Ok guys...I just got my birthday present, a 1983 RX-7 GSL. The only thing is that it needs some help. The guy we bought it from starting tearing it apart to pull the engine, so it has no tranny or exhaust on it. Anyway, the engine is definatly froze up, im thinking originally carbon lock, but now its sat for so long the water has gotten in the spark plug holes and the back of the engine at the flywheel and done some rusty stuff. Anyway, I was wondering what you might do in this situation.

~T.J.

PS - The tranny and exhaust are good, the interior is good (brown/burgundy cloth though) and the GLASS MOON-ROOF it came with is good

 

Tear the motor apart. street port it. put it back together with a LW flywheel, Yaw Carb, RB or Mindtrain exhaust. THen give it to me

 

Woot! glass roof, 83 gsl with burgandy interior! Does it have dark grey paint? That's almost exactly the same car as mine I suggest installing a 13b TII and turbo tranny/mod'ed drive shaft. I'd do it if I had the garage space.

congrats on the xlnt b-day present.

 

Sweet birthday present!!

If it's your 3rd FB, why not turn it into a dedicated track/autocross car? I think that's what I'd do if I suddenly had an extra RX-7 in my driveway (and had any money, and wasn't in college for the next 6 years, etc.)

It wouldn't even necessarily cost all that much, you just take all the daily-driving compromise out of it and do a few effective mods. Plus you don't have all the worry that most of us have when we bring our pride-and-joys out on the track. It's a racecar, that's what it is, and if you bang it up a little that's all in the fun of it.

 

Whatever you do, tear into the engine, even if you have no plans for rebuilding it. They're neat to play with, scrap housings are good for porting practice, show off how they work to friends, etc.

 

Man, I wish I were as lucky as you! Congrats!

 

LOL!

I think Peejay has a 12A Bridgeport for a heart and MMO through his veins. Actually I wished I would have learned MORE about rebuilding rotaries engines in the past, but back then it was hard to find good knowledgable people to learn from.

If only the Internet was around (in it's current confguration) in the 80's and early 90's...

I'd be Racing with a 4 Rotor, Twin T-71 Turbocharged Monster with...and...and don't forget the...

I agree with PeeJay, take it apart and **** with it as much as possible. It's only a 12A anyway, so they are easy to fix or replace.

Learn while you can kiddies, getting married, with mortgages and responsibilities, it only gets harder later..

 

Spend a lot of money or if your lucky find a used motor I got a 12A with everything inside near perfect. I bought all the parts planning a rebuild, but changed my mind 165hp wasnt gonna cut it.

If you need a really nice 12A to add a rebuild kit and make a good motor, PM me

 

i still have an extra 12a lying around from my 79 (before i transplanted a 13b into it). and i am planing on doing exactly what peejay and directfire said. i am going to tear into it. it is a great way to learn more about them , and fun too

 

Tub it to fit 31x16 inch tyres under it
Fit 20B with twin T66 turbos and enough injectors to run methanol
Fit G-Force air shifted gearbox.

Run low 8 second quarter mile.

Fit roll cage

 

didnt I mention I have no money and want to keep it as "original" as I can??? The interior is almost MINT and the body is 90% flawless (a few dings and scratches). The odometer also says 80K (although it may only have the 5 digit, cant remember) so I wanna keep her as nice as i can, no mods for now. Then after I drive her for a while, a RB intake kit and complete exhaust

~T.J.

 

street port it anyways. tear into it to learn. port it cause its tore apart. upgrade it as you can afford it.

 

Any of you have an extra 12A thats "good"? Or maybe a rebuild kit laying around they cant use? Just in case I need one . Oh well, I still have the 85 GSL as a back-em up car until my car is on the road again...Unless of course the 85 -SE breaks down and then my dad needs the GSL so I can fix the -SE...Hmmm...Lets not let that happen...

~T.J.

 

You will soon find out, that CHEAP is NOT a word in the rotary engines vocabulary Rebuild kits are EXPENSIVE, parts used in great shape and spec'd are expensive Good luck...

Congrats on your birthday present

 

Hey!! More "good" news!! I just realized that my car has a Black Magic electric fan conversion!!! I never noticed before because when I was working on the car it still had the stock clutch fan on it, and the radiator was in another room. My thoughts are that the guy bought the fan and installed it while the car was torn apart, planning on installing it when the engine was done, and then just never got around to taking the engine all the way out. Judging by the looks of it, its still brand new. All the power wires are still neatly bundled up, the fan is spotlessly clean, and the thermostat/relay control wires still have the little pieces of insulation on the ends of the leads. Im happy, now when I get the engine rebuilt, I can put the radiator back in with my new electric fan !!

~T.J.

 

hey man congratulations on your present. 83 is definatly my favorite year (that's what I have ) You should to a TII swap in it since you already have two stock rex's. That'd be cool.

 

Another personal opinion, if you were to buy a stock 12A engine rebuilt from someone online...who would it be? Im sure this has been asked before, but its 2:13 in the morning, and im too lazy to search, and it IS part of the topic being personal opinion and all .

~T.J.

 

RALLY RX-7!!!

throw on some onster shocks, get some light weight mods done to it, put in aroll cage and kick some *** in the mountains...

mmm rally rx-7

cheers'

 

I do not think i would buy a stock12a for any reason, but if I did I would probably go with rx7.com as they are the closest, or maybe marvelspeed as he is less expensive. hmmmmm. I still say do it yourself, and port it, to learn from it.

 

I think a 12A would benefit from porting more than any other rotary. The ports are teeny tiny in them. So for gods sake port that thing!

 

For all you people telling me to port it...I DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE A SHOP DO IT, AND I DONT HAVE THE DREMEL, TEMPLATES, AND WHAT-NOT TO DO IT MYSELF, AND I HAVE NO MONEY TO BUY THEM !! Sorry, moment of rage, I'm better now . All I want, is for my freaking engine to run, stock is fine with me, I dont care how I get there, I just want the damn thing to run ...Be it rebuild myself, rebuild at shop, "new" engine, "new" from website, piece one together from duct tape and super glue, anything, as long as it runs. I just want the bear minimun (only cause it should cost less if im buying less) to make it run, because I have no money to upgrade ANYTHING right now, honestly I dont know how Im even gonna pay for the engine to run . Anyone wanna chip in a few bucks?

~T.J.

PS - I do have a laptop for sale trying to get a few bucks for an engine (or maybe trade for a "good" engine?)...if anyone is interested in it PM me, its a Toshiba Portege 660CDT.

 

If money is such an issue, put the ******* thing in storage till you get money. A half assed car will do nothing but disappoint you.

 

sell the laptop, send the housing to be ported, rebuild it yourself.

 

How's it gonna be half-assed if its stock? Are you saying that unless its ported then it's a half assed car? Money is an issue, but I know its gonna be possible to get my car running without spending thousands of dollars on stuff I dont need right now (ie - porting), or for a while anyway. This is my first car of my own, and the first car I will be regularly driving, I dont need a 300 HP monster under the hood...All I'm saying is, I just want the stock engine the way it was, running without all the extra money thrown at if for stuff I dont need, let alone DONT WANT like porting and what-not.

~T.J.

PS - Does this make sense to anyone besides me?

 

Ok, heres what Im thinking...If the ATF its sitting in doesnt get it to turn over, im gonna tear into it and see whats wrong. If the rotors, housings, and what-not are good, I'll see about buying a rebuild kit and that will take up most of my funds right there. If theyre not, Im not sure what im gonna do...I was hoping that I could find a rebuilt 12A STOCK PORT engine for sale online somewhere (hence me asking where you would buy one) for under $800. If it was street ported it would add to the price right? And since im on a budget and dont want the porting anyway, why buy it? basically I have around $800 to play with in theroy. In real life I have no money, but Im able to get some, I just have to make some sacrafices (promises to parents to do house work for sinfully long times, selling stuff, etc.). If you know where I could get a street ported engine cheaper, or the same price as a stock port, I might buy it just cause im getting "something extra for free", but unless thats the case, NO PORTING FOR ME . Sorry if im sounding a little pissed or what not, but its like 3 AM, and I should really lay off you guys and go to sleep .

~T.J.