jkg

I've finally had to buckle down and come up with some over arching vision for my 7. THe engine is leaking oil and pissed off my landlord, so that has to go before the end of summer and my suspension is so bad that it promises to kill me if I keep tempting it. That said, those are the first angles of attack on the car, followed by the steering then flares/wheels and exhaust/intake when my wallet recovers.
I'm looking at the techno toys coil overs very closely, as my dad owns a body shop and can help me with the weld on front kit, which will make things cheaper. What I need to know now is what spring rate I should get as I have no idea. Any help would be appreciated. I won't be competitively autocrossing, but I will hopefully be autocrossing on weekends for fun, and am not opposed to a car that sacrifices comfort for handling.
After that the plan is to finish opening up the extra 12a I have and rebuild it with a somewhat mild port. After that I'll hyperventilate from wallet shock and have to recover before the next (and hopefully much cheaper phase) goes through.

Cookboy

iTrader: (10)

Got a Beehive oil cooler?

TheRX7Project

iTrader: (3)

If you want to figure out spring rates, first you need to get your car on a 4-wheel scale, or even just a 2-axle scale, and see how much weight is actually on each wheel/axle.

jkg

I do have a bee hive oil cooler. Also, corner weighting is going to be a problem as the car ate it's clutch master cylinder last week so it doesn't really like to move right now. I was hoping to get this done soon as I'm currently on my Dad's motorbike and work doesn't like me being vehicleless.

DreamInRotary

iTrader: (49)

What I'd look into doing, in order:
1. NEW clutch master cylinder, NEW steel braided clutch line, NEW clutch slave cylinder.
Why? - Solves all clutch hydraulic problems. You will have peace of mind knowing that everything is fresh, renewed and safe. I've rebuilt the master and slave several times and it's much nicer to know you shouldn't have to worry about them for a long while.
2. Ditch the beehive
Why? - It's more of an oil heater than an oil cooler from my experience. One less thing to worry about in the future.
3. Get the car weighed to figure out spring rates
4. Save for the TTT (Techno Toy Tuning) coilover kits
5. Worry about building the 12a last

That's just my idea personally though.

elwood

iTrader: (1)

Regarding the corner weighting: it's always a good idea, but one option to get you in the ballpark is to do the following:
1. "Mass up" the car to its typical level -- i.e. driver only, full fluids, 3/4 tank fuel, spare/no spare, etc
2. Take it to a certified scale at a landfill or moving company
3. Weigh the full car
4. Weigh the front only on the scale (edge of scale at midpoint of wheelbase)
5. Weigh the rear only (same procedure as #2)
6. Calculate your front axle weight percentage: Take [#4] / [[#4] + [#5]]

These sorts of scales are much easier to find, usually cheaper, and will get the suspension supplier close enough to get you the right rates and valving.

Once you have height adjustable springs installed and the car aligned, you really need the 4 corner scale. I have a friend that has a set . . . wish one of us had a good way to get the pads truly level. Maybe a local race prep shop or very good tuner.

Good luck.

Cookboy

iTrader: (10)

I wouldn't be too worried about my suspension if i had an oil leaking car that couldn't move. Fix the beehive while the clutch slave is out, you'll have a little more room to maneuver.

Also a good time to renew some coolant hoses.

jkg

I'm ordering a new master cylinder as we speak so that shouldn't be a problem anymore. Basically, the first step includes suspension and master cylinder and front brakes, as the front disks are worn and warped. The problem with leaving the suspension is the car floats and bounces and needs to go. Maybe this weekend I'll throw the brakes back on it, and nurse it down to the weigh station while I wait for my master cylinder. This is going to be a headache of summer with this car, as the car can't stay at my place because i live at an apartment, and my parents, where it is currently residing. live just over an hour away.Hopefully by the time it gets too cold to ride my 7 will ride like a car, not a cloud, and not drip oil like a British roadster. If that happens I think I'll consider it a good start to the project.
Thanks for all the advice, and keep it coming.