New Rotary Engine design by LiquidPiston

Automotive
#1

This is the first topic I’ve tried to create, so if it’s in the wrong place or inappropriate please move it and/or let me know…

@Photomancer :: The other day we were discussing your idea to put a Mazda rotary engine in my '72 Opel GT. This morning I found a link to this company called LiquidPiston in a facebook post. Checked out the site and the videos and this engine design makes my ganglia twitch. Please have a look, as I would be interested in your thoughts on the design. The company is currently in the funding stages, but already has $9M in government contracts.

The design can be scaled up to create engines that make much more horsepower than the initial proof of concept prototypes. But it might just be an ideal solution for my plans to beef up the GT for autocross racing and drifting.

Would be interested in the thoughts any other gear heads might have as well.

Thanks!

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#2

They’ve been @ this since 2006…
Nifty little thing that makes neat videos and people like me go “COOOOOOL!”, but not much in the way of real-world “stuff happening”.
Maybe that’ll change soon. But if you want a rotary, I’d plan to use one of Mazda origins or one of those born of from it. (But in an Opel GT, I might opt for something else )

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#3

@jast :: Now THAT is really interesting. Thanks for the link to the info for that GM 2.7 Liter I-4 Turbo L3B Engine. That might just do the trick. Develops peak torque at 1500 - 4000 rpm at 310 horsepower. That’s perfect for autocross.

I appreciate the input! I’m learning a lot.

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#4

Opel GT - the “Minnie Vette”. Haven’t seen one of those in a long long time. Where’d you find yours?

Putting a different engine/trans in this will probably require extensive fabbing, etc. IE major PIB.
A possible much easier alternative towards what your end application - find the largest engine that came in the car and supercharge it. Bore and stroke depending on your budget and what’s available. Instant torque and lots of fun. Drive line will probably have some “issues” with the increased power and you’ll need some kind of posi carrier in the rear end. Maybe a torsion if you can find one for that car.

Going on mem recall here. Think that engine was a I4 pushrod set up w/ a 7k redline. Impressive for a puhrod job of the day.

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#5

@artg_dms :: We found it online in the summer of 2019. My Beloved bought one exactly like this one for her first car when she was 17 back in 1976. We followed the car online for a while and learned that it had been bought at an auction in Florida for $13K. The guy that bought it took it to the #1 Opel restoration guy in Tennessee who promptly told him it wasn’t the show car he thought he was buying, and that they had the car he was looking for and that he needed to put this one back on the market. We got it for $6K. It looks beautiful, but had a bunch of problems we discovered as we went along, and I’ve been restoring the car for the past year and a half.

My wife has issues with heat, and since the car doesn’t have air conditioning or power steering she found it a challenge to drive in warmer weather. So since I’m having so much fun fixing it she decided to give it to me and she’s trading in our Honda CRV for a Dodge Challenger that she’s always wanted. I could not be happier! :wink:

Yes, you’re correct about the current powerplant. It’s not the original engine in the car, but it is the ‘correct’ stock engine, and it actually runs really great now that I’ve learned more about it and got some excellent help and advice from the guys on the DMS race team (thanks David! It’s never run better!).

I fully understand the challenges with doing the engine swap, but I enjoy complicated challenges and we’ll see where this one ends up. I definitely want to race it, though.

I’m having a ball with it. Thanks for your input. Much appreciated!

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