I'm looking @ picking up a 1st gen as a projact car and popping in a 2nd gen TII front subframe to get the rack & pinion steering, TII mount placement, 5 lug wheel spindles, etc.

Question is, how different are the front track widths? Will the 2nd gen wheels, that far apart, even fit into a 1st gen?

 

You could measure yours and then ask members in the 2nd gen forum.

-or-

When I get home tonight I can measure my 1st gen (GSL or GSL-SE), and a buddies 2nd gen TII.


-Error402

 

Still musing about this...

I'm thinking a custom cross-member with mount points for both a stock GSL-SE 13B and an FC type block... IF the lower hubs are compatible with the struts in an FB, it should be easy enough to use FC A-arms (deleting the locator bars in front of the single beam arms in the FB) and rack-and-pinion steering, with the track width and upper struts of an FB.

Unless of course the struts are a different angle...

 

And you want to do all this extra work becauuuuuusee?

 

Sounds like a cool project to me, Manntis. If you're going 5-lug, why not just do the entire car w/ 2nd gen suspension and drive components (drop in the IRS, too)?

 

Because I'm tired of my recirculating ball steering giving me shopping cart performance, and mounting rack & pinion in front of the engine keeps the power pack sitting nice and low... but then you need the steering arms to be in front of the hubs, not behind, which means custom hubs or FC ones - and if mounting FC ones, why not use the more elegant A arms from the FC suspension?

'way I see it, a bolt-in front subframe replacement would do the trick and would be easiest for others to use as well.

 

ok you try first, if it works, post pics so we can leech. if it doesnt work i'll give you an E for effort though
gamble

 

I've "heard" that the front mounting holes on the first gen sub frame line up with the second gen's. The rear mounting points need to be fabbed, massaged, welded, ground.

 

so this has been done? does a kit exist?

 

Somebody did this many years ago on the rx-7digest mailing list. He put in a rack and pinion setup and then took it out and converted back before he sold the car. I am looking for the same info.

 

If you find anything, please share, rogan