Matt's NA 20B P-Port RX8 Build/swap
 

Hello All,

Today I just put a deposit on a P-port 20B that was built by racing beat but sitting in a garage since 08. I should have it at my house in the next 2 weeks. This engine has seen 0 miles since being built. The current plan is to build a fun street/auto-x car and have a lot of fun designing and fabricating parts for the swap. I'm starting this thread now to keep track of information and get feedback from experienced owners. I'll be making a list of some of the goals/projects I have planned for this swap. For now, pics of the engine.......

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Drool.

This the one from EBay? I've been wondering how long it was going to take to sell

Yep, I've been watching it for months, the longer it was for sale the more "F**K it lets do it" I became. I've been messaging the seller for weeks to get info. Its a really good deal, It'd cost almost 20k to do it all myself. A few beers later I had to have it. LOL

+1, I saw the cost of it. While sticker shock was hard to escape, there would be no way someone could of paid for the core motor and done all the machining and upgrades for anywhere as cheap as that one.

Yea... I struggled with the build cost too... We're in a similar boat.

Thanks for the comments everyone. I've been planning this build heavily for the last few days and I'm pretty sure I've figured out where I want to end up. At first I was going to swap the engine into my current RX8, but since I like my car a lot and don't really want to cut it up I've decided to buy a shell to do the swap into. Since I'm a really tall guy I'm going to buy a hardtop shell to give me more helmet room. I think my initial build of this car will aim toward drivability more than straight racecar. I know it wont be super comfy streetable, but I want to try to make it a bit better than your standard full race PP configuration. To do this I'll run a slightly heavier flywheel and tune the intake and exhaust lengths for lower RPM peak, If it doesn't really work then I'll make the change for all out power.

Goal:
White hardtop RX-8 roller (I'll paint it white if I find a nice enough shell)
20B PP NA
ITB's (of corse)
Standalone w/CAN bus to talk to dash and power steering
RX8 S2 trans or JDM 5sp
Coilovers
Bigger/better brakes


I'll work out all the details as things get going a bit more but I plan to keep things clean and simple. I'm sure I'll be asking a lot of questions on this forum and doing way, way too much reading about whats best to do. I plan to design and build every part I can myself. I'm a trained machinist, welder fabricator so there isn't much I cannot build. My first project will be the ITB's/Intake setup, then move to the exhaust. Hope you come along for the ride and enjoy the progress. This will probably be a 1+ year build as my wife and I are going to buy a house somewhat soon, but I'll be going as fast as money allows.

Well, It'll be here next week, seller got it all boxed up and ready to go.

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I'm currently shopping for the shell its going to go in, Its not easy to find a White hardtop RX8.

Oooo FD.
An occasional dream of mine for many years: high-output n/a 20b FD.

His car is a turbo 20B FD, making 640 or so rwhp. NA FD would be amazing, I'm too tall to fit in an FD comfortably though.....

Very nice
I've had to avoid FD for the same reason. I can get in, like a tight suit, and barely get out!

Well I finally received the engine today, its so much better in person than I expected. I spent a bit of my weekend designing and 3D printing some sample throttle bodies to have made for my ITB setup. Racing beat suggested that I use 56mm bore, so that is where I started off. I'm going to print a few more pieces of my setup and If it all works well I'll send off the CAD to a CNC shop to make them for me. Here is some pics.....

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Thanks for checking it out!

Halfway tempted to sell you my shell just to see this build come to fruition. I'm afraid that I love the idea of my own personal time attack rx8 too much to sell it though.

Haha, is it a white hardtop?

I know I'll find the right one at some point, I have lots of work to do in the meantime before it needs a chassis to sit in.

Matt

Will be following the build. I'm pretty much planning the same thing (already have a 20B core) with the main difference being I'm looking at a street port to keep it daily driveable.

I honestly was going to go with a streetport, but I got a steal on this engine and figured I'd try to do the whole somewhat streetable P-port thing. If it doesn't work then I'll just full racecar it.

Let me know when you start your build, I'd like to check it out.

Matt

Yeah, if you got the right deal on the P-Port, you have to go with it. :)
I would be strongly tempted to trade the street-ability for the sound.

I was planning to start my build this winter, but, my stock Renny still seems healthy for a 14 year old original (over 105PSI to 112-PSI on all faces), and, my wife decided we are building a new house this year, so, those combined to push the project out a bit.

Yea, I won't lie... the sound is a big part of why I went with semi pport... and I want over 400 WHP.

Highnitro,
You coming to DGRR? You should consider it. It's a good time.

I might try in my current RX8. Have not committed to it yet though.

Matt

I'll be in the MR2 this year. The 8 is in the body shop.

Bump :suspect:

well, I guess i forgot to update this thread with some of my not so recent updates.

I tore the engine down to see whats inside......

I also got a deal on an MFR drysump from a local guy here. It is pretty much new with just break-in time on a formula mazda renesis engine.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...bad0b83427.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...ebfde0cf24.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...c2a1738f2d.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...5d98651887.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...7c51e52c9a.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...e0f08176c3.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...2dc8ae43a2.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...dc1b6038dd.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...978ed604b2.jpg

I would die for one of those dry sumps. He definitely hit the motherlode on that stuff, lucky you.

Looking good man. I found a dry sump too. I wont be using it on this motor, but I'll use it on the next one.

I never thought I'd find a good deal on one, let alone local for us. I just happened to check craigslist one day.

Thanks, can't wait to see what you do with your car now.