loki993

dont know if this is best here or in the hybrid section so if its in the wrong place I apologize.

here is my current thoughts. im debating between an ls2 camaro or a ls1 powered rx7. im trying to weigh the pros and cons, at least perceived. here is what ive come up with so far.

SS
pros
easy
they came that way
probably cheaper
newer car, less mileage, possible better condition, but only maybe

cons
heavier

FD LS1

pros:
different
lighter
theroetically faster, due to the weight
theoretically better MPG, due to the weight
different, did I say that twice?? it was on purpose

cons:
possible swap complications
expensive
older car, lets face it even the newest FD is 13 years old now!!!

heres how im looking a it I like the FD rx7, I also like the ls1 ss/z28s. yes the rx7 is very different. I have no personal experience with one, but it seems, at least in theory they should be faster, handle better and get better gas mileage due to the fact that when the swap is all said and done they should probably weigh about 400lbs less that an f body. but then when I hear one Im always thinking well a camaro would be just as good.

so heres the questions what kind of gas mileage do the LS1 FDs get?? do they handle that much better?? are they really faster. basically would one be worth the trouble or would it be smarter to just go with a nice 6m SS. also if this changes anything, I would be looking at a built car, I do not want to DIY a LS1 swap, im sure there are those out there that may say thats wrong but the way I see it is I can probably get the whole enchilada cheaper than it would be to do the swap myself, also hopefully the previous owner would have worked out all the swap kinks and I could just turn it on and drive. im more interested im getting more out of the ls1 once its running in the car than getting it to run in the car, if you get my drift. what do you all think??

5SiX1

iTrader: (2)

the money and time you spend on an LS1 RX7 could be spent on making an awesome F-body. weight reduction is possible you know... In most cases an LS1 RX7 is a secondary car that is a fun experiment and project. I would stay with the Fbody...

johnLs1camaro

iTrader: (28)

yeah, id stay fbody,and you meant ls1 fbody right??? cuz you had ls2 written uptop

Tuffguy610

iTrader: (2)

If its somebody else's swap project that you are buying, I'd opt for the SS Camaro. I don't care how good somebody is at performing a swap or how much they tell you that all the kinks are worked out, something is bound to go wrong with the FD LS1. I know that thirdgens have aftermarket companies that make components for the swap easier (k-members, spindles, etc.), the same goes for the fox mustang. I am not so sure about the FD. I know that it is also a popular swap on here (probably the third most popular swap if you count foxes and thirdgens as first and second), so theres a ton of info. With that said, many things are still fabricated to get the LS1 to work with the FD chassis. I have a friend who built an LS1 thirdgen, and I followed his posts and his photos and I saw an ungodly amount of custom fabrication for wiring, gauges, A/C, clutch hydraulics, and whatnot. This was all stuff that only he knew about (in terms of his specific car), and if he sold it to me I couldn't go to napa and say give me this A/C blower box for this car, because he custom made it. If it broke, I would need to fix it with my own two hands. The same would go for you. Don't buy somebody else's swap, you'll end up playing the guessing game when something went wrong (why did he put this part here, and why did it fail etc...). One last remark about why I wouldn't get an FD LS1: resale. How hard is it going to be to sell the car to somebody years down the road for anything close to what you paid for it because you wanted it? Get an LS1 SS, look for the options and color that you want, there's plenty you can do to these cars to make them faster than an FD while still being reliable. Well, thats enough of my rant. Only you can make your decision though.

loki993

yeah I meant ls1, the ls2 was just a typo.

excellent point about the resale, that actually never even crossed my mind.

black_phoenix

iTrader: (27)

get the real thing... i am personally not too fond of hybrids... Rx7 does not look or sound right with the muscle car grunt....
but get the rx7 if thats your thing...

qwk93ta

iTrader: (13)

my vote would be for the f-body.

KENS_SS_4

When I see this I wonder WHY!
?Their are thousands of choices of cars to put hundreds of choices of engines in.
Why this combo?

andrew69_04

iTrader: (148)

my vote goes to the RX7. a kid that lives near where i grew up build some and i've sold him a few motors. hes a perfectionist and his cars come out very very nice. he does build customer cars and im sure he would do one for you. His work is top notch! he has an account on here but is rarely on. pm me if you want his contact info.

p-locc25

iTrader: (6)

Get a F-Body, you wont regret it.

bamxbam

iTrader: (2)

Fbody if you are into straight line power like a lot of people here... but I'd rather take the LS1 RX7 if it could be had for a similar price due to it having an awesome powerplant, power to weight ratio, far better chassis, and suspension geometry to kick butt in the straights and twisties.... but why does that sound so familiar? "cough vette"

04gtoBMXracer

iTrader: (26)

if money was not an issue, i would say RX7.
you just dont expect that sound to come from a little import.

slow

iTrader: (7)

Why not, cheap reliable light compact power, in a nice chassis with a unreliable, heavy motor stock.

Ryan

Sammyboy

iTrader: (9)

I agree, a motor swap is something to be wary about, but if it is done right, I would really consider the rx7. Swaps are expensive, expecially if you use hinson parts. Check for those.

loki993

that was kinda my thought, vette but cheaper. even though im looking at average prices and TMV on edmunds for a 01 z06 is right around 20k, tell you what id probably take a z06 over a rx7 anyday. the reason for the ls1 rx7 thing is I know a guy that has one, im sure hell get bored with it someday, he does with all his cars and im sure he would sell it to me. I definitely think its an interesting swap and it may be a thought if I could find one for around 10k maybe, but i bet they would probally go for more around 20k or more and at the price id definitely tale a z06. maybe my little infatuation with the ls1 rx7 is just my minds way of telling my that I really want a vette.

SlayerMaro

iTrader: (3)

I'd take an LS1 rx7 over an LS1 F-body. If you can get one for a decent price, jump on it. But most LS1 rx7's are selling for more than even a vette would cost. Get the best of both worlds - a vette.

*98TransAm*

ls1 rx7's are crazy fast cars just make sure if your interested in buying one that it isnt some hack job.

Kingc8r

iTrader: (21)

If DD then get the F-body, less headaches

candlelit

iTrader: (21)

RX7 is a nice car. but the f-body is hungry.

Wsteun

iTrader: (3)

RX7. It'll be faster and more fun to drive.