With its tiny rotary motor now likely sitting on the bottom of a riverbed, tethering a boat to the basin below, this 1979 Mazda RX7 barely resembles the slight sports car it once was. With a significantly flared body and heavy-duty upgrades underneath, there were once big plans for this swapped Savanna; now, it’s listed here on eBay with a $4,750 Buy-It-Now for the whole kit, including a T5 manual transmission and 4.3L Vortec V6 motor.
When you look at the rear of this thing, I see an IMSA tribute or some other GT car build rather than a drag racer. The seller may have too, but doesn’t disclose what his ultimate build goals were. The V6 is an interesting choice, especially since I believe that engine responds well to supercharging. Given the seller specifies the chassis has been upgraded with front brakes from a Corvette, a heavy-duty rear end and axles re-drilled to accept Chevy wheels, I’m guessing the target number of 500 b.h.p. was not accidental.
The question is, what would need to be done to the motor to make that number a reality? The V6 pushes out just over 200 b.h.p. in naturally-aspirated form, which is still plenty for a car as light as the RX7. But if it willingly accepts a supercharger, the temptation has got to be there to give the Mazda a real kick in the pants. The interior shows interesting sports seats; I’m not sure if they are PepBoys specials or legitimate racing buckets worth $500 or more. The interior photos are limited, but the seller says some extra door panels are included with the sale.
The seller says the V6 will come “…with a NASCAR air intake, Edelbrock carburetor with mild cam and different heads.” I’m not sure what qualifies as a NASCAR air intake, but it has me intrigued. An upgraded cam is a good thing, and I wonder if the seller means it will have aluminum heads or some other enhancement. Changing out the heads seems to be a regular topic of conversation with motor, and we’d love to hear from any RX7 or Vortec experts as to why this engine is the motor of choice for a swap like this. Would you finish this build as-is or go in a different direction?
The boat basin would ideally be ABOVE the anchor. Any other situation requires immediate attention…
I’d take a hard pass on this one. This looks like an abandoned project that’s been sitting for at least 20 years based on the build style and parts selection. Who knows how much money needs to be spent to update and finish what’s been started. If this is someone’s dream car, it might be worth pursuing, but only at a fraction of the asking price.
Steve R
The description in the eBay ad is a little confusing / misleading –
“Also available but at additional cost; T 5 world class transmission and 4.3 liter 4 tech V6 motor with a Nascar air intake, Edelbrock carburetor with mild cam and different heads.
$4,750 for everything.”
Oh wait…the seller is in Denver, Colorado. Marijuana is legal there. 😀
On a serious note that is too much of an asking price. You really have no idea what else needs to be done without an inspection and no true way to verify the quality of the work.
If you could get it cheaper, an Infiniti/Nissan 3.7L and 6 Spd. would be a really cool combo. 400+HP out of the gate. Turbos, etc. available if that’s just not enough. I’d do that over a Vortec /Trimec combo. For current asking, though, that’d be a whole lot of additional cash to dump in.
is that a 944 front end? cannot open ebay listing from here…
At least it’s getting pistons. Hopefully!
Why would you say that? Knowledgeable builders can get 400 HP out of an 80 C.I. Rotary with a single turbo… and the screaming hi RPM powerband is perfect for a lightweight wide body sports car like this. If you haven’t driven a high-strung ported rotary, well… You just don’t get it.
Too many different parts from different sources! It would take someone more patient than I to work on this thing!
Sounds like someone’s trying Wankel us…