• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

13B Turbo Rotary Midget?

Share this page

RobSelina

RobSelina

Jedi Warrior
Offline
I've seen 12A and naturaly aspirated 13B midget conversions. Anyone ever done a 13B turbo conversion? Will the engine with all the extra junk on it fit? Mostly a curiosity thing right now, but a 200hp midget, with almost as much torque and not much more weight sounds pretty cool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I think I'm going to put some thought into this one, might try it over winter if I don't hear a good reason not to /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
for those wondering "WHY, WHY!?!" - I'm not an originality nut, I think using present technology makes sense; I think the roatary is a great engine; I want something that can go faster down the highway than my 1500; and aside from that, a 1600lbs car with 200hp would just be TOOO COOL /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Rob

i hope you upgrade the rear end.........


mark
 
[ QUOTE ]
Rob

i hope you upgrade the rear end.........


mark

[/ QUOTE ]

if i did the conversion, I'd just buy a donor car and rip it off for all it's worth. In the case of the rear axle, I'd ditch the stock one, shorten the RX7 axle to length, mount some new spring perches on it and redrill the flange and rotor for the 4 on 4" bolt pattern to keep my minilites...
 
Rob - In the Modified AH Registry, we have SEVEN AH Sprites with Mazda rotarys in them.

I have THREE of the seven shown on the Modified Registry web site.

The URL is www.nthac.org/modifiedhealeys Look at cars number 52, 81, & 83.

If you want/need more info., I might be able to put you in touch with the owners.

Tim Moran - Car # 1
 
[ QUOTE ]

If you want/need more info., I might be able to put you in touch with the owners.

[/ QUOTE ]

Tim, thanks for the offer. I'll probably take you up on it down the line. Right now, I'm going to do some more basic research, but when I know more and can ask more important questions, I'll definitely be sending you an e-mail.
thanks, /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
Rob
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Rob

i hope you upgrade the rear end.........


mark

[/ QUOTE ]

if i did the conversion, I'd just buy a donor car and rip it off for all it's worth. In the case of the rear axle, I'd ditch the stock one, shorten the RX7 axle to length, mount some new spring perches on it and redrill the flange and rotor for the 4 on 4" bolt pattern to keep my minilites...

[/ QUOTE ]

actually the Turbo came in 2nd generation cars that had IRS which might be quite a bit of work to adapt. 1st generation had a decently strong live rear axle though but not turbo (well there was a Japan only 12A carby turbo)
 
Here's about the most extreme rotary-Spridget I know. It has a one piece, fiberglass body, semi-tube chassis and independent rear suspension (with formula car uprights)....and a very hot 13B. It's owned by my racing pal, John Leary. I've seen John pass 5.0 Mustangs and 350 Corvettes going *uphill* at Lime Rock. Top speed is about 140, but with amazing acceleration. John also has a street rotary-Spridget that is more "normal" (and he actually likes it better....less "scary").

Installation of a 13B in a regular Spridget is not real simple. The trans tunnel (a major structural item) has to be rebuilt/reshaped due to the funny shape of the Mazda engine (that's why a 5.0 Ford is a more common transplant in a Miata than a 13B).

80a.jpg
 
Also consider a 1.6 Miata drivetrain. They can be reliably turbocharged to well over 200 hp and 200 ft/lb. Would likely fit better, too.
 
a friend is putting a flyin' miata turbo kit on his 1.8L, that's actually what got me started on this...

good info on the independent rear suspension, didn't think about that! might have to get a first gen axle, or just beef up the stocker with some better one-piece shafts.....
 
[ QUOTE ]
have you considered a nissan sr20det?

[/ QUOTE ]

sorry, you've got the best of me here. what vehicles had this engine?
 
Back
Top