So the time came that my '78's interior was falling all to hell. There were rats nest every where in the car and the mice had eaten threw the freaking wires in the wiring harness and started eating on the plastics. So I said the interior was screwed anyways. It was all original. So I decided to convert the '78 GS to the '85 GSL-SE. I started on the front end from the shock tower down to the rubber. Next came the rear end and drive shaft. The SA looked nice from the outside. It had the wide and lower stance of the GSL-SE and it was clean. I next started stripping out the interior to the shell. I derusted the whole interior, bondoed the holes in the floor and wheel well then primed the interior. I removed all the old chewed up carpet and seats plus the freaking cracked to hell dash. I gutted the whole interior and layed out the '85 wiring harness and started on the rebuild. Power windows, Power *mirror, leather seats and door panneling, new GSl-SE dash and gauge cluster with the arm rest. I must say all in all it has been a freaking hassle but it has been fun. I can't wait to see it when it is completed! I have a nice 13BT from an '88 TII going in with TII Tranny!

Lets see how this old girl looks when she is completed! Here are some pics of now. Not even close to finishing.

 

more pics! She only has one mirror. Left hand side only. It will stay that way.

 

Last but not least the Turbo II motor and Tranny! The engine is going down for a rebuild and street porting. The turbo is going to BNR to for their stage 4 upgrade.

The last shot of her was the last day she was a '78 at heart. Now she is a '78 GSL-SE with TII engine/Tranny. This is my project. I can't wait to see the final bolt go threw on the project.

 

It's awesome to see a project come together, especially a SA!

That TII is going to rip when you get 'er done. 200 + HP in a SA is a lot of power.

 

Wow nice work.

 

keep it up man lookin great so far

 

That is going to look sweet when done...............

 

I am very sad about the late model Dash.

 

Awesome project man. Cant wait to see it finished!
Good luck
-Eric

 

I appreciate the compliments guys. I am now doing the wiring threw the car with the -SE in car wiring harness. it is a PITA let me tell you. A Royal PITA!!!

 

That is great man!!! I love all the projects going on this forum. It makes me feel like im not the only obsessed one in the world. Keep up the hard smart work.

 

That is turning out to be really nice. I have thought about doing the dash and door panel swap on my 83 GSL. But I can never find a descent 84 or 85 really cheap that the interior isn't shot all to hell. That's going to be a nice SA when she's done. When you get her finished, you need to come down to the Statesville area and let me have a personal look!

 

sweet. SA are sooo sexy. the stock SE wheels really look nice on first gens also. this will be a blast to drive.

 

looks like you've got a great start there!!! how is the 79 wiring harness working for the dash?? or are you using the complete wiring harness from the SE?

 

>>>>When you get her finished, you need to come down to the Statesville area and let me have a personal look!

You better believe I will! It will be nice to actually have A/C, Power Windows, Mirror.. etc. Freaking Cruise Control will be nice! lol I will have to bring it down there when it is finished.

>>>>how is the 79 wiring harness working for the dash?? or are you using the complete wiring harness from the SE?

I'm using the complete -SE wiring harness. The '79 doesn't have all the connections that I need for the complete conversion. So I picked up the whole entire wiring harness, in the car, under the dash, under the hood. Let me tell you it is a hassle. Would I pay someone to do it for me.... probably after sifting threw it all. But yes I am removing the entire '79 harness and replacing it with a Fully intact whole car wiring harness from an '85 -SE.



I got in all of the electronic fan control/ A/C Control and vent controls. That was a monster. I wish to never do that again. But now the '79 will have the GSL / GSL-SE style push button ventilation control system!

 

Heck, changing out the whole thing is a hell of a lot easier than trying to track down a wiring problem on a car that's ben sitting for 11 years. I am finally starting to get the mess straightend out in my 80 SA track car. And I still have a few intermittent problems that I can't track down. But yea, cruise, power windows, on a SA. I can dig it.

 

Very nice project, but one correction. There's no such thing as a '78 GS...not a U.S. version anyway. '79 was the first model year.

Great work!

Rich

 

He calls it a 78 cause it is so early of a car.

 

I know...just trying to protect the integrity of my "oldest RX-7 on the road" '79

Rich