AE86 Rotary, what to make of this?

[FT911]

I want to buy an AE86 and happened upon this in my search. It's a 12A rotary swap. Is this even worth buying and resto-modding? The drivetrain isn't an issue for me as I'd probably end up swapping that anyway. Rotaries are still pretty cool though.
Also does anyone know how much AE86s generally go for in the U.S.?

http://allentown.craigslist.org/cto/4955641730.html

[Yotamansteve]

that's rad!! I'd rock that in a heartbeat!


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[WesleyG]

Originally Posted by swarb

Let me say it again. It is A LOT of work to swap to fuel injection.

Not really, Its a common thing to swap 4age 20v into older carbed toyotas here. It is not difficult at all.

[tahdizzle]

There is a youtube video of an ae86 with a 13b swap. Its pretty rediculous.

[evomike]

Originally Posted by swarb

It is or can be a lot of work/time which makes it become difficult.
Do you have first hand experience?
Well, I do.
FULL SWAP.
Wiring harness, transmission,ecu, engine, starter, alternator, clutch lines, etc...
Fuel tank.
Fuel Pump.
Fuel Lines.
Wiring.
And then you still have the sr5 open diff and drum brakes.
So you need/want the rear end assembly.
Try sourcing all those parts.
And then installing them...
And then trouble shooting...
If any of those parts don't work, you are forced to buy new or source more questionable/used parts. IE $$$ and time= a lot of work.

its really not all that much work

[WesleyG]

Originally Posted by swarb

It is or can be a lot of work/time which makes it become difficult.
Do you have first hand experience?
Well, I do.
FULL SWAP.
Wiring harness, transmission,ecu, engine, starter, alternator, clutch lines, etc...
Fuel tank.
Fuel Pump.
Fuel Lines.
Wiring.
And then you still have the sr5 open diff and drum brakes.
So you need/want the rear end assembly.
Try sourcing all those parts.
And then installing them...
And then trouble shooting...
If any of those parts don't work, you are forced to buy new or source more questionable/used parts. IE $$$ and time= a lot of work.

Seems like alot, but here, turnkey swap like that only costs about 1000 dollars.

[NWFRS]

Ewww.

I was about to FWD that to a buddy who is a rotary fanatic, then realized he wouldn't want it because it looks like an econobox with the drag coefficient of a shoebox.

Then I realized that it has a rotary engine, and the drag coefficient of a shoebox, so I don't really want it either.

WHO WAS THIS CAR BUILT FOR?! :-/

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by NWFRS

WHO WAS THIS CAR BUILT FOR?! :-/

KoolBRZ

[evomike]

Originally Posted by swarb

Too bad they don't cost that much in the States. Parts alone would probably be 2k.
Work/time/money is relative. Not worth mine. I'd rather spend my weekends driving instead of wrenching, searching for parts, and waiting. Ae86 parts arent exactly plentiful. Try finding one of those gts rear ends and let me know how much it costs. Or even the front clip or full swap.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv...975904290.html
probably much less rust and much less trouble/time/money/headaches/work.

all the engine stuff is readily available for a swap and most people I know do a ford 8.8 swap for the rear end.

[Atropine]

It will be unreliable and expensive to keep on road...

And if it was near me...I would be trying to buy it.

[Guff]

A 12A? Out of all swaps to pick from?


Good lord...

[FT911]

Yeah I don't know why this swap was done lol.

The car would probably sit for a few months before I got to restoring it, but it goes without saying I'd lose the 12A lol. Maybe if it was a 13B...

[strat61caster]

I get the swap, a rotary can make power cheap naturally aspirated, a port job with a dremel along with properly sized intake and exhaust and a good carb can absolutely give a 4AGE a run for it's money dollar for dollar which needs a lot more work on cams, timing, compression ratio, and tuning to make power, things on that are a lot harder to homebrew than the wankel.

As for 13B vs 12A that comes down to whether or not you want to work with carbs or fuel injection, with the caveat that fuel injection from the 80's is not exactly the pinnacle of user friendliness, pretty sure there's a minimum 1 post per month about a surging idle on a NA 13B over at rx7club.

Not to mention the first generation RX-7 he's got sitting there has archaic suspension compared to the AE86 (primarily live vs. independent rear end), he got a motor he knows how to work with in an improved chassis. (Of course you could/should just pick up an FC but I'm no mind reader).

If I came across an AE86 that some kid blew up as a roller for a couple hundred bucks or the low teens and I had a 12A laying around with enough parts and know how to get it up and running you bet your ass I'd do it. 150 horses estimated at the crank on a stock port 12A is not unheard of if emissions is not a worry with the right intake/exhaust/carb setup, that works out to be more power at the wheels than the US AE86 had at the crank (~112 hp). With an aggressive port job and the right carb setup you can be looking at 200+ horses at the crank.


http://www.rx7club.com/1st-generatio...1/#post2492528


All that being said they say the most surefire way to end up with a money pit is to buy somebody else's project car, they're selling it for a reason after all and you'd be foolish to expect that you could drive this car long term without a hitch. The only person that should buy this is the person who wants it, don't get persuaded by anyone, if you had the idea on your own, if you went out and were pricing out parts to do it this is likely a jackpot, everyone else should probably stay away.

[Ultramaroon]

Strat once again on target. I'll echo on the pain of picking up after someone cut their losses.