Welcome to the Addicted Randy,

Whether to use the 12a for aircraft is pretty controversial but it is save to say that most of us are using a 13b.  IMHO either sell the 1980 RX7 or repair it if the car is in good shape.  Note that the rotary is easy to rebuild for the home mechanic contrary to popular belief.  You can now buy most of the parts needed for a successful installation but there are not any firewall forward kits available so the details are still left to the owner in the finest experimenter tradition.  If you can attend Tracy's Flyin (drive-in for many of us) there will be lots of guys there just dyin to tell you how to 'do it'.  Get info on Tracy's flyin at http://www.rotaryaviation.com/.

-------------- Original message --------------

Hello again from that new guy Randy Smith!

I have been given an entire 1980 Mazda RX7. This car has a normally aspirated, carbureted, 12A engine. I was wondering if it is worth messing with at all. It has not been run in around 4 years and has around 140000 miles on it. It has had a cooling event in that it has dumped all of the coolant overboard but did not seize up and owner shut it down. The exhaust reaction chamber (?) has been welded to remove the fresh air source. (that’s what I’ve been told. I don’t know enough about the exhaust system to know if it is supposed to have such a device or not.)

Is the core worth taking out? Is the car worth parting out? I don’t think I want to put this engine in my yet to be started Cozy MKIV because I think I want a turbo, fuel injected, 13B. Anyone want to trade? :-)

Comments?

-Randy Smith

Columbia, SC