V8?

can't view youtube but is this the orange rx-7?

had a great write up in ppc t'other month.

I applaud it. I really do.

*n
 
Superior to the wankel with regards to output, driveability, reliabiltiy and economy.........So win-win really!

This isn't the orange one Penski - but very similar. Lots of V8 RXs in the States these days, this be one of 'em.

As the owner himself says!
It's faster than a stock Rx7. It outhandles a stock Rx7. It sounds better than a stock Rx7. Most importantly, I don't have to wait until 5000rpms for it to actually move.
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Not disputing that the wankel isn't a good engine - it's an innovative, useable lump but it does have it's limitations.
 
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It outhandles a stock Rx7
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I would dispute that if he's on stock suspention.

And this:

Most importantly, I don't have to wait until 5000rpms for it to actually move
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....is frankly an utterly ridiculous statement :)

The standard 13b twin-turbo setup is more than adequate low down.

For me, dropping a V8 into an RX7 is just wrong, it just doesn't suit the character of the car. It's a perfectly balanced car, with a lightweight high revving but amazingly smooth engine, mounted low in the chassis.

Even if the LS1 doesn't weigh any more than the 13b, it'll still sit higher thus effecting the centre of mavity. The designers of RX7 FD were so anal when it comes to weight distribution of the car they even ran the wiring loom a certain way, dropping a big lump of yank pig-iron in there is just not right.

They aren't about lazy low-down torque, they are about 8000rpm+ of rotary madness.

Can't argue with the reliability aspect though :o
 
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DreXeL said:
dropping a big lump of yank pig-iron in there is just not right.
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You mean dropping a lump of yank aluminium in there, right? :) If you're going to rubbish an American motor, at least get the material right :D
 
JRS said:
You mean dropping a lump of yank aluminium in there, right? :) If you're going to rubbish an American motor, at least get the material right :D
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I Just meant 'pig-iron' as generic a figure of speech for yank V8s ;)

I'm not rubbishing American motors, I know the LS1 is a great engine, light and tunble. I just don't think it suits the character of the RX7 :)
 
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DreXeL said:
I Just meant 'pig-iron' as generic a figure of speech for yank V8s ;)

I'm not rubbishing Amrican motors, I know the LS1 is a great engine, light and tunble. I just don't think it suits the character of the RX7 :)
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I'm still not sure why you think it would trash the handling though. The CoG on the LS-1 isn't exactly high, given that it's an alu block, alu heads, cam-in-block design. It can't be much higher than the stock Wankel. It might shift the weight balance forward a touch depending on how far back in the frame it was mounted, but again I doubt it's by much. As for it's performance characteristics - yes, it will be less frenetic than a Wankel. That could be taken as a good or bad thing....personally, I'd have said good. Plus the killing blow - you don't have to rebuild the LS-1 every time it's Tuesday :p

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Clarkey said:
aluminum, surely ;)
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I refuse to spell it that way :)
 
JRS said:
I'm still not sure why you think it would trash the handling though. The CoG on the LS-1 isn't exactly high, given that it's an alu block, alu heads, cam-in-block design. It can't be much higher than the stock Wankel. It might shift the weight balance forward a touch depending on how far back in the frame it was mounted, but again I doubt it's by much.
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I didn't say it would 'trash the handling'. It might not make much of a difference, but there will be a difference. Like I said before, the designers of the FD were so unbelievably anal when it comes to weight destribution, running the wiring loom a certain way etc, even a small difference is detracting from that. Also, when stripped of ancillaries I could physically lift my 13b myself with relative ease, can the same be said of the LS1?

JRS said:
As for it's performance characteristics - yes, it will be less frenetic than a Wankel. That could be taken as a good or bad thing....personally, I'd have said good.
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Regardless of wether you prefer the characteristics of the V8, it's just not what the RX7 is about. The major point of the car is it's unique rotary power plant. If you don't like a rotary.... don't buy an RX7 :confused:


JRS said:
Plus the killing blow - you don't have to rebuild the LS-1 every time it's Tuesday :p
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Not quite as bad as that, but I can't really argue :D
 
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DreXeL said:
I didn't say it would 'trash the handling'. It might not make much of a difference, but there will be a difference. Like I said before, the designers of the FD were so unbelievably anal when it comes to weight destribution, running the wiring loom a certain way etc, even a small difference is detracting from that. Also, when stripped of ancillaries I could physically lift my 13b myself with relative ease, can the same be said of the LS1?
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Probably not. Total dressed engine weight of the LS-1 and later LS-6 is 226kg for a manual 'box motor (208kg for an auto 'box motor). Out of the crate the LS-1 weighs 176kg.

DreXeL said:
Regardless of wether you prefer the characteristics of the V8, it's just not what the RX7 is about. The major point of the car is it's unique rotary power plant. If you don't like a rotary.... don't buy an RX7 :confused:
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I'll grant you that. But actually, one of the major draws I have towards the RX-7 is the fact that it is literally the only modern Jap car where I like every single line on it. Very pretty car. Couple that body to good old-fashioned pusrod V8 grunt and you have what I consider to be a really good car :)

DreXeL said:
Not quite as bad as that, but I can't really argue :D
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Every other Tuesday maybe ;) But still, for those of us who aren't overly fussed about the rotary and like the RX-7 for other reasons, I don't think the LS-1 does too much harm. It would do far less to the handling of the car than, say, stuffing a small block Ford V8 into an AC Ace. And no-one would ever claim that creating the Cobra was a Bad Thing™!
 
[huzeeee] said:
Still so much work for an OK engine with concerns to power.
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The LS-1 is just "an OK engine" on the power front?

Hmmm.

Rated for 350hp and 500NM of torque as stock, with a huge amount of headroom for tuning. From '02 a lot of them used the LS-6 series block, the LS-6 being a mildly modified LS-1 with 385hp.

[huzeeee] said:
Doesnt it weigh more?
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I posted the weight of the LS-1 above.

thefullcollapse said:
firstly, i doubt it handles better
and recondly

its an rx7, its more of a cult car and it may be faster and sound better with a v8
but thats not what the rex is about.
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Firstly, I doubt it handles better as well. In fact, I doubt it handles just as well as the standard car. But I don't think it'll have introduced any nasty habits into the chassis.

Secondly, I don't think it removes all the point from the RX-7. You're still left with a great looking, tidy handling car. Just one that has more torque and waaaaaay more reliability ;)
 
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