I have a 1980 GS that i am fixing up. I have 2000 dollars but 500 of it is going to paint.

So that leaves me with 1500 dollars that i need to spend.


Things i want.
RB header
2.5inch exhaust
Spoiler( http://www.shop.retro-spec.net/produ...1&productId=90 )
Wheels
Window tint
CF hood
Fender flares
Any other suggestions?

Obviously i cant buy all of this stuff. But i can buy some.


What do you think i should spent my money on?

Also what color do you suggest i paint it. I want an off white, metallic or non red, YELLOW or black.


PLEASE HELP?

 

Unless its some hideous color other than the original, I would encourage you to repaint it the original color - 1979, 80 SA RX7s are real treasures in the RX7 world and nothing makes Fans wince more than wrong colors/accessories. But I get you want to make it Your Own
Think about some basics in addition to new toys - its a 30-ish yr old car! All new rubbers and hoses would be _very_ smart: I'm suggesting complete weatherstripping replacement including leak prone taillight gaskets, new tranny shift boot gaskets (3 in all - pull up center console cover and you'll see what I mean); Hose swap should include new heater hoses as a must, since the originals are essentially a time-bomb that will take your motor when one blows. Treat your rad to a chem-dunk-and-flush. Rotary engines are _very_ sensitive to proper cooling and chances are good no one has done this in a l-o-o-o-o-ong time!! New juice in the tranny and diff! Flush brake fluid.

Can't beat the RB exhaust system IMHO - add a nicely tuned Carl/Sterling Nikki modded carb and you will have a very streetable machine.
Enjoy. Good luck. Welcome.
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Where can i find new door seals and stuff like that? They are pretty bad on my car. My shift boot is just fine. I have a completely gutter interior... weight reduction!

I am putting a differant 12a that what came with the car so i will most likely buy all new hoses.


The RB exhaust is an absolute MUST though.

 

yeah I love my RB system. I recomend suspension stuff too if you're one stock stuff.

 

Oh!!! How could i have forgoten suspention?

How do i do a 5 lug conversion?

Whats out there for Lowering kits?

I plan on making my own strut bars and roll cage. Those are simple.

 

roth ira

 

Weather seals-
-dealer or Blackdragonauto.com
-don't mean replace shift BOOT - I mean the rubber WEATHER seals UNDERneath over tranny tunnel. These will be shot, or near-shot. There are 3....
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

1aauto.com has some great seals.

Here is what i'd do with $1500:

Full fluid flush with Royal Purple
Replace all hoses
Plugs/Wires/Cap/Rotor
All rubber seals
FMOC (if you don't already have one)
refresh suspension: RB Springs, Tokico Illumina's front/blue's rear (my setup), full graphite-preg poly bushings
replace all ball joints etc. in the steering
TIRES
RB Exhaust
E-Fan

 

Get you behind me Satan.

Suspension, then RB header, then the weatherstripping IMHO.

To suggest paint color, what color is the interior?

 

Yes i meant the rubber. They look brand new. The car has like 45000 original miles. It is is PRISTINE condition.


Door seals do need replacing though.

 

Let me remind you that i live in WASHINGTON. It rains almost everyday here.


The stock exhaust is all rusted out so i am going to just do the RB stuff.


What interior? HAHAHAH. I took all of it out. WEIGHT REDUCTION! The car is light metalic blue right now.

 

ebay has the a1 seals for a good price.

check out re-speed for products. i woul do maitenance before alot of stuff.

so imo ditch any cosmetic stuff like hood flares spoiler etc for now. make the car mechanically bulletproof.

again check re-speed for 5 lug conversions/big brake conversions/suspension.

Good to deal with, my suspension should be almost to me by now. so excited

 

An RB exhaust is going to eat most of that $1500. If you stripped the interior, I gather you don't mind a little harshness, so if you can weld or know someone who can, just get two Borla mufflers and put one in the cat location. Then just buy the RB collected header and some nice 2" thickwall piping. Then spend the rest on tires, some decent brake pads, and suspension bits (RB springs and Tokico Blues and an RB front swaybar would be my choices, plus new bushings). Don't forget about replacing worn steering parts.

 

Here is a guy selling an RB exhaust system. https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=768820

I'd get it but I plan to upgrade the engine, plus I don't have the cash right now. Maybe you should get it and save some of your 1500 for a light flywheel or something fun.

 

I heard the light weight flywheels where hard to drive with.

True?

 

That all sounds perfect actually.

Harshness? Haha ya think?

 

Some Rota "panasport" knockoffs....around 500.

 

Only on the very first drive after the swap. The difference is surprisingly small. It takes like 1 minute to get used to it. Then you need to be aware/remember that it's different for a few minutes while your body adjusts so you don't stall it. After that, it's quite rewarding and actually far more pleasant to drive.

I've found that I prefer to go one step lighter than Mazda originally used. So if the car originally had a 30 pounder like all rotaries up to '80, like my Cosmo, I installed a GSL-SE flywheel since it matches the rotating assembly and only weighs 27 pounds but less is concentrated on the outer edge so it is noticebly more responsive but not hard to drive at all. Infact with a stock clutch and pressure plate, this car is tons easier to drive than when it had an automatic in it. No joke.

The same goes for a 1st gen. If it came stock with an '83-'85 12A and the 27 pound flywheel; you can get away with a Racing Beat light steel. This is a more dramatic weight reduction going from 27 pounds to 13 (plus 4ish for the rear counterweightt which you must also purchase and make sure it matches your rotors ie don't guess on this part; you MUST know what rotating assembly you have and there are ways to figure this out). This flywheel takes a couple of launches to get a feel for it and it doesn't have the extra push around idle that you're used to. Give it a minute or two and you'll be fine.

I quickly got used to light steel and it felt too heavy for me so I went with aluminum. Again a noticeable improvement and since the engine has an SC on it, the extra drag and rotating weight (inertia since the internal parts are lightweight aluminum extrusions) of the SC was too heavy with the light steel. Aluminum was the right choice. This one was 9 pounds. They vary.

As for how an aluminum flywheel does on an NA engine, ask PercentSevenC as his engine has a slightly lighter super thin steel flywheel that they don't make anymore. It weighs only 8 pounds! He also has an HD disc that is more grabby than stock. Stock pressure plate though, but that makes it easier to drive since it requires less leg strength and seems to hold the power of the weber. I find it quite refreshing to drive and love the quick response. Totally worth the few minutes of cage rattling you must go through to re-educate your foot. Ever use a new tooth brush? Know how it feels different for a while? That's what it's like driving a light flywheel. Ever put on a new pair of shoes? New underwear? (I hope)

 

As Jeff mentioned, I'm currently rocking an 8-pounder with a Racing Beat heavy-duty clutch disc in my FB, which is currently also my daily driver. It's really quite pleasant to drive, actually. A nice flywheel/clutch setup should be on your list for the next round of upgrades, as should a carb upgrade.

 

Prices?

Brands?


Websites?

 

racingbeat.com

 

For the flywheel, Racing Beat has them as already stated. Tweakit has some lighter ones. I know ACT and Fidanza also make them, but I'm not very familiar with their product lines. You'll need a counterweight from an automatic.

The only clutches and pressure plates I have experience with are the ones Racing Beat sells, which are made by Exedy.

As for carbs, talk to Sterling. Alternatively, Weber 48 IDAs are cool. If you go that route you may as well just get both the carb and manifold from Racing Beat.

 

Racing beat is kinda obvious for parts.