V8 RX-7

[PuppyDawg]

hey guys, i'm going to be doing a V8 RX-7 very soon, i'm buying the rx7 next saturday(4.2.04) and am going to part it out and make it lighter than it is. i'm going to start saving up for mustang parts, or a wrecked mustang 5spd and 5.0L.

Just wondering if anyone else has done this and if so, any pointers are very welcome. also what do you guys think?

its a 1984 first generation RX-7 GS weighs in about 2345LBS

~Steve

i applaud your attempt regardless of the obstacles and what people say.....go for it!! A special request for pictures before,during and after your project please....i'm a fabricator as well and admire projects such as yours.

 

[_jb_]

There is a Miata around here with either a LS1 or LT1 engine in it.

 

[Michael Yount]

Company out west outfitted Miata's with 5.0L's YEARS ago - called them Monster Miatas - Monsters for short. Sold quite a few of them. Another swap that was easier than you might think. Engine sits far forward however - bit of a handful.

 

[HISSIN50]

Rover V8 in an old MGB is a good one too. almost same weight.

 

[shallto]

I saw a rx7 with a Grand National power plant at a car show a few years ago. It looked sweet and I could only imagine what it would do. I think he said it weighed around 2400 with radio seats and all.

 

[Michael Yount]

Hissin - bit of trivia - MGB produced factory cars with the Rover 3.5L V-8; they're rare, but out there. Weren't imported into this country officially. British Leyland bought the rights to the aluminum pushrod V-8 (still the same basic engine in the 4.6L Land Rover Discovery) from GM in the mid-late 60's. It's the same 215 cubic inch all aluminum V-8 that powered the small Olds F-85 and Buicks in 61-62 (a 215HP turbocharged version was an option in the F85 in 62). As gas was cheap, and bigger was better, GM gave up on the baby V-8 and sold the tooling to the Brits. It showed up later in the Rover sedan, Triumph TR8, MGB V-8, Land Rover, Triumph Stag, etc.

 

[HISSIN50]

ahh, so. thanks Michael - im rusty on the European stuff. i used to be very up to speed. my dad rues the days he sold his Austin Healey, Sunbeam (Alpine), and some others. if people only knew then what is known now about how prices would skyrocket.........

here is another: as i recall, Chrysler bought the parent company of Sunbeam (Rootes Group, IIRC) and did not know the Sunbeam Tiger had a ford 260 in it. the Tiger met its demise shortly thereafter. i believe Shelby was associated with the Tiger also.

and the original Lotus Elite made use of a fire (water) pump engine. worked alright on a car that weighed well under 2K pounds.

 

[Michael Yount]

Right you are - Chrysler killed the Tiger; the engine you're referring to was called the Cooper Climax I believe - Colin Chapman develped that fire pump engine into a race winner - it even powered cars to Formula 1 wins back in the 60's.

 

[L8 MUSL]

Company out west outfitted Miata's with 5.0L's YEARS ago - called them Monster Miatas - Monsters for short. Sold quite a few of them. Another swap that was easier than you might think. Engine sits far forward however - bit of a handful.

That company was near where I live. I checked out a few of those cars. really quite cool. injecting "Manhood" into a chick/queerguy car.
The owner of that company ended up going to prison for the murder of his wife.
Now there is a company that put's SBF's into a PT cruiser and calls them PT Bruiser's.

 

[LeadSled1]

http://www.hinsonsupercars.com/

 

[Michael Yount]

Check this one out - scroll down and read the write up. You know you've got a lot of engine in a little car when you have to narrow the front wheels so the tire will clear the VALVE COVER.

http://www.ntahc.org/modifiedhealeys/Photos/126Marian/Marian.htm

 

[HISSIN50]

Michael, that is a great bug-eye. too bad he was not willing to mod it much. Wow. reminds me of the Spyder, except for it lacking tons of power.

 

[Michael Yount]

Can you imagine 'accidentally' picking on that thing?

 

[HISSIN50]

well, im sure you are used to it. i can picture it:

"hey that guy has a nice, well maintained Volvo. hear that exhaust - it sounds modded; he thinks he is bad. let's smoke him."

those would be famous last words.

 

[Michael Yount]

Nice visual - but it never happens. The car is invisible. Nobody notices.

 

[L8 MUSL]

That Sprite is a total wolf in "lambs" clothing!
I've been spanked at the track by one of those Sunbeams (I think they're called Tigers) with a blown, stroked V8.

 

[HISSIN50]

Nice visual - but it never happens. The car is invisible. Nobody notices.

i doubt that - your car looks awesome. i bet it is sick in person.

 

[HISSIN50]

That Sprite is a total wolf in "lambs" clothing!
I've been spanked at the track by one of those Sunbeams (I think they're called Tigers) with a blown, stroked V8.

the Tigers were decent, depending upon which motor is shoehorned into it (i dont believed they 'came' with forced induction - someone was having fun.

the Tiger is the big brother of the Sunbeam Alpine (originally like a 1.8 liter motor or so), much like the AC Ace (with 2.0 Bristol motor giving way to the 260, then 289, then 427, then 428). this is not for sure - my recollection.

i would gladly take any one of them. but Michael's link to the Bug-eye takes the cake.

 

[L8 MUSL]

the Tigers were decent, depending upon which motor is shoehorned into it (i dont believed they 'came' with forced induction - someone was having fun.

Yeah, this one was a 347 with the big Kenny Bell feeding it.
A real nice guy, up in L.A. I believe his name was kenny if anyone know's him.