1994 Mazda RX-7 (LS1 engine)

[gobs3z]

Hi everyone! Well I've been driving this car all summer and now fall. It took about a year to put it all together, but it's still an ongoing project. It's a quick little car, and hopefully more power will make it a quicker little car. Not much room in the city to stretch it's legs though.

94 Montego Blue RX-7
Engine: 2000 Camaro LS-1

Performance wise, the only parts that are still stock on the car are the breaks, but it stops very well anyways and I don't have plans to go to a track day anytime soon.

Suspension
- Stance coilovers
- Racing beat sway bar setup, front and rear (I don't know what swaying is anymore)
- Widefoot sway bar mounts (overkill)

Wheels
- 3 piece Volk wheels
- 275/45/18 BFGoodrich KD rear
- 235 yokohama in the front (need new ones)

Engine
- JTR 1.75" long tubes headers
- 16" Borla muffler, 3.5" in and out
- 3" exhaust piping
- MSD Coilpacks and wires
- Mototron 60lbs. injectors
- F13 cam (not installed)

Interior
- It was originally tan, now black.
- Seats: Leather with suede inserts
- Mazdaspeed Miata steering wheel
- Momo shift knob
- JL amp, Focal speakers

Now for the pics








Now the fun part, the engine. Let me make something clear, it weighs the same as the iron block rotory engine, and it front-mid engine car, just like a Corvette or SLR but it weights under 3000 lbs.


Interior stuff


Heres some magic
Before

After


Custom shot

[Svensson]

That thing looks the part! Congratulations on such a nice and clean car :good:

[RC45]

Originally Posted by dani_d_mas You know... always thinking that american engines are heavier than anything else ops:

Well - it's not like ther ehave not been people telling you the LSx series motors are super light weight.

5.7l or 7l - they weigh the same

[sameerrao]

Looks great. How much did the car cost you all included if you don't mind me asking.

The RX7 was a fantastic handling and looking car and now the only part I hated about it is gone (the engine). Awesome!

[gobs3z]

Originally Posted by sameerrao Looks great. How much did the car cost you all included if you don't mind me asking. The RX7 was a fantastic handling and looking car and now the only part I hated about it is gone (the engine). Awesome!

I'm estimating the build put me back 27-29, but people do it for lows 20's. I just invested in a lot of stuff that was not cheap like $800 sway bars and $350 sway bar mounts. Either way i'll probably sell it to get out of the debt it has me and figure out my next ride. Thanks for all the comments guys, I really appreciate especially this has been the most frustrating venture I've ever dealt with.

[gobs3z]

Originally Posted by everso i always loved that generation of RX7.....yours looks GREAT, man.... i'm curious though...how does this engine weight the same as the Rotary? aren't the rotary engines very light? i guess i always thought they were... nice one, man

The rotary has an iron block and iron cast intake manifold. It makes sense since it was built to hold boost, but the LS1 is all aluminum and it has a plastic intake manifold. Just different uses of metals for different purposes and it works out great since the RX-7's problem of reliability is not a problem anymore. Thanks for the comments too everso, two more days until we see the Alfa Everso!

[Zot09]

Dude, that is one clean RX-7. I think you did a great job with it. I've always had a special place in my heart for those little suckers =)

[silentm]

what an awesome job, i really love what you did to the car! hearing it would surely be something alien

[blinkmeat]

very nice

[ViperASR]

Awesome car!

I looked into doing an LS1 swap into my 944, but its just too expensive for me to do right now. And considering it is my DD, I dont want it to be out of service for too long.

Did you buy a kit for it? Renegade Hybrids sells kits to do an LS1 swap, which supposedly makes it pretty easy to do.

[dutchmasterflex]

Awesome car. Big fan of any LSx swap!

Are there kits available for this swap already?

[sentra_dude]

Nice swap! Those are some fat tires you have on the back.

[ferrarif1fan89]

Definately one of the cleanest swaps ive seen. Very nice! Have you run it on a dyno yet?

[novass]

Very cool! I, like many, have always loved that car's shape and the engine swap is very well done.

[79TA]

Gotta love that power to weight ratio : )

So what became of the donor Camaro? Was it in an accident? 4th gens are getting old enough that LS1's are becoming pretty affordable . . . oh the possibilities.

Great job with the swap!