Since some of you don't subscribe to the RX-7 mailing list, I'll post a copy of what I sent to the list.

Having passed a milestone of sorts, 50,000 miles, on my 20B conversion, I thought I'd provide a little feedback to the RX-7 community. (For those who aren't already familiar with my car, see www.cris.com/~Asam/20B.html to learn the story of its creation.) Most of the 50,000 miles have been put on the car as a daily driver. My daily commute is 26 miles each way, of which about 80% is highway driving. I run a couple of autocrosses each year, and it's been to a half-dozen or so DE events.

The 20B -

The motor, itself, has been like an anvil. Whether slogging through traffic or flying down the straights on a road course, it always delivers what I need and want. There's very little to say about it, since writing "It's wonderful" over and over would be boring for me and for my readers, so I'll move on to...

Related systems -

The Electromotive Tec-II engine management computers have allowed an otherwise stock motor to perform way past stock output levels. For me, they have been great: set it and forget it. I have neither the time nor the inclination to play with the programming, so I have left the settings where Peter Farrell put them. The only downside to that is that Peter originally tuned the car in August, when the temperatures were hitting the high side of 100 degrees. Now, when the temperatures drop below about 15 degrees, the car is sometimes reluctant to start. This could be fixed with a little reprogramming, but it hasn't been enough of problem for me to worry about it.

A crank angle sensor failed at about 38,000 miles. Peter and Electromotive replaced it at no charge, so it was only a minor inconvenience. Unlike the newer Tec3, the Tec-IIs don't have a factory wiring harness. As a result, the ends of the wires have a tendency to corrode. After fours years, this led to corruption of the signals and required replacing several wires.

The Apexi AVC-R boost controller works without any problems other than losing its memory whenever the battery is disconnected. When that happens, I often don't get around to re-setting it for some time, since the power at wastegate level (7 psi) is more than enough for daily driving. When I finally get around to re-setting it to 1 bar, though, I tend to walk around for days with a silly grin on my face.

For some reason, the car seems to eat batteries. I'm on my third one in four years. Luckily, the warranty has prevented me from spending a lot of money, so it's only a minor annoyance.

The Drivetrain -

From the flywheel back, it's all T-II. It's a testimony to the quality and strength of the components that they have had no problem with more than double the power for which they were designed. FWIW, I don't do drag racing, so the abrupt application of all 478 lb/ft of torque doesn't happen often.

The exception has been the differential mounts. I've broken three, as well as a motor mount. After the third differential mount, I asked my local mechanic, Todd Harris, who does most of my non-rotary work, to fabricate a torque brace. That seems to have solved the problem.

The Suspension -

The Tokico Illuminas and the Ground Control adjustable coilovers have been trouble-free.

The Body Mods -

For the most part, the durability of the Tripoint and Mariah parts has been on a par with OEM equipment, with one, small exception. A tiny crack appeared at the top of the wheelwell arch on the front fenders. The body shop repaired and reinforced that spot, and the problem seems to have been resolved.

A couple of issues have surfaced over the years, but they are pretty much normal wear and tear, not faults in the original products. The Mariah Mode 6 nose has done its job of allowing more air to get to the radiator and oil coolers, but it lives a hard life. The lower edge has become a bit raggedy due to contact with speed bumps and parking lot curbs, in spite of my efforts to avoid both. The leading surfaces of the rear fender flares have lost paint due to rocks and road debris hitting them.

That pretty much covers the first 50,000 miles. Compared to the car in its stock days, the maintenance cost is a little higher, but with the complexity added by turbos and an aftermarket EMS, that's to be expected. Compared to the 3rd gen I used to have, maintenance costs are negligible. From a subjective standpoint, the car is just wonderful--strong, reliable--it doesn't get better than this. It still turns heads and leaves a trail of smiles wherever it goes.

 

I thought you were running 10psi? One bar = 14.5psi.

Thank you for taking the time to contribute to the forum.

 

The AVC-R allows for two settings (A and B), which can be toggled. When I first had the car, I had A set to 10 psi (.7 bar, if you want to be precise) and B to 1 bar. The theory was to use A for the street and B on the track. Functionally speaking, A was superfluous, since, in either case, I was way past legal speed and acceleration.

After the first time that my battery died and I lost the AVC-R settings, I just put it on 1 bar. Way too fast is way too fast, so having the lower setting was just pointless.

It's a pleasure to contribute, when I can. Since I don't do a lot of my own mechanical work, I can't help out much with the "how to" questions. However, I thought that those guys who are mired in a seemingly endless project would appreciate hearing that it can have a happy ending.

 

It's nice to read how well the engine has stood up to normal daily driving. While this isn't my goal, it reassures me that it will handle the occasional abuse that I will give it.

It's nice to see the TII drivetrain can handle the power as well.

 

As with all motors, the key word is "occasional". Many experienced rotary owners praise the notion of "kissing the redline" on a daily basis, so that's not abuse--it's "exercise".

 

George,
that is an absolutely beautiful car. I just spent an hour reading everything on your site and I am VERY impressed. Good to hear that you are having no problems. Thankyou for sharing your story.
-Scott

 

Thanks for the compliment. Applause is always appreciated.

 

I've followed your car since '99 or so.

 

With luck, you can follow it another 15 or 20 years.

 

Along with every other car on the road

I do like your website, it does a good job of documenting and recounting everything about the car. It is a real good in depth look at this awsome mod.

Real good pic, by the way, shows what every 20b owner looks like.

 

Thanks. We strive for accuracy in advertising.

 

George,

That short drive you allowed me to take a few years ago has finally taken its toll. I installed a 20B of my very own a couple of weeks ago. I'm still working on the bugs, and due to a temporary stock clutch I haven't had the opportunity to hit any boost yet, but I'm still grinning from ear to ear. Hopefully I'll have that issue resolved in the next week or two.

It's nice to see that that wonderful car of yours is still going strong many miles later. I hope that mine will be able to do the same.

FWIW, I'm sure it hasn't been easy with the kids in school, but I'm kind of glad that you haven't been able to sell it. I don't think you'd ever forgive yourself if you did.

Reese LeBlanc

 

I apologize for having led you astray.

Hope your conversion is successful. I ended up using an ACT clutch, FYI.

Now that I'm no longer paying for the twins' college, the financial burden is much less. As of 07/31, I resigned from my second, full-time job. Now, I'm only working seven days a week on one job. The RXX-7 get me there reliably, and - on sunny days - it gets me home enjoyably.

 

So you're no longer looking to sell? I hope you keep it for a long time.