My 79 "barn find" project
11-04-12, 07:16 PM
#51
Cleaning
Hey folks, took some pics of the interior. Sitting out of the sunlight for 9 years in a barn has been gentle to the interior. Dad had gotten the seats redone, but the drivers seat is cracked and will need to be fixed.
Check out these pics of the interior! The spare wheel well is SOLID...
Check out these pics of the interior! The spare wheel well is SOLID...
11-04-12, 07:28 PM
#53
Last few interior pics
Just a few more....
Drove it around for a little while today. DEF have an exhaust leak. I smelled like unburned HC's when I was done! Gonna have to chase that down....
Here's a quick vid of me driving it for the first time - EVER....
79 rx7 on the road! - YouTube
Drove it around for a little while today. DEF have an exhaust leak. I smelled like unburned HC's when I was done! Gonna have to chase that down....
Here's a quick vid of me driving it for the first time - EVER....
79 rx7 on the road! - YouTube
11-05-12, 04:29 PM
#55
Ahhhh! I never would have known! Thanks Rotaryhaven! I'll take you up on that, but no rush. If you find anything let me know.
I think (key work THINK) I may have found the source to an exhaust leak. Can anyone tell from these pics if there could possibly be a leak here? My guess is "yes" because of the black sooty looking material at the header. It looks like there is also some gasket material missing.
Can anyone with more experience tell me if they think I'm on the right track? I've been all over the rest of the system and cannot really find anything else that looks like a leak. Can I get one of those gaskets anywhere cheaply? If money were no object (and it IS, especially with Christmas coming up), I'd get one of those RacingBeat replacement exhausts and be done with the problem.
Thanks for any and all help I can get!
I think (key work THINK) I may have found the source to an exhaust leak. Can anyone tell from these pics if there could possibly be a leak here? My guess is "yes" because of the black sooty looking material at the header. It looks like there is also some gasket material missing.
Can anyone with more experience tell me if they think I'm on the right track? I've been all over the rest of the system and cannot really find anything else that looks like a leak. Can I get one of those gaskets anywhere cheaply? If money were no object (and it IS, especially with Christmas coming up), I'd get one of those RacingBeat replacement exhausts and be done with the problem.
Thanks for any and all help I can get!
11-05-12, 07:44 PM
#58
HAHAHAHAHH!! 
Thanks for looking at my thread and noticing.
I wish i could give her a bath - actually I DID. That nasty look she has is the kind of look that can only be improved with a new paint job. My brother sold her to my dad, and just before he did he tried to paint her. As you can tell it didn't work out too great.
Original color is silver, and it will be again. One day.
I think I need to fix some floorboards before she really comes back from the barn tho. Found a decent sized hole in the floor just behind the drivers seat tonight.
Bummer for sure, but I can get her painted up and make her a nice driver, then when I need to sometime take the engine out and rebuild it, I'll address the floor boards.
She's been fun to tinker on so far, and from the few times I've taken a spin around the block I can see how ppl fall in love with these little rockets!
I've been looking around and so far have not found anyone with one older. Not to say that there aren't any out there that are older, but there can't be many. Not sure how to find out how many there are for real. I'm guessing less than 20 older cars have survived.
Thanks for looking at my thread and noticing.I wish i could give her a bath - actually I DID. That nasty look she has is the kind of look that can only be improved with a new paint job. My brother sold her to my dad, and just before he did he tried to paint her. As you can tell it didn't work out too great.
Original color is silver, and it will be again. One day.
I think I need to fix some floorboards before she really comes back from the barn tho. Found a decent sized hole in the floor just behind the drivers seat tonight.
Bummer for sure, but I can get her painted up and make her a nice driver, then when I need to sometime take the engine out and rebuild it, I'll address the floor boards.She's been fun to tinker on so far, and from the few times I've taken a spin around the block I can see how ppl fall in love with these little rockets!
I've been looking around and so far have not found anyone with one older. Not to say that there aren't any out there that are older, but there can't be many. Not sure how to find out how many there are for real. I'm guessing less than 20 older cars have survived.
11-05-12, 08:15 PM
#59
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I use to have a 79 project, but unlike yours, it sat outside for 10 years. I ended up doing a complete interior strip because the engine was already race ready, and it had the Mariah Kit on it.... Let me do some digging for more photos or an old thread....
11-05-12, 08:20 PM
#60
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Old FS Thread: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...debody-940496/
Doing bodywork: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-non-...update-924683/
I will be watching your thread, can't wait to see where it goes!
Doing bodywork: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-non-...update-924683/
I will be watching your thread, can't wait to see where it goes!
11-06-12, 09:50 PM
#61
Old FS Thread: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...debody-940496/
Doing bodywork: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-non-...update-924683/
I will be watching your thread, can't wait to see where it goes!
Doing bodywork: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-non-...update-924683/
I will be watching your thread, can't wait to see where it goes!
11-07-12, 08:20 AM
#63
I'll have to get you down here to look it over with me Rotaryhaven, or get some good tires on it and drive it up to you some time. Would love to have someone that knows more about these things take a look at it and show me around it.
11-07-12, 08:56 AM
#64
Yep! That header is bolted right to the housings, so the stupid question is: Is that where the thermal reactor would be?
The header dumps into a connecting pipe that also has a small 1"-ish return pipe that goes back to the passenger side rear of the carb. That connects to what I'm assuming is the catalytic converter, which is connected to the typically known monza muffler.
I'll take some pics and post them when I get the chance, prolly this weekend. Too much going on this week.
The header dumps into a connecting pipe that also has a small 1"-ish return pipe that goes back to the passenger side rear of the carb. That connects to what I'm assuming is the catalytic converter, which is connected to the typically known monza muffler.
I'll take some pics and post them when I get the chance, prolly this weekend. Too much going on this week.
11-08-12, 12:53 PM
#66
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I don't know much about the '79s but I assume that the thermal reactor is completely removed when you install a header. The thermal reactor basically is an exhaust manifold.
Looks like a Racing Beat header to me.
(Anyone can jump in and correct this if I am wrong)
Looks like a Racing Beat header to me.
(Anyone can jump in and correct this if I am wrong)
11-09-12, 12:53 PM
#68
Thanks for the props ppl! Definitely inspiring. Got my new gasket today, and I'll be installing this weekend. Also got a starter kit of POR 15. We'll see how that works too this wkend. Somewhere in there I have to paint the dining room...
Took out the FSM (thanks again Rotaryhaven!) and looked over the exhaust portion. Looks like my #6906 has a header indeed, and no longer has the air pump, check valve, reactor, or air valve (same as check valve?). That would prolly explain the loudness that Dad has always experienced, especially if the lack of that equipment has burned out the catalytic converter. I do have the, or an, old air pump that is not connected that came in a tub of spare bits and pieces. It's sitting on my workbench!
I'll get it up in the air and take some pics this weekend while I change out that header gasket.
Took out the FSM (thanks again Rotaryhaven!) and looked over the exhaust portion. Looks like my #6906 has a header indeed, and no longer has the air pump, check valve, reactor, or air valve (same as check valve?). That would prolly explain the loudness that Dad has always experienced, especially if the lack of that equipment has burned out the catalytic converter. I do have the, or an, old air pump that is not connected that came in a tub of spare bits and pieces. It's sitting on my workbench!
I'll get it up in the air and take some pics this weekend while I change out that header gasket.
11-09-12, 05:51 PM
#69
Still stinky
Well, gasket is in, and you won't believe the condition of the old one - pics coming soon. It solved the noxious fumes inside problem (I think), and forced me to go buy some metric deep sockets, but I needed them anyway... 
It still sounds like an old airplane radial piston engine and the sound seems to be coming from somewhere near the bottom of the carb?? Could that be? I know that the black metal plate is part of the bottom of the carb, and that it has a gasket. Could THAT gasket be bad and make a loud popping noise? Hmmm.... Ponderous.
It could also use a tune, perhaps the carb needs to be gone through. It'll be a good learning experience. My Dad said that he used to take it to a specialist and THAT guy took 8 hours to tear down and rebuild it AND he video taped it. He also said that the car has less than 500 miles on it since that carb rebuild, but I'm guessing that since those 500 miles were all before the barn storage of 9 years that it may be a bit gummed up. BUT, it does lope and idle pretty good around 800 to 900 RPM, and that's not far from 750.
Pics of the exhaust and header gasket to follow - as soon as my son gets off the other computer....
It still sounds like an old airplane radial piston engine and the sound seems to be coming from somewhere near the bottom of the carb?? Could that be? I know that the black metal plate is part of the bottom of the carb, and that it has a gasket. Could THAT gasket be bad and make a loud popping noise? Hmmm.... Ponderous.
It could also use a tune, perhaps the carb needs to be gone through. It'll be a good learning experience. My Dad said that he used to take it to a specialist and THAT guy took 8 hours to tear down and rebuild it AND he video taped it. He also said that the car has less than 500 miles on it since that carb rebuild, but I'm guessing that since those 500 miles were all before the barn storage of 9 years that it may be a bit gummed up. BUT, it does lope and idle pretty good around 800 to 900 RPM, and that's not far from 750.
Pics of the exhaust and header gasket to follow - as soon as my son gets off the other computer....
11-09-12, 06:29 PM
#70
Pics of existing exhaust
Here's what I have on the good ole #6906. This is what it has on it now, and what my brother and dad inherited when they bought it.
Header, converter with 1" return pipe, into connecting pipe into monza exhaust.
Header, converter with 1" return pipe, into connecting pipe into monza exhaust.
11-09-12, 06:45 PM
#75
And in with the NEW header gasket!!
Once that nasty broken gasket came out, in went the new one. I was amazed that the old one was in such poor condition...
Now, as I said, it still SOUNDS like it has a loud popping noise, but now I know it's not the header gasket.
This thing would sound legit if I could just get that loud popping noise under controll. The plot thickens!....
Does it sound possible that the carb base plate gasket could be bad?... Anyone?
Now, as I said, it still SOUNDS like it has a loud popping noise, but now I know it's not the header gasket.
This thing would sound legit if I could just get that loud popping noise under controll. The plot thickens!....
Does it sound possible that the carb base plate gasket could be bad?... Anyone?
Last edited by woodmv; 11-09-12 at 06:51 PM. Reason: adding info