Has anyone contemplated installing a mazda rotary/wankel engine connected to vw transaxle via kennedy adapter?
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Has anyone contemplated installing a mazda rotary/wankel engine connected to vw transaxle via kennedy adapter?
I've done such a coversion for a friends dunebuggy. Personally, I wouldn't do it.
I've got a Mazda 13B rotary mated to a porsche 914 Transaxle in my current Beck and it's a sweet setup. It's not in the spirit originality but with 200hp, it's a lot of fun. Like a sportbike on 4 wheels.
I raced an Off-Road buggy in races like the Baja 1000 for 4 years with a Mazda rotary. First we had a Kennedy adaptor hooked to a VW type 2 trans (with all the good stuff). Then we built another car around a Rotary and a Hewland trans. Mazdas rock! Seems like a lot of work for a 550. A strong VW is what I'm putting in mine.
Before you install a Mazda, I'd think about a Subaru. I have a turbo 2.5 in my sandrail 345 HP on pump gas and it's capable of over 450 HP (on racing fuel)
Micheal,
I've always been a huge rotary engine nut. A buddy of mine and I put one in my 79 Fiat X19 (a wonderful chassis in desperate search of horsepower...). Loved the engine. Simple, nearly maintenance free, compact and good power (is low on torque).
The KEP adaptor should work well and I suspect the rotary will really shine with the VW transaxle. The relatively short gears in that trans should keep the engine revving happily along and will overcome the low-torque issue that rotaries are known for. Of course, torque is a matter of perspective in such a light car.
The subie will make quite a bit more power in a street useable form. And that is something to consider once you've already made the mental commitment to go water cooled (affix radiator etc). Both engines go HP-crazy when you turbo-charge them, but the subie at any point does make more torque.
Still, alot to be said for the simplicity of a normally aspirated 13B with some street porting. Say 200-225 hp with short gears. Very very VERY fun motor to drive in a light car.
That being said, and my obvious love of rotary engines duly noted, if it were my car, and I were driving it on the street with a water cooled mill, Subie would be my first choice.
angela
I've always been a huge rotary engine nut. A buddy of mine and I put one in my 79 Fiat X19 (a wonderful chassis in desperate search of horsepower...). Loved the engine. Simple, nearly maintenance free, compact and good power (is low on torque).
The KEP adaptor should work well and I suspect the rotary will really shine with the VW transaxle. The relatively short gears in that trans should keep the engine revving happily along and will overcome the low-torque issue that rotaries are known for. Of course, torque is a matter of perspective in such a light car.
The subie will make quite a bit more power in a street useable form. And that is something to consider once you've already made the mental commitment to go water cooled (affix radiator etc). Both engines go HP-crazy when you turbo-charge them, but the subie at any point does make more torque.
Still, alot to be said for the simplicity of a normally aspirated 13B with some street porting. Say 200-225 hp with short gears. Very very VERY fun motor to drive in a light car.
That being said, and my obvious love of rotary engines duly noted, if it were my car, and I were driving it on the street with a water cooled mill, Subie would be my first choice.
angela
Thanks, y'all, for your input- both pos & neg. Actually I have considered subie power already and was pretty much settled on it if I were to go water cooled. I kinda stumbled onto a rotary conversion webpage by accident and thought it looked interesting. I'm a big subie fan but didn't want to rule out any options.