ozzake

First off I would like to say hello to all the rotor heads on this site, I hope I picked a good forum to join. I'll warn everyone now that I'm definitely a noob when it comes to forums so if I seem awkward that is why.

So a couple years ago I decided I wanted the headache of owning another British car, so I got on craigslist and found a hideous green Triumph Spitfire.... right up my alley. So $500 later it was sitting in my driveway in non-running very sad condition. My original plan was to be a 4 cylinder turbo swap, but the more I looked at it the more I thought "boy a rotary would be pretty sweet for this setup". Back and fourth I went thinking about a swap then changing my mind... hhmmm 4g63t...nope not a fan.......rb26...nope just don't feel right, it has to be a rotary.

Two years later I have a stripped down body and a bare frame and still no powerplant, so early this year I got on craigslist again and started my rotary search. I found an Rx8 engine and transmission pulled from a non running car with low compression, I offered the guy a shotgun and ended up with a fully dressed rx8 engine and 6 speed manual. Got the engine home and began the teardown to see what I got myself into. Nothing but carnage.... inside it looks like someone tossed some sand into it while it was running apex seals... non-existant, rotors....trash, housings....trash, irons.... trash. about the only useable part I have is an e-shaft.

Lucky for me I have friends that like rotaries and one of them has housings and irons for a turbo 13b. So I bought those, but now I'm on the hunt for used rotors, preferably with useable seals in them so I can somehow build a running engine on a very tight budget.

As for the car. I don't know if any of you know much about the Spitfire, but it originally came with a cast iron, pushrod 4 cylinder making about 50 horsepower. The body is light enough that me and a buddy carried it into my basement. Needless to say that a turbo rotary in this car is going to SCREAM!

Hopefully I can get some insight from you folks as to what I'm up against trying to piece together a franken-rotary from all my parts, and stuffing it into a British relic from the 70's. Oh yea and figuring out how to use my microsquirt to fuel inject it. On a good note, I'm schooled in autobody, and work at a machine shop as a machinist and fabricator, so at least I've got access to a machine shop and tools for this undertaking.

JimD-AZ

Patrick,
Don't think I'll be a whole lot of help, but I've a similar story. Mine is a 67 MGB into which I'm installing an RX8 MT5 Renesis, with all the necessary electronics for EFI, et al. I'm not a machinist, but am passable at fabricating including design, welding, milling and turning. Rotary is short and squat, MGB engine bay not so much. minor (relatively) mods to right frame, engine mounts, rt. wheelwell, and transmission tunnel. and just getting started.

ozzake

I actually thought about an MGB as a swap candidate. I've had one in the past, but decided the Triumph was a better option. The nice thing about the spit is it has a full frame and a tilt front end so its really open up front for whatever I feel like doing. The downside is the transverse leaf setup in the rear end that is going to need some major changing before the car will be able to hit the road.

JimD-AZ

RX 8 Renesis into 67 MGB swap is coming along. Engine and tranny on custom mounts, with custom exhaust manifold and header pipe, new drive shaft, hydraulic clutch connected, brakes upgraded to dual line MC, high pressure fuel pump installed, oil lines connected to oil cooler and engine, radiator and recovery tank in and hoses connected. Now working on vacuum lines (Does anyone know where the Baro sensor vacuum line connects to the engine?), then on to fuse box and, ECM and wiring.

ozzake

Sounds like its going a lot better for you than me. I'm still missing a running engine, but I did pick up a complete RX8 rear assembly a couple weeks ago so now I have to decide if I widebody the triumph or narrow the rear end. So far I'm just in the "gather all my parts" stage, but at least I'm moving in a forward direction. Good luck on the build man post some pics up if you get a chance.