This is our kind of engine swap.
Swapping V8 engines into small cars is a motoring tradition that stretches back over half a century, and the movement is only picking up speed, with tuners swapping eight-cylinder powertrains into anything with four wheels, and Japanese sports cars seem to be a recent favorite. Take the Mazda MX-5 for example; this beautifully balanced two-seater has been the subject of a number of extreme V8 engine swaps. These cars are a popular platform due to their abundance and low cost, but what about its more exotic, and more expensive brother the Mazda RX-7? A recent video proves that the RX-7 is not safe from being bastardized, but in this case, you can not help being impressed: introducing the world's first Hellcat swapped RX-7.
Rowdy's Garage has started the unique conversion on a one owner FD RX-7 with 77k original miles on the clock, and the first video starts off with the guys diving into the disassembly process, with the 13B rotary engine looking very sorry for itself under the faded blue hood. On day two of the build the rotary engine is removed, and on day three the team starts to mock up the Hellcat engine. Before that, the subframe is modified, after which the motor is lowered in. There's a surprising amount of room left in the engine bay, but a new oil pan will be required to get the engine to sit under the hood, especially when the massive supercharger is mounted.
With the test fit being a success, the rest of the build should go ahead without any major problems. The engine being fitted is a true monster: this 6.2-liter supercharged V8 produces a massive 717 horsepower and 656 lb-ft of torque, which is good for a zero to sixty run in about four seconds in the Dodge Challenger, but in the lightweight RX-7 that number should improve significantly. Rowdy's Garage plans to build this RX-7 as a giveaway car, so keep your eyes peeled for more information in upcoming videos.
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