Sprocket's Competition

Proving myself nothing if not dogged, here are the latest deets about the project.

She's been a fairly reliable driver for some time now and Sigfrid and I were preparing for this season's warm weather attack on the interior when everything went pear shaped.
Idle/driveability began to deteriorate, she randomly refused to start and last and worst, the clutch went...AGAIN!

Our engine issues were finally traced to a bad Idle Air Control solenoid.
We had a spare already attached to the aftermarket (larger bore) throttle body (Holley) and decided to just throw the whole thing back on.
This throttle body was originally on the 383 stroker motor and was deemed too big for our new "stock" engine, so it's lanquished in a box for the past year.

Everything got a lot better.
Still needs tuning (we have a "new" tunable ECU already installed) but she idles steadily at 750 RPM ( and more importantly, returns to idle smoothly) and will pull past 5k RPM without hesitation.
Not a lot of power up there yet (@ 4K RPM seems to be the sweet spot right now) but we're getting closer to the theoretical peak of 6.5K RPM.
Figure we need a cam and rockers to make this happen.

The starting problem was traced to a bad connector on the fuel tank bulkhead plate.
This was the problem I planned on fixing this week...until the clutch decided to crap out.
Most inconveniently, I must add.
Sigrid's expanded work responsibilities require frequent trip/stays to Houston and during this one, I was to get the car and basically just drive and enjoy it. Tinker as necessary- the fuel pump wiring- but mainly try to reconnect with the reason I was involved...a fun car to drive.
I "enjoyed" four miles before the clutch pedal sank to floor, never to return.

Fortunately (in a relative sense) it was only the throwout bearing (our third failure of this component).
Unfortunately, the bearing is $230, only available from GM.
Many aftermarket companies sell clutch kits for the LT1 (which would include the bearing) but won't sell the bearing by itself.
No clue why...

Our Frankensteined clutch hydraulic system is apparently overextending the slave cylinder, which stresses the throwout bearing to failure.
The previous failures actually ripped the bearing out of the clutch plate (it's a "pull-style" clutch), this time the bearing flange distorted to the point that the fork slipped off the back of the bearing, leaving the clutch intact.
A silver lining, I guess.
Our last clutch cost over $700, so it's not a trivial expense...especially when labor gets added on.

Working on the clutch is beyond our physical capabilities (I'm far too old to lay on my back with a transmission on my ribcage), so the car was towed to Precision and our old friend Dan knocked it out for us.
Coincidentally, a few weeks ago Precision bought an alignment rack from a closing business.
The display didn't work and I miraculously was able to fix it.
So they kinda owe me a favor, which I'm cashing in tonight as Dan and I corner weight and align the beast.
Hopefully this will eliminate our handling quirks...I'm excited to find out.

Today I must address the clutch problem- how to prevent this overextension?
I have three approaches, ranging from the dead simple (a pedal stop) to the more elegant (smaller master cylinder).

We'll see how it goes...

Well, that was educational.

Spent five hours Friday night corner weighting and aligning the bitch and finally, for the first time ever, I think she rides/handles better than my RX.
Very sweet.

Surprisingly, Sigfrid and my method of measuring fender height to set the suspension resulted in a near perfect cross corner weight balance (with driver and 1/2 tank of gas, we were 7 lbs. off...too close to mess with).
Our loaded weight (driver & fuel) is 2988 lbs which puts us exactly at the stock car's stated weight (2740 lbs.).
The car is slightly tail heavy (which is not what one would intuitively expect) and we decided to leave it that way.
The thinking is the steering will be lighter and weight transfer under braking would bring us to 50/50 distribution.
We can dial this in later if necessary by slowly raising the rear spring perches (a two minute job).

If the corner weighting was perfect, the alignment was anything but...every adjustment on every wheel was FUBAR.
Dan set us up with an aggressive street setup- more negative camber (better grip but increased tire wear), slightly less front toe (less self-centering but more responsive steering) and "street" caster ( half degree more on the passenger front to compensate for the normal crown of the road -the extra caster helps reduce the tendency to dive at curbs on crowned pavement but is unnoticeable on flat roads).

I haven't done a lot of driving since then and what I have has all been low speed city driving.
I'll finally get on a highway when I return the car to Sigfrid this morning, so far she's been wonderfully docile and easy to live with.
I'm quite pleased.

Slight update.

When Dan removed/installed the transmission he did not first remove the center interior console.
As he pushed the gearshift back up through the rubber boot, it dislodged and ultimately started interfering with the shifter throw.
I thought the clutch needed adjusting but redoing the shift boot fixed the problem and she shifts cleanly again.

Just thought you'd like to know.

As he's pressed the 7 into daily service, Sigfrid has become obsessed with the "tune" of the engine and minor driveability glitches.
We have several possible problem areas and have begun addressing them...the trick is figuring out a priority tree to follow.

This weekend we'll be replacing all the engine sensors (MAP, IAT, TPS, IAC and VSS) with new parts.

Our current fuel injectors came straight off the intake I pulled from the junkyard last year and have never been tested/cleaned.
We have a set of bigger injectors from the original 383 engine, may put them in just to see what happens but they are untested as well, so I'm not sure what
info this would give us.
Ideally we would just get a new set and be sure they were good.

Our exhaust manifolds leak and in general pretty much suck.
Sigfrid bought a new set of Pacesetter headers (shitty brand but better than what we have) off Craigslist and I tried fitting them while the car was up on the rack,
but they were just not configured right for our application. Probably would have fit if the subframe was dropped but that would destroy our alignment every time the headers were removed, so I vetoed the idea.

Finally, there is the engine harness we built last year.
Since then we've learned a lot about how this could be improved (ground loop mitigation and twisted pair/shielded sensor wiring) and have been kicking around the idea of totally redoing it.
Sigfrid found a site that makes custom harnesses (and tunes ECUs as well) and began an email exchange.
Turns out, the guy is located in Golden, CO...about 5 miles from Sigfrid's office.
He's interested in seeing the car, Sigfrid is interested in getting the harness and I'm wanting to redo the entire body harness.
We should all be happy.
And busy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by clocker

Finally, there is the engine harness we built last year.
Since then we've learned a lot about how this could be improved (ground loop mitigation and twisted pair/shielded sensor wiring) and have been kicking around the idea of totally redoing it.

---

Well, we quit "kicking the idea around" and finally just did it.
Kind of.

Due to some recent personal upheavals the future of the Beast was in doubt and we went into "prepare for selling" mode.
The chassis wiring I did last year has performed without fault but the engine harness has suffered a lot of abuse as we (mistakenly) blamed it for driveability faults.
We had finally gotten everything in order but it looked terrible and did not reflect my current thinking on placement.
After completing the project last year, hindsight revealed much better ways to do it and I was eager to try.

It made sense to relocate the ECU and clean up the interior portion of the engine harness because that was a very low cost job that would significantly increase our curb appeal.
Selling a car like this is difficult because of the "shadetree" nature of the result. The buyer knows you've been all over the car and something as ugly and amateur as our ECU install would
frighten off many folks.
Rightly so.

Took us about 2 hours to strip the interior and begin the wiring.
The ECU fit into it's new location in the driver footwell almost as if it was factory designed.
One very simple bracket and two foam pads are all it took.
It's completely accessible with the dash in place and because we had extra length in the harness, the computer could be removed and set in the driver seat without disconnecting it.
Not sure if the last is a "feature" or a "bug".
Anyway, we were quite pleased that the project had gone so easily and quickly.

Of course, she then refused to start.

We adjourned for the day and began anew on Friday morning.

We decided- after no small amount of disagreement...I lost- to shorten the harness by a few feet and reverify all the connections.
(keep in mind that at this point we have not touched any of the harness forward of the firewall)
Ended up removing almost three feet of wire length and checking every single pin at the ECU (there are 49 altogether).
The harness was now nicely loomed, the grounds were all rationally laid out and in general, it was pretty fuckin nice.

Still didn't start.

Figured we had to get under the hood and start checking...out of sheer laziness I went for the easiest connector to get at, the coil.
Which did not have +12v where it was supposed to.
Neither did the ignition amplifier.
The solution struck us both simultaneously.

When we first built the harness last year, we had the exact same problem which turned out to be a flaw in our reading of the GM schematic.
The fix was a simple one wire relocate in the engine bay and a corresponding jury rig at the ECU side.
When we redid the computer to exactly match the GM layout, we "broke" the circuit we had jury rigged last year.
Undoing our previous fix at the coil connector was all it took and she fired right up.
Hallelujah.

I'm also happy to report that the plan- at least for now- is to KEEP the 7 and truly make it a daily driver, sole source of transport.
In light of this, I now consider the entire wiring layout to be at the end of beta stage.
Component layout is almost perfect and a very clean harness route has been established.
Next- and final- step would be a complete redo with all new wire and connectors.
We'll see.

So, we not only crossed another milestone, we also were finally able to get some info about our poor running issues (we have a constant Check Engine light).
Now that the diagnostic port was finally functional ( a long and involved story best left for later) we could finally pull codes and see what was up.

The "new" ECU (purchased from an online seller who flashes your desired tune and removes unneeded components) thinks it should have an auto transmission and is freaking out from lack of sensor data.
So it goes into limp mode to protect the "fatally damaged" transmission we don't even have.
We're getting no trouble codes from the engine itself.

Our older ECU (replaced because of burned connector pins) only complains of VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) signal failure (rectified during the harness repair) but doesn't have as good a tune for our setup.
We need the guys who sold us this last computer to replace it with one for a manual trans (which is what we ordered dammit!) and we should be good to go.
If it runs like this in limp mode, I can't wait to see her unleashed.

Money will probably be very tight for a while, as will time since we'll now have to concentrate on keeping her on the road instead of torn down in the garage.
Nevertheless, I'm pretty happy with how things are going.

Two pics from yesterday:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/Bay21.jpg

Only the compulsive will see any changes here and that's actually kind of the point.
The Beast is due for an emissions test this month (required to register/tag the car) and, well...we really don't have much of the original emissions stuff installed.
So, we decided to install these Corvette intake valley covers to cover up the area where most of the stuff is supposed to be.
They look very nice, I think.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ker/Miata3.jpg

Also installed a Miata gauge cluster bezel which is a big step towards integrating the Miata gauges into the FD dash.
This shows the driver's view and how well the whole setup fits the steering wheel, all that remains is to transition from the new bezel to the dash, and we're exploring options for doing that.

So, here's what happened yesterday...
As previously mentioned, we need to emission test the car.
The first- and so far, only- time we got "tested", money exchanged hands and a pass was slipped to us through the backdoor, as it were.
Since then the state has tightened up procedures and our "free market" approach is no longer possible, so into the belly of the beast we rode, having decided that a full frontal approach was best.
Figured we'd just present her as a normal car and see the response.

The first check uses a mirror on a broomstick to verify presence of catalytic converters and evap system...we have both and they're fully functional.
(The cats play a part later in the story, so get ready...)
Next, the VIN gets entered into a computer and a picture of the engine bay appears with arrows pointing to systems/parts that must be present...the hood is then opened and a comparison made.
This is where things got a bit weird since the Corvette engine looks nothing like the Mazda rotary.
At one point there were six techs huddled around the car (one of whom kept insisting the car was actually a Viper...go figure) and I was pretty sure the test would be halted right then due to the obvious and massive discrepancy.
But it wasn't, and she proceeded to the rollers for the sniff test.

Passed with flying colors, the tailpipe emissions were barely a blip on the screen (and we hadn't tweaked a thing, she ran just as she normally does).
I was dumbfounded as it looked like we were home free.

But no, they failed us on the "visual" inspection, specifically citing the lack of an airpump.
We showed them documentation from our new (very expensive) catalytic converter (Random Technology, if you care) that specifically and emphatically states that air pumps must NOT be used because new design cats are so efficient they don't need extra oxygen to work properly and the extra air just overheats and destroys them.
This swayed them not at all...the computer says an airpump should be there and they had no leeway to excuse it's absence.
They also entered into the system that there appeared to be "non-standard" engine modifications- no shit Sherlocks, we changed the whole damn thing- which now forces us to visit a state referee.

Once we get by him, he'll amend the system to reflect the changes and excuse the car from further visual inspections.
I hope.
Tomorrow morning (Thurs.) we're going to bolt in an electric airpump and fake wire/ hose it, so it looks functional.
We have an appointment with the ref at 3pm.
It will be a major milestone if we can get her absolutely legal and smogable...fingers are crossed.

Met with the referee yesterday.
It did not go well.

Our "fake" airpump install did not impress him- he actually followed the airline down and discovered it does not connect to the cat (to be fair, it kind of does blow air at the cat...or it would if it was actually wired to anything and ran).
And he wants an EGR system installed...preferably where he can see the valve/solenoid (which means even the stock GM parts, which are hidden behind the intake manifold, would not do).

The irony of the situation was not lost on any of us*...our car sails through the sniff test, yet we're being penalized on technicalities and must spend time and money adding parts that in all likelihood will make the car run worse and will be removed again immediately following the inspection.
Sigfrid and I agreed after the meeting that the ref (who was a nice enough guy) was willing to work with us and we'll probably get through this OK.

So, it's off to the junkyard, which will be a total morass after days of massive thunder/hail storms.
Ah, good times.


*I asked what would happen if we installed an electric motor- would we still be required to have an airpump and EGR system?
No answer was forthcoming.

Nice car continues to 'nicen'.

As to the other, this popped into my head -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAvQSkK8Z8U

Behold the glory of our emissions and despair!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../Emission3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../Emission2.jpg

We now have air injection for the cat and EGR for the intake.
None of it functional of course*, but results are not the issue...being present is all that apparently matters (since the car passes-easily!- the tailpipe test without any of this nonsense).
With a 1/2" open end wrench, a 10mm socket and a Phillips head screwdriver, the entire mess can be removed in under ten minutes.
Which it will be, immediately following the date with the inspector.
Hopefully, Monday.


*The air pump is actually wired and comes on with the ignition key but doesn't really send any air into the exhaust.

Wazzup, bitches!
Time for an update.

Failed the inspection on Monday.
Inspector decided to be a hardass and insisted on air injection into the header (both sides) and demonstrated control of the air pump by the ECU.

So...
The headers came off and new bungs were welded on to accept the one way check valves and air injection from the pump.
The air pump was relocated so it could be connected more unobtrusively to both headers.
A relay, triggered by the engine computer, was installed to activate the air pump.
The EGR system was left as I originally installed it.

This pic shows some of the details...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...emissions9.png

An overview of the engine with full emissions installed...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...emissions5.jpg

This finally satisfied the inspector and the car is now fully legal.

Which means that all of this stuff gets removed, boxed up and stored until the next required test, two years from now.

Just for irony's sake, here's a shot of our first tail pipe tests, before any of this nonsense began...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...emissions6.jpg

Note that she's running substantially cleaner than required...we've been struggling to meet the letter of the law not the intent.

This is a major milestone, the car is now fully legal and could be sold without burdening the buyer with shady dealings...the state knows about and recognizes the legality of the swap.

Whew.

Progress continues- hardly "apace", but still.

Now that the beast has become legal and been pressed into daily service (Sigfrid's RX-8 has been sold), I felt our next two areas of attack should be the front bumper and the interior.
The car's nose has been a visual and practical blight (it's so low it scrapes on almost any incline and has been chewed up as a result) and I've longed for a nice stock front bumper to replace it.
A stroke of luck found us up in Loveland, answering a Craigslist ad for the (almost) perfect example.
It had been trimmed a bit to fit a front mount intercooler but was the correct factory red and in otherwise good shape.
We also picked up an unmolested hood- but haven't done anything with it yet.

Here's the old fiberglass nose:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/Red99.jpg

And the new factory part:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/nose3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/nose1.jpg

Hard to really tell from these shots but it does fit much better and the "nose dragging" has ended.

Also note the hood scoop in the last shot.
The intake does not clear the hood and this was the original builders solution- I don't really hate this scoop but Sigfrid does.
However, now that we've properly mounted the engine the amount of interference is much less and we don't need such an exaggerated solution...the new hood we have may allow for a less obtrusive "hump".
Time will tell.

As for the interior, we face practical as well as aesthetic challenges.
Of immediate concern is the main heater box, which is missing two air mix doors (so temp cannot be regulated, heat is either all ON or all OFF).
This needs to be addressed before winter sets in.

Our aesthetic issues are the poor condition of the dash itself and many of the interior plastics.
We've discussed various approaches but simple replacement is the obvious best option...just takes money.
About $1500 to $2K, I figger.

Not a week after we had this conversation, Sigfrid tackled the problem head on...he bought a motorcycle.
No, I have no idea either...our new interior is now parked on two wheels next to the car.
Who the fuck buys a bike AT THE END OF SUMMER?

*sigh*

Spent the day detailing the car.
Wash, claybar then wax and powerbuff.
Even did all the jambs.
The hardest part was removing several globs of tree sap...that shit is seriously sticky.
First I rubbed it with an ice cube, which made it hard enough that a lot could be peeled off.
The remainder was covered with an alcohol soaked towel and after 3 minutes or so, wiped right off.
I learned about this method on the internets and it worked, so...amazing!

Got medieval on the glass- applied Windex and scraped it off with a single edge razor blade.
Clay barred the exterior glass then washed in and out with hot water/isopropyl alcohol (50/50) followed by a dry rub with tee shirts.
Can actually see out of the car now.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...er/red53-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...er/red50-1.jpg

Sigfrid still has her up for sale but even at $12k the salvage title scares people away.
More accurately, it scares their lenders away.
Who the hell is financing a toy like this anyway?

And now, nearly a year later, I'm back.
Much has happened and a new chapter is about to begin.

Sigfrid and the FD are gone, the car was sold about 4 months ago (for a desperation induced $9500) and S. had to accept a job in Houston.
Meanwhile, my car suffered two parking lot hit-n-run incidents, which made me a very sad panda.
I have long consoled myself that the dents in the body were all on replaceable panels (front fenders/doors, primarily) and were easy to deal with should I choose.
The parking lot insults all fell on the back of the car which meant real live bodywork would be needed and that shit's very expensive.
I was casually considering a new car.

Fate has intervened however and a quite elegant option has presented itself.
My friends at Precision (home of dangerous Dan) recently acquired a red 1990 GTU RX7.
She's a import from California that sat here for about a year before the owner was motivated.
Sadly, he waited too long and rabbits discovered how tasty the wiring harness was and ate it.
I do not know the details of the transaction but Precision was only interested in a few things-mainly, the engine and transmission.
The rolling chassis was just getting in the way, so they offered it to me in exchange for some computer work and a few electrical jobs.

The GTU model was the very bottom end of the range, no sunroof, no power windows, no nice brakes...the stripper.
It's brother, the GTUs was the same bare chassis with upgraded suspension brakes and drivetrain...the boy racer version.
Neither model sold well at all.

Which of course, makes them highly desirable today.
The sunroof delete in particular makes me very happy. That's 35 lbs removed from the top of the car, a potential leak point eliminated and extra headroom gained, all in one fell swoop.
The unpopularity of this particular barebones model was further enhanced by fitment of factory mudflaps...another obscure option much prized today.

The paint is filthy and oxidized.
I hope it can be cleaned/claybar/polished and buffed to a semblance of shine but don't really care because the body itself is pristine, not a dent anywhere, the undercarriage is perfect, the pinch welds straight and unbent.
The interior is intact with the exception of the armrest console and in excellent condition, no wear to the driver seat, all the vents uncracked...really quite remarkable.
The passengers automatic seatbelt is damaged.

I'll have the car in my garage next weekend and can begin a detailed evaluation.
The plan is to clean and upgrade the chassis/electrical as much as possible without cannibalizing my current car, which is paid up till March.
In February, I'll strip the running car and transfer everything over to the renovated chassis.
This is suspension, brakes and (probably) engine/transmission. I'm still entertaining the idea of an engine swap, circumstances will dictate the possibility.

If I keep the rotary, it'll get a new clutch and probably headers during the changeover (because it'll never be easier to do than when hanging on a hoist) but even so, I figure I can complete the chassis swap in five days, assuming I work alone and take it easy.
After the chassis swap there will still be a lot of valuable stuff left to sell (the taillights and black interior are particularly popular) and I should be able to recoup most of my costs with sales and ultimately, the scrap value of the chassis.

So, we'll see how this goes.

I'm now on Day Three of working off my debt on this new (to me) chassis.
I've replaced the dash harness on a 1981 RX7 and gotten almost all of the electrical system functional.
Not only did I have to contend with the normal expected problems (some of the electrical connectors literally turned to dust when handled) but the car has been butchered by stereo and alarm installers.
I was able to save the stereo install but the alarm was removed.
All that remains is to get the front and rear washer pumps working and I'm done.
I'm guessing this erases my obligation and I'll own the new chassis outright.
YAY!

That's great to hear clocker, I have enjoyed your blog about the rebuild of Sigfrid's RX7, and had missed the continuing adventures, it is a shame after all your hard work that the car was sold for so little.

But now for the new adventures of sprocket's (other) competition. Interestingly enough most RX7's sold here (N.Z.) were models without the sunroof, it was an optional extra and not often specified.

It's exactly the opposite here in the US, Artemis...finding a non-sunroof/manual window car is exceedingly difficult.
The majority of US cars also got power steering and AC (my new chassis has both, but not for long).

I now have the title in hand, the car is really mine.
It's still over at Precision however, so yesterday I spent a few hours in the brutal sun, prepping the engine for removal.
Their plan for the motor includes carbs and a distributor, so the entire intake is irrelevant to them but potentially useful to me.
I carefully unbolted stuff where they would have just ripped shit out...I want as much spare stuff as possible to play with.

I learned early on that it's hard to tell what might be useful/valuable, so save everything.
When I first got my current car it had factory mudflaps on it and I was conflicted about liking them or not.
One day I got a wild hair and removed them, finally threw them away.
About a year later I find out that the mudflaps are among the "Holy Grail" accessory options, very rare and highly desirable- even average sets like mine are an easy sale @$250.
The new chassis has a set that looks to be in excellent shape, not sure if they'll stay or be sold as funding but they certainly won't end up in the dumpster.

I have already lined up the sale of a few parts I know I won't be needing but need the car at home to properly pull them.
I hope to have the engine/trans fully removed in the next few days, just waiting for an empty lift in the shop so I'm not killing myself in the parking lot.
I'll try for pics soon, she's hemmed in by cars right now and it's hard to get any distance/perspective but I'll see what I can do.

Aircon was another optional extra, not just on the RX7 but virtually all N.Z. models if they even offered it, in the 80's. It took the flood of grey market second japanese imports in the 80's and 90's which were far more highly spec'ed than the equivalent N.Z. models for the car companies to offer aircon and electric windows as standard items.

In the US, by the time of the S5 2nd gen RXs (1989-1991), the car had turned into more of a GT model than a real sports car.
Never particularly fast, Mazda saddled the RX with all the luxury crap it could to justify the high price (which was really the fault of the unique rotary engine, only used in this model).
Because they did not have airbags (except for, inexplicably, the convertibles), Federal law required they have automatic "mousetrack" seatbelts...so, more motors tracks and electrics.

From a practical standpoint, it's all this added crap that makes maintaining the car today such a PITA.
The harnesses are over twenty years old, the plastic connector housings are crumbling from UV exposure and heat and of course there are twenty years of owner meddling to contend with.
I will gladly suffer manual window lifts to avoid rebuilding yet another switch (I've redone mine five times in five years now...), the autobelts will be replaced with manual and I won't miss the sunroof at all.
In five years I've opened it maybe five times, enough to learn that my thinning hair means I'm now subject to a sunburned head...we won't be doing that again.

In that same "practical" vein, the one option I would like to have is the rear hatch wiper/washer.
It's kind of fugly looking but the extreme size and angle of the glass make it a snow magnet, rear visibility disappears in a storm.
I hope to arrange a trade with someone looking for a cleaner look who doesn't care about winter conditions.

Well, this project has started slowly and strangely.

Well over a week ago I finished my part of the transaction by working on one of Precision's customer cars, a nightmare job no one else was up for.
I received the title for my new chassis, all that remained was for them to pull the engine/tranny that they supposedly wanted.
Nothing happened.
When I went by two days later I offered to begin the work till they could free up a bay/lift to finish the job (which they said would take about an hour).
I spent that afternoon unplugging all the little crap that connects a motor to a chassis...it was brutally hot in the parking lot.

Came back the next day thinking I'd observe as they finished the job but again, no one seemed at all interested in touching the car.
Since I already knew that they weren't going to use the stock intake, I decided to remove it for myself (this is not required to pull the engine but does make it a bit simpler).
This gives me a very nice, unmolested throttle body, a full set of injectors/rails, several sensors and valves...all of which might potentially make it on to my engine and if not, are sellable.
Again, for the two days I spent doing this, it was hellishly hot (I'm in a paved lot, surrounded by hot, reflective cars, about twenty feet from a major highway...so I'm simultaneously getting crisped from all angles and asphyxiated by the traffic).

I spent Thursday recovering and called yesterday morning..."Oh yeah, we should should have a free bay this afternoon, come on down and we'll knock it out."
I arrive at noon, car is still in the lot, tires still flat.
As they're eating I hump the air tank out (multiple times) and fill the tires.
Then they tow it into the shop to a lift.
Finally!
Now we're cookin.

And everyone walks away.

Basically, what I now realize is that this transaction is a much lower priority for them than me.
Mike had very little money into the car, they had already robbed a few parts for other jobs and luring me into doing a job for them that was a moneypit for a book mechanic was pure gravy for the shop.
Pulling the motor to put into the fist gen racecar that's been sitting there forever was one of those, "Gee, that sounds fun, we should do it sometime" deals.
The only person who really had any skin in the game was me, my window of opportunity was open.
I have six months before I need to have the car finished and I want to take full advantage of the warm weather (there are so many things that just can't be done in the cold).
Also, this is fun for me, I don't want it to turn into a last minute desperation thrash.*

Monday I go back with a whole new mindset.
I've been futzing around, occasionally getting sidetracked, because I've been expecting Mike and Dan to come over and actually finish the job.
Now I realize that the only way this happens in a reasonable time frame is to do it myself.
At this point (with the car up in the air), only an hours work should finish it up, the motor just sitting on the mounts, everything disconnected.
I should be able to get some help actually winching the lump out...if not, I'll do it myself.

With luck I should have better- and more entertaining- news soon.


*There is another factor in play here.
We are approaching hail season and I do not want the car sitting outside risking damage.
The body after all, is the whole point of this exercise, it's really very nice.

So, today this finally happened:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU2.jpg

She should be in my garage tomorrow.

And she is:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU8.jpg

Already got a quick bath to remove the most egregious crap but it's too hot to seriously attack the paint.
Tomorrow I'll empty all the extra parts from the hatch area and begin stripping the front (all the bodywork ahead of the doors) to facilitate cleaning/stripping the engine bay.

I read the build up and it looks a lot different to what I expected. My mam had one of those for a few years in 2008ish.
She got rid of it because she felt self-concious driving it or something. Definitely one of the best looking cars I've ever seen. It had really cool back doors and the acceleration was fantastic.

A family friend also had one at the same time and while there was never any problem with my mam's black one, the red one that this guy, Jim, owned kept breaking down all of the time. It was something to do with the oil circulation or something else. Anyway, after several attempts, Mazda couldn't fix so they gave him some money back.
I think if it wasn't for his tribulations, I would have pushed the boat out and gone for one of them instead of the MX5 I had for a bit.

Looking forward to charting the progress of yours on here :]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by manker

I read the build up and it looks a lot different to what I expected. My mam had one of those for a few years in 2008ish.
She got rid of it because she felt self-concious driving it or something. Definitely one of the best looking cars I've ever seen. It had really cool back doors and the acceleration was fantastic.

---

You're talking about a RX8 (with the "cool" back doors).
That's considered the "4th gen(eration)" of the series (now extinct), Sigfrid's swapped car was a 3rd gen, mine is a 2nd.

The RX8 was a fantastic chassis, saddled with the wrong engine.
Not only must you be fairly committed to deal with the vagaries of the rotary (and the 8's did have a real problem with oil consumption) but they are far more suited to racing than daily driving.
They have zero torque and demand RPMs to get out of their own way.
Once moving, they're fantastic.
The real killer though is the fuel consumption.
Not many people want a 16 mpg grocery getter that only seats amputees in the rear.

Yeah it was an RX8. Despite your parenthesis, there literally isn't a more fitting adjective for the back-doors.
It is the natural thing to say when you see them open for the first time.

I didn't understand most of your post but what I took from it was that it was a good thing I didn't get one of these cars :ermm:
Also, it it did more than 16mpg. I drove it a lot and I'm fairly sure it was in the mid to high twenties.

I wasn't making fun of your description- because the doors are really pretty cool, just highlighting the fact that were four doors to begin with.
The RX8 was the first in the series with four doors.

Gas mileage was naturally dependent on driving style.
Also, what measurement do you furriners use for gas?
Isn't an Imperial gallon larger than the official US version?

Oh yeah it is bigger. I remember reading in a tabloid that this was why petrol is so comparatively cheap over there.
The mathematics of the situation didn't seem to bother the writer nor the editor but in this case it does go some way to explaining the disparity.

So it's discontinued now?
I wonder why Mazda didn't put a more reliable engine into it because it surely would have been a marketing hit with reliability added to the aesthetics and those awesome doors.

Yup, Mazda currently makes no rotary engines.
They claim this will change but I wouldn't bet on it.

So, today was the first full day of whatever this project is.
Started out early ( because it's cool and you're not supposed to work on paint over 80°), gave her another wash and then claybarred everything from the windshield back.
The another wash.

Decided to remove the massively heavy exhaust (factory original in amazing condition) while trying to save all the good factory hangers (a replacement set is $170!).
Complete PITA but done.
While I was buried up her ass, the GTU sneezed and her nose fell off:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU9.jpg

Exposing a deviated septum:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU10.jpg

Fortunately, that crash bar and the bolt on crush boxes behind it worked exactly as planned and there's no damage to the chassis at all.
I probably won't even bother installing the one from the other car...save a bunch of weight and have better ducting options for the radiator.

The all sorts of shit started falling off:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU11.jpg

First bath of the mostly bare engine bay:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU12.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU13.jpg

Tucked back in the garage for the night:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU14.jpg

I have to repair two broken bolts, remove some more stuff and get serious cleaning again, but she looks like she'll shine up quite nicely.

Pictorially, a rather meh day, sorry.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU18.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v78/clocker/GTU19.jpg

Finished stripping the bay and cleaned it again.
Then moved to the wheelwells where the brakes were removed (none of which will be reused) and more cleaning.
Basically, the bay is done with Stage 1 (cleaning/inspecting) and ready for Stage2 which is making the physical modifications (there are a few grommet holes to be enlarged and a few holes to drill).
Also plan to run a tap through all the capture nuts, so the car can be assembled nicely.

I need to clean the rear wheel arches and the bulk of the heavy cleaning will be done and I'll be free to move back to the paint

My, my...two years pass in the blink of an eye.
Well, if one blinks very slowly.

So the RX-7 was completed and still does duty as my daily driver.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ps9d6b4f2f.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...psf8e91bb2.jpg

Haven't had a single issue with her, this fall she even made the trek to j2k4's near-Arctic lair.

But that's old news.

Sigfrid returned from exile in Houston and we soon began our car building game all over again.
In June of 2013 we acquired a 1977 Datsun 280Z:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ps72566f45.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ps9b3f3f04.jpg

A long, bumpy road later, we are here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...pse929858a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7.../zcar/Z218.jpg
She was stripped to the bare chassis, cleaned and bedlinered, then reassembled with all new suspension, brakes, wheels and tires. After extensive bodywork (mostly hole filling and shaving lights, there was zero rust on the chassis), we Plastidipped the exterior.
I'm beginning the electrical this weekend and we might be running by end of June.
Assuming the engine is any good.
So, that's what I've been up to.

The RX7 looks nice. I remember "helping" my dad work on his old Chevy truck in the early 80's. Wish I'd been old enough to understand what was going on and retain it. I plan on buying a '77 Jeep at some point so I guess there's some learning to be done.

That 280Z will be awesome when finished, I just know it. Does it have the pop-ups in the front or the built in lights?