Your analysis sis correct. The only way to come out flat or slightly ahead *maybe* on average is:

- know where you're going in the first place, wandering is expensive
- if you're doing a mod, buying a great working version of your base car will be a waste, buy a non-op with blown engine/trans, you'll pay less than you could sell those parts in most cases I think
- use a donor car in many cases of doing LS swaps (the bits you don't think about add up fast)
- do as much the labor yourself, with friends, etc., but use a pro for things out of reach, like quality paint, serious engine building (unless you're enkeivette)
- don't cheap out or half ass something, it will be used against you when comes time to sell
- be complete
- pick something interesting but potentially demanded. if it's too obscure you could be waiting for the right buyer for a long time. if it's too common, you'll be on the losing side of Supply vs. Demand. One potential hole here I see is older Mustangs (60s and early 70s) with the new Coyote 5.0 or *maybe* the Ecotec Turbo . . .

I probably have low 30s into my Vette. If I did it over, or (now!) I could probably do the same for around $20k, maybe less. Since it's a little unique, there isn't a market to judge, but I'd be surprised by anything over $20k. If anyone wants to offer $30k I'll sell it right now. :)

Generally speaking, you're cracked out if you think you're going to put together modded cars and make any money on the exchange. The guys who made money doing this, and there were a few, did so because they had a name and were selling a "brand premium". A no name could do the exact same thing and not get anywhere near the same price.

Couldn't have said it better myself :clap:

I want to ride in this thing!

silver, yellow rx7s + 2009 corvette zr1
 

You got it man, next time I roll with you guys :)

In other news: me and my g/f went to cars & coffee last saturday with a buddy from work who has a 2009 ZR1 'vette (aka beast... really, that car is stupid fast). Here's a pic he snapped of us in the parking lot when we stopped for breakfast.

Hi Mike. I think after you tune your car you could take him. :)

That car is heavier than I thought it would be, none the less, sick ride and I want one.

corner balance, etc. (see attachments)
 

^^ Hey Jon. Heh, no way man. I can't put the power down like the zr1 can. His car will spin the tires for a split second... and then it hooks. I just went to lunch with him yesterday and the ride back to the office reminded me how insanely planted and powerful that car is! Truly amazing :)

Anyway, I have my tune about 85% done. It runs pretty good right now :) Will keep you updated. Plan on cleaning it up and putting it on a dyno for a baseline. Should be 350-400 whp based on my estimates. I had to add about 25% fuel (stock injectors & fuel pressure) to keep air-fuel ratios in line... since stock ls1-f-body cars dyno about 300 whp that means this setup should be about 1.25*300=375 whp which is right in the middle of my estimate ;)

In other news: I got the car aligned and corner balanced. Basically, car is 50/50 front-rear, about 2900 lbs w/o driver and almost full tank gas. Car gained about 100 lbs from the rotary configuration, BUT I removed my A/C stuff. More info (basically a copy-->paste from the norotors forum post):

So had the car aligned and corner balanced today. See attachment/pics. Nice tech write-up HERE.

Here’s the summary (all weights are in POUNDS, distance in INCHES):
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Basics:
-1993 Mazda Rx-7 (FD) touring
-Little more than ¾ tank fuel
-NO A/C
-YES P/S (stock mazda rack + f-body pump)
-Full interior (mostly.. see notes below), no BOSE or glove box
-2002 alum block/heads ls1/t56 (Camaro z28 pullout/rebuild)
-155 lb driver
-Samberg setup (radiator/intake/mounting/bumpsteer correction kit)
-Pettit Trak Pro Stage 2 adjustable height/damping coil over shock setup
-Gram Light 57 optimise wheels (17” diam), 235 (f)/265 (r) tires
-Otherwise stock suspension
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results:
-Car weight (no driver): 2907
-Car weight (little fatty in driver’s seat): 3062

-Front weight/distribution: 1531/50%
-Rear weight/distribution: 1531/50%

-Left Front/Right Front: 802/729 (delta = 73)
-Left Rear/Right Rear: 804/727 (delta = 77)

-LF+RR: 1529
-RF+LR: 1533
-Cross weight delta: 4

-Left Weight/Right Weight: 1606/1456 (delta = 150)

Fender Height (in):
LF/RF: 25 1/8 | 25 1/8
LR/RR: 24 7/8 | 24 15/16

NOTE: date is wrong.. not sure why they put 7/11 on it. maybe dreaming of slurpees? :woot:


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cliff’s notes:
-tech was surprised how close I got the toe on the front (eyeball job :ugh:)
-went pretty well except took them a couple trips back and forth to the scales to set the corner weights
-have a little bit of play in the toe control link on pass side (not to mention a curbed wheel.. dammit!), not too bad but it won’t get any better
-guys at shop were amazed the car was that balanced (front/rear in particular) given the motor setup
-had a little more than ¾ tank of fuel, just filled up day before and drove about 20 miles before I went to shop (probably down a gallon or so from full)
-I must have put on some weight b/c last time I weighed myself (when I was working out/surfing all the time… about a year ago) I was 140ish.. I stepped on one of the corner scales and I hit 155. Damn.. I’m only 5’4” or so.. so if you run the BMI (body mass index) calcs.. I’m obese. Time to trim some fat :damit:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Details: (some will call this overkill… but WTH devil’s in the details…)

1. 93 FD touring, pretty much completely stock bodied
2. No rear wiper (plugged hole)
3. No bose
4. Samberg radiator/intake setup + some four M12 (?) nuts to allow hood to shut
5. Heating lines on water pump looped for now (long story), lines on firewall capped off
6. Running steam tubes front and rear
7. Samberg mounting kit (motor, trans, diff)
8. Samberg bumpsteer correction kit (tie rod ends + hardware, rack spacers)
9. Samberg throttle cable bracket
10. Civic throttle cable
11. LS1/T56 (all alum, from 2002 camaro), stock pistons/rods/block/crank etc.
12. vette engine mount brackets
13. Hot Rod Lane (forgot their other name) biscuit (mmm makes me hungry) motor mounts + hardware
14. Extra 4 ga. Engine block ground cable (19”) on pass side head to frame rail
15. MGW shifter, Cobra shift knob :drive:
16. Hinson steel driveshaft
17. LS6 valley cover + grinded portion of block + PCV hose
18. Trimmed firewall lip, chopped off intercooler/cross member brace brackets, trimmed shifter hole
19. RX7.com (rotary performance) diff bushings
20. Pettit Trak Pro Stage 2 adjustable height coilovers
21. 6 qt. oil, lots of coolant, ~4 qt trans fluid, ~2 qt diff fluid, little more than ¾ tank gas
22. Stock Mazda 4.10:1 rear end (I’ll see how long it lasts, it’s got 120+k on it)
23. No A/C (evaporator, condenser, lines, etc. all gone)
24. Yes P/S (PSC modded f-body pump), PEZ p/s line/fittings, stock mazda rack /w new boots
25. NGK TR6 plugs
26. NAPA plug wires
27. ABS yes/umodded
28. Airbags yes/unmodded (wires tucked from engine bay under metal support/above fender liner)
29. Improved racing oil pan baffle/f-body oil pan
30. Converted f-body engine harness
31. Gram Light 57 optimise wheels (17x8.5 +40 f, 17x9.5 +38 r)
32. Dunlop Dirreza DZ101 tires (235/40/17 f, 265/40/17 r)
33. Black ebay lugnuts :p
34. Powerslot brake rotors
35. Hawk HP+ brake pads
36. Hinson clutch setup (Wilwood 7/8” m/c + spacer), 30” long clutch line from speedway motors (too long IMO), line covered with fire proof hose
37. Full interior, sound deadening (nothing added, all stock), & stereo headunit (minus a piece or two of plastic, and NO glovebox, mf’er is broken, one scuff plate missing b/c tabs broke), NO BOSE (but have bose carpet & hatch cover)
38. Antenna + motor in place
39. Dakota Digital speedo correction box mounted above glove box
40. NGK AFX Wideband O2 mounted on steering wheel column, O2 sensor in pass side bank for now
41. Front O2 narrowband sensors, NO rear O2 sensors (yet…)
42. 2002 Camaro z28 exhaust manifolds + Magnaflow cats (CA legal), air pump ports blocked off (for now)
43. 2.25” piping to/from cats --> 3” y pipe --> M2 3” exhaust (same one I had on rotary setup)
44. 5.3l heads (706 casting), CNC ported/polished, dual valve springs, Titanium retainers/seats (basically like TSP Stage 2.5 heads)
45. LS7 lifters & trays
46. TSP hardened chromoly pushrods
47. Katech con rod bolts
48. LS2 timing chain
49. 224/228 duration (i/e), 0.568/0.588 lift @ zero lash, 114 LSA +2 advance cam
50. LS6 oil pump
51. LS7 clutch pressure plate/disk, LS2/LS7 flywheel (Double check me on the interchangability. Sucker is heavy)
52. Nippon Denso “Supra TT” fuel pump
53. Misc wiring, fasteners
54. HP tuners MPVI Pro pigtail for WBO2, OBD connector mounted (more like hanging out) behind glove box
55. Rear bins have buckets 80-95% cut out
56. Fuel pump relay mounted to pass side bin by battery
57. Hinson battery relocation “kit” (alum bracket, two long bolts/washers, two nuts for retention, welding cable)
58. Optima Red Top 75/25 battery relocated to pass side bins (33 lbs)
59. Battery fuse to starter located on pass side floor in bin /w plastic enclosure and M4 (IIRC) socket cap screws + wingnuts under the car
60. Cloth stock FD seats (I love these seats), mismatched pass seat belt buckle (it’s brown.. need to find a black one)
61. Frank’s (fly rx7 from old days) Triple gauge pod /w 52 mm gauges (oil press, water temp, oil temp)
62. 5/16” rubber fuel lines used/ w one FD hard line, C5 vette regulator mounted on rear subframe
63. Russel stainless steel brake lines
64. Dual oil coolers mounted but lines/thermostat/fittings/whatever are not run yet
65. ARP head/water pump/thermostat bolts
66. New GM crank pulley bolt (torque to yield type)
67. New engine coolant temp (ECT), air intake temp (AIT) sensors
68. Comp Cams LS1 trunion upgrade (replaces needle bearing setup), stock rocker arms

I think that’s mostly everything :)

hmmmm, did you go to original pancake house?

^^ Bingo :) That place is awesome. Plates are HUGE! Are you a Torrance local? Any pics of your car? I saw a really mean sounding one at Lowes the other day... all done up too. Didn't get to talk to the guy because he took off like a rocket :sm_laughing: Sounded like he had a blower on it :drool2:

Wow thar car is balanced damn near perfectly, should handle quite well