'85 GSL 302

That's the plan. I'm doing the roof last, after all the cage is installed and at least firmly tack welded in place.

As for the frame, I have it supported and I plan on adding a few cross braces from the cage to the new subframes to help out a little bit. The back of the car is actually pretty freaking stiff. I was expecting much more flex, but there's basically no difference after I cut the floor out. I'm figuring the fact that there's no weight is part of it. I picked up the back of the car myself earlier this week. Also, it's not obvious but the side of the car from the "B" pilar to the truck is made up of about 6 layers of sheet steel in a very strong pattern. It's providing more than enough regidity to keep everything in place for now.

Feel free to keep making those suggestions. I've spent a lot of time and many other projects working up to this one, so I doubt you'll catch me off gaurd, but there's always a chance I'm not thinking about something, and I'd rather it come up here than later on.

Rob

christaylor

Any updates??? A buddy of mine that races SM IMed me the other day and said "So... what would it take to put a Miata IRS into an RX7?"

Isn't it great how friends think up things for you to do with your 9 RX-7's?

'85 GSL 302

Nothing new really. I've been dragging my feet and I'm knee deep in 3 other projects as well. I just got hired to build a Turbo Datsun 280Z with an A/R 60 trim, water injection, and a 150 shot of nitrous.

On top of that we're building a $2005 challenge RX-7, and we're building a beater RX-7 race car for our club. Plus I just finished the club's Blazer tow vehicle as well.

On top of helping a friend install a FMIC on a 2001 WRX.

Basically I'm ready to trim the frame rails and weld them in, but I need a good 6 hours of free time to spend on it, and I havent' found it yet or I've been all car'd out.

QuagmireMan

get to work! and best of luck. Take tons of pictures too.

'85 GSL 302

Well I got some progress today. I got the engine plates all cut to shape and such. The mid plate is finished, and temporarily welded into place. The front plate just needs the brackets welded to the frame rails, and the holes drilled to bolt it up. I was going to finish it all tonight but the stupid power went out and I have no idea where the fuse box is, so I'll have to wait until I can track down the maintence guy.

I didn't get to finish the IRS today either. Maybe in a few days, but I suspect I won't get to work on the car again until the first week of December. Maybe not even then. I should be getting the Datsun soon, so I'll probably be on that project. What ever I do, I'll have some new pictures when I can.

Rob

DarthMazda

Any updates on the IRS? I am dying to see how it fits. Where are you going to put the gas tank?

grantmac

Hey I should be done fitting in the 2nd gen front subframe and suspension pretty soon here. I know you were gonna do this so I'll let you know how it drives and any issues I had with the swap. PM me if you want.
Grant

luiml73

iTrader: (1)

Looks like Mine

Rotofire

sweeet!

Frankie4skin

Great thread
Seem like he has a bases covered,

Good Luck, keep up the post's

Alak

iTrader: (9)

Why is everything V8? Why not put a V6 in it? V6's rev higher, less mass and they can crank out just as much power (In a streetable sense. IMO, Streeting more than 600HP is outregous and an excuse for jail-time). I personally prefer the V6. For two reasons.

1) Is smaller, compact and still has an aftermarket.

2) Everyone has a V8. V8 this, crate V8 that. Heck, I walked into a speed shop today and they had 7 V8's lined up against the wall on stands and 1 Honda B16 motor.

'85 GSL 302

Well, glad I checked this thread again. I haven't really gotten much more done on the project, but the engine plates are now finished. I just need to weld in the from tabs and drill the holes for the bolts. I ran out of welder wire so I need to get some more when I get back to SC. I'll probably start getting deep into this project again around the 29th-10th, so expect some major changes durring that time.

As for fuel, I have a fuel cell that's going to fit between the new frame rails.

On the schedule for this break:

Finish removing sound deadning material
Finish up front motor plate
Weld in rear frame rails
Install front FC suspension, rack, brakes, RHD swap
Swap over 4 lug FC front hubs
Start tearing down motor, order pistons and rings (search for aluminum heads)
Weld up rear shock mounts

Sigh, so much work. And that's not even thinking about the body....

New plan is to have the car running by mid febuary. It won't be pretty, I'll probably have all the fenders cut and the wheels sticking out, but it should run. I have to make a track day at VIR with NASA-Va.

Anyway, look for more updates in a week or so.

Rob

fc3s-gxl

uuhm,3500 hp not needed, a 400hp piston wil lose to a 400hp rotary with that ,nuff said

'85 GSL 302

Right, because things like torque, area under the curve, useable horsepower, and pyhsics don't really matter....

While you're making blanket statments, don't forget to point out that the piston will lose at everything, drag, track, show, rally, etc. Because pistons suck, and triangles contain magical ninja powers that make peak horse power the only thing that matters...

Hate to break it to you (actually, i don't really hate it all that much), but I can think of about 50 situations where a 400hp V8 RX-7 would beat a 400hp rotory RX7, "nuff said".

I can also think of as many situations that the rotory would beat the V8. Next time you say stupid things like that, what say you try backing it up with some logical reasoning hmm?

'85 GSL 302

Well I hacked off the roof of one of my parts cars to get some weights and take some pictures. It wasn't what I had hoped for.

Rear glass - 30lbs
Roof section - 60lbs

I'm estimating the front windshiled around 35lbs, which means with everything else, I can see saving more than 150lbs cutting off the roof. My target was 200lbs or I wasn't going to mess with it. This means the whole Roadster deal is in question. I'll have to see what the car turns out weighing when the rear is installed. 150 lbs is still a lot when talking about a race car.

On a lighter note, I finally got the engine plates 100% finished, and I made some more progress on the IRS. Also I should be picking up the FC clip in the next day or so, to start on the front conversion. I'll try to get pictures up of the roof cut as soon as I can.

luiml73

iTrader: (1)

Make sure you take some nice pics of the IRS install

good luck on the project.

Suparslinc

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw the picture. That's about as stripped as my parts car got before they hauled it off to the scrapyard; I was cracking up when they towed it away.

No seriously, sounds like an ambitious project. Hope the neighbors can stand you.

bkm_rx7

An 8.99 was his best run to date if i recall correctly...

oh...and rotaries kick pistons ***!!!

christaylor

Interesting about weights... you may look into getting a Chebby lexan windshield from a NASCAR team and heating up some lexan for the rear windows and keeping the coupe. For extra *****, you should sand blast the hell out of the roof structure from the inside, assuming you still plan on doing a mad-tyte cage. (PVC, y0!)

I think I'm going to put a 12A (or Turbo 13B) into one of my Miata's.... just to **** off the women and sissy men.

'85 GSL 302

FWIW Jesus is running 8.90's with a 2 rotor 20B NA engine. If you're going to hijack a thread, use correct info ;-)

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/714289/6 (8 pictures total)

New pictures of me cutting stuff off. Still pondering.

kenn_chan

must be some magical new engine that came out in the lst week since got back from re Amamiyas, casue I coulda swore that I was discussing 3 Rotor 20b's with them.......

kenn

please for you younger chiluns recognize sarcasm for what it is!

'85 GSL 302

Well still not much progress on the Miata frame rails. I need to pull everything apart and take the rails to my friends shop for a little more fab work. I just didn't feel like it today so I packed up my tools and spent the afternoon ripping off the FC3S suspension that will soon grace the FB. Let me tell you, pulling off the suspension on a clip, sitting on the ground, wedged between two other clips isn't much fun.

On the plus side, the FC stuff is super sexy. I can tell it's going to be lighter than the FB stuff, I'll have to go and weigh it now just to see if I'm correct or not. Anyway, the game plan for tomorrow is to get that stupid frame rail out of the car again, and to mount the FC subframe and suspension. Maybe I'll have the car sitting on the ground by the end of next week. (Don't hold your breath).

Oh yeah, I also finally got a hold of some FC rear shocks too. So I can start working on the shock towers for the rear. They already look a lot smaller than the Miata ones, which is a good thing.

So, I'll try to get a few more pictures up. Mainly the only thing that looks different right now is the V8 hovering in mid air over an empty engine bay since I finished up the motor plates. Everything else isn't much to look at right now, but maybe when I get some of the front suspension and RHD stuff going I'll have more eye candy.

Alak

iTrader: (9)

I dont want to sound rude or anything, but why a V8? Anything special about the V8 in particular?





And as for some previous comments I noticed, I'd take a Rotary over a V8 any day. If my opinion was reversed, I wouldn't be driving an RX-7.

Nice progress by the way, hope you weld up the chassis real good and stiff.

rotarygod

iTrader: (1)

He has a V8 just sitting around and an RX-7 without a motor. He's using what he has.

luiml73

iTrader: (1)

Jesus ran 10's with his Carbutarted 3rotor, and 9.92 with his EFI 2rotor.

No such thing as a 2 rotor 20B engine.



Sorry bro!! I did'nt mean to hijack your thread, but just had to get some facts straight.




BTW: Check out this 20B with a blower on it. I think the car is American.