Welcome to my V8 RX-7 project page! Here you will find some very technical information and pictures which describe my experience with installing a LS1 V8 with 6 speed tranny into a 1993 Mazda RX-7. Make sure to sign my guestbook!
Page 1. Introduction
Page 2. Engine Removal
Page 3. The Swap kit
Page 4. Engine/Tranny Purchase
Page 5. Engine Install
Page 6. The Paintjob
Page 7. Cooling & Exhaust
Page 8. Wiring, Clutch Hydraulics, Misc.
Page 9. Start-up, first drive
Page 10. Photoshoot
Page 11. Performance Results & Videos
Page 12. Conclusion
The best way to start this story would be an introduction. My name is Matt Korthuis, I'm a 23 year old Mechanical Engineer living in beautiful Bellingham, WA. My passion for V8 RX-7's started over 4 years ago when I was a 19 year old college student in Michigan looking for a fun project to work on over my Christmas and summer breaks. I built an '86 RX7 powered by a 5.7L LT1 with a 6-speed tranny... although it was nothing close to a pretty car, it was insanely fast and I absolutely loved it... I was hooked! Unfortunately, as graduation approached and a cross-country move to Washington for my new job was planned, I had to sell my car. It was a heart-breaker for me as I watched the new owner drive away in MY car, but I promised myself that as soon as I graduated I would start all over building my dream car... an LS1 powered 3rd generation (FD) RX-7.
Me and my LT1/T56 FC on the day I sold it
Why would anyone ever want to do such a swap to an RX-7? My answer when people ask me this is usually, "Because I wanted the best of both worlds". By building this car I have combined one of the best handling, light weight, beautiful chassis with an all aluminum 5.7L motor which makes well over 300rwhp from the factory and gets 30 MPG through it's 6 speed manual transmission... not to mention its reliabilty. Many speculate that a V8 will completely through off both the light-weight handling characteristics of the car, but, as you will see... this is FAR from the case; after the swap, the car weighs less than it did rotary equipped and the 50/50 weight distibution is perfectly preserved. So you're probably wondering how this all is possible... this cardomain page is my attempt to show you all the steps I took to have the car to where it is today.
Ok, so back to the build. Two months after graduating, I finally found a somewhat local RX-7 chassis with a blown rotary that met my approval... A yellow 1993 R1 with about 97,000 miles. The car was originally black, but was very thoroughly repainted a very pale yellow. Although I enjoyed the concept of yellow on the car, I knew it would need a new paint job as it was just way too light for my taste. After some negotiations, $6900.00 was the agreed upon price, this included an extra body kit the rims shown in the picture and a spare blown rotary engine.
The car was trailored 200 miles from Tacoma, WA... my brother in law was nice enough to let me borrow his F350 and trailor for the job. The front and rear bumpers were removed from the car so that it could be loaded on the trailor; even with stock suspension, the car is LOW!
Next Page: Engine Removal
