Ok as of this afternoon I have aquired a 1985 GLS RX7 that runs and drives but needs alot of TLC but I want to know what modifications are out there for my year model and what upgrades free or cheap can be done to the car with little hassle

the whole rotary thing has me a lil bit scared but i love the sound of that baby purring

but anyways glad to be here

 

First of all, welcome to the forum.
At the top of the page you will see things like FAQ and the Archive.
This is how you find your info and by using the search function.
Before you go off and start thinking about mods I recommend you read the attached thread.
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/other-what-look-when-buying-just-after-you-purchased-your-rx-7-a-601804/

 

There is a current thread on heap upgrades floating around out there, learn to use the search feature and welcome to the dark side.

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/simple-upgrades-noobs-601218/

 

Judging by the wheels,it looks like you have a GSL, which is the top of the line model,except for the limited edition,fuel injected GSL-SE.

That means you also have the heaviest 1st gen that came with the smaller 12A engine.If you are interested in a lithe,simple sportscar,then stripping it down will gain performance in all aspects.Lots of luxury and unneccesary options can be removed from the GSL to save weight,without making the car feel too "sparten".

HP mods follow the same philosophy as any car.....more air in and out,hotter ignition,better fuel delivery,drop rotating mass,ect.The 1st gen 12A has good potential and is known to last a long time.200K miles with no rebuild is not uncommon.Another 50HP,or a 50% increase in power is possible with just bolt on mods.The only sacrifice would be fuel economy and losing your smoggability.....even when pumped up,the non-turbo rotary remains reliable.

The 83-85 water-oil coolers arent held in very high regard,so a switch to the older air-oil coolers should be in order.And of course,a full going over of the critical areas,as you would do with any car.Remember,there is only 1 specific part of the RX-7 that is any different than other cars of the era,and thats the internals of the engine itself.Everything else,from the carburetion,cooling and ignition...is basically like other cars,so dont be scared.Once you learn the specific needs of the rotary engine itself,they are even easier to care for than piston engines.Things like,keep the oil changed and full,NEVER overheat them,dont rev them up until they are warm.....and of course....despite what any uninformed person says......rotaries DO have RPM redlines!
Search this site and the archieves for all the info you need.When you hit a specific issue or need personal experience info about a certain mod,then feel free to ask.

Welcome!

 

Welcome to the Darkside. For your reading and informational pleasure, in my sig line is a link to the online FSMs, carb manual and other books There is also a link on how to replace the beehive oil cooler with the fmoc and another one to my little project. Download whatever you ned and study up.

Before performing any perfomance upgrades, it's best ot bring the rest of the mechanicals up to oem specs. There is no point in making the car go faster, if it cannot stop, steer or handle. doc has a good thread on what's needed to go through for restoring the mechanicals, prior to upgrades.

 

didnt mean to come off as a forum newbie and dear god i know what the search button is for lol

i basicaly stole this car from the owner but hey he took the deal an amp and a sub box for his jeep sounded better to him then his fb did

Ive ran alot of the higher end 80's sports cars and when i kept seeing this lil rx7 waisting away in this mans yard i finally stopped yesterday and asked about it

I have had 5 Toyota Supra Turbo's years ranging from 1987-1989-Sold or parted
13 Starion/Conquest ESi-R's and TSi's even 2 Technica's-Sold or parted out
1988 Celica All-Trac "GT4" Turbo AWD-still own it
1984 Nissan 300zx turbo 50th Annvers edition-sold
1989 Nissan 240sx silvia conversion-sold
1989 Eagle Talon TSi-sold
1989 Eclipse GSX,and GST-Sold
1989 Plymouth Laser RS Turbo AWD-sold
believe me im well rounded with forums and how to move around them I just didnt see a newbie thread section to post my first hello's in

now i know how rotary works it just seems weird to not have any pistons as you guys can tell this is my first rotary car and i gotta tell you i love ho it sounds and have quickly found out how u gotta have the right touch for the choke lol
I will take some more photo's of it later today after i get int he engine bay and clean out all the pine needles and leaves and get some engine degresser in there

 

If you need the right touch for the choke it's probably in dire need of a tune up. It hardly takes any choke for me to get mine to idle in 10 degree weather.

I don't know alot about rotaries yet, but the whole idea of no pistons is really what got me intersted in the rx-7. The engine style just makes more sense to me when it comes to performance and reliability. I wish that as much time had been put into rotaries over the years as they have in the the piston engines. They would probably be much more efficient and much closer in reliability to the piston engines (don't let that scare you though, they are reliable when taken care of).

 

oh i agree she is in dire straights for a tune up bad needs new plugs and wires hey what kind of oil shuld i use for a rotary? and does K&N make an oil filter for it?

 

Peruse through the FAQs at the beginning of the 1st gen section, that wil answer most of your general questions. For your area, 10w30 winter, 20w50 in the Texas heat. Change the oil and filter every 3k miles. Approximately 30% of engine cooling is through the oiling system.

 

Word of advice, pick up a set of NGK plugs like the ones racingbeat carries for your plugs. I put some recommended plugs from local auto parts store and it ran and idled like crap. THe ngk plugs made a hell of a difference.

For oil, some recommend synthetic, some same dino. I do dyno because I think it burns better than synthetic and your fb will be injecting oil into the cylinders to lubricate the apex seals. You might want to look into doing a two cycle conversion for the oil metering pump as well, then you could use synthetics in the crank.

I know you probably have a lot more experience than I do with cars so most that should be easy work for you.

 

And don't think of it as a motor with no pistons, think of it as a motor with triangular pistons. Just in a different shape and size.
Unlike a "Piston" motor, Rotaries are not forgiving when it comes to overheating. Overheat them and expect to be tearing the motor down for a rebuild.

Like others have stated, use only Ngk or Nd plugs but Ngk is the prefeered.

Kn filters are good but over priced. A Napa gold or a Oem mazda filter is a good replacement choice.
NGK is also the prefeered replacement wires and are very reasonable in price.

 

i do have to say that thus so far is one of the nicest boards for imports everyone is helpful and friendly when i was apart of supraforums people are always wanting to compete with one another and not help out but anyways thanks for the advice

 

1st gen guys generally aren't so competitive, we just want to keep the old girls running and gain some performance, its all about the journey in a 1st gen...

 

Just remember, round and round, not up and down. Most guys here will agree that making the car safe, reliable, and dependable, is priority. I hate seeing someone get a hold of a first gen that needs a little work to be right, and forgo the prioritys, and try to make a bunch of mods to a car that isn't even safe to drive. It's a long road ahead, but when you are finished, you will be proud of the Wankel! So, with that being said, welcome to the rest of your life.

 

It's easy to make car go fast, it's hard to have fun while doing it competitively because someone will always beat your fastest or your most powerful.

 

that is a good price. my friend traded 2 subs & a box for a 1st gen, made me laugh when i heard you paid the same thing for it.

 

wellcome

 

well i noticed today it has some front end damage so befor i go get new fenders and everything im gonna take it to a frame alignment shop and have it straightend out that and the wishbones are royaly bent and the camber is way off but im going to fix that also the engine is strong i just need to do a tune up on it that and doing some lead sweating on it but ill have the body back into shape in no time i jsut need to find some interrior pieces that and someone told me about a backseat option do you guys know anything about this??

 

I've seen the backseat for these guys in various picks on line. They use the term seat loosely. You'd have to be a legless child to fit well.