Future NC Ratrodder

[Nevilock]

I've been driving an RX8 for a year or so now, and am really enjoying the feel, sound, and strangely positioned power of a rotary engine.

I also got a bit of a rat rod bug when i went down to the charlotte auto fair this year.

Some time ago (possibly under the influence of alcohol) the ideas stuck together in my head, and i can't get them apart (i confess, i haven't tried very hard). I want to make a Rotary Rat Rod... a RotRod.

I'm hoping to buy 90s s-10 soonish, for the frame (and hopefully to help me lug the parts around until i sacrifice it) Ideally an international or chevy pickup for the cab, super short (or no) bed.

I have a feeling that this will be an awesome rod, i can't figure out how to deal with the exhaust though. Just headers is definitely a cool look, but with a rotary engine people would need ear plugs to stand in the same county as it, especially with the peripheral port it has in my dreams. But aside from increasing the number of locals with hearing impairment: a rotary only has 1 set of headers and 1 header pipe per housing. So i'd be looking at 1 big pipe, or 2-3 small-ish pipes. I can't really come up with a way to make that look awesome.


Any thoughts, suggestions, or hatemail for heracy?

-Kevin

 

[Gregster]

Welcome , that will be a little different ! rotary engines make mucho horsepower , but they sound a little strange.

 

[Ratcrazy]

Hey Nevilock, its your build, just build it safe and have fun doing it. BTW, what part of NC you from?

 

[cantwell.colton]

rx7 frame

ya know -- if you look at a 1st and 2nd generation rx-7 the wheel base is short (around 96in) but they run independent suspension (which you could change out if you wanted) and have a fmr layout so the engines already placed a little further back so you might be able to get away with using an rx7 all the way around. theyre pretty long around 170 in.j

 

[ratdog]

Welcome to the forum.Sounds like an interesting idea. I think the exhaust question would be easier to solve once youre into the build and have the motor in place to kind of see what it looks like ,then you can mock up some pipes to see what looks good. Pretty hard to say right now what will look right.

 

[Nevilock]

Hey Nevilock, its your build, just build it safe and have fun doing it. BTW, what part of NC you from?

Haha, true. Doesn't really matter what anybody else thinks of it.

I'm from near Raleigh. Around where 40 meets 42.

 

[Nevilock]

ya know -- if you look at a 1st and 2nd generation rx-7 the wheel base is short (around 96in) but they run independent suspension (which you could change out if you wanted) and have a fmr layout so the engines already placed a little further back so you might be able to get away with using an rx7 all the way around. theyre pretty long around 170 in.j

Thats a really cool idea, definitely... especially if it could maintain the handling characteristics of an rx7. My fear would be, with it being a unibody car, i'd have no idea how to chop the body off without turning it into a flimsy tin can.

 

[Nevilock]

Welcome to the forum.Sounds like an interesting idea. I think the exhaust question would be easier to solve once youre into the build and have the motor in place to kind of see what it looks like ,then you can mock up some pipes to see what looks good. Pretty hard to say right now what will look right.

Thats a really good point. I have a tendency to do all my work in my head, and sometimes i never actually make it happen because i spend so much time over-thinking it.


I think i'd like to find a way to work this into whatever i do though:

 

[devils reject]

i do believe that would be very cool

go for it !!

 

[Hollywood Eddie]

Thats a really good point. I have a tendency to do all my work in my head, and sometimes i never actually make it happen because i spend so much time over-thinking it.

My nephew does the samething. Allways thinking Welcome and keep "Dreaming". [cl Can't wait to see the pic's.