 100K-125K milage that they usually go out. Now this is also an average for a lot of other engines, but at a WHOLE lot less to rebuild, and you DO NOT have to rebuild the WHOLE engine (wise to but not always necessary). And after a rebuild, if these "Other" engines have a problem after, a complete rebuild is usually not necessary. Example...got a head gasket go bad....replace it, only. Got a cam go bad, replace it...only....etc.
Second problem is that a rotary almost always gives no warning that it is going bad, just up and dies on you or starts eating water like there is no tomorrow. They also have very bad emissions, use an ton of gas for the size of the engine, have no torque to speak of and have to put a lot of $$ into them to make any decent power at all. Then, when you get some bad gas or a little bit of detonation, "pop"...there goes that new apex seal...time for another rebuild.
For me, I love the style and looks of the RX7, and the engine too, but when it comes to putting $2000 out for another rotary or a little bit more for a LS1...well, it just makes sense. More power, same handling, better reliability, better gas milage, better emissions, less maintanence, no flooding worries, the list just goes on and on.
Well i guess my opinion would be to quit buying **** rx7s. If they are well maintained they will last well over 100k. Your personal experience is not changing anyones opinions cuz obviously you dont know what your doing. And by the way how much does it cost to rebuild a piston motor?????? And i didnt know a turbo, injectors, exhaust and some way to tune was so much money. Get it tuned right and BUILT right and it wont have any of the issues you speak of except maybe fuel milage. By the way what does a ls1 rx7 get for MPG and whats it cost to swap one.? Yea thats what i thought. You have no legitament arguement so just quit.
#29
#30
maybe just maybe cause its a good chassis to start with, don’t act like the RX7 is the only car people do this to, its not gods child or anything. Just get off your high horse already.
#31
http://www.v8rx7forum.com/scca-autoc...ss-fd-ls1.html
http://www.v8rx7forum.com/v8-rx7-tec...ed-rx-7-a.html
Before you spout out what you think, you should try looking at facts. Above are two documented V8 swapped RX-7s that were weighed. I found them in about 2 minutes.
My own LT1 powered 10th Anniversary weighed 2860 with 60lbs heavy to the rear.
Just because a V8 may look physically larger than a rotary, you have to remember that most of it is HOLLOW inside. A rotary is a tightly packed sandwich of steel, iron and aluminum with almost no open cavities.
If there's one thing you can do whether you like the the V8 swap or not, stop spreading the MYTH that they are heavier. It's as bad as forwarding that email from Bill Gates
http://www.v8rx7forum.com/v8-rx7-tec...ed-rx-7-a.html
Before you spout out what you think, you should try looking at facts. Above are two documented V8 swapped RX-7s that were weighed. I found them in about 2 minutes.
My own LT1 powered 10th Anniversary weighed 2860 with 60lbs heavy to the rear.
Just because a V8 may look physically larger than a rotary, you have to remember that most of it is HOLLOW inside. A rotary is a tightly packed sandwich of steel, iron and aluminum with almost no open cavities.
If there's one thing you can do whether you like the the V8 swap or not, stop spreading the MYTH that they are heavier. It's as bad as forwarding that email from Bill Gates
#33
My car handles better after the swap. It is getting 4 corner weighed now, but I already know what the result will be
I haven't been on many trips in the RX7, but I got 33mpg on one tank before cruising about 80mph as much as I could. I don't worry about anything with the stock LS1. I didn't want to make a 30 mile trip with the rotary and risk getting stranded.
I haven't been on many trips in the RX7, but I got 33mpg on one tank before cruising about 80mph as much as I could. I don't worry about anything with the stock LS1. I didn't want to make a 30 mile trip with the rotary and risk getting stranded.
#34
MYTH huh? I did do my research...https://www.rx7club.com/sitemap/t-255423.html
#35
#36
If you can ****** it up for 4500 I would definately say it's a good deal. Best piece of advice would be to avoid all the hate from people on here, and this is coming from somebody with a rotary TII.
#37
I rebuilt a Jeep Inline 6, my buddy bought all the parts and it costed him just as much as rebuilding a rotary. It included master gasket kit, cam bearings, rod and main bearings, new camshaft, lifters, rings. I lapped and cleaned the valves, honed cylinders, cleaned everything blah blah. If anything a rotary is cheaper than a complete rebuild on a piston motor. The problem with a rotary is because it has so little parts its more often that a major part fails.
IMO there shouldn't be anything but an OEM motor between the rails, i'd rather a rotary in my rex and if I had an old *** Ford I wouldn't drop in a Chev motor like everybody else does.
But, the whole point is its your car do what you want to it to be different.
IMO there shouldn't be anything but an OEM motor between the rails, i'd rather a rotary in my rex and if I had an old *** Ford I wouldn't drop in a Chev motor like everybody else does.
But, the whole point is its your car do what you want to it to be different.
#38
http://www.v8rx7forum.com/scca-autoc...ss-fd-ls1.html
http://www.v8rx7forum.com/v8-rx7-tec...ed-rx-7-a.html
Before you spout out what you think, you should try looking at facts. Above are two documented V8 swapped RX-7s that were weighed. I found them in about 2 minutes.
My own LT1 powered 10th Anniversary weighed 2860 with 60lbs heavy to the rear.
Just because a V8 may look physically larger than a rotary, you have to remember that most of it is HOLLOW inside. A rotary is a tightly packed sandwich of steel, iron and aluminum with almost no open cavities.
If there's one thing you can do whether you like the the V8 swap or not, stop spreading the MYTH that they are heavier. It's as bad as forwarding that email from Bill Gates
http://www.v8rx7forum.com/v8-rx7-tec...ed-rx-7-a.html
Before you spout out what you think, you should try looking at facts. Above are two documented V8 swapped RX-7s that were weighed. I found them in about 2 minutes.
My own LT1 powered 10th Anniversary weighed 2860 with 60lbs heavy to the rear.
Just because a V8 may look physically larger than a rotary, you have to remember that most of it is HOLLOW inside. A rotary is a tightly packed sandwich of steel, iron and aluminum with almost no open cavities.
If there's one thing you can do whether you like the the V8 swap or not, stop spreading the MYTH that they are heavier. It's as bad as forwarding that email from Bill Gates
Even if you get a 50/50 distribution, because the weight is far forward and far rear it will not be as good as 50/50 where most of the weight is closer to the center.
To say that one is better then the other is stupid. They all have their purposes. However this is the same for you. If you tell me you are swapping to a V8 because of dumb reasons then you are just plain ignorant. But if you tell me you want a V8 because its a tourque monster, more fun for you, and its what you want to do...well then wtf are you waiting for.
If you want a V8 fine, but don't go around bashing a perfectly good engine just because you don't like it.
#39
My car handles better after the swap. It is getting 4 corner weighed now, but I already know what the result will be
I haven't been on many trips in the RX7, but I got 33mpg on one tank before cruising about 80mph as much as I could. I don't worry about anything with the stock LS1. I didn't want to make a 30 mile trip with the rotary and risk getting stranded.
I haven't been on many trips in the RX7, but I got 33mpg on one tank before cruising about 80mph as much as I could. I don't worry about anything with the stock LS1. I didn't want to make a 30 mile trip with the rotary and risk getting stranded.
#40
Yes but because it is physically larger, it will sit higher and more forward in the engine bay raising the center of gravity and causing more weight in the front. It still may handle well, but never as good as with the 13B.
Even if you get a 50/50 distribution, because the weight is far forward and far rear it will not be as good as 50/50 where most of the weight is closer to the center.
Even if you get a 50/50 distribution, because the weight is far forward and far rear it will not be as good as 50/50 where most of the weight is closer to the center.
I'll kindly leave out the fact that the V8 engine to bellhousing flange sits several inches further back than the rotary does and the V8 transmission is also quite heavier than the rotary transmission, effectively planting weight directly toward the center of the wheelbase.
I implore you to put any prejudices aside and go for a ride, or better yet, drive a V8 powered RX-7. It's nothing short of amazing. The 10th Anniversary in my signature is solely responsible by test drives alone in converting no less than 6 rotary fans to V8 RX-7 owners. As a matter of fact, one of them had a 20B.
People can argue back and forth all day long on a forum about whether "X" makes a car handle bad or upset it's characteristics, but until you've been on both sides of the fence and experienced it for yourself there is no amount of scale readings, dyno sheets, photos, writeups or other people's accounts that will ever prove to a skeptic that "X" does not do what they think.
I've owned 14 RX-7s, all of them rotary powered until the 10th Anniversary which I converted after it hand grenaded doing a u-turn. It dyno'd 371hp to the wheels a couple of weeks before that happened.
#41
I beg to differ. A STOCK iron block, aluminum head LT1 will put a 2nd gen into the low 12s on 87 octane. I've done it. 12.2@112MPH
There was a stock LS6 FC that ran 11.9s at Indy a coupe of weekends ago on a track prepped in Crisco.
A V8 in a Camaro and a V8 in an RX-7 are COMPLETELY different beasts.
There was a stock LS6 FC that ran 11.9s at Indy a coupe of weekends ago on a track prepped in Crisco.
A V8 in a Camaro and a V8 in an RX-7 are COMPLETELY different beasts.
#42
solution....
buy old RWD carolla for dirt cheap> SBC/LT1/LS1/etc. and tranny swap+Ford 9in=WIN
bastardized RX7s are everywhere now, but i haven't seen too many rollas rocking a V8, except for one that's getting built in my friends shop right now.
buy old RWD carolla for dirt cheap> SBC/LT1/LS1/etc. and tranny swap+Ford 9in=WIN
bastardized RX7s are everywhere now, but i haven't seen too many rollas rocking a V8, except for one that's getting built in my friends shop right now.
#44
With 322hp.....
The mods on this forum are getting slow, can't believe this thread hasn't been locked/deleted/moved yet. Maybe someone should PM them and let them know someone mentioned a v8 in the 2nd gen section so they can show up like the gestapo and "cleanse" this thread.
This argument is dumb anyway, we all know that all of your 200hp rotary powered rx7s would rape every 400+hp v8 powered car around a track because of the 0.01% balance difference. I just don't understand how dem darn tootin' rotatin' engines work, so I had to swap to an inferior engine.
#45
To say that one is better then the other is stupid. They all have their purposes. However this is the same for you. If you tell me you are swapping to a V8 because of dumb reasons then you are just plain ignorant. But if you tell me you want a V8 because its a tourque monster, more fun for you, and its what you want to do...well then wtf are you waiting for.
If you want a V8 fine, but don't go around bashing a perfectly good engine just because you don't like it.
Last edited by well uhhh; 05-21-08 at 05:01 PM.
#46
I think it's funny that some of you are trying to throw in our faces the "unreliabliity" of the rotary motor. Let me throw something back at you guys...
I have an 87 Turbo II with the origional motor in it, which meansOH NOESS the origional miles which are 142,xxx and its STILL running strong. I've driven it to colorado, i've driven it to san antonio, florida, las vegas, plus many more. The only thing that i have EVERRRR had problem with is DUN DUN DUN..... something thats never supposed to go out... the CAS. That is the only problem i have ever had with this car and i run it hard pretty much everyday. This is my daily driver. You wanna know why it keeps so well? Because i keep up on my matience schedule, and i TAKE CARE of my car in everyway possible. So if you want to argue the reliability issue, you're just pissing in the wind.
/rant
I have an 87 Turbo II with the origional motor in it, which meansOH NOESS the origional miles which are 142,xxx and its STILL running strong. I've driven it to colorado, i've driven it to san antonio, florida, las vegas, plus many more. The only thing that i have EVERRRR had problem with is DUN DUN DUN..... something thats never supposed to go out... the CAS. That is the only problem i have ever had with this car and i run it hard pretty much everyday. This is my daily driver. You wanna know why it keeps so well? Because i keep up on my matience schedule, and i TAKE CARE of my car in everyway possible. So if you want to argue the reliability issue, you're just pissing in the wind.
/rant
#47
^ agreed. One question though... How the hell is this thread still open??? I thought for sure now this would be closed, seeing as it started as "What should i offer?" I think the poor OP got like 4 actual responses. I bet he wont do that again.
#48
Woah... were you talking to me? if you read the first page, i was the one arguing against bastardization...i just gave up and went away. plus i wasn't saying that you shouldn't do it. This whole thing started when i asked why the rx7 and it was answered, i was enlightened by lt1-10ae and i do see his side. call me a purist, but it still makes ME cringe. To each his own. I would actually love to ride in a v8 7.
I must have mistook you're post as I did read the first section.
Either way, the words apply to everyone. Do what makes you smile but don't **** in anyone's basket.
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