The White One Rises again
 

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...rgreen/c-2.jpg

The Fat Lady is singing and she sounds pretty good. As you know, the White One has been through some ups and downs lately (https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=748071).

She was 2 hours away from going up on blocks for the summer, awaiting a rebuild of that bad apex seal or side seal or whatever it was.

But with the expert assistance of forum members (Jeff, Mike and Crit come to mind, others lost to Alzheimers) the White One has risen again.

These guys have helped diagnose, in succession, a stuck shutter valve, a leaking coasting valve, a bad leading ignitor and an exhaust leak. All fixed, no bad apex seals, I'm happy. Here's the movie, after a 200 mile road test:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...een/th_A-2.jpg

Here's my favorite part, the recycled stock muffler from my first '84 GSL, the Tan One (RIP):

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...57_13_full.jpg

A mere 150,000 miles on that muffler, now it's getting a second life. (Thanks to Firebirdslayer for noticing the throaty exhaust note on my earlier video).

I just love that stock tip look.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...endpost003.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...endpost004.jpg

Driving to the OGTA meeting last night. I was in traffic no hot rodding, my favorite buddies Gwinett's finest are serious about that turf south of the 85/985 merge.

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...een/th_B-2.jpg

The White One hasn't missed an OGTA meeting yet:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...rgreen/6-4.jpg

So thanks for all the help from you 1st gen gurus. Jaime, if you're still a moderator, you can archive it now.

Good to hear its all working good for you Ray. Keep on racking miles on that thing - Happy motoring!

Good work Ray. Maybe you should change the eblems from Mazda to Timex :D.

who does the lotus belong to? Congrats ray!

Freakin sweet man! I hardly get to drive mine much, and it plays with my mind. Good thing it wasn't the apex seal... Now thanks to your thread all hope is not lost!

Congrats on it again man!

I know what you mean Stu, I was in total rotary withdrawal for the ten days that the White One was incapacitated. Now that she's back to doing that 110 mile daily commute I'm feeling much better.

Yetterban, the Lotus belongs to Tim, who likes to show up at the OGTA meetings in a different exotic car each time. Usually he brings a rotary, but I have to say I could live with the Lotus, what a machine!

Do 12As ever die?

I know we've got a big turnover Ray, but give me some credit here! :D Glad to see that the white one is alive and kicking. I'll send this off to the forums and clean up all the extra posts. Probably later tonight. :bigthumb:

Jamie

Ray,

You forgot to mention the stuck side seal too. :)

Kent

yeah the lotus is nice but everything i have read said they are cramped and the foot pedal layout is not friendly to taller people. Congrats again!

From the original post:

"She was 2 hours away from going up on blocks for the summer, awaiting a rebuild of that bad apex seal or side seal or whatever it was."

Kent, you aren't reading closely enough, what am I putting you guys to sleep?

Yetterban, that lotus is a tight fit, it has a side rail you practically have to jump over to get into the driver's seat, but I tried it out and it's a nice fit for me at least, though I do run a bit on the small side. Tim wouldn't let me drive it but I suspect with the small size and rear engine it drives something like a go cart. A very high powered go cart.

Just sharing in the Joy, the White One has been good to me. A Timex emblem might be just the right thing.

I saw that..but just thought you should add it to the list of all the stuff we helped figure out. So it should be :) :

These guys have helped diagnose, in succession, a stuck side seal (Seafoam FTW!), a stuck shutter valve, a leaking coasting valve, a bad leading ignitor and an exhaust leak.

Lot of stuff to fail at once, but sure beats a rebuild any day. :)

Ok, so you are paying too much attention. gsl-se addict, FTW.

yeah i have seen the cockpit on one of those and thats exactly how snug it looks. i bet that thing is a rocket ship they are only like 1,900 lbs and have the dimples on the floor pan and everything.

lol here is the body :P
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/lotus-elise-15.jpg

This would not work for me at all lol
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/lotus-elise-16.jpg

Your keeping that engine awfully clean Ray. Sounds good too! Leather seats appear in great shape. Congrats!

Congrats on keeping your car healthy!! My white was looks exactly the same as yours... hopefully it's playing around on the streets soon!

I'm 6 ' 4'' and sitting in an elise is not fun... i was looking directly at the top of the wind screen and getting out was more of falling out of the car... i have a video, i just rolled to the left and fell on the ground.. it was the only way to get out....

Mickster, the red leather is an upgrade from the original red velor interior. This is what it used to look like.

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...57_93_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...57_92_full.jpg

First I added the red leather steering wheel, purchased in great shape for $20 from a forum member out in Arizona (already installed in the pictures above).

Then I upgraded to leather seats I won on ebay for $150 in the Atlanta area:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...7_100_full.jpg

As you can see I kept the velor door panels, I think they look pretty good with the leather so I'm not looking to replace them anymore.

The key to a good leather interior is always be on the lookout for a good leather driver's seat. Forum member Crit recently gave me one in mint condition, which is what's installed in there now. And I have three others in pretty good shape for back ups (but I have two GSLs with red leather interior, so I can always use another, if anyone out there have one!).

swbtm, let's see that video of the lotus!

Sweet leather upgrade! And for $150!! Score! Smart to stock up on the high wear parts that over time can be replaced to keep your collection of red interiors looking great.

Thanks Ray for posting the before pics.

how's the car been driving Ray??? those seats look excellent!! it would be nice to find a nice set of oem leather seats to replace the ratty seats in my 10AE. like Mike said, great idea to stock up on those seats!

Yeah I love the leather. Lot's of comfort and class.

I've gone through a couple tanks of gas and the car has never run better. Along with fixing the exhaust leak this recent round of repairs has the car running like new, a real rocket out on the highway.

I might even be getting better gas mileage than before the shutter/coasting valves problems, it looks like I'll easily top 350 miles on the current tank. This with the coasting valve blocked off with a cork:

https://i259.photobucket.com/albums/...rgreen/6-3.jpg

So maybe everybody else in the world is right and I'm wrong about the shutter valve, maybe it really doesn't do any good?

But if you send me a good one I'll still try it out!

Ray, i'll be sending you two coasting valves!

Cool Dave. You know how I love stock.

very nice i love the cork with the W on it.

It's the little things that make the car, thanks Damien.

Not sure i've posted in many of your threads, but I've seen you post about it quite a bit, its in awesome shape, and its even cooler that you drive it so much! Good luck with it, and glad to hear its still treating you as well as you treat it ;)
IMO the shutter valve is useless, glad to see you have it plugged :)

Thanks transam, the car just keeps getting better and better the more I drive it. And work on it.

Here's an update - I'm so appreciative that the White One decided not to throw an apex seal and set me back several weeks and a thousand or two dollars that I bought the White One a 24th birthday present - a complete RB system, header, presilencer and powerpulse muffler.

http://racingbeat.com/photos/16410.jpg

The old stock header/bonez race pipe to stock muffler has worked well for 7 years and hundreds of thousands of miles but it's time to move on up.

Of course I'll need to post photos and videos so I'll do it here.