Hey all, I did a search but couldn't find any info (perhaps I didn't search hard enough). Someone told me today that the 1st gen RX-7's had a unibody design. I have a 1984 gsl and when I jack it up, the body bends because it's rusting out. Now, I would like to rebuild the car and have the body redone but, this person told me that since the jacking tabs on the body are bending when I jack it up, that means that the frame is also completely rusted out. Is this true?

 

not neccessarily, i know on mine, the area above those jacking tabs is pretty bad, but it seems to be just the area above the tabs thats rusting. but if the whole body is bending, i'm guessng you have some pretty bad bin rust. pull the bins out and take a look at the wheelwells from the inside.

 

Yeah. Its just the tabs that are bending. The body itself is not bending at all but the tabs are bending an folding in on themselves. I'm just trying to figure out if its something that I can fix or if I'd be better off trying to find a whole other car.

 

id say not to worry about, i have the same problem... I just dont jack from those weak points...

 

The RX, does not have a frame...

 

Which type of jack are you using? Those "jack points" are only designed for the jack that came in the car, which has a slot for the metal tab to sit into. For any other type of jack, move it farther in, and there is a boxed "frame rail" that can be used, or raise it from the suspension.

 

Im using the jack that came with the car but, it' still bending in at the tabs and on top of the tabs. Im not worried about it bending since I want to have the car restored but, in order to do that, the frame needs to be in a decent condition so, Im trying to figure out if this rust is going to chew up my chances of having it rebuilt...

 

Unibody cars like the RX-7 have C-channels which function like frame rails going foreward and aft, separately, from the middle of the car. Unlike body-on-frame construction the unibody's total structure provides torsional rigidity, and the FB body is an excellent example of a relatively rigid design.

Over time, as panels rust, they can be removed and fresh metal welded in to replace. Only in extreme cases is a body too far gone to be fixable.

 

Why do it if....You can buy a cheap body?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

 

Thanks Manntis, that's exactly what I needed to know!

 

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Doing so will bend the hell out of the frame rail on perfect Southern cars, I can't even imagine what it would do to a rusted car. DO NOT, EVER, EVER, NEVER pick the car up by the frame rail. The "tab" is a much better place to pick the car up on, but not as good as the front crossmember or rear pumpkin. Hell, I've bent crossmembers (cosmetically) by picking them up there.

Will you divot the tab with your jack? Yes. But you won't bent the floorboards like you will picking the car up by the frame rail.