I've thought of this too.  I owned and autocrossed an '81 RX-7.  It had the
smaller 12A engine.  If you're going to give this a try you'll want the
larger 13B.   Anyway, WONDERFUL ENGINE, felt like spinning a blender up to
multi million RPM's.  Difficulties in Vanagon will probably include: no
torque at low RPM, launches will be tough.  Rotary engines make an
incredible amount of noise.  Piercing, shreiking, high frequency noise.
They need lots and lots of muffling to make them liveable.  Don't know where
all these mufflers are going to go in a Vanagon.  Finally, if you tune a
rotary so it makes the power of a high perf. engine (they are easily capable
of 200hp with a long life) they will suck gas like a high perf engine.  My
light (2,100 lbs) RX-7 could barely break 15 mpg on the highway.

A swap like this would bring new meaning to re-engineering!

Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: Dar Crammond <DCrammond@aol.com>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 11:59 PM
Subject: Rotary engine transplant

> So, I was thinking, (always dangerous), I wonder if anyone has put a
rotary
> in a vanagon?
> I have seen it done to a Karmann Ghia before.
> It is a sweet and smooth engine.  Maybe a bit short on low end torque, but
> that redline and high end would make up for a world of short gears.
> Probably would be a gas hog, too.
> And I would bet the two rotor turbo motor out of a late RX 7 weighs a lot
> more than the Wasserboxer.
> Any experience with this out there?
> DAR
> Odell the Adventurewagen
>