Thread: New Guy Mixin The Import With The Muscle =)

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Hey guys whats going on, my name's Chris I'm from waterloo,iowa - joined the forum to learn all I possibly can from you geezers =P, your prolly wondering what my subject line was about.....I'm building a 1988 Mazda Rx7 for which I'm doin a Small Block Chevy V8 Swap in.

I grew up around cars like 69 Camaro's Nova SS's Yenko Chevelle''s and so on and always had the need for speed and the love for the sound of a V8 but also had a wide range in taste ranging from old school muscle cars to triple carb v12 ferrari's and everything in between. The reason I chose the rx7 playform to build apon is pretty simple.....light weight, handles great, has the weight distribution of basicly 50/50 which is quite hard to come by and has the room for a SBC to top it off.....seemed like a plan to me, I love old muscle cars but the heavy weight of these cars always got to me, power/weight ratio is a huge thing to me, so anyways I hope to learn alot from the fellow board members and hopefully you guys wont take that my car is an import to heart even though its powered by american muscle. =D
-Chris

Welcome to CHR Chris. Sounds like you are starting a neat project, should be a fun build. Many years ago I helped a friend put an aluminum head SBC into a Datsun 240Z, his reasoning was much the same as yours for doing the swap. Post some pics, and keep us informed.

Check out the Hybrids section over at

www.turbobuicks.com

Lots of RX7's over there that have been Hybridized!

Originally posted by Dave Severson
Welcome to CHR Chris. Sounds like you are starting a neat project, should be a fun build. Many years ago I helped a friend put an aluminum head SBC into a Datsun 240Z, his reasoning was much the same as yours for doing the swap. Post some pics, and keep us informed.

Thats awesome Dave, yeah I thought about a Datsun Z V8 Swap, those are really neat and really get up and go, I'll make sure to post pics of the swap as its being done, thanks for the support.

-Chris

Originally posted by techinspector1
Use any search engine and type in "RX7 Chevy engine swap".

There is a kit for this project. I do not know who makes it though.

While an RX7 may be an import, theyre one of the very few imports I have respect for. Ive seen several built RX7's seem to fly down the track.

An RX7 is the only import I would drive as a performance vehiche although I will probobly be getting some kind of beater H%N#A to drive in the winter and in some summer weekdays to keep my Benz nice.

Hi

I have a 1981 RX-7 with a SBC and a T5 that I built a couple of years ago. Unbelivable takeoff power, like a streetrod, but it can go around corners at speed also.

A good place to get info is the V8 rx-7 forum. There are alot of guys who have built or are building those things that post regularly. Its also nice to post about a v8 rx-7 without getting flamed by rotary purists (avoid rx7club.com like the plague).Here is the link: http://www.torquecentral.com/forumdisplay.php?f=11

Also take a look at granny's speed shop.
link: http://members.tripod.com/~grannys/rx7.html
Grant makes kits for numerous engines into rx-7's. His kits work best for "simple" v8 conversions.

If you want to go to a more complicated but much better swap, Brian Hinson sells a kit to install a LS1 into 2nd and 3rd gen rx-7s.
http://www.hinsonsupercars.com
This is the way to go if you don't want to disrupt that 50/50 weight bias.

Good luck,
Dave

welcome Chris. I have brushed into a few people doing stuf like that when I was working for Arrow Speed. I think SBC will fit into about anything out there. Good luck. Ih you can dream it, it can be done!

Originally posted by Rx7
Hey guys whats going on, my name's Chris I'm from waterloo,iowa - joined the forum to learn all I possibly can from you geezers =P, your prolly wondering what my subject line was about.....I'm building a 1988 Mazda Rx7 for which I'm doin a Small Block Chevy V8 Swap in.
e. =D
-Chris

Welcome to the site.
We go by Waterloo a few times a year on our way back to IOWA to see relatives. I-380 to 20 to 218. They ever gonna open up that dog track on 380 again??
Have to post pics. of your project as it progresses. See Ya.