1985 S, 12a, all stock, 76k miles. Red, if that matters.

What should I do first? Like most projects, there's no way I'll tackle all of this at once. Wife in school, family, etc., etc. You know - life.

I suspect the suspension components all need to be refreshed. After all, they are nearly 30 years old. And, should I upgrade the brakes? Stay OEM? I don't care about racing the car - I mostly want to keep it's original 1985 flair, but with updates/refreshes that take care of safety, longevity, etc.

So, here's a list of things I was thinking of tackling over the course of "however long it takes". What should I do first?

• Racing Beat Exhaust
• Suspension
o Shocks
o Struts
o Springs
o Bushings
o Other?
o Brakes
 Rotors
 Pads
 SS lines
• Wheels & Tires
o Should I get Konig Rewind Graphit 4x110?
o Or replace w/ GLS-SE complete rear and front so that I can use 4x114 wheels?

• Fix Power Antenna
• Engine Mounts
• Transmission Mounts
• Upgrade Clutch (or should I?)
• Upgrade Intake? (I like the carb, so at most I was thinking replacing the Nikki with Webber or Holley)
• LED Exterior Lights (this is gravy, and perhaps silly. I haven’t decided)
• OEM Clarion w/ input modification to accommodate iPod. (Didn’t I see this on the forum somewhere?)
• Tint Rear Glass
• Replace Radiator
o Hoses
o Thermostat
• Ignition
o Replace Plug wires

 

Racing beat exhaust is the best money I've spent on the car.

 

What's broken? Fix that first. Get the car back to 100% before modding it.

The good news is that with most of the suspension stuff, fixing = upgrading. In other words, if you have to replace, say, the shocks, upgrade to Tokicos or Konis in the process.

 

1. Replace all fluids
2. Replace all rubber mechanical pieces - I mean all (tires, hoses, bushings etc)
3. Tune up
3. Drive for awhile and see what needs the most attention
4. Mod it later once you have lived with the car for a few months with it running normally.

 

good advise!

i like to clean the thing really extensively. then a major service, spark plugs, all the filters, all the fluids. there are a bunch of adjustments, like idle mixture, that should be done. then there is an inspection, where you look at things like belts and hoses, and replace as needed. look for leaks etc

then you should fix anything thats broken.

then start modding it.

 

As has been said, full tune-up, cleaning and assess the cars needs first. Any car I buy gets stainless braided brake hoses and performance street pads. Usually Hawk HPS. All the bushings are either only replaceable by buying complete new arms or upgrading to polyurethane. The Energy Suspension full kit is a nice upgrade, made a huge difference in the way my car felt. I've found it's the seemingly smaller upgrades that make the most noticeable difference in the driving experience. Loved my RB dual exhaust, but sold it chasing more power. If I were to do it all over again, I'd upgrade the springs, replace the shocks with factory spec replacements, leave the sway bars alone, mild brake upgrade, bushings, rims and tires, exhaust and a decent but not crazy stereo. That would make for a fun daily without the headaches of an overly modified car.

 

Awesome input! Thanks and please keep it up. Very helpful.

I've done the spark plugs, and I changed the oil and air filter right off the bat. The car has (mostly) fresh radiator fluid and the intake O-rings/gasket have been replaced. But, that's it. Lots of rattles from underneath, although I suspect (HOPE!) it's related to various pans and shields and nothing important.

So....I should replace the tires, or at least verify their age. I can do that.

Next, I'm hearing I should replace the front pads, and possibly upgrade the brake lines to stainless steel? I can do the pads - I've done them on my truck a couple of times. Any advice on the stainless steel lines? Is there a kit? Vendor? Or, am I now in the fabrication business? (uh-oh, might need help there...) (and yep, need to replace the fluid!)

Once I deal with the brakes, it sounds like I need to address the bushings. That's something I've never done. Do I need a press? Is this work your average guy can do, or should I seek help? And, where do I buy the parts?

Then, springs, shocks, and...?

 

I should have asked - recommendations on front pads? Again, it's all stock. At least for the foreseeable future.

 

-replace carpet
-Mazdatrix floor mats
-Nardi steering wheel
-Nardi shift ****
-repaint faded interior components wit SEM paint

-window tint
-Brighter head lights


I would recommend ROTA RB wheels over Konigs. Much higher quality. 205-50-15 tires. B&G springs.

 

"Rattles" are no big deal. "Clunks" are another matter. If you get any "Clunking" sounds when getting on or off the gas, you've got Driveshaft and/or Transmission mount problems. Those were the first things I had to fix when I got mine (along with a leaky Oil Cooler).

 

Go to these places for parts:

OEM parts: RockAuto Parts Catalog
OEM and some perf: MAZDATRIX for Mazda RX7, RX8, Rotary Engine Parts and Accessories, Blackdragon for RX7 and Z cars
Mostly perf or add ons: Racing Beat - Mazda Performance Specialists

Thats enough to suck a few paychecks anyway.

Don't use the B&M stores for anything but the basics. Rock auto will be half the price
even with the shipping.

 

Thats my exact set up im building for next years DGRR lol. I really need to make a build thread....

But I used 205-50-15 Khumo Ecsta ASX tires on the 20mm offset RB's and found that my front tires rub a bit... My suspension is GSLSE, so that might be why. I think ill be running different tires by then anyways.

I do 100% recommend the B+G springs though.

 

I had Rota RB 15x7 +20 with 205-50-15 Falkens on my old 79. With RB springs it was within 1/4 inch of rubbing. With RESpeed non weld coils I had oogles of room. B&G seem to be the best all around spring you can find.

 

if you add a little negative camber, the rubbing will go away, and handling gets better

 

I would agree with the others, fix what it needs to get it road worthy, then mod as you find parts you want. plus whats your goal for the car?

 

My goal is for the car to look as near original as possible. I'm not really looking for anything to be obnoxious once I'm done. My thought was: upgraded brakes, suspension, deal with the 29 year old hoses, etc., 15" wheels (easier to find tires) and upgraded exhaust (Racing Beat, none of that coffee-can muffler stuff). I wasn't planning to go down the path of porting. If I ever did anything with the intake, it'd be down the road. Interior-wise, I wasn't planning to change anything; except perhaps modifying the original radio for a way to hook up my iPod. Again, down the road. And, I'll probably tint the windows.

So, I guess I'm still deciding what to do first. I've done oil changes, coolant, and fixed the leaking intake manifold gasket/o-rings. (mentioned earlier) I think I'm next going to look at brake pads and then sort out whether to replace all of the brake lines. Followed by ...? TBD.

I appreciate the input.

 

stick a rear spoiler wing on it