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The Watanabes are coming! The local repairer who works on the Convertible will manufacture hub centric rings so the Watanabes can be fitted. I could not locate a set to fit so manufacturing them is the only option. He will also remove the dump tip on the Coupe and fit a muffler with twin stainless tips similar to the Convertible. The Coupe is headed to the radiator specialist on Friday to fit the reconditioned OEM radiator. So it's all good news with the old 7 back on the road by Friday.
I took photos of the convertible warming up yesterday. It was around 24 degrees so excellent convertible driving weather. It was also my youngest son's 23rd birthday so he wanted to drive Breezy! It's fun out on the road as the car receives a lot of admiring glances, and a young couple pulled up at the lights and said "awesome car".
Convertible warming up before a birthday drive for my youngest son. It was 24 degrees and slightly overcast so excellent convertible driving weather The stance on the convertible with 14 x 6 inch wheels looks right. It is interesting how many Mazda enthusiasts say the bootlid looks like a 626 lid! I left the passenger door slightly open when taking the photos. When warming up, the engine revs switch down at the 5 minute mark.
The Coupe is at the radiator workshop for removal of the alloy unit and fitment of the refurbished genuine unit with the 3-row brass core. It is not all good news as the pressure in the alloy radiator was very high long after the car cooled down. I have made arrangements for the car to undergo compression testing with my local repairer who performed the testing and undertook the work on the convertible. The Coupe sitting outside the radiator shop waiting removal of alloy unit and fitment of refurbished OEM unit The lock on the filler cap differentiates very early Series 2 from the latter model.s
These are a few photographs of the car at the radiator repair shop after rebuilt OEM radiator with three row brass core had been fitted. The alloy radiator initially fitted was faulty. I took the car to the rotary workshop where a compression test was done with excellent results for a 12A at 118 and 119. The radiator and supports need a clean!
The machined down housings used on the engine for the rebuild are US 13B GSL-SE housings which are NLA.
The low coolant sensor was removed from the top of the radiator?
Looking back a couple pages, it wasn't on the aluminum radiator either. Might have been deleted at that time. The wire going to the sensor might have been coiled up, back where it exits the loom and subsequently forgotten about. This car should be a 81 or 82 model, not a 1980.
I have a new sensor provided by the radiator specialist which I can have fitted. The car is going to the workshop to have new oil cooler lines installed similar to the convertible. The repairer I use locally is also a fitter so he is big on detail which I appreciate. He will make the hub centric rings for the Watanabe wheels to be fitte.
Looking back a couple pages, it wasn't on the aluminum radiator either. Might have been deleted at that time. The wire going to the sensor might have been coiled up, back where it exits the loom and subsequently forgotten about. This car should be a 81 or 82 model, not a 1980.
The car is a 12/80 Mazda RX7 Series 2 or FB which is recorded on the compliance plate. The repairer is very keen on it due to its originality and the fact the Mazda production line must have been transitioning from the Series 1 (or SA) to Series 2 (FB) at the time.
Looking back a couple pages, it wasn't on the aluminum radiator either. Might have been deleted at that time. The wire going to the sensor might have been coiled up, back where it exits the loom and subsequently forgotten about. This car should be a 81 or 82 model, not a 1980.
Here is an interesting example from Australia which is one of the curious anomalies from Mazda Japan. The car is a Sunrise Red Series 2 (FB) with compliance plate build of date of 8/79! Here are the photos of this wonderful car. Some of the explanations provided include that it may have been an early production model for compliance or a Mazda Australia promotional vehicle or dealer/demonstrator. It is a one owner car at the time.
Mazda RX7 Series 2 or FB built 8/79. A great car. Compliance plate build date of 8/79 for a Series 2 or FB Mazda RX7
Another interesting vehicle is the Mazda RX7 Finale which was a Mazda New South Wales promotional vehicle in the last days of the model. They were a great looking car and a good way to end the Ist Gen story in Australia. It came with the decals on the side, a special plate on the passenger door card and a letter from Mazda. The plate included "Last of A Legend 1985". I am unsure of how many were produced but I am aware of two examples for sale in the last few years. Mazda RX7 1985 Finale
I think that there are differences in how countries treat and categorize vehicles which lead to some confusion and misunderstanding. From your explanation, you seem to go by what you call the compliance plate and the build date listed on it. Since your coupe was built in 12/80, you consider it a 1980, series 2 model.
In the US, the perception is aligned to the model year of the vehicle, regardless of its actual build date. Example: Mazda carried out numerous and sizable design change between 1980 and 81 model years. These changes were incorporated on the production line in the Jun/July of 80 timeline. So here, we had both 80 and 81 model years arriving on our shores and being sold during the 1980 calendar year.
If your car had come to the US, it would have been considered and registered as a 1981. I was not considering that in Australia, other factors may take precedence.
I think that there are differences in how countries treat and categorize vehicles which lead to some confusion and misunderstanding. From your explanation, you seem to go by what you call the compliance plate and the build date listed on it. Since your coupe was built in 12/80, you consider it a 1980, series 2 model.
In the US, the perception is aligned to the model year of the vehicle, regardless of its actual build date. Example: Mazda carried out numerous and sizable design change between 1980 and 81 model years. These changes were incorporated on the production line in the Jun/July of 80 timeline. So here, we had both 80 and 81 model years arriving on our shores and being sold during the 1980 calendar year.
If your car had come to the US, it would have been considered and registered as a 1981. I was not considering that in Australia, other factors may take precedence.
Thanks for the reply. Yes we treat our 1st Gen models a little differently but love them all the same. Pity we didn't receive the GSE-SL version in Aust.
It is 21 degrees today and sunny so we took the cars out for a drive. My son drove breezy while I followed in the coupe. It is not a sight you see often today but it was fun with two red RX7s. The garage attendant loved both cars when we refueled.
Breezy and the Coupe warming up prior to the drive. It was fun driving the Coupe behind the vert.
The Coupe will receive a modest makeover starting tomorrow. A new cowl panel will be fitted, all the windscreen surrounds and windscreen wipers will be repainted in satin black. The side protectors will be restored, two black pinstripes added and silver pinstripe on the side protectors similar to the convertible. The windows will also be tinted, and a very good secondhand left taillight will replace the existing slightly cracked unit. Why is it the left-hand lenses always crack? You could buy reproduction lenses in Australia but they seen to no longer be made.
Mechanically, the oil lines will be upgraded as occurred with the convertible, a set of hub centric rings manufactured so the Watanabe wheels can be fitted and a new rear muffler with twin stainless pipes fitted to replace the dump pipe. I am still considering what to do about the oil cooler after the experience with the radiator. It was a great morning for a drive, with the Coupe following Breezy. TRW lift struts for the rear hatch. A box with Mazda genuine clips for windscreen strips, rubbers for the door and hatch locks and a few other bits and pieces for the Coupe. Mazda Genuine rubber seals for doors and rear hatch. Mazda Genuine keys for Coupe. I only have one set so it is time to have new ones cut.
NOS Mazda Genuine Cowel panel to be fitted to the Coupe. The current panel has a slight dent in it since prior to my ownership of the car.
The owner of the panel shop working on the Coupe makeover was about to pull out onto the main road near his home on Saturday when he watched the two 7s drive past. He said they looked good and it made him look twice. We were pretty pleased!
Mazdatrix are very responsive and I received these in a week from the US. Sunday and I stopped for a coffee. It created a bit of interest from pedestrians and the drivers of cars.
The car has had all the blackouts around the windows and front and rear windscreen wipers repainted in satin black. All new genuine NOS door, hatch and window rubbers have been fitted. The protector strips have been restored and the NOS cowl fitted. I drove the car to the window tinting company and the car will be ready tomorrow morning. The pinstriping is to come.
The classic lines of the old car never age. It looks much better with the blackouts renewed. Rear quarter view. Blackouts, front and rear wipers renewed in stain black. Protector strips restored and new cowl panel fitted. All new genuine door, hatch and window rubbers fitted.
The car was finished today and the photos (taken quickly) highlight the new pinstripes along the side - black, along the protector strips - silver and the renovation of the protector strips. The blackouts and wipers have all been redone in satin black and new cowl fitted. The exterior of the car is very neat.
The photo highlights the new pinstripes. It much harder to close the doors with the new rubbers. Car warming up! It looks very neat on the outside and there were lots of admiring glances on the way home. My son drove the car.
Both the coupe and the convertible will be at the car meet this morning. This is the first time the coupe has made an appearance and the first time both have been together. I will get better photos today which will highlight how well the car came up after polish etc. It is always fun driving the two cars together as they create a lot of interest.
I had to replace the new radiator with a fully reconditioned genuine Mazda RX7 FB radiator with new core. The new oil cooler is nowhere near as good as the genuine Mazda oil cooler and after unsucessfully attempting to locate a good 40-year-old secondhand genuine Mazda unit, I purchased a new Mazda RX7 GSE-SL oil cooler. Ouch. It is on backorder at present with 6-to-8-week lead time. This is a photo of a secondhand of the same model -
Secondhand RX7 GSE-SL oil cooler. I couldn't locate a good 40 year old secondhand unit to replace the new one in the coupe. The OEM oil coolers always keep the car cool.
It was an enjoyable meeting today due to the slightly cloudy weather. There were a lot of nice cars present but much interest around the RX7s. Many preferred the coupe, the one with the roof, others liked the convertible especially when they learnt its history. This morning at the car meet. They attracted a lot of interest, the purists prefer a roof on their car while the discerning car lovers enjoyed the rarity of the convertible being one of six test cars. The meeting was at a beachside destination and you can see the houses in the background which enjoy splendid views. An MX5 driver thought he'd join the RX7s for a Mazda group. The dump pipe on the coupe's exhaust is being replaced with twin outlets like the vert. The coupe looking much younger than its 45 years. I have changed out the front markers from the Aust yellow/white to the JDM orange. The change lifts the appearance of the car. The old registration sticker on the car is 2012, the last time it was registered before going off road. Here is Breezy looking good. The car has classic lines and always attracts attention. My son drove it to the meeting and a young lady crossing at the lights said to my son "hot car".
A couple of engine bay pictures of the old car. It still looks pretty good for 45 years old.
The car goes to the local workshop tomorrow for new AN oil lines, manufacture of hub centric rims to fit the Watanabe wheels and a new rear muffler with stock twin stainless outlets.
Stock engine bay. Genuine Watanabe which are handmade in Japan to be fitted once hub centric rims are manufactured. Packaging of the centre caps for the Watanabe wheels is precise! The Japanese attention to detail is superb. Watanabe cap - I purchased 5 wheels and 2 sets of centre caps. I had mag wheels on my RX2 Coupe and the centre caps "went missing" within the first week of ownership. New Mazda wheel lugs I have collected over the years. I am not sure if they will be long enough for the Watanabe wheels. Hard to find in Australia but genuine Mazda extended mag wheel lugs. I purchased these from interstate just in case. I want to avoid the situation where the stock wheel lugs are not of sufficient length to fit the Watanabes. Standard v extended genuine Mazda wheel lugs.
A few photos taken by my son with his new Iphone this morning outside the workshop. Last view of the dump pipe which will be replaced with the stock twin stainless steel outlets from rear muffler. The workshop owner explained to me in Aust owners like to protect their $52,440 USD or $80,000 AUD paintwork from the exhaust fumes😁 What is a rotary without exhaust marks?
We brought the car in under cover before the rain.
this morning outside the workshop. 
