Today I finally put some new wheels and tires on the SA to help with the lack of traction. Ended up going with some Konig Rewinds since they're inexpensive, well made, and look pretty decent. Hankook Ventus2 Concept2 205/50R15's for the rubber. Though unfortunately I don't get to test them out in the short term (but first a wheel photo).



As I was about to leave for the maiden voyage on the new shoes, I noticed a sizable oil puddle under the car. Unfortunately it looks like I've cracked my rear iron.... Not too enthused about that, but this is why we keep spare parts. Looks like the engine is coming out again. On a positive note, it certainly could've been worse.

 

Love the wheels and tire combo. I hate it for you on the motor.

 

As a recap of what is happening in this picture. The original 1980 wiring was had missing and hacked due to a failed V8 swap that I saved this car from. It has the electrical of an '83 now. The instrument cluster is from an 83 as well. The tachometer now does a sweep when the ignition is turned on through the Haltech 750 Elite. A check engine light has been added into the tach as well via said Haltech. As the FB harness had provisions for remote fuel door release, I utilized that and placed a 80s Ford Fuel Door Switch. It's the orange button. Ebay listing claimed it was from a SVO Mustang. The headlight/ turn signal unit is from an SA, which i rewired to mate to the FB harness.
HVAC panel is from a FB but the center console surround is SA, I reworked the surround to make it a dual DIN using 1/8 plastic and epoxies. Yes there is an absent light just above the HVAC controls. The Stereo is a JDM Panasonic MiniDisk/CD player with aux in. Because I had to have all the lighting match, Everything needed to be amber in lighting.
The need for a power antenna switch was negated so another one was acquired and repurposed as power window switches. the coin holder was abandoned and the power window switches are in it's place. The spar hole where the power antenna switch would have gone is a second defroster switch that has had the icon removed and is now a fog light switch.

I have done the HVAC rebuild using the McMaster Carr list, and I have trimed out unneeded circuits. the steering wheel has be sanded to "bright" and clear coated, the SA dash trim is a 1/2" stainless that I directionally sanded and clear coated as well. The Shift **** has a switch which is described above.

hope this clarifies things

 

Gotta mean something!

 

Haha, nice catch. If only it happened a month earlier, then the stars would really be aligning.

 

I seem to have made a mis-step. Although I’m not sure how. I was asked to provide a wider shot with description.

not sure about the month earlier and the stars comment.

now I’m thinking it’s the post count. The example had me at #7777 but now it reads #7778..

 

Took the beehive oil cooler off while tracking down some engine oil leaks. Found the pedestal was missing a nut and bolt and it looks like the people who had rebuilt the engine used RTV instead of the o-rings. I'll clean it all up and put the proper o-rings on.

 

Ah, I was thinking of if it had reached post #7777 on 7.7.2021 (sevens day) it would have been neat. Hence the "stars aligning".

Also I believe the count in the title is the reply count, so you being post #7778 would be reply #7777.

 

Wow..! Never seen that before. Do you have any idea who would have done something like that? And if they did other work on the car on important systems, I would be skeptical of.

That almost looks like it was limiting oil flow to your engine.

Get the proper o-rings from any local Mazda dealer.

Edit, so this engine was fully re-assembled by the same "builder"? I wonder what they used for the front cover o-ring, maybe some bubble gum they had lying around.

 

2 hours of buffing, can't get that mirror finish

 

I put in a new combo switch (turn signals, headlights, cruise control). Not a new to me combo switch - a brand new one from MazdaTrix. It is weird to actually hear the turn signal cancel working with a audible click...

 

looks like I put no effort into aesthetics, but I polished that water pump for 2 f'n hours

 

The problem with cleaning and polishing/painting one part is that it tends to make all the other ones around it look shabby...
That would be part of why it's taking so long for me to get mine back together after painting the engine compartment. Can't put dirty, rusty stuff back into a fresh engine bay, can you?

 

true, those nuts and bolts look scary! the water pump housing is like something out of Water World or some post plague dystopian future. I painted that housing 17 years ago. Also swapped out the 17 year old painted yellow clutch hydraulics.

Damn it, now you put the thought in my head to remove the water pump housing, sand blast it, powder coat it, or get it chromed. (mega $$$).

 

I'm blasting, tumbling, zinc plating, polishing, and passivating ever dang bolt in my engine bay. Not really expensive, but time consuming. Everything is getting cleaned or blasted, and painted or plated. I'd love to powder coat some of it, but yeah, $$, so I'm what I can do. I may eventually buy a powder coating rig, but really the hard part there is an oven - or at least a large one.
And the *outside* is still going to look like ragged junk for a while. At least the paint.

 

If you want anything powder coated, I'll do it for free if you pay the return shipping and blast it first. I like to do this for people that take the time to rebuild with attention to detail. I've don't this to my RX-7's.

 

I prefer Hammerite . Easy repair options and without problems since 2013.

 

Even these two?

 

Unfortunately, it appears Hammerite isn't sod in the US, at least according to Countries - Hammerite
I tend to use Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy Enamel for similar purposes. It's proven to be very tough, as long as you can deal with only gloss black, gloss white, or gloss almond colors.
I may take KansasCityREPU up on their offer if I run across something that really needs to be powder-coated, though!

edit: though it's on Amazon, and some other US websites, so I don't know why the official website doesn't list the US.
edit edit: According to Hammerite Rust Cap Smooth Enamel Finish Spray (thepaintstore.com) "Please note that the manufacturer is discontinuing the entire line of Hammerite products. Therefore, we can NOT guarantee shipping of the product as it is only available while supplies last." and the prices are ridiculous on Amazon. US$25 for 250 mL? Well, that's disappointing.

 

Repair Powder coated parts didn't will make you happy,
eaven when you find (under the powder coat) a big part have rust for a long time. You can spray hammerite hammerschlag black directly on rust. 20 years later you didn't will have problems. You will find some similar product in the usa i think.

 

Finally getting that 60psi on the highway!

 

Yes - as long as you can remove the reservoir and any seals. The part needs to get to 400* for 15-20 minutes.

 

400 ? Those parts are kaput ! Such an ignoble tribute to parts that worked for 16 years.

 

A true "labor of love" though, and props for the time and effort involved. Not to mention how "intimately" familiar with your RX7 Frankenrex!
.

 

Finally installed new KYB shocks in the rear, so the entire rear suspension is new. I still need to take apart the rear end, but I'll do that when I do the clutch, u-joints (or new driveshaft) this winter.

I'm dying to see how it performs, but still waiting on exhaust parts and I need shielding gas to weld up the mid-pipe mess. I did install the header and pre-silencer, though.