And so this doen't turn into an intake love-in....

SA overhead console.
The last hold over from mid 70s overhead console fetish our japanese friends indulged in. RX4 Coupe was the pinnacle, and I believe the RX5 Cosmo also had one. This is the vestige that clung to the first SAs to hit some markets. "U" cut-out is for stock room/mirror light. Note cool pivoting map light. Optics within it magnify photon output. Equipped cars also featured a different visor shape to accommodate the unit...
Bought these in Australia. Not sure which markets got them other than JDM. Was listed in the N. American parts book, but, annoyingly, never actually available. Came in the 79 NON sunroofed RX7s. Not sure if it carried over to the 80 SA. Bit of a head scratcher about installing it. The mounting bracket is clearly visible, but I have yet to find out WHERE on the roof it attaches! No obvious attach points in any NON sunroofed SAs I have examined. So these sit in the box...

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

That beautiful carb looks like my 84/85 carbs, without some of the grime. Here's what mine looked like after last spring's rebuild

 

i think 84-85 too, 83 has a solenoid on the secondary diaphram

 

Apologies - do not mean to side track a great thread!!

Thanks guys!
Ray - esp those great pics - will do a side-by-side. Yours is looking real good for having spent real working time under the hood!

Now - back to our regularly scheduled programming....
LESSEE SOME MORE NEAT STUFF


Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

"I've got blisters on myah fingers.....!"

 

Check these out: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1979-...Q5fAccessories

I'd consider those fairly unobtainium

 

i'd say! its i nice shape. i shouid buy a set to replace the worn wheels on my LS!

 

I' m thinking "repaint" Dave - note the photo:
-chrome lug hole trim is painted gold
-should be a polished edge around the center wheel cap hole, painted on this one
Also "one of four" - so: WHICH one will you get?? WHICH one is in the picture, what do the rest look like??
fishy....
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

CONCERNING the gold LS wheels in Dr. Venkman's post above:

I've seen all for of these wheels in person. They are indeed repainted and the one cleaned up in the picture is by far in the best shape. The rest are in ugly condition. I'd say 2/10 scale. All would require complete restoration before I'd sport them.

They are significantly overpriced for their condition.

 

EXTREMELY keen observation Stu!!! i didnt take a lot of notice to the painted chrome lug holes and the lack of a polished edge. i had just gotten off of work and it was near 3:30am here and i was beat..but had to check in the 1st gen non tech section. my daughter was awake and wanted to see me for a bit so we hung out and we lurked here for a bit and i got her a drink and took her to be and we fell asleep watching strawberry shortcake..

and Mike, thank you very very much for the pm!!

 

That's a nice wheel. That's what I'd totally do if I had an SA.

Talk about Unobtainium, here's the red leather driver's seat I'm about to install in the Silver One after a little mink oil:

 

Let us observe a moment of silence for all the minks that gave their lives, so Ray could have a kingly place to sit...

 

 

It's OK DD. All the minks they used for that bottle committed suicide after hearing Ray needed some oil for his seats. They are thoughtful that way.

 

Kingly indeed -
beauty Ray! Just hope you don't end up stuffed into the foot well if you hit the brakes too hard and slide out under the belt. Reminds me of the day I put a dab of Armorall on the seat of my Ducati.
B-i-i-i-i-i-ig mistake!

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Yup! Thanks Ray! Those certainly look like the type of nasty bloodthirsty minks my mother always warned me about... did you take that shot at after a recent OGTA Club Meet?

 

No, no, I didn't kill the minks and I don't condone it, my wife bought the mink oil, I just used it because someone recommended it on Dave's post about restoring leather seats. And they were right, the stuff works great.

And Mike I don't know those minks in the photo personally, they are just the ones I found when I researched "minks" on google. That's a photo from the Minks Club in Ontario. Those Canadians are a wild bunch and they sure know a lot about minks.

Now about this slipping and sliding stuff, surely you guys have heard the saying "fits as tightly as a leather glove". Stu sliding off the seat of your over armnoralled Ducati (were the Italians still using leather then?) is not the same as taking a corner in my well minked Unobtanium red leather driver's seat.

It is a very difficult experience to put into words, something only a person with an Unobtanium red shifter **** would understand, I think.

 

OK, here's the closest thing to unobtanium I have, with the exception of my original spare:



Anyone guess?

These are factory-fresh crimp-on connector contacts, for all the square quick-disconnect connectors throughout the 1st-gen wiring. From the same source that made the original connectors.

Very handy when repairing/modifying wiring, and damned hard to spec out and get. I had to buy minimum quantity of 100 each, to get the few I needed for my electric mirror project.

These are tin over brass, rather than the original brass-only; corrosion-resistant.

 

^^those connectors are super awesome!! how'd you find them?

people were asking about the oem 10AE shift boot i've got. grabbed a quick pic with my cell. i'm waiting to install it until i get a new outer plastic for it:

 

Shoe leather vitrtual-detective work; researched the original connector type & brand (based on the patent), found out who bought the patent rights and made them originally, found out which company owns that company now, searched up their distributors, when hunting for any that might still stock them.

Sort of stuff I do at work kinda frequently.

I found an electronics supplier in Minnesota who stocks the pins, and only a couple styles of the nylon shells.

Only ones still routinely stocked anywhere are for machine-fed crimping (that's why they are on rolls) but they can easily be cut off and hand-crimped with a terminal tool. Old connector shells can be de-pinned without damage if you know the trick. Much nicer to be able to use new pins, than to have to cut off and splice new wire into old leads.

I needed 6, ended up having to buy 100. Once I figure out how many I realistically may need in the future, I'll probably try to sell small qty's of them off here, to recoup some of the cost.

 

Glen -
Brilliant find! Can't tell you the HOURS I spend every "rewire project" picking apart my spare harnesses for useable connectors. And these are brand new?! Amazing....

Dave - photo THRU the plastic!? Don't tease me Bro!
Show the damn thing in the open with your good camera


Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Stu, i havent opened it yet, lol. i'm saving it for the other parts. but maybe i'll pop it open and post a pic

 

I guess I know what to get you for your birthday, then...

 

I gotta be honest with you Ray, I don't know the first think about minks (well except that their oil is good for leather, thankyou). Truth is, I don't even know what one looks like. Google time.

 

this is now an unobtanium part. its a RB boost gauge with manual boost controller. not sure the year it was made but i'm guessing mid to late 80's possibly 90's. got it for sale unfortunatly due to financial stress but sure is a neat part: