I knew nothing about these cars before I bought mine and drove it for a summer thinking these first gen rotaries were gutless or mine was due for an engine rebuild. Can’t remember how many times I stalled it at intersections. I decided to give it a tune up with new plugs, rotor, cap, points and condensers. I read up on how to set the dwell without the distributor cap on and figured out how to set each set of points. I discovered the one vacuum advance dash pots was not working and replaced it. The grounding wires for the points mounting plates were also broken but looked okay because the insulation was still good, that solved the bouncing tach needle issue. Spent several nights trying to get the leading and trailing timing set though. The previous owner had someone replace the ignition wires and the guy mixed up the leading and trailing wires from the cap to the coils. He had to mess with the timing so much just to get it running. Couldn’t believe how good it ran afterwards.

 

installed a giant wing, leds under the car......Removed on Day 1 !!!!

 

Pics!

 

Bought a SE from a young lad who had gotten the thing into a no start condition. The young man's dad delivered the car and we went to unload it but it was like trying to push a boulder uphill. The thing just would not roll or budge off the trailer. Had to use a come along and winch it off. I was like "what the He**"....
First thing I did was pull the front wheels and see if maybe a cailper was stuck....
Kid had bought new drilled and slotted rotors and installed them - with the inner wheel bearings backwards, no bearing races on both the inner and outer bearings and the seal was backwards to boot.
I told his parents its a good thing he never got it started to drive it like this because he would had an accident or worse within a block or so......

I wish I had taken a picture....

Then there was the re-wriring he did....

 

Moved the driver side door latch u hook on the pillar rather than properly adjust the door.

 

Bondo over rust, every nut tightend as much as possible. Half a carb rebuild, fuse block blown? Lets put spade fuses in it. Swap a perfect brown interior for a trashed black cat **** smelling one, hacked radio not even screwed in running 2 book shelf home speakers, duck taped wires together, rtv sealed a. Sensor into the radiator (no it didnt work) and so many more.

 

Put a V8 in it, but thats why ive got the motor now

 

Had a challenged child spray it in acrylic and left it to die for 20 years

 

Bondo. Lots and lots of bondo to mold the entire car. Hate the body work so much but love the car.

 

I just thought of another one. The previous owner put in the wrong size battery and to make it fit the hold down fittings crafted a piece of black plastic pipe between the top of the battery and the wire. I guess that was better than letting it flop around. I know why he put in the wrong battery, it was because the cross reference used lists the wrong battery. And several battery places have the same wrong one listed.

 

Have had the car for about 3 weeks and my list keeps growing.

So far the biggest is the gap between my turbo and block. About 2mm(?) because when they put it on they didn't use a gasket and of the 4 bolts that hold it on we have..
1 nut Finger tight
1 outright Missing a stud
1 nut that wasn't even touching the turbo
1 nut that was KIND OF tight.

 

Noticed on the right head light motor assembly is missing the rod that moves the headlight. The previous owner made one from a wood plank. Will post pictures tomorrow. lol. BTW looking for a metal rod to replace the wood one with.

 

New OEM rods available from Black Dragon and Mazdatrix.

 

Headlight Rods, Hood Rod Clips, Gas Caps, Overflow Tanks

this is the solution

 

previous owner also installed the battery with positive facing the vent and the metal touching so it arched. also had the battery strapped down...

lets just say its turned around and has a proper tray holder now

 

Installed the auxillary port sleaves and used the RB Holly manifold.

 

caulk all the drain holes for the sunroof and hatch

 

Okay that doesn't even make sense. What's the point in that one?

 

Here's something even dumber, drilled holes in the battery tray.



Of course that tray is there to catch battery acid. Here's the result:



And here's my repair:

 

.......parked it outside in a hail storm

 

I'm on my 4th since 88, and I guess I've been lucky. The dumbest thing any of them did was sell to me.

 

When I bought my 82 there was a horrible loud clunk from the front end when I would turn. Checked it out and found that the po had installed a larger front sway bar but didn't install the bushings in the center...then I found I also had a bent strut and a spindle that had gotten so hot that it was purple, blue, green, yellow and just a hint of the original steel....the horn was wired in to the dash instead of the steering wheel, and my fuel dor and hatch buttons were just gone....

 

Let it set until it rusted to hell around the rear hatch.

 

Dumbest thing they ever did?..
SELL IT TO ME!..you should see it NOW..(sucker..lol!)

 

Sold it to me :P