Alright street racing enthusiasts; who remembers cramming big V8 engines between the fenders of a tiny Chevy Vega, Opel, or Mustang II? Those were the days. We could build a 5.7-liter Chevrolet engine (four-bolt mains) that could hang with anything on the street (roll and dig).

The Vega, Opel, and Mustang II have all gone away. That leaves us with the heavier Camaro/Trans Am, Mustang, W-Body, and G-Body. Luckily, these days we have access to better power-adders – at unbelievable prices – than we could’ve ever imagined in those days.

Nevertheless, it would be great if a blue-collar guy could build a naturally-aspirated ride to compete in today’s fast-paced street racing scene.

Enter the sporty Mazda RX7. It is athletic enough in factory trim but certainly no street racer. As a rear-wheel drive coupe, the RX7 is the perfect candidate for a V8 engine swap (once the factory motor has played out, of course).

The LS3 crate motor that has been inserted into this Mazda is a 430hp, 6.2-liter, all-aluminum (heads and block) powerhouse with a 10.7:1 compression ratio. Rolling out against some much more powerful inducted cars, the little Mazda held its own valiantly. Still might have to add some nitrous and/or a turbo if it were mine. Nice car.