NickNac113

Hey out there!

So we're in a bit of a **** storm. My brother just bought a 1985 RX-7 GSL and when we went to put back tires on it, the company said that due to numerous safety violations from "botched modifications", if they did the tires, the wheels would never go back on the car properly. They also said that the back left tire has no brakes whatsoever and that in order to even get tires on the car, that we are going to have to rebuild the rear end. Here's what we know.

1. Car has no back left brakes.
2. The rims have been "chiseled" to fit
3. the rear end has the bolt pattern of a GSL-SE but the rims of a GSL?
4. there are parts from a Datsun 240 on the back end as well.

I'll post more but I guess what I'm looking for is help in determining what we need and how much it's gonna cost to get this safe for my brother to drive. This is an 18 y/o's daily driver so I really do need it to be as safe as possible.

Thanks!

Nick

valley

iTrader: (1)

1. Obviously, this needs to be fixed. Find either new, reman, or reputable used parts.
2. What is a chiseled wheel?
3. ?
4. So?

I don't know if the lingo is different where your at, you're not correctly repeating what they said, they're just trying to make money, or what. The few times I've had issues with a shop not like how something looked on my car (that was 100% stock and up to date on maintenance) I asked them to show me the relevant section in the inspection handbook. Any decent shop will have one in a binder specifically for this reason.

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

Post a bunch of pictures and we can help guide you.

NickNac113

1. The brakes are apparently the easy part (my dad had an 80 GS).

2&3. We went to discount tire. According to them, the wheels on the car were too wide for the back left side, so someone got rid of the brakes, and when it was still too wide, it looks like they took a jackhammer to the wheels to get them hollow enough to fit around the hub. Also, there are apparently more bolts then sockets in the rims (which we learned were aftermarket machined to look like the originals, but 2 inches wider).

4. Didn't know if that was anything major, just knew it was an "issue" to discount tire.


---
As far as pictures, I'll get them as soon as we can get the car home (discount won't let us drive it) and up in the air.


Thanks a million!
-Nick

tommyeflight89

iTrader: (4)

I am not sure how a shop can't let you drive the car? They have legally condemned it unsafe or something?

Without more details it sounds like they are trying to make $$ from unsuspecting customers.

DC5Daniel

iTrader: (10)

Uhhhh, the few details he's divulged are more than enough to realize the entire back half of the car is jacked up by some captain DIYers. Doesn't sound like they're trying to make money, it sounds like the situation is actually THAT bad.

Discount Tire does nothing but tires, so besides the tires they already sold/tried to sell him, there's no money in parts nor labor to be had. Obviously he's going to need new wheels if they've "jackhammered", so nothing going on here that wouldn't be recommended by anyone with a mechanical inclination.

NickNac113

Update:

The guy at the tire shop WAY over exaggerated it. Someone re=fitted the rear with discs and when they did they forgot a caliper. It has brakes in the back left.

As far as the rims and tires go, the new brakes have 6 bolts instead of the 4 on the rims, so they chiseled out the back of the rims to fit the extra 2 bolts into the back of the rim. They weren't fragile or compromised in my mind.

When it came to driving it out, It was a liability issue. Due to the rims "fragile" nature from being, what I am assuming is air-chiseled out to fit the hub, if anything happened and they knew it was like that, apparently we could sue and they could be in big trouble. Luckily our cousin has a tow truck and could help us get it home.

We are still going back to the stock brakes and doing a rear end build however, since our insurance won't cover discs in the back if it was in an accident as it was "modified", but that will come in time. The rims and brakes will come first but it is derivable for his 2 mile commute on paved roads for now.

Sorry for the over hype again. The car is otherwise in beautiful condition and is the baby of the family, as I'm sure many of you can imagine.

Thanks again!
-Nick

sa7

iTrader: (13)

You're swapping back to a drum rear end because your insurance company says discs from a factory first gen are an illegal mod? That's ridiculous! I'd be swapping insurance companies instead of rear ends. When I swapped to discs in the rear of my 79 gs, it made a HUGE difference in braking! I hate drums lol

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

How do you forget a caliper? It would be leaking brake fluid.

Post pictures of the rear end, brakes (missing caliper), and modified wheels. I'm calling BS until pics are posted.

NickNac113

Unfortunately if it's not stock, it's not covered by State Farm, Allstate, Geico or Progressive. At least that's what they told me when the motor blew on my 2007 Mazdaspeed3 from a bad piston bearing. I had zero engine modifications, with the exception of the resonators in the exhaust, well past any of the damaged, and the car was on coilovers. AAA refused to pay for the tow, Mazda wouldn't value the warranty that was 1000 miles out of date, and insurance wouldn't cover anything because the insurance is only for vehicles that are in stock condition.

I still love Mazda's cars and I know where to and where not to shop now.

NickNac113

Again, as soon as we can get the car up in the garage, I'll post pictures. You have my word on that.

peejay

I have Geico. When they asked if one of my cars was modified, I said yes. No problems.

I have also called AAA for a tow and the car still had competition tires and numbers on the side. No problems.

If by "insurance" you mean "service/repair insurance" (not theft/liability/etc), don't feel too bad. They usually don't cover anything even if a car is completely stock. If they do cover anything, they usually only pay for a small fraction of the actual bill and you will have to cover the rest, or find a shop skeezy enough that they're willing to work for only $35-40 an hour.

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

Pics are needed, I think your descriptions leave a lot to be desired and are confusing. I also
have AAA and never had a problem getting a tow on a car thats lowered and has all kinds of
modifications. I also have Erie insurance and they don't care that the car is modified as long as
its maintained.

I'll also make the comment that using a 30+ year old sports car as a DD for an 18 yr old is just
plain stoopid. It won't be reliable unless you sink a few thousand in parts for mechanical
restoration of every rubber and wear item. Plus rewire problem areas to use relays so the old
wire loom can still function and the old switches don't burnout further.

Qingdao

iTrader: (3)

As for fixing the problem... Find an open diff rear end that is unmodified, and put some new wheel cylinders and brake hardware on it. Then drop it in (or drop it up?).

There is not much of a reason for a 18 yo to have a LSD car with one working brake in the rear. That's more go and less stop for a boy who is gonna hit something soon anyway.

As for the wheels... TRASH THEM get some stockers or correctly sized wheels. DON'T F around. Wheels undergo a LOT of stress.