magnumP5's RX-7 Build Thread
- Thread starter magnumP5
- Start date
I don't know about the paint yet. If my plans for new wheels/tires plays out I'll also need new front fenders, and I'll probably just get a new hood too so I'd just take everything to a shop and have them do it. If it's just the splitter I may just rattle can it black or red. Either way it's not going to be a very fancy paint job. Still debating on an overall color change if it isn't rediculously expensive.
I did completely take out my stock seatbelts along with the controller (stupid automatic belts). I'm kind of regretting that decision now because I can't just find a stock passenger seat and call it a day. Now I have to mount another racing seat and harness. Hopefully this won't cause registration issues down the road either. I'm hoping for a "classic car" registration soon so all the laws won't apply. It was quite a bit of weight removal though; nearly 20 lbs!
It'll cost you a ride if you ever get a pasenger seat in
Wow...impressive amount of work you are putting into this car. Looks great! How did you learn how to work on so many aspects of your car, especially a rotary engine? Through experience, or the internet maybe...
Sub'd so I can follow along! I hope to build something of this caliber someday.
Sub'd so I can follow along! I hope to build something of this caliber someday.
Lots and lots of research, but I had some wrenching experience from back when I had a turbo'd P5. I was fortunate enough to find a rotary forum that's very technically-savvy. The RX-7 and rotary engine is also a lot older than the Protege and the FS-DE so there's been more time for R&D. Just about everything I've done/plan to do to this car has been a first to me.
I can live with that.
Despite being cold as s**t outside I managed to get some work done. Cut off the two P/S ports on the rack housing and stripped the paint:
This of cource left two small holes that needed to be plugged so I busted out the MIG for the first time in months. A little welding and grinding and no more P/S ports:
Another view:
I decided to plug the P/S ports on the pinion housing with Quiksteel. I originally wanted to plug them with bolts but they are all odd-ball fine threads (2x M12x1.25, 2x M12x1.00, and 1x M16xsomething). I'm not worried about them popping loose because they're not holded any pressure.
The last item on the agenda was to weld up the pinion gear. Being a good-sized chunk of metal and the 20* ambient temperature I had to heat this thing with a butane torch for about ten minutes. I really should have thrown it in the oven at max. temp. for a half hour though because that would have uniformly heated everything up. In the end I distorted the pinion a little but I shaved down some points and everything should still work just fine. My awful welding (it was cold and my hands were shaking):
There *should* be no chance of this breaking loose but even if it does the pinion will revert to having a little slop. Next on the list is to paint everything but with temperatures in the 20-30* for the next few weeks I'm going to have to be creative...
mymmeryloss
Member
- :
- 13bT Mazda B2600i
Bubble gum welds!!!
There's some penetration on the sides!
I even heated the thing up to the point where I could no longer hold it in my hands with welding gloves on. I think my little 110V MIG just wasn't up for the task. Either way, I don't think I can grind all that out to try again so I think I'm stuck with it.It's supposed to hit 50* tonight. I'm going to take this opportunity to paint the rack and pinion housings so I can finish this project once and for all. Next I get to figure out how to mount the splitter and finally start working on the radiator/oil cooler ducting. I'm also hoping to put in a pretty big order for some more fiberglass bodywork.
mymmeryloss
Member
- :
- 13bT Mazda B2600i
Cant wait! Takes lots of pics!
I took a couple pictures. Not as much progress as I'd hoped this weekend but more on that in a second.
Here's the painted rack and pinion housing on my make-shaft painting stand (bird feeder stand wrapped with plastic packaging wrap):
That picture's actually a couple days old as everything was painted last Thursday. I don't have any in-process reassembly pictures because my hands were covered in synthetic axle grease. Anyone who's worked with the stuff knows it sticks to EVERYTHING! Assembled:
I didn't get to reinstall the rack on the car. I still need to find and mark "center" but I ran out of time last night due to other things. In the meantime here's a picture of the car as it currently sits in my mess of a garage:
I'm sure you noticed the wheels. My RPF1''s are being sold so it's back to the crappy Borbet's that were on it when I purchased the car in 2009. Don't worry, they're only temporary. I spent a good amount of time cleaning the RPF1's, which is part of the reason I didn't get as much done as I wanted.
The truly observant will have noticed the missing trim pieces on the car. That's because I was mocking these up:
Actually my second set of Turbo II side skirts but I'm not sure I ever posted any pictures of the first set. I picked these up on Saturday from a cool old dude in Dayton who's worked on RX-7's his whole life. They'll need to be cleaned and repainted but they should add a little exterior flare to the car.
Unfortunately that's all for now. In addition to cleaning the wheels yesterday was also "scheduled maintenance" day for the 2 (oil change, top off fluids, rotate tires, etc.).
Jon why don't you make your fan shroud outof aluminum sheet metal instead of fiberglass
Then you aren't so weather dependant.
I am making mine out of thin aluminum that I had laying around for a pattern,
hen I will make the real on out of something a little thicker.
Then you aren't so weather dependant.
I am making mine out of thin aluminum that I had laying around for a pattern,
hen I will make the real on out of something a little thicker.
Aluminum was my first plan but I don't like the idea of it being just a flat plate with a circle cut in the center for the fan. I'd prefer to draw the air outward from the radiator a bit, then draw it through the fan. To make the compound shape needed for that I would need to either extrude an aluminum plate into shape or make several pieces and join them. I don't have a press or anything for the former and I also don't have a TIG for the latter. I could use rivets but I'd still end up with a "square" shroud and it wouldn't look very nice. I'll keep this in mind though if I've got everything else ready and it's the only thing holding me back. As it stands right now I still need an exhaust!
Well technically I don't even have an engine so there
Are you rebuilding that 12A?Placed a fairly large fiberglass order last night. Same wide front fenders and hood as this car:
Today I say goodbye to the RPF1's as well. On the bright side I called Tirerack about some wheels and tires. They need to get back to me on the wheels. Larry and Corey are going to hate them
Black wheels!?
edit- sorry, the pic wasn't working on my work computer but I see it now. You ordered those fenders and hood or plan on making them with the fiberglass you ordered? I are dumb. Regardless, that is a very sexy FC in the pic.
edit- sorry, the pic wasn't working on my work computer but I see it now. You ordered those fenders and hood or plan on making them with the fiberglass you ordered? I are dumb. Regardless, that is a very sexy FC in the pic.
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I ordered them. I really envy Corey for making his own but I didn't want to mess with having to make the shapes and cut-outs for the side indicators and trim and I don't think I stood a chance with the hood. Mine should look similar to the one in the picture (without the body kit of course) but with more aggressive wheels.
Haha! I never really had a strong opinion either way for black wheels but I feel with the current color scheme of the RX-7 they'll work well. I think what will make these look a little better is they're black from the factory and not painted or plasti-dipped. It'll be a couple weeks before they come in and I'll be sure to post pictures
Yep, I've got a 16" electric fan. I'm not sure how big your radiator is but even with the 16" mine leaves a decent amount of surface area uncovered. Just aout everything I've read also says to use a shroud. It probably wouldn't be needed for an all-out track car but mine will still see the street for a while. I think I can fab up a simple aluminum one with multiple pieces and rivets. I can make that first and then go about making a fiberglass one later.
Man, in the past two days I've dropped nearly $3k in body parts and wheels and tires. This has turned into more of a "total transformation" build than a simple engine build. I figure since I'm still waiting for parts I can get other things done in the meantime rather than sitting on my hands.
