All brap brap jokes aside, it's a question I've often pondered. My father could be seen sporting an impressive mullet in his RX3 wagon in the mid 80's, which then proceeded to blow up twice before being flung off. I'm currently hunting for a second car thats a bit of fun. Taking a weird interest in all these old school 4AGE re powers popping up lately. So having a gander at the tangers inevitably followed suit.
ceebee2,
Apr 16, 3:36pm
You will need to tow a petrol tanker depending on the model you are looking for!
aragorn2003,
Apr 16, 3:37pm
No . Go 4age if your wanting an old repower . Got the power and reliabilty
richardmayes,
Apr 16, 3:41pm
The Le Rhone 9 was a pretty reliable rotary engine.
Ive had rotors all my life , if you like to spend money on gas and throw money into a bottomless pit , buy a rotary. My daughter has a 4age , very cheap to run , no problems. In saying that , if you are tinking about a rotor , make sure its recond , and had all the bucks spent on it , you shouldnt have any problems for 100,000 if you keep up the service.
wizzbikz,
Apr 16, 3:46pm
Best part I like they will PASS anything on the road except a petrol station
Yes we can all post links to highly modified turbocharged versions of any engine, but thats not what the OP is asking about, in factory or lightly modified form they are laughable considering the expenss and effort in repowering
wrxnz1,
Apr 16, 4:22pm
ive had turbos and 4age cars and the 4age has good power for a n/a best 1600 motors for power
kingfisher21,
Apr 16, 4:27pm
I've had all manner of rotaries over the years from standard to peripheral port, never had one single one break down or go bang on me, they are like anything, maintain it and it'll be reliable.
foxdonut,
Apr 16, 4:32pm
Without a turbo a Rotary hasn't got any grunt anyway.
If you want something you can mod and tinker with, and even drive regularly then go with the 4 pot.
if you want something fast, get a V8.
If you want the performance of a 4 pot with the economy of a V8 (and the reliability of an Alfa Romeo), get a rotary.
fordcrzy,
Apr 16, 4:38pm
my 1600 turbo is faster and better on gas than the same car with a mild rotary 12A in it. As much as i'd LOVE a mint rx3 coupe. id take the turbo 4cyl any day for a daily driver
aragorn2003,
Apr 16, 4:46pm
no one at all
savanna71,
Apr 16, 4:48pm
Fair enough, i guess it doesnt take much to excite you
aragorn2003,
Apr 16, 4:49pm
Im getting excited just reading your post
ninja_man,
Apr 16, 4:54pm
the na 4age is pretty gutless. the k20 honda motor would be a better option
trdbzr,
Apr 16, 4:58pm
The 4age goes quite well for a 1600cc. However if you want something to tinker around with, then B series and K series Honda engines are a good choice, simply due to far more off the shelf aftermarket parts available for them than the 16v and 20v 4age.
savanna71,
Apr 16, 5:02pm
Even the Honda engine is pretty average unless remaining N/A is a priority (even then the N/A renesis is better) In my opinion if you are going to the expense of repowering get a a decent 4cyl like a 4G63 Turbo or 13B Turbo
bitsy_boffin,
Apr 16, 5:09pm
Define reliable.
If I was building an aircraft, an aero converted RX7 (sans turbo) or RX8 engine would be high on the list to power it.
Rotarys have much better failure modes than reciprocating engines, when a rotary "fails" it smokes a lot and loses power but will probably keep on trucking.When a reciprocating engine fails, it's usually fairly much stopped dead in it's tracks.So in that view, rotaries are more reliable, because you can rely on them to get you home.
As for foxdonut's comment that there is no grunt without a turbo. the Type S RX8 is rated at 238 Horsepower.No turbo.That's not too shabby in my books.
1ollie,
Apr 16, 5:10pm
Yes they sure can be very reliable! you do have to pick your engine builder and tuner a bit more carefully than with some other engines, but there are plenty out there that make good power and are reliable. Would not waste your time with a 4AGE especialy if its going to be N/A as there are better options out there in my view.
1ollie,
Apr 16, 5:12pm
Nicew but now find some 300HP N/A 4AGE's and some 7 second ones to while your at it. haha
1ollie,
Apr 16, 5:14pm
Hahaha why does every post you make have to be filled with lies or incorrect information! your still an idiot.
foxdonut,
Apr 16, 5:17pm
They're called 4A Atlantic motors - over 300hp, about 25 years old now. You used to be able to buy them in a crate option.
You don't really know much about anything do you!
foxdonut,
Apr 16, 5:18pm
Wow. 240 horse.
Slow down, you'll go back in time.
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