xenocide

Heck, why not go the whole nine yards and squeeze an LS7 in there?

stickmantijuana

i drove an ls1 swapped fd, and i thought it felt really good. turn in was quick and sharp; there was no noticeable understeer; also, the huge amount of torque from NA made the car much easier to drive than a turbo 13b on a track.

i did hate the sound of the v8 though. i think u must've been drunk or the guy was lying if you thought a v8 block sounded like any rotary. most of us can tell the difference a mile away, literally.

BaronVonBigmeat

A) Not everyone cares about being unique

B) Most modern "V8 drag cars" are bloated overweight pigs with sloppy handling. The GTO weighs 700 lbs. more and looks like a rental car.

Don't think of this project as a bastardized RX-8. Think of it as the GTO that GM should have built!

Trekk

I wouldn't drag it. If I were to do anything with it I'd drift it with its new tire melting raw power.

It would be nice to know I could beat the crap out of it, and be able to repair it for very cheap.

SlayerRX8

I don't see what's so wrong with doing the swap. Personally I love the rotary, but I'd be interested in seeing the results of this.

OneEvilRx8

the only reason i got an rx-8 is co's i love the rotary engine, the day i wan to have a V8 under the hood, i get me a vette Z06.

Evil

AlisterMcRae

We're talking about an rx8 not a 7. But in this case the argument could go either way. Personally, the effort of the swap and then having to relocate some hardware including battery would be worth the effort if your going for reasonably straight line performance. But im not about to concede and say "yes, the added weight doesnt mean anything"

I use to work at arizona motorsports park before it closed due to noise complaints (the irony considering we were next to luke AFB which houses one of the largest training facilities for F-16 pilots). Anyhow, I do remember seeing a particular individual who was running an FC w/SCCA stickers all over it and was actually getting a run for his money by an S2000. I talked to him after his runs and apparently he had an LS1 conversion done by HSC. What i do not know is whether or not he was pushing his car to the limit and two I didnt know how modded the S2000 was (i assumed near stock cause the car itself did not sound heavily modified). But I can tell you this, he said the tourqe is amazing in the car and handles decently but the cost in suspension modifications was almost 1/3 of the swap itself (dont ask me what he had done to the suspension on the car cause i didnt bother to ask).

Im sure most people who buy the LS1 wouldnt push the car hard enough while cornering to notice a difference in handling, but I guaruntee you there would be a difference in an actual road race.

Also, it wouldnt kill you to learn to be polite.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

fwiw, the RX-8 does not have a 50-50 weight balance, apparently you've never had one on the corner scales

just because you worked at AMP at one time doesn't mean you still don't have a lot to learn, not only is your example terrible the person who is interested in making the swap never said he was out to win LeMans in it, every car has limitations including the RX-8

evilmiata

Exactly what I was thinking.

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

Are we overlooking the idea that if a V-8 swap has been done in an RX-8 with success then the most important part is that such projects have opened the door for any swap one can imagine and any tuning one might want to do on their Renesis? Maybe I am stupid but I am seeing the potentials rather than the limits and complaints. I have thought about an LS-7 swap for a while so I am happy to see it can be done, thanks to this thread. However, with GM releasing the LSX block soon, I may raise my ambitions to include an LSX block and necessary parts to be spec'd out by myself. Gimme a couple years and you can flame me for the same thing.

SlayerRX8

QFT

therm8

Ah, but there'd be a huge difference upon exiting the corner, so sacrificing a little handling for a lot of acceleration is a tradeoff many would live with. Otherwise there'd be no market for forced induction for the Rx-8.

chickenwafer

iTrader: (9)

I think a v-8 powered rx-8 would go like stink, but I still believe it rapes the car. It's your car, and to each their own, do whatever you want. But like a few others have said here, with the cost of an LS1 swap (plus the intake, exhaust, and ECU upgrades you'll do to the LS1) and all the associated hardware (suspension, custom mounts, etc) and the time envolved, you're better off getting a C6 Corvette or or even a ZO6. And Vettes don't handle like the special olympics, either.
I understand an LS-powered RX-8 would be unique, too. But so would an RB26DETT powered RX-8. Or how about stuffing a Nissan VQ35DE 350z motor under the hood?


BTW; the LS6 is a 6 liter, in the new C6 Corvette. And the LS7 is a 7 liter, but still uses a small block with exteremly bored cylinders.

stickmantijuana

i don't think i6 will fit. we can ask that kid who tried to put 2jz into his rx8. is that still going on? i think we all forgot about him.

AlisterMcRae

meh, your right, i do have a lot to learn, but im still skeptical until i actually see some lap times.

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

My point was precisely what c.wafer mentions; the engine swaps/combinations would be endless now that the chassis operations are separated from the engine controls. Hell, if I get bored for some reason I could see myself putting a Powerglide transmission in with a V-8 and really getting some serious drag consistency like I did with my old Nova. Ya gotta admit that a wheelstanding RX-8 that is street-driveable would be an attention-getter. However, I did recently read about a turbo'd 4 cyl. in a Fox-bodied Mustang hitting the low 9's and doing easy wheelstands. The possibilities are now endless......

AlisterMcRae

Here is what i dont get, (btw im not arguing just bouncing ideas.)

Ive searched google and it seems that a fully dressed renesis is 330lbs and a fully dressed 2001 ls1 is 497lbs. How would relocate nearly 170lbs worth of equipment to the rear without adding?

Charles R. Hill

iTrader: (7)

The weight balance is a little less important than the way the suspension is set up to control the effects of the weight during turning/cornering. If you think about it in terms of comapring the 170 lbs. to the total weight of the car, it is not that much and slightly stiffer springs and sways can control the added weight. I'll say it this way; a 50/50 weight distribution with poorly tuned suspension will be out-driven by a car with 55/45 but a nicely-tuned set up. Not only that, but where the weight is added on the car is important. As was mentioned earlier, a V-8 in an RX-7 isn't as cumbersome as one might think and the RX-8's engine compartment isn't as cramped as one might think, either.

LabDad

FWIW, my previous car was a '89 Porsche 944 Turbo. There are companies out there that make LS1 kits for the car and a few have done it with great success. Compared to the cost of building a high power Porsche motor, the LS1 proved to provide as much power with a lot more torque, require less "tuning" and maintenance and was more reliable.

Of course many Porsche owners were opposed to the idea saying that it bastardizes the car, it was sacriligious to put a Chevy V8 in there, the balance and handling would be crap, and sell your Porsce and buy a Vette.

My opinion is if you want to mod your car it is your car and you can do what you want. The RX8 is more than just a rotary engine. Replace the stock ignition coils with MSD ones and it is still an RX8. Pull out the stock suspension, wheels, brakes and replace them with coilovers, aftermarket swaybars, bigger wheels and BBK and it is still an RX8. Gut the interior and put a pair of racing seats in there and it is still an RX-8. Pull the rotary and put a V8 in there and it is still an RX8.

Mazdaspeed RX8 ver2

its been done, nothing new for me, personally, i wouldnt do it but its up to the person, just sell your car and get a corvette.

chickenwafer

iTrader: (9)

Yeah, engine swaps are endless. How about a Mitsubishi 4G63 2 liter, 16v DOHC turbo in-line 4 from the Evo. 4G63's are nortiours for pushing endless mountains of power. And their iron block means they can handle the boost and they are reliable as all stink. Mitsu even released a factory RalliArt 400-bhp Evo in the UK, and tuners are pushing over 550-bhp from highly tuned examples. Or how about an engine from the Dodge SRT-4, or the SR20DET Nissan turbo terror.
An inline six, such as an RB26/25 or a Toyota 1JZ (or 2JZ if you want to go rarer than rare and pay over $16k for just an engine) may fit if you modify the firewall and push it way back. Would probably take up as much room as an LS1. And we all know how much power those engines can make.
Hell, you could probably stuff an EJ25 from a Subaru WRX STi under the bonnet. Anything really.
But for me, if I did a motor swap, it would have to be a re-man single turbo 13b-rew from a 3rd gen 7 with a streetport job. Or a twin turbo fully-built 20b. I just love rotaries and couldn't any pistons in my 8.

AlisterMcRae

I had a GVR4 w/a 4g63t, the engine was strong but mitsu trannys suck.

dillsrotary

gallant vr4?? nice man those babies are RARE

AlisterMcRae

Ya it was nice, I had a buddy who was working on a 4G63T swap into a Ford Festiva. Very good engine.

BaronVonBigmeat

yeah but nothing sounds like an american v8 with a lumpy cam