I am ready for it now. Installing it is not a problem. I work at a race shop that builds 10.5 cars. I could probably make the whole thing, but would rather buy a kit and mod it to fit if needed. Car is a 85 GSL-SE with PS. Everything works well and car is daily driven. Just waiting for you to say that it's ready to ship. As you can tell, I'm eager for it. Stock steering is sloppy.

 

I just reread the price list adn noticed you spelled "labor" with a "U"...

Then I looked at your location...

Are those prices in Canadian dollars?

If so, then the price already came down.

US$150.00 = CA$214.384

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

 

U still funny guy!!
You read that post and did not read right after that I said approx.$200USD so it kinda went up in price.
This thing is alot of work to put together and work properly so it is some what reflected in the price.
Can you tell me the lock to lock rotations on the 1st gen? The VW rack is 3.3 turns.

 

Reading is fundamental... What can I say, I went to public school...

$200 is still good. I'll let the first batch get out though... I still need to figure out if I'm keeping my existing RX-7 or not yet.

 

$200 is a fair price and I'd be all over this right now, but I have a few other more pressing projects coming up and i need the little $$ i have for that. I too would also like the first batch to go out and get some feedback. Also, I'm not really to keen on the idea of cutting my steering shaft, so I'll have to find a PS one before doing this. In the end I'll be looking at a $400+ mod, which is fine considering how sweet it will be, but i'll have to wait a few months at least.

 

J_Oliver:

I know alot of the AU and NZ guys are *very* interested in what your up to.

The problem we have is, that the weight of the bracket would make shipping prohibitive for most of us.

Is it possible you may draw a technical diagram of the bracket and the support bearing assembly and make it available for those that wish to "grow their own"?

For obvious reason, we would need to reverse both diagrams to get the parts right, being RHD down on this end of the planet :p

 

once you do some testing of it and have a decent how to made up you can count me in. buh bye recirculating ball

 

82Transam, where do you live and why will it cost $400 to have this mod?

 

i think he believes that he'll need to get a PS box so eh wont have to hack his current box.... and that would cost him the extra money. You ARE making the adapter thing in the kit, so we dont have to hack up the boxes.

PS: i'll definately be getting one for the racecar, and possibly even one for the Daily Driver.

 

Yeah, but two inches has to be cut outta the middle of the column or else you get that almost 90 degree angle on the Universal Joint.

 

Why would you cut it out of the middle? That seems a little odd.
Oh, and I'll also be interested in this kit, it won't be out of the first batch, but I will.

 

yes, you guys have it right. I've never been keen on doing "permanent" mods to my car, I like bolt in stuff. I'm not about to hack up my steering column, nor am I about to take apart a steering box thats in good shape (no prob since your making the adaptor for us) Anyway, PS steering columns aren't the most common things around, so finding one might get expensive, that added to $200 + shipping (I assume its extra) for your kit, + the rack itself, new tie rod ends etc etc, will add up to at least $400, maybe more. As I've stated before I'm fine with that, its well worth it to me, but I just don't have the money for that right now, I still have to buy springs and brake lines so I can redo my suspension, not to mentoin the body work thats gonna happen in a few weeks. I'll be ready to buy one in like 2 months.

 

Hey J,

I should have my car fixed on Sunday. I will let you know.

Cheers

 

Who cares about making "Permanent" mods when it is what should have been there from the factory!
You guys need to live a little, go out on a limb and have some real fun. Think of it this way, the old steer-box will never surpass a rack setup even if it was the WORST engineered peice of @$#% that ever existed so no matter how you think the rack will work it will always out perform the box 10 to 1.

 

Why would anyone ever want to go back to the stock steering setup if they could have a nice rack and pinion? It won't hurt resale value (please never sell an RX-7!) unless it is a mint condition GSL-SE with 6 miles on the car. You get the idea. So many people keep on lowering a cars ability to be street driven in the name of gaining a couple of horsepower up top but when it comes to doing something that has nothing but benefits there are critics?! This isn't a temporary mod or a permanent mod. It is a correction to a factory error or oversight. Much of the 1st gen design comes from earlier RX-2's and 3's. Get that car more into modern times. Just because its an old car dosen't mean it has to perform like an old car. I like this idea. I will definitely give it a try. Then I'll go back to the rear of the car and get rid of the Watt's linkage in favor of a panhard bar. Independent rear would be nice (thee is a kit for it too!) but cost is a big factor. This definitely isn't an expensive upgrade.

 

Whoa! Thats what I wanted to say. Nice job,Wanna job? Ya lets get with the times!
One question. Where do I find this 2nd gen rear end conversion? I may just have to make one of those too.
LoL

 

a miata rear end conversion would be easier i bet

 

If going independent I'd stay away from the swing arm FC rear.

 

why?

 

lol, because it's a swing arm. The more the suspension compresses the less tire contact you get.

 

yea i agree, if your gonna go IRS, then go with a miata rear or something.

 

ohh, make that coversion kit too... i will buy both!!! my car should be running in about 2 weeks so i'm gettin ready for some new mods.

 

There was a website that I saw a couple of years ago for a small company or maybe more appropriately a race team, that sold custom made independent rear suspension conversions for 1st gens. It wasn't cheap by any means but looked real smooth. If I remember correctly it was a double a-arm setup that used a cut and modified Ford 9" rear end that accepted halfshafts. No more seperate shocks and springs either. It had coil overs. I can't find the site anymore and I wish I could. It was very expensive though. Somewhere on the order of $4500+ for the conversion. I wonder how many 1st gens I could buy with $4500???

 

Question:

Answer:

4500 of them !

 

Cool! I'll take 'em!