ok, picked up an '83 a little while back.. didn't look too bad till I got poking around in the fenders... pulled the carpet and etc, and found some big holes. and really /really/ thin metal. it's obviously been fixed before and the shitty fix rusted out.

The metal thing that's kindof A shaped (not really sure how to describe it and forgot to take a picture) in the fenderwells on the outside is rusted pretty badly too.. can I get these at mazda cheaply?

the body is also starting to "crack" I guess from stress. I'd say the wheelwells are definatly a stressed part of the body. it's a TINY crack that isn't from rust and is only about 2" long on each side, I'll weld it up at the same time too.

I have a '78 parts car ( body is ****).. pulle dthe carpet on it and the fenderwells are OK on the inside anyways! (clean and not-rusted metal), except for where they meet the floor, but I can repair that. there werent any holes till I made some with the hammer (at the seams)So I'm going to cut them out and put them in the '83. I noticed two triangular "braces" in the '78 as well that aren't in the '83.. they look OEM. what's up with these?

any hints/tips for fixing this area?

I have a couple pics, but they suck.

 

Here's what I did, but it sounds like your's may be too far gone for this arrest the rust approach:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/479957/8
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/479957/9

 

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ighlight=metal


I cutout a peice for someone to fix their car with.

It is very normal for the wheel wells to rot out. When it gets to the brace for the lower control arm is when it is almost to late to revive the car.


About that 78, What is the date code on it? you may be cutting up a more desireable car.

 

I don't know the date codes on the other car, I do know that it's been sitting for 10 years, has a body that is pretty rough (fender, floors, rear quarters, etc are rotten), brakes don't work, etc... I can grab the VIN I guess. I would hate to cut up a really really early car, but really, if it's past #1000 then oh well. It's got no sunroof, too.. this common on SA's or no? I've never seen a non-sunroof 1st gen before.

at this point, I think the ONLY rust damage to the car itself is on the floor at the bottom, just after the crossmember, and the lower control arm brace (the silver unpainted piece of steel in the wheelwell).. even it looks OK just the middle is gone, and I don't think that anything attaches in the middle. The rest of the rust damage is just to the first "fix" that was done at some point in the past, with really thin steel that rotted. Maybe it got moisture trapped in it or something, I dunno. there is a thick layer of bondo that got EVERYWHERE when Is tarted grinding on **** ... ooops.

I'll take some GOOD pictures today and find somewhere to host them.


ray: yeah I'm going to actually physically weld mine, but thanks for the pictures!

 

The date will be in the door Jamb on the car.


use photobucket to host the pics.

 

forgot my camera. lol.

will take pics tomorrow!

date on the parts car is 04/78, pretty sure that isn't the first year of production? not sure. hope one of you guys can clear that up for me! Is it OK to cut up or no? Looking at the car a little better, it's not really any worse than the FB... just been sitting longer (since about 1997)

floor in the front on the '83 is rotten too, on the drivers side. pass. side isn't bad! (YAY!).
dad thinks it will be easy to fix, and since he fixed his old oldsmobile that had no floor in it AT ALL, I believe him The framerail has a tiny bit of damage as well but just at the very top, I will weld in a new part there too. Tomorrow I think I'll start makin the patches and finish cutting out the rust.

the part that is rotten in the back of the car attaches to a bar that attaches to the TOP of the axle, what's this called? (only other FB I really owned for any period of time was my GSL-SE and well, it never ever broke and was rust free so I didn't ever work on it and learn what stuff was)

 

The earlest car I have ever seen was a 6/78, and I kick myself for not buying it.


I would like to see a pic with that date code on it.

 

sure, I'll take a pic tomorrow.

man, don't tell me this car is worth something, I want to cut it up! lol.

you don't even want to know what I let my brother do to the dented fender.

 

all I did to mine was wire wheel the rust out until I was sure that it was completely gone...put on some RT-8A rust treatment just incase I missed any rust...welded some heavy steel on the outside of the fender and brazed the inside of the hole...wire wheeled the braze to get the flux off...primered it then used some sort of water proof paint which the name has currently eluded me...now thats going to bug me...

 

Sounds like another one bites the dust, RIP. There's just something about RX7s (and probably most other cars) and that Canadian weather. Still, if it's running and you can tack it back together for a few months, it would make a good winter beater (which is pretty much most of the time up there, isn't it?) Just don't come down here and take away one of our rust-free Georgia peaches, OK?

Ray

 

[QUOTE=ray green] Just don't come down here and take away one of our Georgia peaches, OK?

Ray[/=QUOTE]

Funny from what I remember your peaches are always over ripe...haha

 

ok, got it up in the air, got ALL the rust looked at... it certainly CAN be fixed, but I wonder if it is even worth my time. The car needs a respray as well (clear coat is peeling) and the interior is OK but just iffy. Actually, the interior is pretty good just the seats are maroon while the rest is brown. Tires are new. Shocks are newish. Engine compression is decent but nothing spectacular. Choke and everything all work. Not sure if the gas gauge works or if it just has almost no gas in it. needs a brake line but the brake pads/shoes and front rotors are new. wiper motor is new too. stereo and everything inside work....

what do you think?

 

here's outside the car.. bubbling clear coat and side shot

 

Unless you just like it for some reason, I say strip it and Junk it. That is a lot in the floor and the bubble on top means there is more around or under the paint.

 

Anything can be fixed! But at what price. P.S. if you do fix it, don't use fiberglass, always weld new metal in.

 

The problem with the "bin area" is that it is a structural area.

Then again pretty much every given panel on a 1st-gen is structural, aside from the bolton stuff.

 

yeah, I can fix it, and I would be welding new metal in.

the price won't be anything, my welder will work for parts! (like 4x550cc injectors, mwahahaha)... and I have metal, courtesy of an ugly-*** purple fc3s steel hood.

should I though? I really want to find a nice not rusted gsl-se rolling chassis and do a build with TII bits here and there... so I'll be selling this car in one form or another shortly.

 

For me I'd do the repairs unless something better is currently available... they are not very common up in these parts so you make due.

I just posted on the frame cancer issue

 

worked on the car a bit more today but mostly worked on the garage instead! since it hadn't been cleaned out since before I put the motor in my 10AE, and was way full of crap.

 

guess I should post an update here - more pictures coming soon!

I gave up on the car and decided to part it out - let it sit ... now I need a beater! and so back it comes!@

I put a brake line on it yesterday (that it needed) and bled the brakes - it's sitting in my garage now about 2 feet up in the air! The swaybar endlinks were destroyed - so I put on some aftermarket adjustable swaybars that I had laying around

ALL the rust is pretty much cut out - I'm working on the passanger side of the car right now.
I built new upper link mount braces - and I'm adding a TON of metal in the area.

pictures tomorrow!

 

if you need a beater i have a good condition 87 jetta here that i will sell for 400 bucks.

 

this is the beater nick

if the jetta is diesel - msg me on MSN