What did you do to your FB today?
08-22-14, 11:41 AM
#5076
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
Nice DD, nothing says 80s like aviator sunglasses. Ummm, can't see the pants but they look
funky as well. The Styx concert I went to back then left my ears ringing for 3 days after.
Good luck at the show.
funky as well. The Styx concert I went to back then left my ears ringing for 3 days after.
Good luck at the show.
08-22-14, 08:37 PM
#5078
The Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach ( Japanese Classic Car Show / JCCS 2014 ) decided to add a "Period Appropriate" costume contest to this year's show. To enter, you had to dress in clothing appropriate to the year of your car & send in a picture. So last night I broke open the seal on my "Only open in times of dementia or of the 80's return" box in my closet, too the Beastie down off her skates, and we went out photoshooting. I won't inflict the actual shot sent for the contest on you all (is heinous) but here's a sample of the pics. All regalia is authentic from the 80's. Sadly, I'm not holding up as well as the gear is, 30 years on. Car's looking the best of the bunch, though.
08-23-14, 01:37 AM
#5081
Played around with the 79 cluster I picked up to put in the 80. Popped the bluegreen caps off inside the cluster and went with these primarily because it was a US seller:
10 Pcs T10 168 194 W5W 4 3528 SMD Red LED Bulb | eBay
Picture comes out more orange than they look in real life. Lighting is fairly uniform with no real hotspots, but I didn't really expect any as I left the white diffusers in the cluster, so all of the light is bounced. I also bought the same lights in green, so I could go to green if I desire and I am using the greens in the turn signal indicators as well. If I put the greens in for illumination, I'll take another pic.
08-23-14, 01:45 AM
#5082
^ rattle gun EDIT; re two posts up. I bought a cheapy specifically for this purpose, worked a treat, although if you dont have compressed air then thats no good to ya.
Also, i put my engine in today, mounted it 20mm further back than it was, which means it is where its supposed to be again because before it was 40mm forward. (its a T2 where a 12a should be, in a s3) The mounts were hanging off the subframe 20mm and the crossmember was hanging off the mounts 20mm, lol.
Now the fun begins,, sigh.
Also, i put my engine in today, mounted it 20mm further back than it was, which means it is where its supposed to be again because before it was 40mm forward. (its a T2 where a 12a should be, in a s3) The mounts were hanging off the subframe 20mm and the crossmember was hanging off the mounts 20mm, lol.
Now the fun begins,, sigh.
08-23-14, 12:41 PM
#5083
Sin City Rotary
Played around with the 79 cluster I picked up to put in the 80. Popped the bluegreen caps off inside the cluster and went with these primarily because it was a US seller:
10 Pcs T10 168 194 W5W 4 3528 SMD Red LED Bulb | eBay
Picture comes out more orange than they look in real life. Lighting is fairly uniform with no real hotspots, but I didn't really expect any as I left the white diffusers in the cluster, so all of the light is bounced. I also bought the same lights in green, so I could go to green if I desire and I am using the greens in the turn signal indicators as well. If I put the greens in for illumination, I'll take another pic.
08-23-14, 11:10 PM
#5085
My first GSL-SE is now belongs to someone else. They took her last night. I only had her for two years but I couldn't even watch them drive off. The drivers side window was not going up well at all and never had and I had promised to work on it so I spent my last couple of hours with her taking the regulator out and lubing it. This had been taken apart before and this was not the original regulator. In fact I am a little angry at whoever did the work since they did such a poor job. Wrong screws and stripped phillips heads, torn moisture barrier and to top it off the lift spring was installed backwards. I fixed that and put it all back together and it works much better. The glass moves forward when it gets close to the top and almost comes out of the track and then pops back into place. The inner window seal needs replacing and I didn't have one of those. I do have one more thing to do for this FB and I will report on it when it happens (with pictures of course).
Looked at Sevens on EBay and Craigs list this afternoon a little. This is almost like dating but it seems more like stalking. Does this make me a bad person?
Looked at Sevens on EBay and Craigs list this afternoon a little. This is almost like dating but it seems more like stalking. Does this make me a bad person?
08-24-14, 10:41 AM
#5087
08-24-14, 10:05 PM
#5090
Doug, you did a good thing. Now you can look for a nice 12a car, which I think would better complement the electric. I just got back from 28 hour 270 mile round trip to the shore, where my wife and little ones spend most of the summer. (Some of us must work) Snapped a pic of my New Brights H-4 led bulbs in hella lamps. 
And my 2 year old busted my windshield with his head while fighting with his 5 year old brother over who was gonna "drive". I've been wanting a new windshield, given the severe pitting this one has. Now I kinda have to. I told him it was okay, just so long as this was also the last time his head would ever contact a windshield.
Yes, chickens like 1st gens.
And my 2 year old busted my windshield with his head while fighting with his 5 year old brother over who was gonna "drive". I've been wanting a new windshield, given the severe pitting this one has. Now I kinda have to. I told him it was okay, just so long as this was also the last time his head would ever contact a windshield.Yes, chickens like 1st gens.
08-25-14, 12:15 AM
#5091
I took it to the Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention (EVCCon). I think there were 4 converted Miatas but just my FB as representing 7's. Friday we call play day because we use the taxiways at a local airport and set up a 1/8th mile strip and an autocross course. We also have scales and a dyno available. My car weighs 2420 after the conversion. I will have to get the individual wheel readings. Find attached the record of my runs on the 1/8th mile. It was a hot day and I believe my motor control was limiting my power all day. The dyno run later in the evening is confirmation this in my mind. The 1/8 mile runs should have been faster but the controller limiting due to heat explains it. The dyno runs were back to back and power levels were way off on the second run. Note the 266 ft-lbs briefly on the first run.
On cool days I can do a 0-60 in a little over 6 seconds. All this shows me I need to fix my controller cooling situation and these times should be very different. The holeshot was always good and if there had been a 60 ft time it would have been good. For example I was faster to the ends of the barricades than a Tesla Model S and then it just blew me away.
Note the second to the last time (race 162) I had an R/T of 1.7 seconds. This is not true. On this particular run I was going against a vehicle that had no chance of winning and I decided to get a time for the run in just 4th gear. I started to select 4th gear (I was in 2nd) and they started the tree. I shoved it in gear and hit the throttle and started backwards. I put it in 2nd again and finished the race. If the other car had not red lighted I would have lost though. They tell me they got this on video so when that gets uploaded I will post there here. Embarrassing but funny! I took passengers on most of my runs so just for fun. I am so far from breaking the NEDRA record in my class (SC/D) that it will require some upgrades to get there. Maybe next year.
I am going to a real 1/8th mile strip tomorrow if it doesn't rain. Sikeston raceway I believe.
On cool days I can do a 0-60 in a little over 6 seconds. All this shows me I need to fix my controller cooling situation and these times should be very different. The holeshot was always good and if there had been a 60 ft time it would have been good. For example I was faster to the ends of the barricades than a Tesla Model S and then it just blew me away.
Note the second to the last time (race 162) I had an R/T of 1.7 seconds. This is not true. On this particular run I was going against a vehicle that had no chance of winning and I decided to get a time for the run in just 4th gear. I started to select 4th gear (I was in 2nd) and they started the tree. I shoved it in gear and hit the throttle and started backwards. I put it in 2nd again and finished the race. If the other car had not red lighted I would have lost though. They tell me they got this on video so when that gets uploaded I will post there here. Embarrassing but funny! I took passengers on most of my runs so just for fun. I am so far from breaking the NEDRA record in my class (SC/D) that it will require some upgrades to get there. Maybe next year.
I am going to a real 1/8th mile strip tomorrow if it doesn't rain. Sikeston raceway I believe.
08-25-14, 12:35 AM
#5092
For what I did to my FB, well, I put the original, worn out, 13B back in my grey SE, rather than on the garage floor where it's been for 10 years or so. I got the car sans engine, then the guy gave me the engine, which he had pulled, later. It's just sitting in there bolted to the trans with 3 bolts.
Then I looked at the S5 13B I acquired some years ago. It was stuck when I got it, because the person who sold it to me bought it as a spare for his S5, but didn't put ATF or oil in the chambers, or cover any of the intake or exhaust ports. I filled it with ATF, taped over the ports, then covered it and shoved it in a corner for... I actually don't remember how many years it's been there. Anyway, since then, I built a shed, and new shelves in the garage, and now have some room to work on stuff in the garage. When I was putting my '90 back together, the engine turned about a half a revolution before it carbon locked, hard. I made a tool out of the nose, gear, and shaft out of a starter to spin it backward to free it (this is actually the procedure in the older service manuals. The official tool has a part number and everything! Newer manuals don't include this procedure, interestingly.) That tool worked on my '90, which is still running strong, so I was hoping that it would free up this other S5 engine. I'd like to drop it into my '79, since my 12A is kaput.
The good news is that it did indeed free it up. Man there was a lot of carbon in that engine - which contributes to the bad news: I got no compression at the moment. The apex seals appear to be good, but they are all stuck in the retracted position. Side seals probably aren't fantastic, either. I put in some fresh ATF for the moment, but either than that, I'm not sure what else I can do short of disassembling it.
I did get to thinking that if I could get it to fire off for just a little bit, that would probably shake everything loose. I don't have a 13B carb manifold handy, but I do have the aforementioned GSL-SE. I'm thinking I'll pull the worn out motor back out, then slip this one back in with the SE intake, ignition, cooling, and oil cooler, a spare fuel pump and a gas can, and see if I can get it to fire. I'd really prefer to not spend almost $100 to rebuild this thing, though if I have to , I will stick with the S5 engine, at least for my '79. For the SE, I can rebuild the original, since it's just worn out (low compression) rather than actually broken.
Any thoughts/ideas on loosening those apex seals? Now that I have some room, I'd like to get my '79 functional again, and sell the '90 and the SE (I think.) I've got too many cars, and not enough space/time/money.
Then I looked at the S5 13B I acquired some years ago. It was stuck when I got it, because the person who sold it to me bought it as a spare for his S5, but didn't put ATF or oil in the chambers, or cover any of the intake or exhaust ports. I filled it with ATF, taped over the ports, then covered it and shoved it in a corner for... I actually don't remember how many years it's been there. Anyway, since then, I built a shed, and new shelves in the garage, and now have some room to work on stuff in the garage. When I was putting my '90 back together, the engine turned about a half a revolution before it carbon locked, hard. I made a tool out of the nose, gear, and shaft out of a starter to spin it backward to free it (this is actually the procedure in the older service manuals. The official tool has a part number and everything! Newer manuals don't include this procedure, interestingly.) That tool worked on my '90, which is still running strong, so I was hoping that it would free up this other S5 engine. I'd like to drop it into my '79, since my 12A is kaput.
The good news is that it did indeed free it up. Man there was a lot of carbon in that engine - which contributes to the bad news: I got no compression at the moment. The apex seals appear to be good, but they are all stuck in the retracted position. Side seals probably aren't fantastic, either. I put in some fresh ATF for the moment, but either than that, I'm not sure what else I can do short of disassembling it.
I did get to thinking that if I could get it to fire off for just a little bit, that would probably shake everything loose. I don't have a 13B carb manifold handy, but I do have the aforementioned GSL-SE. I'm thinking I'll pull the worn out motor back out, then slip this one back in with the SE intake, ignition, cooling, and oil cooler, a spare fuel pump and a gas can, and see if I can get it to fire. I'd really prefer to not spend almost $100 to rebuild this thing, though if I have to , I will stick with the S5 engine, at least for my '79. For the SE, I can rebuild the original, since it's just worn out (low compression) rather than actually broken.
Any thoughts/ideas on loosening those apex seals? Now that I have some room, I'd like to get my '79 functional again, and sell the '90 and the SE (I think.) I've got too many cars, and not enough space/time/money.
08-25-14, 10:09 AM
#5093
I finally had a free Sunday with reasonably nice weather, so I set out to do a job I bought parts for nearly a year ago: swapping in some Energy Suspension urethane tie-rod-end boots.
Car up, wheels off, & the end puller I'd bought months back made quick work of separating the left-side tie rod.
Locked one end in the vice, used a chisel to remove the press-fitted factory boot. Grab the urethane boot, slide it in place....
& it does not fit. Too large in the inner diameter where the boot is supposed to meet the housing. So large it slips over the mating lip and slides all the way over the outside of the joint.
Bad words ensued.
No way to return them - - bought September last year, & only about $16 in parts to begin with.
It took some judicious work with a round-nose punch to get the original boot seated back on the joint safely. Thankfully, I had removed it without damaging it.
I do hate it so, when parts that are supposed to fit don't fit.
So I ended up cleaning my front wheels as the net gain of the day.
Car up, wheels off, & the end puller I'd bought months back made quick work of separating the left-side tie rod.
Locked one end in the vice, used a chisel to remove the press-fitted factory boot. Grab the urethane boot, slide it in place....
& it does not fit. Too large in the inner diameter where the boot is supposed to meet the housing. So large it slips over the mating lip and slides all the way over the outside of the joint.
Bad words ensued.
No way to return them - - bought September last year, & only about $16 in parts to begin with.
It took some judicious work with a round-nose punch to get the original boot seated back on the joint safely. Thankfully, I had removed it without damaging it.
I do hate it so, when parts that are supposed to fit don't fit.
So I ended up cleaning my front wheels as the net gain of the day.
08-25-14, 10:46 AM
#5094
ran a wire and relayed my fuel pump. took the door panels off, cleaned them, recovered the tops with tan vinyl as it was the only thing that came close to stock color that I could find at a local fabric shop. sprayed the window regulators with white lithium grease and made things work a bit faster than before.
08-25-14, 04:24 PM
#5095
I posted three videos a friend took of my GSL-EV at the Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention (EVCCon) 2014. Here is a link to one race against a converted Miata. One is a solo run down the track without timing and the third is a run up to 75mph on the dyno.
08-25-14, 04:30 PM
#5096
ran a wire and relayed my fuel pump. took the door panels off, cleaned them, recovered the tops with tan vinyl as it was the only thing that came close to stock color that I could find at a local fabric shop. sprayed the window regulators with white lithium grease and made things work a bit faster than before.
I posted three videos a friend took of my GSL-EV at the Electric Vehicle Conversion Convention (EVCCon) 2014. Here is a link to one race against a converted Miata. One is a solo run down the track without timing and the third is a run up to 75mph on the dyno.
EV RX-7 vs EV Miata
EV RX-7 vs EV Miata
08-25-14, 04:39 PM
#5097
I paid $3500 for it. I put about $1100 in parts in it and I said I wanted $5000 for it and they said OK. They didn't even dicker at all because I would have changed my mind and she figured that out. So not an offer too good to refuse but they gave me my asking price so I really couldn't do anything but make the sale. Just a It is clear to me that good examples of GSL-SE are going up in value. They don't even have to be particularly low miles. Just need to be reasonably stock and unmolested.
And I have talked to both the girls and he was just as happy as could be and has been driving it all over. Sounds like I am going to meet him on Friday.
And I have talked to both the girls and he was just as happy as could be and has been driving it all over. Sounds like I am going to meet him on Friday.
08-26-14, 08:37 AM
#5098
I paid $3500 for it. I put about $1100 in parts in it and I said I wanted $5000 for it and they said OK. They didn't even dicker at all because I would have changed my mind and she figured that out. So not an offer too good to refuse but they gave me my asking price so I really couldn't do anything but make the sale. Just a It is clear to me that good examples of GSL-SE are going up in value. They don't even have to be particularly low miles. Just need to be reasonably stock and unmolested.
And I have talked to both the girls and he was just as happy as could be and has been driving it all over. Sounds like I am going to meet him on Friday.
And I have talked to both the girls and he was just as happy as could be and has been driving it all over. Sounds like I am going to meet him on Friday.
