Up to date RX7+snow =?
12-03-15, 10:27 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Up to date RX7+snow =?
Okay so i know there is other post about RX7s in snow but they are really old and i want more up to date information.
I have a 88 vert with open diff i live in Ohio and snow is coming Im 16 and don't have another car to drive i rebuilt this whole car and didn't cut ends i wont drive it when its really bad out just only on the nice winter days because i cant be borrowing my uncles truck every day.I will be getting great winter tires for it and will take it to the car Wash at least twice a week and coating the under body with oil i cant have no rust its pretty clean and i want to keep it that way.
So any tips or comments will be great thank you
I have a 88 vert with open diff i live in Ohio and snow is coming Im 16 and don't have another car to drive i rebuilt this whole car and didn't cut ends i wont drive it when its really bad out just only on the nice winter days because i cant be borrowing my uncles truck every day.I will be getting great winter tires for it and will take it to the car Wash at least twice a week and coating the under body with oil i cant have no rust its pretty clean and i want to keep it that way.
So any tips or comments will be great thank you
12-03-15, 01:38 PM
#2
Welcome aboard!
As a fellow Ohio resident and rotary owner, one of the first things I did after getting my RX7 back in 2007 was to get acclimated to snow. What I did was study Keiichi Tsuchiya's Drift Bible and then go out and give it a try to gain a feel for how the car behaved when the rear end got loose. The relatively low amount of torque that a stock non-turbocharged FC RX7 puts out works in your favor as the transition from the rear end being planted firmly to being loose is not as sudden and abrupt than a more torquey car like a V8 Mustang.
Trust me when I say this, this kind of practice WILL save your butt from many accidents. Especially if you suddenly get sideways on the highway at 65mph during a level 2 snow emergency, but that's a story for another day...
I'm not certain of this, but my GXL's limited slip diff may have contributed to this feat. However, the diff's clutches were 20 years old at the time so I couldn't say for certain. If that's the case, it would behave the same as an open diff would by sending power to the wheel with the least traction. Perhaps after finishing up the current round of projects, I'll pull the diff and crack it open for fun. Nothing quite like yanking bolts that have been through 30 years of Ohio winters...
In the maintenance department, a tar-based undercoating is what keeps the rust off. Oil would just make things messy and probably get flung or brushed off. One thing I would strongly recommend above all else is to upgrade your alternator to either a FD (93-02 RX-7) or Taurus Alternator (92-95 Ford Taurus 3.8L OHV). 86-88 Alts suck and the simplest things like turning the stock H6054 halogen headlights on will be visible on the voltmeter in the cluster. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a dead battery due to an alternator that can't do the job properly. My car had a questionable stock alternator when I got it and the headlights alone dropped it from ~13.5v to 12v. The Second Gen FAQ has more about this and lots of other useful stuff too, be sure to bookmark it.
Depending on where you are in Ohio your local salvage yard should have a suitable Taurus/Sable/Windstar on the lot and the alternator should run you about $20 if it's a Pick-N-Pull style yard. Please see my albums for how to wire it correctly and the minor fabrication for the mount adapter.
Let me know if you need a hand finding parts or information
As a fellow Ohio resident and rotary owner, one of the first things I did after getting my RX7 back in 2007 was to get acclimated to snow. What I did was study Keiichi Tsuchiya's Drift Bible and then go out and give it a try to gain a feel for how the car behaved when the rear end got loose. The relatively low amount of torque that a stock non-turbocharged FC RX7 puts out works in your favor as the transition from the rear end being planted firmly to being loose is not as sudden and abrupt than a more torquey car like a V8 Mustang.
Trust me when I say this, this kind of practice WILL save your butt from many accidents. Especially if you suddenly get sideways on the highway at 65mph during a level 2 snow emergency, but that's a story for another day...
I'm not certain of this, but my GXL's limited slip diff may have contributed to this feat. However, the diff's clutches were 20 years old at the time so I couldn't say for certain. If that's the case, it would behave the same as an open diff would by sending power to the wheel with the least traction. Perhaps after finishing up the current round of projects, I'll pull the diff and crack it open for fun. Nothing quite like yanking bolts that have been through 30 years of Ohio winters...
In the maintenance department, a tar-based undercoating is what keeps the rust off. Oil would just make things messy and probably get flung or brushed off. One thing I would strongly recommend above all else is to upgrade your alternator to either a FD (93-02 RX-7) or Taurus Alternator (92-95 Ford Taurus 3.8L OHV). 86-88 Alts suck and the simplest things like turning the stock H6054 halogen headlights on will be visible on the voltmeter in the cluster. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a dead battery due to an alternator that can't do the job properly. My car had a questionable stock alternator when I got it and the headlights alone dropped it from ~13.5v to 12v. The Second Gen FAQ has more about this and lots of other useful stuff too, be sure to bookmark it.
Depending on where you are in Ohio your local salvage yard should have a suitable Taurus/Sable/Windstar on the lot and the alternator should run you about $20 if it's a Pick-N-Pull style yard. Please see my albums for how to wire it correctly and the minor fabrication for the mount adapter.
Let me know if you need a hand finding parts or information
12-06-15, 10:34 AM
#4
Information in old posts about driving a low, light, two-seater sportscar with an open differential in winter would be as valid today as it was then. If it's pretty clean now, it's way less likely to stay that way driving it in the winter no matter how good the tires, how much you go to the car wash or what type of undercoating is used. Especially since you're 16 and this is likely your first winter driving.
Last edited by Sgtblue; 12-06-15 at 10:39 AM.
12-08-15, 04:08 PM
#5
Your 25 year old car looks good because it wasn't driven in the snow and salt for all those years.
25 years ago, rust proofing wasn't as good back then.
By spring, you will have rust started. In 2 years, people will notice rust. In 5 years, you will need body work. After you get your RX7 repainted, consider spending extra money on a winter beater, instead.
Also, rotary engines are like 2-strokes, with no valves to close and seal the engine. So each time you park it, that hot engine will get frost inside overnight.
25 years ago, rust proofing wasn't as good back then.
By spring, you will have rust started. In 2 years, people will notice rust. In 5 years, you will need body work. After you get your RX7 repainted, consider spending extra money on a winter beater, instead.
Also, rotary engines are like 2-strokes, with no valves to close and seal the engine. So each time you park it, that hot engine will get frost inside overnight.
Last edited by Casual_John; 12-08-15 at 04:10 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post