hi good people, im planning to drop a 12a rx7 engine and 5 speed into my rx4 coupe. now its auto and twin dizzy 12a. the only mods to the engine will be electronic distributor and extractors.

can someone look at these photos:

http://img7.imageshack.us/i/okayamat...img600x45.jpg/

http://img823.imageshack.us/i/okayam...img600x45.jpg/

http://img19.imageshack.us/i/okayama...img600x45.jpg/

i think its a 1979 model engine, but i dont know, what im most concerned about is the shifter fitting through the rx4 floor without cutting. what do you people think?

what year engine do you think it is?

thanks

david
http://www.kagoshimaenglish.com/rx4.htm my car resto
http://www.youtube.com/user/1973mazd...e?feature=mhum my car restoration videos

 

79 or 80, no later. shifter will fall pretty much where it needs to be. the 81-85 moves it towards the rear something like 4". at least that's how much i moved one back up for an 808.

 

i was thinking too as the shifter is in front of the tailshaft mount position, whereas later models are longer in the rear.

 

i think its an rx4 12a as it has the gold air filter box

 

looking at the pix again, the tranny is definitely a pre 79. it's what's known as a rib case tranny. the bottom plate is removeable for access to the gears rather than having to pull the whole case apart as with the rx7 tranny. if the engine is a 12a it all probably came from a late model rx3. early ones had twin dizzy. unless the early rx4 had 12a. the 74 i had had a 13b in it. but i think all US rx4's had 13b. that one pic definitely shows the framed large script mazda like the rx4 had. look on the rotor housings to verify 12a or 13b.