Tauni

I am honestly not sure if this is appropriate to post here since I don't technically ( ) have a motor yet, but we'll see what happens I guess.

I just purchased this 1990 FC S5 RX-7 GTU. I originally wasn't planning on getting anything, but it was too good of a deal to pass up. Under other circumstances I probably would have bought a car I know more about, but alas, here we are.

I don't even know where to start. I mainly want to get the car on the road. Eventually it will likely become my track car, but I'm not set on that yet. I will probably put an SR20 in it as I have easy access to them. Sorry purists.

I guess the questions I have would be as follows:
What types of things should I look for right off the bat in terms of potential issues with the shell? Beyond the basics, are there any issues S5's face?

I've looked at one or two build threads and browsed the forums - it all seems daunting. What do you think are the best resources for figuring out where to start?

If you had this sitting in front of you, where would you start?

Really any words of wisdom are helpful. This whole project just kind of fell into my lap and I am getting overwhelmed trying to decide what to do with it. Every other project I've had has already worked, and I generally knew the car before getting it. This was one of those "screw it" moments. As the kids would say, YOLO ....?



https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...a5b4715bfdee67
(Please note that all of the stuff in the hatch is not mine)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...e383f218e9f2a1

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

just make sure that the chassis is sound mechanically and that you check out rust areas to make sure the body isn't eaten.
That is Step one.,
then you can go nuts on whatever your heart desires,either a rotary(you will need the harnesses for the body and engine,..etc) or a Piston engine conversion.

SPENT-IT

iTrader: (15)

Take a look at your wallet. First thing id do is plan the engine build, then look at your wallet again.

Id stick to rotary because it's more desirable.

Hope this helps.

Tauni

Thanks for the input. Glad to hear there aren't any typical problem areas, so checking the basics it is.

Spent-It: When you say more desirable, do you mean in terms of resale? The one thing that makes me think of potentially going with rotary is the sheer fact of it just being a lot easier to get the car on the road in a timely manner. After looking at an SR20 build thread on here from a few years back, the amount of wiring I would have to do is almost enough for me to say NOPE. But we'll see...

SPENT-IT

iTrader: (15)

Yes it will be better for resale but that's not the most important thing .....but you are most likely going to put a lot of money into it either way so it may as well be worth something when you're done.

If you build a rotary it will just go right back in not much fabbing needed.

Im in the middle of trying to talk a friend out of putting a v8 in his 82 RX7. He thinks it will be cheaper/easier then rebuilding the 12A. He already misses driving it and with the cost of all the things he will have to change v8 mount kit,springs, driveshaft, trans, rear end and all the fabbing it will be much more. It will take a lot longer to get it on the road and in the end it's not worth anything very hard to sell.

I guess you can call me a purist but IMO it's the better way all around. Plus it's fun to have something not many other people have.

What do you have as far as experience with rotarys?

Tauni

I have absolutely no experience with rotaries. The guy I bought this car from, luckily a good friend of mine, has owned 4 FC's and another friend has an FD, so I guess I am slightly less concerned about it. The internet is great and all, but nothing beats hands on resources.

I guess I am going to have to put some serious thought into it. Getting it back on the road is pretty important to me...I just want to drive it!

DreamInRotary

iTrader: (49)

Welcome, and glad to see another MN member. I'd go rotary again as well, just my personal opinion.

If you're on Facebook feel free to look up Midwest Mazda RX7's - it's a page I made to help local RX7 owners and we're mainly MN members right now.

Evil Aviator

Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals
How To Buy An '86-'92 Non-Turbo RX-7
Rotary Resurrection home of the budget rebuild.
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati...faq-fc-494667/

I would do one of the two:

1) Part it out, keep the parts I can use for my other cars, sell the parts I don't need. This car is not likely worth the time and money that it would take to get it on the road, as you could buy a roadworthy RX-7 for $1,000, which is most likely about 1/2 to 1/3 what it would cost to get this one roadworthy at a basic level. This car is worth about $50 as-is, the parts could probably get you around $800, and if you get it running then it would sell for about $1,000 or so.

or

2) If enough of the car looks usable to make it worth putting it back on the road, then I would install a rebuilt 13B engine along with a Haltech EMS, and fix anything else that needs to be replaced. My budget would be about $4K to $6K, and I would set it up for daily driving and SCCA autocross events.
http://www.lms-efi.com/sunshop/index...oduct_list&c=2

I would assess three things:
1) Which parts on the car are in serviceable condition?
2) Given my resources (money, mechanical skills, tools, friends, local shops, etc.) how much time and money am I willing to spend on this project?
3) What is my EXACT purpose for the car, given #1 and #2 above? Note that this does not mean "Well, what the heck, I have the car so I may as well put it back on the road with whatever engine that I saw on the internet and maybe put it on the "track" (whatever the heck that means) and meander along aimlessly wasting my time and money the whole time."

Absolutely!

The FC RX-7s are soooo much fun to drive, and they are also the most practical of the RX-7s due to their large cargo area.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

welcome to the board.

as long as the body checks out - meaning no MAJOR rust, especially in critical areas like where suspension parts attach to the body or damaged/rotting floorpan or such - i would have to second Evil Aviator's advice (in the scenario in which you keep it) and say just get a simple 13B for it, install an EMS and go from there.

Tauni

I went back out and looked at it thoroughly. The body is solid - not beautiful, but the chassis is solid, no major rust, even has an LSD.

Given that this is my first RX-7, I have decided to do a 13BT and just get her running to start. I want to feel like I actually owned an RX-7 and I don't think I'll get the same feeling if I put another motor in it.

Beyond that, I have no real plans for the car at this point. It's going to be awhile before she's road worthy so I'm trying not to get too overly excited.

Thanks for all the input.

Evil Aviator

A 13BT engine is not plug and play, so it will not "just get her running to start". It's much easier than a V8 swap, but you are still looking at a considerable amount of time, money, and parts scrounging. The non-turbo drivetrain (with upgraded clutch) and Turbo II fuel system components are good for about 200bhp or so, but anything over that tends to require an upgrade to the Turbo II drivetrain and aftermarket fuel system components, which of course increases the cost and complexity of the project.
Rotary Resurrection - NA to Turbo II Conversion

If you want something simple just to get the car running, then install the proper 89-92 non-turbo 13B engine. Its fine if you want more power, but please understand that you are looking at a LOT of time and money for that.