I am taking my FB to Iceland for year and I have few questions and open for suggestions.

The car is all stock and needs a little work done to it. Anything to improve gas mileage and winter driving will be nice.

One the car does need a ignitor, I am thinking about maybe converting everything over to MSD setup. Maybe pick up HP or two and better gas milage?

I do need a clutch. Nothing fancy something that will last a year or so at stock HP level. Any suggestions here?

I need a right rear tail light. Anyone know where I can find one cheap?

Next I would like to have a LSD over there. Will a clutch style S4 FC N/A one work? Or do I need to find a GSL-SE. I don't care about not having disk brakes.


Also my high beems don't work, if you pull back to flash the high beems they do work, but if push the switch forward all the head lights go out. Any suggestions here?

I think this about covers it. Thanks for you help.

 

I would guess that you need an actual -SE lsd. As for the taillight, check either the 1st gen "for sale" section of this forum, or EBay. For the high beams, it sounds like its your continuous high beam switch, not the lights themselves. I thought i had seen an entire steering wheel surround with both stalks on ebay yesterday. can't be sure of the price or working condition, though. Hope this is of some help.

 

This is just me... Trying to get a rx7 to start in COLD weather is hard... wouldnt trying to start a rx7 in iceland in the winter would be next to impossable?

 

Opps my last post replace rx7 with carbed FB

 

It doesn't get as cold as you think in iceland. Its been starting in lowe 30s high 20s here. Thats about the temps in Iceland this year. Though the wind is a different story.

Continous high beam switch.... I will have to look more into this.

 

I thought that Iceland was warm and Greenland was cold?

~T.J.

 

Iceland stays about 30-40 year round... Greenland is a little bit different.

 

Do general maintenance on the car; tune up, fluid changes, etc. Keep a 50/50 anti-freeze and distilled water in the cooling system. Is your FB a GS or GSL?
The LSD friction plates and friction discs are the same from 1981-88 N/A's, check with Mazda on this one though. Installing a GSL real differential would make things simpler than trying to add a LSD to one that doesnt already have one, PLUS it already has the disc brakes.
A stock clutch should be fine for stock HP. An upgrade from there would be one from RB or CenterForce. Taillight, switches and ignitors would be cheapest from a junkyard. Hope this helps

 

Yea, Iceland is realy a misnomre, Its supposedly not that cold. Its surrounded by the ocean, with the gulf stream passing by. I doubt you'll have that much problems with temperature, but there might be some snow. I'd suggest some snow tires for sure.

 

My FB is a S model, base as they come. I have the orginial window sticker and bill of sale too.

Anyway, in theory a 86-88 N/A LSD should bolt up, I just not know if the axles will spline or not.

If a Miata Torsen will bolt up, and S4 N/A LSD will drop in.....

Changing out a open diff or LSD diff isn't that problem.

I would swap over every thing. But I really don't have the time to do it. This car has to be ready in two weeks. So finding a GSL-SE might be hard to do. A S4 LSD are very easy to find.

 

swapping the entire rear end is eassssy. just find a gsl, gsl-se wouldnt be good unless you want diff wheels in the rear. get a gsl rear with brakes and lines, and the rear half of the e-brake cables. it really easy to do. direct bolt up.

gamble

 

Tried telling you that , you were like its not that easy, now you see how I did it in less than an hour in a 1/2. Its so simple!

 

You want to put in a 86-88 (s4) rear end? Good luck man, those things are IRS. And aint **** gonna match up w/o a shitload of work

 

i think he means the center section you silly goose

 

Yeah i am only talking about the LSD. I think that the S4 LSD should bolt into place of the open diff. I just don't know if the axles from the FB will spline into it.

No I am not talking about doing a IRS conversion I am talking about the LSD.

I just wish I wouldn't have gave my spare S4 n/a LSD away last year. I would just try it. I hate buying parts with a chance they will not work.

 

youre best off with a 1st gen rear. if a tard like me can do it alone, im sure you can do it too

 

My neighbor is being stationed there. He had a paper from Iceland that had the vehicle requirements for that country. He ended up selling his car and buying something that met their specs. One of the things I remember him telling me is that the head rest had to be seperate and adjustable. You can't have a car that has a one piece seat back.

 

One I have no problems doing a complete rear axle change. But, I don't have the time to locate one locally for a good price. I can find a FC LSD cheap locally though. I know it will bolt it, its if the stock FB axles will spline in though. I think its good chance though.

Will a Torsen out of 94+ Miata work? If so the FC LSD will.


On the inspection thing, The only thing I need to add to the car to make it pass inspection is a front plate bracket. I need to locate one soon for it.

 

Am I the only person who doens't have a problem starting their FB in the winter? even 10 degree mornings it starts after maybe 4 seconds (at most) or cranking. Guess I'm just lucky.

 

Lowest I have started mine in is 28 degs. and never had any real problems. It is cold natured and likes to stall out sometimes at stops when its cold. I think I can probably adjust that out if I got off my butt.

 

Well I found out the N/A LSD will work in the 84-85 rear housing.

 

sweeet
post pics or somethin. ok ok just let us know how it goes

 

Should be no big deal... going 4.44 gears at the same time.