13B Rotary Swapped C5 Corvette Z06 Project Progressing: Video

The LS engine swap is legendary in the automotive community. The Chevrolet Small-Block V8 engine from General Motors has found its way into thousands of unconventional makes and models, creating some hellishly fast creations. But Rob Dahm isn’t doing that. Instead, he’s flipping the entire concept on its head with his latest C5 Corvette Z06 build.

This isn’t the first time we’ve covered Dahm’s C5 Corvette Z06 project. Back in February, we covered one of his update videos that showed him installing a Mazda-sourced 13B rotary engine in the engine bay of the C5 Corvette. It freed up a ton of space, but anyone who has spent a lick of time with a wrench in their hand knows such a radical conversion can cause some headaches.

Since February, the build has continued to progress, though it appears to have slowed. The latest update video, above, is all about modifying and installing the new subframe. It took Dahm some time to figure out exactly what needs to happen to not only fit the subframe, but also to modify it in a way that will play well with the rotary engine. There’s a lot of cutting, grinding, and a handful of expletives that are legally mandatory, but eventually it does fit.

Dahm is rushing to complete the project ahead of LS Fest that’s less than a month away, and there’s still a lot of work left to be done. Dahm says that in the next update, he’ll work to fabricate the engine mounts that have to reach from the front of the engine and the subframe to the engine mounts located at the back of the engine.

Once finished, Dahm will have a 13B rotary-powered C5 Corvette Z06. He plans on adding a turbocharger, which should increase horsepower exponentially. The two-rotor engine comes from Mazda USA, which made an exception and sold Dahm an engine intended for a race team and not a consumer. It should pack plenty of punch in its stock form, and a blower will only add to that. With less than a month left, we’ll be keeping an eye on his update videos to see if he can finish in time and to check out the completed project.

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