PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx? - Jalopnik Comments

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

lews9146 — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:57:54 EDT

I'm curently installing a VW 1.9l turbo diesel into a beater 88 rx7. With close to 100hp and more torque than that it should be pretty peppy. Besieds, 40+ mpg and veggie oil. cant beat it!!

lews9146

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

petersterncan — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:01:59 EDT

Chevette diesel RX-7 all the way if only because it is such an unholy combination... and I'm not religious.

petersterncan

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

FuzzyPlushroom — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:52:37 EDT

@brandegee: Huh. So, the RF in the RX-7, maybe, and send the Lynx and the Chevette engine back to the scrapyard where they belong?

FuzzyPlushroom

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

FuzzyPlushroom — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:46:01 EDT

The Lynx with a Mazda RF 2.0 from the factory just doesn't seem all that difficult to me. That engine was used in the Lynxcort, as well as the Tempo/Topaz - horrible cars, to be sure, but common. Finding bits for the diesel can't be that bad.

Now, the Chevette-engined RX7 has similar parts availability, but it'd be hellishly slow and useless... Besides, it's just sick, so it gets my vote.

FuzzyPlushroom

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Brian B — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:18:50 EDT

Gads! ... and I thought my 67-pony 240D was anemic.

Brian B

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

thatguy01 — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:45:42 EDT

I'd have to agree: The RX7 is being punished for something, like when a fast corner on a racetrack is neutered with a chicane after a fatality.

thatguy01

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

P161911 — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:31:59 EDT

The Mazda probably has MORE torque now than it did stock. MUCH slower, but maybe quicker for the first 5 feet or so.

P161911

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

FЯeeMan is slowly cЯawling out of the new commenting system — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:28:33 EDT

@thunder: RX7amino with a (substantial) diesel and a 5th wheel hitch? That may just be the most Jalopnik vehicle evar!!!!!!!!11!!1!11!!

FЯeeMan is slowly cЯawling out of the new commenting system

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

SundaySunday — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:00:42 EDT

As a lover of all things Mercury (no, not that way, sicko), it warms my cockles to see a lowly Lynx Diesel that would actually beat an RX-7 (well, just this one) on the quarter mile.

Better get your lawn chair, though. This could take a while.

SundaySunday

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

BLS — Wed, 21 May 2008 08:37:45 EDT

Good one today. Another worthy PCH diesel would be a Jeep Grand Wagoneer. I don't know how hell worthy they are but they are rare and they have style and complete lack of power.

Suggestion: Jolopnik comparo Diesel Wagoneer vs. Diesel Isuzu Trooper .............. vs. Golf Cart.

BLS

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Elhigh — Wed, 21 May 2008 06:40:23 EDT

Take the everyman sports coupe of its day, take the everyman soulsucking commuter appliance of its day, combine the worst features of each, and then sell the bastard offspring. Winner: Mazda RX7.

Elhigh

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Jake — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:32:47 EDT

@narf:
Bwhahah they should give out a Sundial award for the worlds slowest cars!

Jake

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

HUMONGUS — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:45:50 EDT

@thunder: Stop!! You're killing me!!!

HUMONGUS

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

HUMONGUS — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:42:22 EDT

Ah, Warren Ohio. Fairly close to Cleveland and Detroit but it would seem that the proximity to these cities did not influence the owner of the Mazda to do the logical small-block Ford/Chevy engine swap on the RX-7. If the owner gets $300.00 for this POS (let alone $3.00) he should be shot on general principle, then strapped in the Mazda while it is set aflame for a fiery (but extremely slow) trip to PCH.

HUMONGUS

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

CptSevere — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:51:23 EDT

Ooops. Screwed it up. No, Thunder, the GM diesel goes in a thrashed Malaise 'Vette. That way, you'd go to hell and burn with the idiot who raped this poor little RX7. However, a turbocharged, intercooled, v8 diesel Vette might be kinda cool. You'd still be damned to hell, but at least you'd get there quicker than in the DRX7.

CptSevere

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

CptSevere — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:48:05 EDT

@thunder: @

CptSevere

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

andy_wallwhore — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:26:52 EDT

Sorry, Murilee Martin,
and discourse.

andy_wallwhore

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

andy_wallwhore — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:16:42 EDT

Murliee you f'n rule. The random discorse this match-up has produced is a novelty in itself. Natch the sans-rotary -R(+D)X-7 FTW. I would redeem (restore?) the performance with a two or three stage turbo though. A rotary engine would shatter its apex seals at the thought of 100-150 PSI in the manifold. I love this blog.

andy_wallwhore

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Smells_Homeless — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:35:41 EDT

"what sounds like a front main seal leak"

I don't know about y'all, but any oil leak I can hear is hell! Merc it is.

Smells_Homeless

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

GreenVanMan — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:54:01 EDT

i think the RX7 would be more hellish, simply because torque and rx7s do not mix.
plus factory diesel is less hellish than a poor quality home diesel swap.

GreenVanMan

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

wkiernan — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:52:02 EDT

I'm tempted to vote for the raped RX-7 just because it's so ghastly horrible - good Lord spare us! a Diesel where a Wankel ought to be - and after all horror is kind of what Project Car Hell is all about, but as a Mazda sports car owner myself, I just can't do it; it's too, too wrong. I must abstain.

Sorry! Maybe I don't have the grit to be a true Jalopnik, after all.

wkiernan

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

thunder — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:20:44 EDT

DX-7 FTW. But... The seller has several other eBay auctions going on, one of which is a salvage GM 6.2L diesel for sale. I'm thinking buy the Mazda and the extra engine, squeeze the 6.2 into the Mazda to get back something of the power to weight ratio it was born with.

And to finish off the project with style, mod the rear hatch area to accept a 5th wheel hitch (and a heavier axle maybe?), and you could be haulin' in style, baby!

thunder

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

HoubaHouba! — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:13:16 EDT

The RX-7 had me at Chevette diesel engine. Not that a diesel sports car is such a bad thing; a light fun commuter car would be a great results. But for all the work needed to do such a one-off swap the PO picked one of the weirdest and weakest engines possible.

HoubaHouba!

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

lascauxcaveman — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:08:08 EDT

Well, that RX-diesel7 is pretty cool. Not as cool as a Lamborghini with a Fiero engine, but definitely cooler than a stock diesel Lynx.

This is going to be a rather lopsided victory for the Mazda-Isuzu-Chevette cadre.

lascauxcaveman

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

dulcamara — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:04:38 EDT

Perhaps the RX7 did something very bad in a previous life.

dulcamara

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Flipper_1938 — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:47:35 EDT

My dad had a chevy luv with the izuzu diesel in it. It was slow no matter how hard you beat on it. I took it to a test and tune might......21 sec @ 61 mph was the best quarter mile pass I could pull off (WFO launch and every shift)

Having a sports car that slow gets you a free pass in the HOV lane to hell.

Flipper_1938

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

JoeWoodsprite — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:35:59 EDT

I have to got with the RX-7 and convert it back to a Rotary to burn off some karmic debt. At that point the new engine can be converted to run off propane, LPG, or hydrogen if there is a need to go eco. By removing the Chevette curse a soul will have been saved.

JoeWoodsprite

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

T92 — Tue, 20 May 2008 20:01:40 EDT

I saw a grey Mercury Lynx Diesel last year parked next to somsone's house, and I don't remember it having any rust or dents either.

T92

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

marc2068 — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:16:17 EDT

RX-7 diesel, I think that Isuzu engine just throws the weight balance to hell that is why it needs struts. The Lnyx can be improved with the turbo setup from a Powerstroke engine. Hey it's all Ford stuff.

marc2068

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Mad_Science — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:16:03 EDT

@Paul Y. is Going Dumb at the Sideshow: Pervert

Mad_Science

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:16:00 EDT

So, where is the Wankel powered Chevette this guy must have built to balance (nullify, counteract, redeem) his RX7 castration exercise?

51 horsepowering this RX7 is an act of vandalism / nee war akin to me and some chaps spraypainting the steps of the Whitehouse. However, doing a direct swap between both cars is worthy of several dozen kudos points.

And a beer.

I'm Amazed at a Mazda.

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

LionZoo — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:13:46 EDT

A place in real hell is reserved for the guy that put a diesel into a RX-7.

LionZoo

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:07:58 EDT

@Mad_Science: We've hit new depths of PCH, because this whole discussion is making me desire to own a diesel Chevette.

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Mad_Science — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:03:09 EDT

@MarionCobretti: That you know that little rotary-on rotary SnappleFact makes you my hero.

@Acd: "The Isuzu diesel may hurt its performance but makes up for it in drivability over the rotary."

You know we've hit new depth of PCH when someone heralds a Chevette diesel as an improvement in drivability.

Mad_Science

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

narf — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:42:45 EDT

No contest, the RX7. Nothing like a once proud sports car that now can get beaten by sportier cars like my 4-cylinder extended cab S10 or a 3-cylinder Geo Metro XFI, nevermind the even more awesome greatness of a standard issue brown UPS truck.

0-60 time? Let me bust out my sundial ...

narf

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

MarionCobretti — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:37:25 EDT

Oh, I shouldn't have looked at that ebay auction. The diesel RX-7 (DX-7?) is about 20 miles from where I work. Now, despite the fact that I berated it earlier, I want it!

MarionCobretti

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

discontinuuity — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:36:15 EDT

[www.halfbakery.com]

discontinuuity

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

CEman — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:31:01 EDT

"That Lynx diesel is the automotive equivalemt of the Coelacanth. The RX-7 is something out of the twilight zone...like a 3-headed lamb or something.

I'm frightened."
@MustaineGT:

Anyone who can use Coelacanth in a Jalopnik post must be of COTD stock right?

I stand in awe....

CEman

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

MarionCobretti — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:30:31 EDT

A diesel RX7!? That's project car hell in a more literal sense, as something so blasphemous (take a light, high-revving motor out of a sports car and put in a diesel) really ought to land you in actual hell.

@facingtraffic:

Rotaries can run on diesel. Sorta. They can't produce the required compression to ignite diesel on their own, so to get a rotary to burn diesel, they have to have a lot of forced induction. In the only diesel rotary application I ever saw (and this was in a book), a second rotary engine was hooked up and driven by the diesel-powered rotary. The sole job of the second rotary engine was to act as an air pump, shoving compressed air into the intake ports of the first. Oh, and the rotary that was just acting as a supercharger was about three times larger than the one actually burning the fuel. It was deligtfully preposterous.

MarionCobretti

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Acd — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:29:29 EDT

After working at Mazda dealers during the 1990's and trying to sell used RX-7's I can attest that they are almost Italian in their PCH-ness. The Isuzu diesel may hurt its performance but makes up for it in drivability over the rotary.

Acd

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Mad_Science — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:27:19 EDT

I'm choking on my confusion with the RX-D. So many questions.

That may easily be the most PCH car ever. (I smell a poll...and burning sulfur)

Mad_Science

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

mattEGTx — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:23:21 EDT

As there was (apparently) a direct-injection turbocharged version of the RF used in the Lynx (also used in the awesomely-named Mazda Bongo) that produced 101 bhp, there may yet be hope for the little Merc rust bucket.

I vote Rexvette.

mattEGTx

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

DeadFlorist — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:14:56 EDT

RXavette, all the way. Next project, a Morris/Austin 4 banger transplanted into a 70's Eldorado, SU carbs, Lucas distributor, and all.

DeadFlorist

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

UDMan — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:11:23 EDT

The Chevette Diesel was SLOOOOOOOOWWWWWW on it's own. I can only imagine how slow the RX-7 is with a 51HP Isuzu Diesel.

I remember an acquaintance of mine (that's what you call a friend who isn't really a friend!) who owned a Chevette Diesel. The dealer even added a "Diesel" stripe along the rocker panel. Zero to Sixty? oh, in about a week.

UDMan

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

LaughingAtFate — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:02:27 EDT

As PCH goes, That RX7 is just, too far out there for my brain, it's like, WHY???!!!!

And to use the non-turboed chevette Diesel? Surely there's better options out there (unless the dinky little chevette motor was the only one that would fit in the RX7's engine bay)

but still... WHY!?

LaughingAtFate

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

dohcspit — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:00:48 EDT

Chevette RX-7 lemon!

With the fuel economy of a diesel and the handling of an RX-7, what could possibly go wrong ?

dohcspit

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

texajeff — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:58:06 EDT

Isn't a turbine a diesel rotary engine of sorts? Anyway, I would rather have the turbine 928 than either of these.

texajeff

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

badco/LoJ — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:57:52 EDT

@dolo54: Good luck with that.

badco/LoJ

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

dolo54 — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:52:33 EDT

I'm going to turn 360 degrees and walk away from both of these.

dolo54

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

brandegee — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:51:50 EDT

Wow. This is inspired. RX-7 wins because even a diesel Lynx has a better power-to-weight ratio. To heighten the Dadaism the Lynx is the one with the Mazda diesel.

brandegee

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

kbarrett — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:50:50 EDT

one metric ton of dead environmentalists can be converted into 80 gallons of Soylent Diesel.

We can solve both the fuel crisis and the population crisis.

kbarrett

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Tomsk the red-nosed reindeer — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:47:23 EDT

You'd never be able to register the Mazda here in Kalifornistan (diesel-to-gas conversions are okay but not vice versa), so the peewee Merc wins by TKO.

Tomsk the red-nosed reindeer

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

russell_s — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:46:13 EDT

wtf-

how do you end up ww an extra diesel chevette?

russell_s

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

NovaloadMissesPolar — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:45:52 EDT

One of the funniest write ups, Murilee.

Yes, Mazda, of course. If only for the suspension problem + hot bacon grease line.

NovaloadMissesPolar

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Maymar is convinced M.C. Escher engineered his car — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:44:33 EDT

Taking a Lynx and making it diesel is merely purgatory. It's weird, but it's slow and of questionable merit to begin with.

But a diesel, it's a complete 180 on the personality of a rotary. One's light, zingy, and burns oil for the hell of it, the other's heavy, slow, and burns oil to make "power." Once I follow through on my plans of world domination, I'm hiring the guy evil enough to think of kneecapping an RX7 with a diesel.

Maymar is convinced M.C. Escher engineered his car

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

MustaineGT — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:40:23 EDT

That Lynx diesel is the automotive equivalemt of the Coelacanth. The RX-7 is something out of the twilight zone...like a 3-headed lamb or something.

I'm frightened.

MustaineGT

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

evoCS is possibly NSFW — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:40:17 EDT

Taking a sports car and dropping in a motor that makes it a far, far slower machine has got to be from some sort of twisted, wackyland hell. And apparently that type of hell is located in Warren county, Ohio, my childhood home. Therefore, I vote for the greasy spoon Mazda.

evoCS is possibly NSFW

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Dr.Danger, I run the Death Star — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:38:13 EDT

RX-7 with Chevette engine? sounds like all kinds of hell.

Dr.Danger, I run the Death Star

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:35:24 EDT

The Mazda wins because it verges on Dadaism. The Lynx, on the other hand, is just depressing.

Paul Y. can't think of a better, shorter handle

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Topher_ — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:35:17 EDT

I feel sorry for the RX-7. It was born with a powerful rotary, and then it got lumbered with a chevette diesel.

Topher_

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

akirachan — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:33:19 EDT

The RX-7 with a diesel engine, and a Chevette diesel engine at that? that is so wrong, so wrong in fact that in this case two wrongs do make a right...It's kinda like shaving a transsexual person's legs with a machete!

akirachan

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

dwegmull — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:32:28 EDT

I think a car powered by an engine never designed for it beats a factory setup everyday of the week and twice on Sunday... RX7-D FTW!

For complete hell, what you really need is a ROTARY diesel engine ;-) I wonder if it is even possible?

dwegmull

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

Tanshanomi — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:30:15 EDT

The RX-7 with Chevette diesel is really, really, weird, no matter what fuel you put in it. But unfortunately, N.A. Escorts, Festivas, 1Gen Tercels and all derivatives of said vehicles win anything, all the time, automatically, only out of loyalty.

Tanshanomi

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

GrandMarquis_de_Sade — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:30:12 EDT

no WAY. I am not falling for either of these.. do you know how painful fryer oil burns are?

GrandMarquis_de_Sade

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

WWFSMD — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:30:11 EDT

I suggested a human fat powered diesel engine for a Human Powered vehicle project a couple of years ago. I was called a freak ...... just sayin'

WWFSMD

PCH, Diesel Dilemma Edition: Diesel RX-7 or Diesel Lynx?

facingtraffic — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:30:01 EDT

Am I wrong or did I read somewhere that rotaries can run on diesel? I may just be making that up.

Oh, and definitely the RX-7.

facingtraffic