magnumP5's RX-7 Build Thread

[magnumP5]

The car you posted is an S5. The moulding have the line in there offset. The S4 are down the middle. The lip on the car pictured looks like the Odura lip we sell.

Mine is an S5 as well; I was just asking because the side skirts on the above-posted GTUs seem to have a "flare" that is not present on mine. The moulding behind the front wheels also looks a little different in it's placement and size. I have read a few things on "other" forums where people have mentioned "TII sides" although I've been assuming they are referring to S4's, which may be different in that area.

That car is Rishie's from AutoRnD - I'm almost certain it's a real Odura lip although I suppose it could be a ShineAutoProjects or CS replica just the same...

I'm just looking at stuff like that because I want to update the look of my car a little without having to go with some crazy body kit.

 

[magnumP5]

Just a little update.

Wheels were supposed to have been shipped Friday - I am awaiting the tracking numbers. I've been doing a lot of reading on the other forums and I think I have my final setup (or something close) for the engine:

STAYING N/A - WOO!

-'89-'91 Turbo 4-port housings and plates
-Large street port or small bridgeport
-High comp/lightweight rotating assembly
-Haltech PS1000 ECU
-TWM or Tweakit ITB's
-Tuned exhaust
-e-Fan conversion

Hopefully that will get me above 200 whp and I'll be happy. I'm also considering removing A/C and P/S but only if my fiance' lets me...

 

[magnumP5]

First real update! The new wheels are in, w00t!

It still amazes me how light these things are!

 

[Shadow102]

Did you decide on what rubber your wrapping them in for sure?

 

[Wagonbacker9]

those are such a purdy wheel.... lol

 

[Speed3.5]

You can fix the wiper motor yourself man, had the same issue on my other camry and just opened the wiper motor and re-soldered the "leg" in there and thats it, saved myself 99.99% of a replacement-unit cost

BTW - why didn't you go with R2 , newer and body is much more appealing ?

 

[Shadow102]

You can fix the wiper motor yourself man, had the same issue on my other camry and just opened the wiper motor and re-soldered the "leg" in there and thats it, saved myself 99.99% of a replacement-unit cost

BTW - why didn't you go with R2 , newer and body is much more appealing ?

The problem is in the switch not the motor

And he didn't go with the fd chassis because it costs $10-15k more

 

[magnumP5]

Did you decide on what rubber your wrapping them in for sure?

Not yet. I won't know until I have the car and test fit the wheels if I can fit a 245/45R16 all around or if I have to stick with 225/50R16. If I can go with the larger the Hankook RS-2's look like they're my only option. The narrower size opens up a whole new range though. Hankook RS-3's and Dunlop Direzza Star Spec's are only two of any I'm considering.

those are such a purdy wheel.... lol

Yep, I've REALLY liked RFF-1's ever since I had a set on the P5. For a long time I wanted some Volk CE28N's, but for the price and weight (and appearance IMO) it's hard to beat the RPF-1's. I kind of wish I still had the set from my P5 to compare with these. There's not a whole lot of lip, but they're definitely deeper than my old set. Well worth the wait.

You can fix the wiper motor yourself man, had the same issue on my other camry and just opened the wiper motor and re-soldered the "leg" in there and thats it, saved myself 99.99% of a replacement-unit cost

BTW - why didn't you go with R2 , newer and body is much more appealing ?

Yep, as shadow102 said, it's rarely the motors that go out, but more often than not it's the control module, more specifically the relays. I am actually going to attempt to fix them myself first as I am somewhat knowledgeable with a soldering iron. Besides, if I screw up, I would have just messed up an already broken module and they're easy to come by on eBay.

As for the FD's, shadow102 pretty much nailed it for the most part. I cannot justify spending $12-15k on a 15+ year-old car that will likely break down within 10-20k miles. I got my FC for $3k and it's in pretty good condition so it should have no problem running for quite sometime in its current state. Also, I actually kind of like the look of the FC's - like old-school Porsche 924's.

 

[magnumP5]

Quite update:

Stopped by the local Mazda dealership on Thursday to inquire about door locks. After about 10 minutes of searching the parts person told me the parts were discontinued as "they are no longer listed as valid part numbers." Well that sucks, but at least I found out the locks can be re-keyed and I found a place locally that will do it. Well I contacted Mazdatrix and they had both in stock so I went ahead and ordered them. I'll have brand new driver's and passenger's side door locks in a week. w00t!

 

[lucky#7]

At least now that they are new you won't have to worry about them for another 15 years. Gotta love mazdatrix

 

[blackedoutFC3S]

So have you decided on the Bridgeport or streetport yet? And what injectors are you planning on running with the setup?

 

[magnumP5]

So have you decided on the Bridgeport or streetport yet? And what injectors are you planning on running with the setup?

Haha, no not really. It's either going to be a small bridgeport or a large streetport on a 4-port turbo motor. I stll may yet go turbo way down the road (with ITB's) so I'm leaning more toward the large streetport. While N/A I will probably stick with four turbo injectors (550 cc) and have them staged with the ITB's.

 

[blackedoutFC3S]

Will that be enough fuel with the ITB's and streetport? Seems like it would lean out to me with those size injectors, with the amount of air that will be going into the system.

 

[magnumP5]

Just a small update today. The RX-7 is finally in Ohio after travelling many miles on a car carrier from Northern Virginia. The new door locks arrived early last week and I will need to get them re-keyed to work with my current set of keys. Also, the driver's side headlight randomly decided to start worked again (ie, going up and down) but it still sits unlevel when closed and it appears the aiming is off (was flashed by a few oncoming drivers). The driver's side light also seems brighter even though it is definitely not on high. Work will begin shortly!

 

[SpooledupRacing]

nice.

 

[NoVa 2.0]

Looks like the build is going well Jon. Do you find this is more of a challenge then the P5?

BTW what happened to the Hokies on Saturday? Let me know if you are planning on going to any games this season and i'll see if we can link up.

 

[magnumP5]

Looks like the build is going well Jon. Do you find this is more of a challenge then the P5?

BTW what happened to the Hokies on Saturday? Let me know if you are planning on going to any games this season and i'll see if we can link up.

I feel like this will be more a challenge because there's a lot of other work there that needs to be done that was not needed on the Protege (body, misc electronics, etc.). I still really don't know the direction I want to go with the car as well. I've been wanting to stay N/A but I'm beginning to run into the same mindset I had with the Protege (cheaper/more reliable to make moderate power with a turbo). Aside from the suspension, I'm not likely to do any performance mods until after I finish restoring the car.

As for VT, I don't even want to go there... It's like they told Taylor to stand there and get sacked all summer. I'd like to go to some games but it's been hard to find tickets.

 

[NoVa 2.0]

As for VT, I don't even want to go there... It's like they told Taylor to stand there and get sacked all summer. I'd like to go to some games but it's been hard to find tickets.

I got some tickets last year to the homecoming game from someone on Craigslist? Might try there?

 

[magnumP5]

Nothing much going on - still gathering parts. The only thing I've actually DONE to the car is title and register it in OH. THe new locks have been re-keyed but aren't installed. I tried to order some relays for the wiper switch but that seems to have failed - the company said order was sent to a rep for processing 2 weeks ago, but I've received no word since and I've not been charged. Anyone know of a place to pick these up that does not require a minimum $100 order? I have engine oil, coolant and distilled water and an oil filter ready. Need to order spark plugs, spark plug wires and an air filter and pick up a new oil drain plug and gasket at some point. Also need to order transmission and rear diff fluid.

Other bad/broken things noticed:
-Small rust spot on sunroof
-Foglights misaligned/tweaked
-Cracked windshield defrost vent
-Cracked interior mirror panel

I think I'm pretty much going to restore the car before modding it. I'll probably only do wheels/tires/suspension in the immediate future

 

[magnumP5]

Still here, still haven't done anything... Grad school work, married life and the process of buying a house have really been kicking my ass for last few weeks. I have everything I need to fix the wipers and door locks, replace engine, transmission and rear diff oil, replace coolant, change spark plugs and wires and replace the air filter.

I may have found another problem as well. I've noticed that while turning, at lower speeds, I'm getting a lot of popping/creaking sounds from the front (I think). This seems to be a new phenomenon as this wasn't happening last week. The transmission is also making excess noise when the clutch is out (I seem to remember there being a specific issue causing this, but I can't remember what it is).