Excited to be part of the club!
 

Hey Guys,
I can barely hold the excitement with my first RX-7 / first fun car.
It is a 1983 GS Targa Edition
I picked it up a few weeks ago and i can't put it down!

When I purchased it i bought it with a parts car containing almost everything i could desire after doing research on these forums but i still feel like i should a take second job just to support this habit.
I changed the steering box in it just earlier today (FML) this was no easy task but i had to thank you guys for your direction and guidance with these cars.
I have no idea what to expect out of the motor in here as it was a swapped 12A from a friend of the previous owner but i have already been making plans to rebuild the blown motor from the parts car while enjoying the ride.

So a MASSIVE Thank You to this community and i can't tell you how excited i am to learn more from each of you.

P.S. I am stealing the antenna from the parts car tomorrow.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ecb3cfb9b.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0533244d04.jpg
ignore the paw prints, previous owner had a yard cat. Also i removed those totally cool awesome stickers from the windshield..........

Welcome to the forum! Glad you got a good start on fixing the car up! The targa band is an optional accessory. It does not indicate trim level. There was the original Mazda unit that said Mazda on the side and an aftermarket unit that says Targa7 on the side. Both are rare and desirable! Would love to see more pictures of the car! Do you know any of the car's history?

Welcome aboard!
 

Great to see the excitement for one of these cars that will carry you forward. Having a parts car is a good plan, and none of this has to be too expensive unless you insist on factory Mazda parts as your only source to keep it running. If you're resourceful, you can get it up and reliable for a good long while. Is this your daily driver?

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...76f10a13bb.jpg
Missing the trim on the door, will be adding it soon
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4596b1c481.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ff35420a21.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...16449ad325.jpg
Previous owner did a lot of deletes
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a3b0423666.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...565c2e6957.jpg
1981 Parts Car
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...272c29821d.jpg
I really don't want to junk any of this (I'm lucky enough to be doubled up on everything including a transmission)
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8122470de6.jpg
I have two sets of these rims if anybody is looking for the original 13's

Its not my daily driver, I take it to and from work and try to drive it around a bit but i need to tune the carb to make sure it's not going to see any immediate trouble. The more i read these forums the more it sounds like good tuning and driving it properly will help keep things together. The only real history I have on this one in particular is that the motor blew and it sat for a while (always stored inside). Previous owner had the parts car but it sat outside for 1 year and was so mouse damaged he picked up the 1983 and his friend had a 12A with transmission sitting around to throw in it, i found some receipts in the car from 2012 showing that some work was done at a garage in Edmonton, Alberta. But otherwise i was told it has spent most of its life in the Lloydminster area and has traded hands a few times. If I'm lucky it will be with me for a good while but if somebody was really interested I would consider selling and obtaining another one down the road. This one will be stored this winter which was the fate of the parts car motor as it sat for a season and when the previous owner went to start it it was having a lot of trouble turning over so he put ATF down the carb and ran it with a stiff / stuck seal which pretty much gutted the housing that had the troubled apex seal. When i tore down the parts car 12A I was very happy to see that front rotor housing so far seems seems be the only casualty and the dead seal was still in there but if i find any further issues i'm going to try my best to replace with new parts. Our nearest shop is RX-7 Specialties in Calgary and they do the 13B housings machined out for the o-ring grooves. Expensive to replace but boy would it ever be exciting to have a rebuilt 12A on standby for drop in when the time comes to rebuild the current motor.

On a side note if there is a specific part that somebody is looking for i would be happy to help where i can while i have this parts car and I will take my time removing it for you and ship it with care as i want to do my part to help this community keep these girls running!

Thanks again guys,
I really feel like I have the resources on here to keep this one going for us.

Very nice!!. Congrats on the purchase. Enjoy the heck out of it. It will likely be the funnest car you will own. There is nothing like a 1st gen. My personal taste, i would change rims to something more period correct, but thats just me, still great.

Great looking 7, you will enjoy it for sure! Agree on new wheels though.

Welcome to a fellow Albertan.
Hint: park it in the winter, and you will have a 3-season toy for years to come.
We can walk you thru correct winter storage once the time comes...


Stu A
80GS
AZ

Thank You!
Please do get me in on the winter storage tips.

I absolutely love this car.
I listed it as i just got offered a general manager position with the company I'm with and have to move but as people look at it and I explain different things about the car to them i keep realizing there won't be another car like this for me. I really do love driving this things and it's much more addictive than anything else I have ever driven.

I really want to keep this car and keep it on the road for as long as I can!

Out of curiosity my brothers 2nd Gen used to buzz when he would hit high RPM's and in this car i have never heard that wonderful ring of the buzzer that used to make my heart skip a beat. Do the 1st gens have that buzzer?

Some do, some don't. My 85 FB does, maybe it's the SAs?

yep - if working (or not disconnected) the early SAs have The Buzzer too. Mine is DOA.

PM me Yorgi and I can email you a file on winter storage, Alaska-style...
;)

Stu A
80GS
AZ

The buzzer in all of the SA's that I've owned has never worked. The buzzer in my 10th Anniversary RX-7's and my 85 GS work fine. But yes, it should have one.

That's a nice shiny car! You are in Alberta? Hate to be a downer, but check the undercarriage for rust. Anyone can keep a car shiny, but keeping a 36 y o car running is what separates us from everyone else, and upgrading the car is, well upgrading.

I'm sure that someone that just signed a $500 a month 6 year lease looks at my car with contempt