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My 1978 Savanna Restoration Thread (with epic story)
I decided I would create a properly titled thread to catalog the restoration of "The Frog"; a January 1978 pre-production Savanna RX-7 Limited.
The story: In Japan, my grandfather was close friends with Kohei Matsuda (President of Mazda corporation from 1970 to 1977, who then held an honorary position as Chairman for a couple years more). My grandfather and father would visit Mr. Matsuda at work every so often, and one day in 1975 my father (who was 14 at the time) asked Kohei why he didn't produce any race cars.. to which he replied, "I may not have a race car now, but I promise you that I will build one". In early 1978 my grandfather was invited to visit Mr. Matsuda at Mazda. On that visit Mr. Matsuda presented my grandfather with a pre-production Mach Green Savanna RX-7 and said, "Tell your son I have kept my promise". In 1998 my father imported The Frog to the US and got it California emission and safety compliant. It had sat in Japan for some time with little attention, and once here, sat for a number of years as well. In 2003 I started playing with it a little, general maintenance on fuel/spark/oil. I also started ordering weatherstripping and such but it ended up just sitting in the car for the next 15 years. My father passed 3 years ago, and I very recently took the plunge to get this car back up on it's feet- to honor my father. Here I will document the journey as I complete it on my (very limited) spare time. This will be a full factory restoration. 5/16/18 - Getting it out of my mother's garage.. rear drive wheel was seized and car is WAY out of registration so she got a ride. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8b5fdb3e43.jpg Home! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...947ad96e7c.jpg 5/21/18 - First things first, pulled the rear axles to put on new bearings and seals(the cause of the seized wheel). Also pulled the front rotors/bearings/seals and have them on order for replacement. Replacing brakes front and rear. Rear drums are impossible to find so I will be turning the drums and re-finishing the outer surface. Pulled the brake master cylinder, clutch master, slave and hose for new factory replacements. Also pulled the brake booster and sending it out tomorrow to be rebuilt as it's also impossible to buy one of these new or reconditioned. New outer window seals and new inner door seals applied, new windshield wipers, new front and rear Mazda badges. Dropped the tank and took a peek inside- nice and cloudy orange!... MMM. POR15 on order. New Factory fuel pump and filter are ready to be installed as well. Here's where she sits now: https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3f057758e8.jpg And a quick peek inside: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...98193f0edb.jpg On a side note, as much as it kills me not to wash her down, I'm going to get all of the structural components done before I wash/detail it because I know it's going to shine like a diamond when I do and it's going to be wonderful. Cheers, all for now. |
I hadn't realised from your other thread the backstory to this car and the fact it is a pre-production vehicle. What an amazing touching story and I am looking forward to following your build and providing whatever support I can to help you along.
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Lots of SA owners here who are happy to help out with any questions you have as you get it going. Great story and good luck,
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Keep Telling! Green, so she is a Limited model. Noted the funky "spoiler" above the hatch glass. Look forward to more details about the car itself, along with the Resurrection.
Thanks for taking the time. Stu Aull 80GS AZ |
An absolutely stunning example with the perfect history. A factory restoration is the only way to go with this car in my opinion. It deserves to be treated with the utmost care and I think you are very deserving of being its caretaker! There may not be another 7 like this one in the U.S., being a pre-production example. Do you have any paperwork that came with the car originally? I can't wait to see the car's progress. Count me in on following this thread!
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I agree, factory restoration, anything else would b blasfamy. Best of luck. Looking forward to watching your progress. What's the mileage?
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Thank you all for the positive and encouraging enthusiasm! It is assuredly undergoing factory restoration.
Dave, what paperwork are you speaking of?- I have original owners manuals and brochure etc. There's no "dealer" stickers or anything like that as it was kind of under the table.. lol. The car is badged with all of the importation and emission information for legal purposes. 7th Cavalry, it has 33k miles on it :) |
Wasn't sure if there was any paperwork from Mazda on the gift of the car or anything crazy like that. Maybe Mr. Matsuda just picked one off the line to be set aside for your grandfather. Really amazing how this car was gifted to your family. This car is probably the lowest production (pre production included) serial number in the U.S. and perhaps the most rare. Its absolutely amazing!
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Great story! And looks like it will be a great car! |
Full factory restoration is the only honorable approach for such a vehicle.
Considering it's history and your location in Southern California, you might want to see if MAZDA NA would be interested in assisting in the restoration. They may be able to source stuff for you not generally available. I look forward to seeing your finished project at JCCS or SevenStock soon! |
I love the fact that its the mach green color that was in all the ads at the time. Does it have plaid inserts as well on the seats? That would be the icing on the cake.
What a wonderful car and backstory. Almost unbelievable really. Seems like a fairy tale. We will be following and waiting for every update. You have the most important build happening on this site IMHO. |
Awesome back story. Good luck with the project.
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Hey all! It's great to see all the interest my project is garnering. I know it's been a while since an update- I've been working my butt off so I can only play with the car in sprinkles of time.
Here we go! Brake and Axle work: https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ae68c6f1a8.jpg Just removed old brakes, seized wheel cylinder, rusty guards. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...257c90d6b7.jpg After being tossed into a heat tank. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...eae45f1934.jpg Then stripped down front and back. Prepping for paint. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...63cec2652d.jpg Painted with high temp paint. Installed with new cylinder. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fce3608b4d.jpg Fully set up with new bearings and seals. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...61c6a7df47.jpg Drum condition prior. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...653d87f365.jpg After being bead blasted and then coated with high temp clear. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...389b167ed5.jpg Front guard condition prior. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...62ebc6f286.jpg Stripped down, painted and reinstalled. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...26d5661092.jpg Caliper/bracket prior condition. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6ef15564cf.jpg Bead blasted and coated with high temp clear. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...bf46d50daf.jpg Fully set up with new bearings and seals. |
Replacing other stuff!! (All Factory Mazda parts).
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...5f0138176c.jpg New fuel pump and filter installed. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d789cf54a1.jpg With new mounting hardware. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...86ff60907c.jpg And guards stripped and repainted. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f2bfddd183.jpg Replaced the motor mounts. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c45c9a4b37.jpg Replaced cooling system parts: Thermostat, gasket, radiator cap and hoses. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a6395db117.jpg Replaced clutch slave and hose. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...948f5af2b5.jpg Replaced headlight guards. This completes every strip of rubber replaced on the vehicle! |
This is so great. Really love the green and that brown interior. Looking good.
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AMAZING work! My kid of restoration my friend!! This car is absolutely stunning! I'm glad to see that you're doing right by the car! Can't wait to see more pics and updates!
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nice work! where were u able to find new parts for for the door cups, handle and crank?
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Originally Posted by rxtasy3
(Post 12279479)
nice work! where were u able to find new parts for for the door cups, handle and crank?
More to come soon!! |
Finally got my brake booster back from PRIOR / (RockAuto) for the rebuild yesterday. Time to get back to work!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9d61c02d63.jpg Finally! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a0c57b09fd.jpg Nice and pretty.. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0159d92f55.jpg All hydraulics replaced! Bled all systems, nice firm pedals.. sweet. And, since the hydraulics are all in working order, that's the last thing I needed before the wheels could go back on the car(with brand new tires)! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...42d2511508.jpg Took a wire wheel to all the Bolts, they shined up really nice! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4b37da4357.jpg Seats were equally grungy. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3b53bf03de.jpg Seats after the wire wheel, nice and shiny. Now again, I have not washed the actual wheels, that's on hold along with the outside of the car itself. I have been very diligent about cleaning up all contact surfaces and hardware as it comes off/goes back on the car though. Once I have it fully operational, I'm going to detail the outside.. I can't wait! |
wow, awesome story and great seeing the nice approach to restoring this car to its former glory.
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Nice work, done with love. Great you are able to hunt down OE bits, some of which will certainly be -at some point- unique to RHD JDM SAs. I would recommend a more durable coating than "just" paint on high-wear and impact areas, like your undercarriage and brake shieldings. POR15 makes a 'nuke-proof' (my words, but experience has verified) coating, followed with a POR rattle-can finish coat product that is very durable, and better yet, very rust-resistant. I see your door bottoms suffer the typical rust-on-the-skin-seams these all do. This is coming from the Inside of the door and you will need to pull the panel, remove (replace) the plastic weather shield after getting into the INNER bottoms and removing buildup and rust there first - again POR15 is made for this application - before addressing the outer rust, otherwise it will return. Great time to swap in new door channel rubbers and re-lube the door glass mechanism, and replace the rubber gasket behind the door lock assy! (see rubber rant below...)
AND - when you pull the panels, you will find the RUBBER inserts that the panel clips fit into on the doors will have disintegrated. Mazda "may" still have these, you'll need 22 of them IIRC. If not avai there, try getting ones for SUNBEAM TIGER/ALPINE panels from Sunbeam Tiger & Alpine Parts & Accessories | Victoria British, Ltd. Nice with the booster replacement, but did you manage to clean up around the firewall area it normally covers?, as well as directly under it? Biotch to clean up after-the-fact. Ask me how I know... ;p Rubber bits: √-engine mounts -Don't forget the OE rubber oil cooler mounts. These will be shot. Unique to SA and still available. As I tell anyone diving into this sort of resto, if you plan to keep the car, always buy a SPARE set of such things, while you can still get them! -likewise rear tail light gaskets. Unique to SA (the list goes on...) These disintegrate when you try to pull the lenses, which you will for any serious paint detailing or re-application. Basically, I identified pretty much every rubber piece in the car and ordered replacements, either for now or the future, since all this stuff is at some point of failure in a car this old. Do you have an OE parts catalogue of some sort? Any SA-market version will do, and I think someone here has PDFs of the US-spec cars, for which you can pull most valid part numbers. Also excellent visual to show you how bits come apart! JDM Parts manual are for-sale (along with other JDM stuff) often on the Search Results for "sa22c" /?Buyee? "Buyee" Japan Shopping Service | Buy from Yahoo! Buy from Japan! auction sites in japan, tho they can be pricey. Enjoy seeing how you progress. Hope to see it at, say, 7Stock, one of these years!! Stu Aull 80GS AZ |
Originally Posted by '78 Savanna
(Post 12280452)
Finally got my brake booster back from PRIOR / (RockAuto) for the rebuild yesterday. Time to get back to work!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9d61c02d63.jpg Finally! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a0c57b09fd.jpg Nice and pretty.. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0159d92f55.jpg All hydraulics replaced! Bled all systems, nice firm pedals.. sweet. And, since the hydraulics are all in working order, that's the last thing I needed before the wheels could go back on the car(with brand new tires)! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...42d2511508.jpg Took a wire wheel to all the Bolts, they shined up really nice! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4b37da4357.jpg Seats were equally grungy. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3b53bf03de.jpg Seats after the wire wheel, nice and shiny. Now again, I have not washed the actual wheels, that's on hold along with the outside of the car itself. I have been very diligent about cleaning up all contact surfaces and hardware as it comes off/goes back on the car though. Once I have it fully operational, I'm going to detail the outside.. I can't wait! https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...refurb-771611/ |
Originally Posted by 7aull
(Post 12280768)
Nice work, done with love. Great you are able to hunt down OE bits, some of which will certainly be -at some point- unique to RHD JDM SAs. I would recommend a more durable coating than "just" paint on high-wear and impact areas, like your undercarriage and brake shieldings. POR15 makes a 'nuke-proof' (my words, but experience has verified) coating, followed with a POR rattle-can finish coat product that is very durable, and better yet, very rust-resistant. I see your door bottoms suffer the typical rust-on-the-skin-seams these all do. This is coming from the Inside of the door and you will need to pull the panel, remove (replace) the plastic weather shield after getting into the INNER bottoms and removing buildup and rust there first - again POR15 is made for this application - before addressing the outer rust, otherwise it will return. Great time to swap in new door channel rubbers and re-lube the door glass mechanism, and replace the rubber gasket behind the door lock assy! (see rubber rant below...)
AND - when you pull the panels, you will find the RUBBER inserts that the panel clips fit into on the doors will have disintegrated. Mazda "may" still have these, you'll need 22 of them IIRC. If not avai there, try getting ones for SUNBEAM TIGER/ALPINE panels from Sunbeam Tiger & Alpine Parts & Accessories Victoria British, Ltd. Nice with the booster replacement, but did you manage to clean up around the firewall area it normally covers?, as well as directly under it? Biotch to clean up after-the-fact. Ask me how I know... ;p Rubber bits: √-engine mounts -Don't forget the OE rubber oil cooler mounts. These will be shot. Unique to SA and still available. As I tell anyone diving into this sort of resto, if you plan to keep the car, always buy a SPARE set of such things, while you can still get them! -likewise rear tail light gaskets. Unique to SA (the list goes on...) These disintegrate when you try to pull the lenses, which you will for any serious paint detailing or re-application. Basically, I identified pretty much every rubber piece in the car and ordered replacements, either for now or the future, since all this stuff is at some point of failure in a car this old. Do you have an OE parts catalogue of some sort? Any SA-market version will do, and I think someone here has PDFs of the US-spec cars, for which you can pull most valid part numbers. Also excellent visual to show you how bits come apart! JDM Parts manual are for-sale (along with other JDM stuff) often on the Search Results for "sa22c" /?Buyee? "Buyee" Japan Shopping Service Buy from Yahoo! Buy from Japan! auction sites in japan, tho they can be pricey. Enjoy seeing how you progress. Hope to see it at, say, 7Stock, one of these years!! Stu Aull 80GS AZ Yeah there's definitely areas of rust around the some of the lower perimeter of the car, lower doors, and a couple spots on the undercarriage. Over time I'll be addressing these areas as little projects. Thanks for the POR products you recommended I'll definitely use them to get the job done. I did get a chance to clean it up a little- didn't get too into it as doing an engine bay cleanup is coming up shortly on the to-do list. I haven't gone to look yet but where did you source the oil cooler and taillight rubber? And oh you can bet on the fact that I'll be coming to SevenStock this year.. t_g_, Thanks for referencing your writeup on referring the waffles! I'll definitely use that down the road.. Unfortunately the wheels are already wrapped, and I kind of have a short timeline I've set for myself to get it on the road so that's going to be one of the (infinite) side projects I'll be taking care of over time. |
Update time!
POR15 complete for the fuel tank. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...acbacc12b7.jpg Stripped down and re-coated tank and guards after POR15 treatment I also got the carb all cleaned up, replaced a few gaskets but didn't break down the entire thing because there are definitely discrepancies in by carb versus the production carb that you all know. I believe I have a (Mazda) Frankenstein carb with an RX-2 air horn. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f9ad7d18ad.jpg Carb as I pulled it from the car https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b6cf42b8cf.jpg All cleaned up! https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...7372c57f21.jpg So much better. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...11202e87ea.jpg All back together! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4a0d8c1ac7.jpg First time I've had the hood down in over a month. I also finished re-building/fabricating components for my mirrors which are now mounted and fully functional. |
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