He doesn't have good pictures of the new paint job but it is absolutely sick!
http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlab/pics/rx7/Purpleen2.jpg
Cheyenne
05-15-2002, 04:59 PM
Oh, that is so sad! =(( =(( =((
RX-7 Owners Credo: "Pistons? We don't need no stinkin' Pistons!"
DCMattius
05-15-2002, 05:02 PM
Sweet...wonder what he did with that twin-turbo 13B....mmmm
Matt
I agree with Chey...an RX7 with a piston engine is a Miata.^_^
[XR]1.8T
05-15-2002, 05:03 PM
Chey, I figured you would have something to say about this one. However, what's more sad is rebuilding 13B every 60K miles.
In my mind 600+ streetable horsepower justifies the swap. I don't know if you can make a 13B streetable with that much horsepower.
Cheyenne
05-15-2002, 05:34 PM
Ah, that's what 20Bs are for (Japanese Cosmo engine, 3 rotor, 2.0L). And if you get your 13B sorted out properly and keep the oil clean you should never have to rebuild it that often. It's more often two things that really hurt the rotary, poor maintenance and not letting it warm or up and cool down properly. No, you can't get that kind of horsepower out of a 13B and keep it reliable and streetable.
Personally, I don't object to engine swaps, especially when you are making an improvement. The thing about the third generation RX-7 is that as a car goes it has virtually perfect balance. I see this one appears to have had so much of the "box" structure at the front of the car cut away. It might be a good "drag" car, but that's really going to hurt it's balance, poise and grace, the very things that make this car so very much different from anything that was ever close to its price range.
What I see here is someone who has taken an extremely special car, and turned it into a Camaro. Nothing wrong with Camaros, they are exactly what they are designed to be, muscle cars. This was a sports car in the true modern sense of the word. Probably the pinnacle of the "affordable supercars". I'm just saying if he wanted to end up with a Camaro, maybe that would have been the better place to start. To each their own, though. It's a fairly rare automobile, but not impossibly so. He hasn't committed any crime, just seems he has gone backwards with the car, to me, removed what makes it special and turned it into something far more common.
Er, Chey, shut up nowwwwww! :Peace:
[XR]1.8T
05-15-2002, 07:19 PM
A few reasons for the swap;
To combine a very good engine, (compared to a 13B), with one of the best chasis in an automobile. The 3rd Gen RX-7's chasis is much lighter than any V8 Chevy.
Body style is a matter of opinion but there isn't any Chevy that can match the RX-7 body if you ask me, (except the latest gen Vette, but it's much heavier).
You speak of engine weight. I have read that the 13B with twin turbos and all the plumbing that goes along with it weighs close to 450 pounds. LT1s are aluminum and weigh 420 pounds. I don't see a weight advantage with the 13BTT.
Lastly, the guy probably has very deep pockets considering the money involved in this swap and the fact his other car is a modified Z06.
DC_Dogz
05-15-2002, 08:48 PM
...How do you catch a Chev...... use Chev bait
How do you catch a Ford........Use Ford Bait
How do you catch a Mazda.........Mazdabait.....
hehehehe :)
Commander
05-15-2002, 09:12 PM
^_^ @ Dogz
About the engine swap, I say 'NEATO!'. Lotsa work, but at least the crumb has a cake for a powerplant now! Also, the LT-1 is quite light, as said above, and I am sure the car handles just as well as it ever could have before.
Dylan
05-15-2002, 10:50 PM
dont know where you guys have been hiding but there are lots of places that sell conversion kits for putting V8's in RX7's Try This One (http://www.grannysspeedshop.com)
Commander
05-15-2002, 11:40 PM
My personal fave is the "how to" swap that explains the steps to install a 502 Caddy into a Chevy S-10 truck. :confused: Why bother?
Cheyenne
05-18-2002, 07:33 PM
Wow, I came off as quite a snob, probably because I was being one. Happiness is such a dear thing in the world, if this engine swap makes the owner happy, or anyone else for that matter, it's definitely a good thing! -^
Sometimes I have a "purist's" sense about things, and then at other times a definite maverick's nonconformist views. I need to balance them out a bit better, I guess &(
05-18-2002, 07:45 PM
Oh, that is awful.. How can they vandalise such a nice car..
But, why not replace the Twin-sequential Turbo Twin-rotary engine with the Triple-Rotary Mazda Renesis engine.. The latest version of it puts out 285kW..
I've never known the Twin-turbo, twin-rotary engine to be an unreliable one.. And I know people who race these things, year in, year out..
The only gripe I have about the beautifully shaped RX-7 Twin-turbo is that it is too small for me.. (I don't fit comfortably inside it, since I'm tall.).
Spiderman
05-18-2002, 07:50 PM
You are all quite mad. Mad I tell ya! ^_^
Cheyenne
05-18-2002, 08:36 PM
Hi, Chris!Chris: The only gripe I have about the beautifully shaped RX-7 Twin-turbo is that it is too small for me.. (I don't fit comfortably inside it, since I'm tall.)Really? My housemate's boyfriend is almost 6'3" and he still has plenty of headroom in mine. Maybe it's a difference in the US models?Chris: I've never known the Twin-turbo, twin-rotary engine to be an unreliable one.. And I know people who race these things, year in, year out.. Actually, they are not unreliable. The problem stemmed from the fact that these were hand assembled cars and the United States (I can't speak to other distribution areas) dealerships had no idea how to handle a car this sophisticated. The twin sequential turbo system was significantly complex in that it would provide varying amount of exhaust gasses to the non-active turbo to get it up to speed before it would be called on to compress the intake charge. Many dealers, during servicing, would mis-plumb the cars complex system of vacuum hoses and cause turbine failures. Also early on the car had a problem with radical underhood temperatures where the fuel lines would become "baked" and therefore brittle, causing horrific and spectular fires after the car was parked for a bit. If you get the cars properly sorted out, find some way to keep your vacuum hoses secured properly (wire ties work fine), allow the car to warm up-cool down properly and keep the oil clean these cars will perform under the harshest conditions and treatment almost forever. Driving a car that laughs at 9000 rpm is pure joy.
From Rotary Engine Illustrated (http://www.rotaryengineillustrated.com/RE101pages/2-mechanics101.html)
Spiderman...Spiderman: You are all quite mad. Mad I tell ya! ^_^I second that! Oh, wait, he means me too! &(
05-18-2002, 10:01 PM
Cheyenne: I'm guessing that you'd probably like the Honda S2000 as well.. It's very close to an RX-7 in handling, and, in performance (well maybe not as quick as the RX-7 SP), but, nearly as quick as the normal RX-7. It screams like fury, and as soon as it has that magical 5750rpm, it goes ballistic.. It doesn't protest about 9000rpm, in fact, does it easily, anywhere between 6000 and 9000rpm it runs beautifully..
Unfortunately, the S2000 engine is massively complex (to do with the variable valve timing system, which is different to the "normal" VTEC system, I think).
But, I think you get the idea that I like the RX-7. It's an immensely enjoyable car to drive fast.. I don't know about the RX-7s sold elsewhere in the world, but, the ones I've experienced seemed to have an exhaust note sounding like leaking compressed air.. (and that was on full throttle). I can only wonder what the new Triple Rotary Renesis engine that Mazda has made would be like.. The standard version does 185kW@8500rpm, and the MPS version does 285+kW..
Speaking of Mazda cars, I just happened to come across a brilliant metallic blue Mazda 6, (brand new).. What a stunning car!
AccadaccA
05-18-2002, 10:01 PM
Whoo hoo :hat: -^
This is what us "grease monkeys" Iove to do. within my circle of mates I have grown up with I have seen too many mods to remember. Some of them were:
327 Chev in a Datsun 260z
302 Ford in a Nissan Urvan
302 Ford in a Toyota Crown (x2 they are brothers)
Holden V8s in (XU1 style) Toranas
Chevy V8s in (XU1 style) Toranas
454 in a Mini
If my memory was up to it the list would virtually be endless.
The toffee nosed rich snobs, or Yuppies, probably think of it as mixing heavy metal music with techno crap. But who gives a shit what they think? If some one bought the car it belongs to them, same with any after market items they choose to fit to that car. End of story. Cheech & Chong gave ol' uppity Rolls Royce the finger by putting a Rolls' grille onto a VW Beatle in one of their movies. ^_^ For those who don't know, Rolls Royce forbid any customizing of their cars or car parts.
I say "good on 'em" :hat: -^-^
Cheyenne
05-18-2002, 10:20 PM
Hi, Chris!Chris: Cheyenne: I'm guessing that you'd probably like the Honda S2000 as well.Oh, yes. I do like them very much. I have quite a few friends who own them and have been allowed to drive a few. One guy I know makes the Dodge Viper guys nervous as he can get into their times at a lot of the tighter tracks in California with a basically stock S2000.
AccadaccA...(nice palindrome, by the way! -^)AccadaccA: The toffee nosed rich snobs, or Yuppies, probably think of it as mixing heavy metal music with techno crap. But who gives a shit what they think?Ouch! The "me" of a few days ago feels appropriately spanked! =(( ^_^ Hmm, I dont' like to think of myself as a Yuppie, but I guess, sometimes (not always, thankfully) the title probably fits. It's one of the things I'm trying to "control"! :eek:
"I'm not a 'yuppie', but I play one on TV..."
AccadaccA
05-18-2002, 10:39 PM
Chey : Sorry luv, it wasn't meant as a dig at you.
After I typed it out the first time I lifted my keyboard and some keys were accidently knocked by the table top (it sits on a sliding drawer under the table). Well I lost my post so I had to re-type it and I guess there was more (bitterness) in the second attempt.
I can understand some people saying "WTF?" to many car mods, I use to attend many custom car shows and I have questioned some of the entrants myself, but when I think "Oh well, it's their money not mine" I shrug it off and move onto to view other cars.
Sorry if I have made you feel any less welcome to post your opinion. Ya knowz I luvs ya. ;)
Cheyenne
05-18-2002, 11:09 PM
Oh, AccadaccA, I take no offense and was (hopefully) being playfull about the whole thing. I have sort of grown up as something of a spoiled little rich girl, but I have lived in so many different worlds that I truly find that there is usually a great deal of truth in almost any opinion. I do get a bit upset with myself when I start getting dogmatic (note to Chey: before opening mouth, first engage brain! "Understanding"="good", "Snobbery"="bad").
In that vein, I like the idea of a 454 in a Mini. Wow. Must be a monster. I do know a guy who has done the same thing with another very small (toy) car, a Nash Metropolitan. A hyper Big-block in a Metro does indeed make a monster. I don't know if you are familiar with Metros in Australia, but here's a pic...
I also know quite a few mini owners, some who are absolute purists and some who love the car so much and don't mind doing a few small alterations (can you say rear-wheel drive? ^_^)
AccadaccA: Sorry if I have made you feel any less welcome to post your opinion. Ya knowz I luvs ya.Oh, no. The feeling is completely mutual. You have an incredible asset as a person, Acca, genuine "personality"! :love: And the fact that you have a small "liking" for custard bodes well for your Karma! -^
AccadaccA
05-19-2002, 12:06 AM
Chey : That Metro reminds me of the German (& Aussie) made Goggomobile. Don't let bogs see these pics. heh :D
The 454 Mini was pretty rough. Not in a car show but rather a late Saturday night illegal street drag racing in Dandenong, Victoria.
We had a safe place (industrial area) where we all would meet. One night this Mini showed up and the cops followed him in. We never did see it perform but he had cut out the firewall and lengthened the steering column. Needless to say there weren't any front seats in it and had he raced he would have surely killed himself and/or others.
Most of the Dandenong drag sceen was mature and organised with road blocks (parked cars and crowds) at the only other entrance to the street (Healy road, if any Aussies here know of it).
It is/was a very wide street with the right hand side of it being vacant alotments (treeless paddocks).
05-19-2002, 12:43 AM
I guess the car modifications that really make me wonder are those which make a perfectly good looking car look ugly..
CSV cars are a case in point (Australians here will know what I'm talking about).. Bad taste, and you pay a fortune for it, too.. Not to mention the shocking resale value (only the old BMW 750 L7 Limousine is worse).. The CSV modified version of the Holden Statesman is predicted to be worth after 3 years, only 37% of its expensive new price.. It's a problem with all of the CSV cars..
They take the perfectly good looking Holden Monaro CV8, then, proceed to make it into a thing called a CSV Mondo GT 305i. The oh so aftermarket side vents look very cheap and nasty, as do the ones on the engine hood, and the front air-intake inserts are nearly as bad as those awful things seen on Hyundais..
HSV's Coupé models (also based on the Monaro) are more of the same.. But the GTS Coupé is the real ugly duckling of the HSV camp.. Very nice interior, very nice performance, but wrapped in a low appeal exterior.. The rear wing, and, particularly the unhappy front air intake, really make it look crook.. At least it has giant resale value though..
Koenig is also a case in point.. Master engine modifiers, and suspension and brake tuners, but, don't let them anywhere near the bodywork of the base car..
Justin Martin
05-19-2002, 08:29 AM
According to this page - http://www.hpsalvage.com/ - a LT1 (which is in this RX7) weighs 525lbs with accesories, a LS1 weighs 460lbs. Both of those are well above what a twin turbo 13b weighs.
If all you want to do is drag race, it's a great car. But the LT1 probably wrecked the weight distribution, and thus it will never be as fast on a road course as it was, which is of course where there real fun in driving is. ;) I won't even get into what cutting large holes in the structure does...
Still, it's his car, it's his money, and 3rd gen RX7's are pretty common, so i'm not gonna complain. Even though yall know i'm a big V8 fan, I think this type of mod ranks pretty high on the redneck scale, the car was blisteringly fast with the rotary.
Spiderman
05-19-2002, 12:32 PM
If you collect CD roms from say AOL and then stick them all over the car it can have quite a dramatic effect. So if you want to stand out from the crowd stick some CD's on yer car. Makes it all glittery.
-^
:D
Justin Martin
05-19-2002, 02:40 PM
Originally posted by Spiderman
If you collect CD roms from say AOL and then stick them all over the car it can have quite a dramatic effect. So if you want to stand out from the crowd stick some CD's on yer car. Makes it all glittery.
-^
:D
And you're calling us mad? ^_^
AccadaccA
05-19-2002, 06:32 PM
Originally posted by Spiderman
If you collect CD roms from say AOL and then stick them all over the car it can have quite a dramatic effect. All hail the great wisdom of Spidey! :D-^
I never thought I'd ever be saying that
Now I have a use for all of them useless magazine AOL freebies other than frizbeeing flying insects in half with 'em. http://www.totalnfs.net/Remko/smilies/eyebrows.gif
Hmm, the paint's pretty good, do you think I should start by covering the car's glass with 'em? heh
In these parts we hang useless CDs on our trees during the Christmas period. It was once a novel idea (I burnt so many coasters :rolleyes: ) but now almost every second house has CD trees out front. :(
Dylan
05-20-2002, 12:22 AM
i know im late, but there are quite a few Mini's in australia with small blocks, and a Mini Moke body on a fabricated chassis with a holden 5L V8, huge doorslamer tires (dunno if they have them any where else, but there drag cars)
this one was origanally a wagon but it was converted to a ute, powered buy a 289ci windsor
http://www.summernats.com.au/live/images/pic14.jpg