Quoted by DivinDriver:

"Nickel electro-plated (by hand; brush-plating method) "

PLEASE provide more info / or maybe a write up?

 

Where did you get em' and how much? Do they have RWL on them?

 

I think he talks about it in his restoration thread in the other section.

 

No RWL and i got them from ebay. They were $499 shipped ($99/tire). Its the same tire they use on the legends race cars and are supposed to only be available to them.

 

Can't tell ya... we're at war, remember?


Just kidding... Did a bit of a write up in my "Project Resurrection" thread in the Build Threads forum, but really, most all you need to know is the below link:

http://www.caswellplating.com/catalo...=brush+plating

Being sommat a cheapskate with piles of old electronic equipment on hand, I used my own power supply and leads rather than buy theirs (mine is also adjustable); I just bought solution, the wand, and the required 'bandages' from them as refill parts.

Their instructions are available as a download here:

http://support.caswellplating.com/in...t-instructions

I like your console mod; I went for a more reversible gauge build, myself, but you do nice work.

 

I painted my window trim.

Masked off for paint after stripping and prepping for paint.



Primed with etching primer.



First coat of Rustoleum engine paint gloss black. I figure in time it will turn satin and
fade a bit. I kind of like the shiney bit besides. Also did the wiper arms as well.



All done. Looks pretty good. I have one spot to fix up and started working on that
tonight. Just some runs and what not.

 

I also relocated my TFI coils to the stock location using the stock brackets. I just had
to bend up the top bracket to make it hold the coils nice and tight.

 

Whooo Hooo Tim. Looking Good!

 

I'm interested in how I holds up Tim, did mine a few years ago but used rustolem outdoor metal furnature pait. It has since faded to chalky black and flakes off in places.

 

I ordered ALL of the door seals and rubbers from Black Dragon so I could start prepping my new doors for installation and get rid of these super rusty ones that are on the car now.

 

Beware.. I've ordered door seals from them before and 2 out of 3 times they did not fit. It looked like they were cut. I'd rather just order from Mazda direct knowing it will be the right stuff

 

I started working on cleaning up and inspecting the (stock) exhaust parts I'll be using; some are from the previous build, but some are recovered parts from various other people, including 80's Old School who donated this air duct:



...which is looking a bit better after some Naval Jelly and elbow grease.


I noticed a confusing mismatch in the shape of the inserts in my Thermal Reactor that I need to research more fully; I'll be posting a picture request/parts search for it shortly.

Progress in the bay, as of today:

 

So it looks like I'm going to be selling the AutoBanh's instead of keeping them. I'll have a FS thread up in the West section this weekend if anyone lives in Socal and is interested.

 

^ Wrong thread.

 

Divin, you probably have a J-spec part causing the mismatch, as you already figured out. I've encountered numerous little differences and similarities as Mazda likes to try stuff in thier home market before sending them here and elsewhere (high volume oil pump in and engine with an '80 style dizzy, anyone?).

I don't envy you having to stay with the thermal reactor but envy the care you're taking. I need to rekindle that kind of passion like I used to have. I'm thinking of building a nice little 13B for my '81 and throwing in an RB streetport exhaust I have kicking around. Stock ports and stock Hitachi carb for the win! Also a light steel flywheel and stock pressure plate for that easy drive and still plenty of holding power. This is exactly what I'd do if I didn't have a big ego. Maybe that's the problem? Always wanting bigger and better when all this time the "wanting" is screwing everything up, because as soon as I accomplish whatever I was doing, I can't "want" it anymore because it's now here. Do you follow?

 

As for keeping this thread on track, what did I do to my FB today? I took a bunch of measurments and test fitted a short radiator. No go. Hmm, if I trim the lower hose pipe and chop off the heater pipe it just might fit. But then I've only got like 11" of fins on a big hot engine. I'd need two 10" fans, which don't move very much air. Crap.

I'd almost be better off throwing the 20B back in the GLC. At least the GLC has a real clutch fan and doesn't run hot even with a beehive on a 13B. Yes, I used a beehive because the oil cooler sprung a pinhole leak and I wanted to try a beehive. Actually it was a crack someplace in the core that I couldn't see so I think I sent it to the aluminum recycler (I have spares). The radiator is just a short 79-82 type and fits nicely.

I've got an old junker 83-85 radiator to take measurements from too. No way that's fitting in the FB, at the angle required. First speed bump would be christened with hot steamy goodness.

There is one more short rad I have in the baja. It already had its lower pipe trimmed and the heater core pipe chopped to fit in the cage close to the engine. To do it right I should have lengthened the cage and strengthed the horns; this would have allowed more room and I wouldn't have needed to chop the rad pipes. But this modded rad just might fit in front of the 20B. Then I'd just need to get a tall rad and stick it in the baja. The nice part about that idea is I can use a 16" fan which ought to cool plenty for back there (compared to the two 10" which barely do anything). Further, if the short rad went into the 20B car, the twin fans would be helped along by ram air.

Or I could forget my sense of decorum and stick the 20B in the baja. Man I'd break parts every time drive it. As it is, the stock disc and pressure plate probably aren't up to holding twice what a 1600 could make. Something like comparing a 1600 that makes 50 to 55HP vs an R5 13B that makes 110HP at 6k and 120 torque at 4k. Then I can add a turbo. [epic laugh]

 

Started the new engine!

 

Try getting the fan setup from a MK1 MR2. Its 2 fans and fits a short mazda radiator
like a glove. They really kick out the air too. I've been using them for a few years
now and have not been disappointed. Kentetsu uses them too. Might work for your
space issue and you can get em cheap at the bone yard.

 

changed a water pump and sanded wheels

 

My GLC used to run a mech fan as well, but every time I would accelerate hard the fan wanted to make contact with the upper rad hose despite the fact I trimmed an inch off the blades

By cfamilyfix at 2011-04-12

Now I run 2 10" electric fans...(ebay I think)


By cfamilyfix at 2011-06-21

also am using a fox body mustang 170 degree thermostat and summit racing fanswitch. Doesn't overheat...at least thats what my 1978 temp gauge (that I shouldn't trust) says.

 

That's possible... but I can't mentally reconstruct a history of the parts in question that would have allowed a J-spec part to creep in. Sad truth is, I've had this car so long & worked on it so much that some of my earlier memories are none too sharp.

My first engine rebuild was in the early 90's, and I have only spotty memories of exactly what I did to it at the time. Life before digital cameras wasn't as well documented.

Basically, I've noticed that the front exhaust port insert on the Thermal Reactor is 1) welded in rather than slip-fit, and 2) set flush to the gasket mounting surface, but the rear port insert is 1) slip-fit only, and 2) designed so that it rises up from the gasket mounting surface for about the thickness of the gasket.

It worries me that they are different, yet they have been different for a long time - - in fact, I have a spare rear insert, and the design is the same. But it just seems wrong that the two port fitments would be so different. And I know for a fact that my original rear insert is long-gone - - it got more or less blown to smithereens back when my ACV was bad and the car would afterburn severely on late shifts. (*BOOM!*)

I have a spare TR, but it's no help because it 1) is a non-EGR type (which changes the front port shape), and 2) came with to me with NO inserts at all... though obviously they were both slip fit as both are gone.

Absolutely; I run into a similar mental block very frequently: I tend to lose interest in a project as soon as I have fully puzzled out how to make it work right. Once I know for certain how it will work and how it will turn out, it takes a serious mental effort for me to push through to actually completing it.

I've spent a lot of years trying to train myself out of it, with imperfect success. For me, the main joy is in solving the puzzle.

 

I had been warned before about this, but I didn't think Mazda sold that stuff anymore. It's due to arrive today so I will just have to see...

 

i bought black dragon door seals about a year ago and they fit perfect. Have to shut the door kinda hard because the seals are so new

 

yeah it seems to be hit or miss...

 

I have a friend that works as a service tech at a local Mazda. I was over there last week Sunday looking up parts, they still have the seals. I was actually going to order a few soon. Hopefully yours all fit perfectly fine