magnumP5's RX-7 Build Thread
- Thread starter magnumP5
- Start date
I'm not saying don't do it. Because I loooove it when people tell me how to spend my money. And the Miata does have a huge aftermarket support, they're cheap and easy to work on, etc. As long as you fit in one comfortably then go for it. It will still be my favorite build thread to watch. Just wish you were closer so I/we could all help out more.
You're right Jon, it's not a straight forward swap, but in the same regard, there have been a decent number of them built. I'm sure there are some build threads out on miata.net, or club roadster, or mazda roadster where you can get some ideas to base the work off of. It does seem like the only people who really like FC's are the people who are going to slam them, use goofy color, mismatched wheels, and drift. And V8 swaps, I suppose.
The notion of swapping chasses is quickly fading. '93 Miata guy hasn't gotten back to me and everything local is way too expensive. I'm not paying $5K for a beat '91 Miata with 200K miles! I'll keep an eye out but in the meantime keep working on the RX7.
The fan shroud mold is 95% done. I got several more layers of clean on it last night to the point I'm content:
It doesn't look very glossy in the picture but I assure you there's like 12 coats of clear on it. Next I get to apply the mold release, which is basically just like wax for your car (it even has carnuba in it). I'll probably do like 10 layers because I'm scared to death of the shroud fusing to the mold.
I completed the relocation of the front harness wires. I moved them from the oil cooler support bar to underneath the upper radiator support. By doing this I can cut off all the extraneous brackets on the oil cooler support freeing up some obstructions in airflow to the radiator. This also makes the ducting a little easier as I don't have to go around wiring as well. It's still going to be a PITA getting around the oil cooler support and lines though.
Nothing is going to got done the next few days as I'm heading to Seattle for the weekend for a wedding then there's several things to do around the house. It may be a while until I can actually lay the fiberglass as I'm probably going to need a full weekend.
The fan shroud mold is 95% done. I got several more layers of clean on it last night to the point I'm content:
It doesn't look very glossy in the picture but I assure you there's like 12 coats of clear on it. Next I get to apply the mold release, which is basically just like wax for your car (it even has carnuba in it). I'll probably do like 10 layers because I'm scared to death of the shroud fusing to the mold.
I completed the relocation of the front harness wires. I moved them from the oil cooler support bar to underneath the upper radiator support. By doing this I can cut off all the extraneous brackets on the oil cooler support freeing up some obstructions in airflow to the radiator. This also makes the ducting a little easier as I don't have to go around wiring as well. It's still going to be a PITA getting around the oil cooler support and lines though.
Nothing is going to got done the next few days as I'm heading to Seattle for the weekend for a wedding then there's several things to do around the house. It may be a while until I can actually lay the fiberglass as I'm probably going to need a full weekend.
Some exhaust stuff came in:
Racing Beat 2.5" muffler (top) and 2.5" pre-silencer (bottom). These things are pretty beasty so hopefully they'll give me the sound supression I need. I'm also going to see if I can run some thicker-than-average pipe to further quiet things. It's not going to be as light as I hoped but it should still be a good compromise and lighter than a dual setup. Now to find a shop to make an exhaust. I've also been talking with a body shop about getting all that done.
Racing Beat 2.5" muffler (top) and 2.5" pre-silencer (bottom). These things are pretty beasty so hopefully they'll give me the sound supression I need. I'm also going to see if I can run some thicker-than-average pipe to further quiet things. It's not going to be as light as I hoped but it should still be a good compromise and lighter than a dual setup. Now to find a shop to make an exhaust. I've also been talking with a body shop about getting all that done.
Very large street port. Rotaries are loud but "loudness" is relative. Personally, I don't care how loud it is. Unfortunately, sound intensity (dB) is not relative and I'm trying to stay under 100 dB to avoid potential issues at tracks with sound regulations.
Got 5 coats of wax on the mold. I'll probably do two more for the maximum recommendation of 7. I'd still like to find some aerosol PVA or something similar. Can you tell I'm worried the fiberglass shroud is going to stick to the mold? In between coats of wax I started screwing with the front of the car in more preparation for the ducting.
The hood latch and cable have been completely removed. I've got a set of Aerocatch (lockable) hood pins on the way to replace everything. I've also cut off all the random brackets on the oil cooler support bar for better airflow to the radiator. I still need to smooth down the cuts.
Funny thing I found out: the stock anti-theft system will still work without the hood latch. It'll still arm and everything but the hood is now completely removed from the system. Basically I can now arm the alarm with the hood open and opening the hood with the alarm armed will not set it off. If the alarm weren't so damn intergrated with everything I'd have removed it already. Since it's still there though I'd like to find a way to get the hood system working properly again.
I sent a bunch of pictures to a body shop for a quote on Friday. Hopefully they'll get back to me soon. Debating now if I should install the hood pins before or after paint. Also calling some exhaust shops today to get that out of the way.
The hood latch and cable have been completely removed. I've got a set of Aerocatch (lockable) hood pins on the way to replace everything. I've also cut off all the random brackets on the oil cooler support bar for better airflow to the radiator. I still need to smooth down the cuts.
Funny thing I found out: the stock anti-theft system will still work without the hood latch. It'll still arm and everything but the hood is now completely removed from the system. Basically I can now arm the alarm with the hood open and opening the hood with the alarm armed will not set it off. If the alarm weren't so damn intergrated with everything I'd have removed it already. Since it's still there though I'd like to find a way to get the hood system working properly again.
I sent a bunch of pictures to a body shop for a quote on Friday. Hopefully they'll get back to me soon. Debating now if I should install the hood pins before or after paint. Also calling some exhaust shops today to get that out of the way.
bikingpro5
Member
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- 03 Protege5
did you get the flush mount pins or the under mount ones? Also did you get the Aluminum plates that go under the hood to make life easier and secure the latch better? We cut my hood before paint but only because we painted my original latches, if you are good with tape and a dremel you can easily install these after paint.
I got the ones that mount on top of the hood. I forget what those are called. The undermount, flush ones looked neat and have less of a profile but the installation looked pretty difficult. It looks like Aerocatch is now selling their own backing plates and that's what I got. I don't know if they're aluminum or plastic. I didn't feel like paying ~$30 for the other ones.
Talked to an exhaust shop. They can't do super-thick walled tube (up to 14 GA max) but they can do stainless. I was quoted approximately $300 if I used 409 SS and $600 if I went with 304 and I have to provide my own mufflers, flanges, etc. Leaning toward 304 SS due to the higher corrosion resistance.
Haha, what?
Meh, I'm not on Facebook much so it's easy to miss stuff. I didn't even know there was a "Mazda RX-7" page.
