Mazda rx8 with ls1 5.7 v8 conversion

Mazda rx8 with ls1 5.7 v8 conversion

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Discussion

S90ttb

Original Poster:

30 posts

115 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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Hello ! I am new to piston heads but I wanted to share this conversion , it's the biggest mod I have ever had done and am really excited !!!! I will be doing some of the work my self and will be repainting it my self in the winter (I have a bodyshop with my family in Birmingham )
A short history since I started in December 2013
After a long time trying to find an engine pull out I found an ls1 (5.7 v8 with 16000 miles from a monaro I eventually received this in early February )
I found a tidy mazda rx8 in mid February with a seized engine
In-between then I have brought lots of parts ready to put together
New uprated cam, valve springs, sump etc
Hsd coilovers
18" rota alloys
I brought some drilled and grooved discs all round and some cl brake pads all round
I have since brought a brembo brake calliper and disc upgrade
Polly bush kit for all the front suspension
I also had a sump baffle made
It goes in to a friends garage ( Dyno torque in Birmingham) on Monday to start the conversion I am really excited I will post pictures and updates as we go through

dom9

8,040 posts

208 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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Sounds like fun!

Love the RX-7 LS conversions on here so it'll be interesting to see an RX-8 done!

Following with interest and good luck!

dave_s13

13,813 posts

268 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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Good work.

st use of the word brought though....sort it out chief!

SeeFive

8,280 posts

232 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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Good luck with that. When you have finished, you will not only have an interesting car, but probably one of the most fuel efficient RX8s from what I have heard about them.

Welcome aboard by the way. thumbup

Urban Sports

11,321 posts

202 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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Brought, not again frown

TREMAiNE

3,904 posts

148 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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As a fellow RX-8 owner, I welcome you! wavey



Not a fan of LS convertions though! Give me a wankel any day! Though I do appreciate the work that goes into it!

Also, those Rotas cloud9

Edited by TREMAiNE on Tuesday 5th August 21:58

ILoveMondeo

9,614 posts

225 months

Tuesday 5th August 2014
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Awesome project!!!

Is it finished yet? wink

Will be following this with great interest!

R6VED

1,364 posts

139 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Now this sort of thread is what Pistonheads is about.

Bookmarked :-)

MentalRental

454 posts

205 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Where did you bring all the parts from?

Motorrad

6,811 posts

186 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Urban Sports said:
Brought, not again frown
I'll forgive him because it looks like fun.


I do have to wonder though where the fk that sort of retard speak came from in the first place?

MentalRental

454 posts

205 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
quotequote all
Motorrad said:
Urban Sports said:
Brought, not again frown
I'll forgive him because it looks like fun.


I do have to wonder though where the fk that sort of retard speak came from in the first place?
Not sure if it is spoken. Just can't differentiate the spelling between bought and brought.

KMud

2,924 posts

155 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Post this in the HSV/Monaro forum for an appreciative, enthusiastic response. I have wanted to do exactly this project for a while smile

There are plenty of people singing Dyno Torque's praises smile

Joeguard1990

1,181 posts

125 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Can I ask why you have chosen a V8 and not gone down the route of a freshly rebuilt RX7 engine? You could easily get at least 450BHP from a specialist plus your weight distribution will be kept near the original not affecting the handling and your centre of gravity would be lower..

However I can understand parts are easier to come buy and maintenance would be a lot easier on the V8!

zeppelin101

724 posts

191 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Joeguard1990 said:
Can I ask why you have chosen a V8 and not gone down the route of a freshly rebuilt RX7 engine? You could easily get at least 450BHP from a specialist plus your weight distribution will be kept near the original not affecting the handling and your centre of gravity would be lower..

However I can understand parts are easier to come buy and maintenance would be a lot easier on the V8!
Short of putting double the original horsepower through an LS, you aren't going to be worrying about it throwing it's internals all over the road.

There is no getting away from it, rotary engines are a bit of a nightmare and cost a decent wedge to rebuild and they do blow up. RX-7 engines more so than RX-8 ones too. At least with an LS there are no oil usage concerns, the engine is largely bulletproof and it'll be reasonably trouble free motoring; at least with someone like DynoTorque doing the work, that's probably true.

OwenK

3,472 posts

194 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Excellent project although the sight of that car with the sound of an LS inside it is going to be bizarre!
Mind if I ask what kind of dosh you're parting ways with for this kind of work? Very curious.

Bennet

2,119 posts

130 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Now if someone would just start churning out a nice revvy 2.0 4-pot conversion or a 1.8 turbo or something.

EmmaJ

4,525 posts

145 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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As a Monaro and RX8 owner this is something I've thought about for a long time. Once I've finishing messing about with the 'Ro this will be the next "project" for me too.

Good luck OP thumbup

flatso

1,240 posts

128 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Great project, this may turn out to be the perfect solution for what I am looking for. A great looking sports car, with enough room in the back for 2 kids, a kick-ass V8 power and soundtrack and decent handling.
Don't mean to offend anybody here, but the RX-8 despite being cleverly designed lacked sufficient cojones.
Please keep us updated.

rigga

8,727 posts

200 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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Should be good as Craig has done some great ls conversions

Harji

2,196 posts

160 months

Wednesday 6th August 2014
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At the expense of handling, but then each to their own. IMO as an RX-8 owner, nothing about the car lends itself to being a muscle V8 type, everything is lightweight to touch and hold and feel, including the steering wheel, body panels, interior. I think it's a shame not putting a rotary engine back in it as it is a virtually a bespoke car designed from the ground up.

Nothing against your work or choice, I just think that if people look at how the RX-8 was designed they may think twice and appreciate the thought and build behind it.