What you busted was either the AST or a coolant hose. What do you expect from a car built in 1993? If you had a 93 Vette or Camaro, with that many kmiles, it would need new hoses also. If you broke a hose on a LS swap, you would be having to replace it also.

I know of 1, that's right 1, correctly running LS setup in an FD here in Atlanta. It is all stock. I can beat him with my stock 1.3 on RA.

Maintenence on a rotary is no more expensive than on a V8. It's the same basic stuff. It's not really very different.