V8 into FD?

[JimboRX-7]

Many of you will probably hate me for asking :rolleyes:  but has anyone attempted or succeeded in putting the rover V8 into a 3rd gen RX-7?

A quick web search shows loads of 2nd Gen\'s, but can\'t find anyone who\'s done it to the FD.

[JimboRX-7]

Just found a link for some other V8 FD conversions:

http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/3rdgenrx7chevyv8.html

[J4P RX]

May I just be the first person to say:

Nooooooooooo

Feel better now.

Cheers
Lee

PS, Dont do it :p

[Donato]

Interesting stuff, but

you could spend the 5-6 thousand it costs to go single and get more power than that conversion...in fact its about half that to go single is it not?

Still it would make an interesting project for someone (think i will stick with the rotary though!)

[antnicuk]

its been said before, and i\'ll say it again,    WHY WHY WHY.

you could spend 3 or 4 grand on your FD and get 400 plus BHP.

If you spend the same putting a V8 you will get 280 ish! ok loads more torque, but big engines are designed to have loads of torque to pull heavy cars.  Torque is wasted in light cars.  Thats why westfields/Dax, caterham\'s etc that have V8\'s in them are not very quick, and slower than a good 2.0l 16v.  

Example.  The ultima that i posted pictures of on the \'dont you love the yanks\' thread.   He had a brand new chevy V8 5.7 l with 350 bhp and only managed mid 13\'s and it only weighed 900kg.

I spend 2k on mine and got 12.5.

If your gonna go BIG and fit blowers and nos etc to a chevy block and get 600 bhp then ok i can understand it. But any one who fits a rover lump needs shooting.  

Also V8 is quite heavy and the handling will be worse and so will the brakes. By the time you mount power steering, rad etc etc, it really aint worth it.  Rotary is cheapest rout for power in and FD.  The only engine i would consider fitting would be a skyline or supra engine.

breath breath breath
finished now
NB, i would bet money on a race with any road legal RX7 with a different engine anyday!  any volunteers??

[Glenn Butcher]

What they said

But someone has done one - search //www.rx7club.com

[JimboRX-7]

I knew everyone would want to shoot me down :rollin

It\'s only an idea at the moment.  I\'ve no problem with the rotary engine - it\'s the turbos that I don\'t like due to the lag and the transition.  These might not be issues on the strip, but when you\'re really going for it on a wet twisty road they are.  I\'d also be able to fix it myself, whereas the current twin turbo setup has to go to a specialist each time it plays up.

I\'ve gotta check this further, but initial indications are that the V8 installation would only slightly affect weight distribution.  Yes, the engine is heavier but by the time you lose the turbos, intercooler and all the other stuff, it works out very similar.

Considering the V8 / light car comments, a TVR Griffith fitted with a 5 litre version of a Rover V8 weighs just over a ton and hits 60 in just over 4 seconds.

I guess there\'s other stuff to consider like devaluing the car.

As I said, it\'s only an idea at the moment.   Maybe a single turbo would be a better way to go, or maybe a non-sequential setup with the current turbos.

[bill shurvinton]

[
Also V8 is quite heavy and the handling will be worse and so will the brakes. By the time you mount power steering, rad etc etc, it really aint worth it.  Rotary is cheapest rout for power in and FD.  The only engine i would consider fitting would be a skyline or supra engine.

RV8 is actually not very heavy. Certainly lighter than the original engine with original sequentials on. There is a very nice FD with a 350HP 4.6 in.

As for westfields being slow with V8s in, may I respectfully point you to James Lambert\'s V8 narrow body. 9.7 at santa pod, making it the fastest se7en in the UK, possibly the world.

More a V6 man meself when it comes to performance pistons.

[Glenn Butcher]

I think this is a sports sedan here (in oz) with a RB26 engine in it, but Jimbo, if you went to the lengths of putting a V8 in it - and you are saying you can work on it yourself, then it shouldn\'t take you long to sort out a single turbo set-up

[maximtaylor]

There was a guy at Rotorstock with a rover V8 in his red FD, didn\'t catch his name though.

[fly]

If you want a V8 that bad, theres little point in buying an FD in the first place unless its purely for image/aesthetic value, but then if thats the most important aspect of a car for you then there are cars with alot more "bling" than the rex.

The great dynamics, engine, looks and mystery of the mazda series of rotary powered cars are what makes us so bewitched by them in the first place, so changing the heart of the car defeats the entire concept of RX7 motoring.

[JimboRX-7]

I chose the RX-7 for its handling.  If a V8 will detract from that I will stick with Rotary power.  Although a V8 might work out at the same weight, a lot of that weight will be forward of the suspension turrets, going by some of the pictures I\'ve found.

I\'m warming to the idea of a single turbo...

[MikeLMR]

mounting it as far back as a rotary would certainly  be hard work, it\'d need a lot of cutting a fabricating to move the engine back that far to equal the weight balance of the standard setup.

surely if you\'re interested in the handling money would be best spent on a really well matched set of dampers,springs & ARB\'s all set up properly and then tweeking the stock twins to make more power but not gain too much lag.

Or what about building an N/A FD ... now that would be different

[antnicuk]

Also V8 is quite heavy and the handling will be worse and so will the brakes. By the time you mount power steering, rad etc etc, it really aint worth it. Rotary is cheapest rout for power in and FD. The only engine i would consider fitting would be a skyline or supra engine.

Bill,

how much did he spend on his engine to that get time in a seven?
bet a single would be cheaper.

regards
tony

[bill shurvinton]

Originally posted by antnicuk
Bill,

how much did he spend on his engine to that get time in a seven?
bet a single would be cheaper.

regards
tony

Not a huge amount actually. I can ask, but he bought it as a running car for around 10K IIRC. Its an awsome toy.

Just to give a few numbers. If you get an LS-1 shipped from australia, a little over 2 grand will get you 360 HP. For another thousand you will be well over 400, in a package that will do 150,000 miles with no more than oil changes.

If you want boost, I have a friend with a turbo holden. 600HP 600ft lbs.

As I have a 13B and rover V8 in the garage I did some measuring. the Rover engine is around 5" longer than the 13B, so not a huge amount. If  you have not gone to the bother of fitting adjustable platforms and flat flooring the car, you are unlikely to spot the handling loss by the slight movement of the polar moment of the vehicle.

Personally I feel that there should be freedom to fit whatever engine into whatever toy you choose and that discussions should be carried out purely looking at the engineering aspects without getting hung up with heritage/soul guff.

If you want the looks of an FD but love the woofle of a good V8, then why not? After all, I encourage people to stick 13Bs in engine bays designed for Xflows.