Some Pics of my paint and restoration project
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Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
From: VERY upstate NY
I have been working on it for about 2 years hit or miss. I removed the engine to clean the engine bay. I have some pictures of th intrerier that I'll post later today.
I have found that with a series 4 that the with the air flow sensor cutting the stock air box is as good as buying a cone setup. Only so much air will flow through the mechanical flapper in the air sensor. I use a K&N filter in the stock air box.
I have found that with a series 4 that the with the air flow sensor cutting the stock air box is as good as buying a cone setup. Only so much air will flow through the mechanical flapper in the air sensor. I use a K&N filter in the stock air box.
Last edited by MichaelFregoe; Jul 19, 2004 at 11:06 AM. Reason: Update
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
From: VERY upstate NY
I would like to show you my 1986 Mazda RX-7 NA. Back in 1988 I bought a 1986 RX-7 GXL and maintained it in near perfect condition until Jan 22, 2000. That day I hit some black ice that put me into the guardrail nose first totaling the car.
I immediately started looking for a good “shell” to transfer all the parts from my wrecked GXL into. All I could find were rusted out cars needing too much bodywork here in New England. My search slowed to a snails pace. One day I noticed a set of RX-7 taillights poking out from behind a local garage. I stopped and found that the previous owner had given the car to the garage when he was told the engine was bad. I asked the owner what he wanted for it and he said $200! The car had a near perfect body!
I towed the car home and 2 hours later I had it running perfectly. The resister pack that the fuel injectors ground through had an open resister to the rear primary injector. The car was a 1986 base in Sunrise Red paint. It was a 14-inch rim base model car with absolutely no options. Then the work started.
I sandblasted the entire suspension out of my wrecked GXL and repainted it. I did the complete 5-lug suspension conversion and upgraded the springs, shock, sway bar bushings, end link bushings and differential from the GXL into the SE. I totally removed the drive-train to clean: the engine, tranny, engine bay and the bottom of the car. New items included numerous mods, improvements, and extreme attention to detail. After 6k miles I decided to replace the tired (but still running) engine with a Mazda rebuild.
The focus of the entire build was on reliability and comfortable cruising. The car was intended to be my daily driver. I have a 1993 Touring model that is totally modded and I do not like to put unnecessary miles on the turbo car. I gutted the interior then started looking for the best RX-7 parts I could find. I bought 2 parts cars and began work.
The cloth seats and carpet are out of a GXL I took two complete sets of seats to an auto upholsterer and he made one perfect set. I installed storage bins because the base model didn’t come with them. I added: Cruise control, A/C, power mirrors, factory alarm and a rear wiper arm (swapping the entire hatch).
In the engine / drive-train department I had all the injectors balanced flow tested, pineapple racing 5th and 6th port sleeves, removed double throttle control, new dashpot, new pulsation damper, I streamlined all the vacuum solenoids and extra hoses making the car as simple as possible. The air filter is a K&N with a cut air box (I have found that this is as good as any of the aftermarket cone filters), the car had a cat-back system on it when I got it (origin unknown). The first two pre-cats are removed and the main cat has been retained. I did this for two reasons: noise control and to maintain enough backpressure to actuate the 5th and 6th ports.
I bought a full set of 88 convertible rims off e-bay and added some BF Goodrich Comp-TA’s for rubber. While they certainly are not the best performance tires they fit the use criteria for the car: Comfortable daily driver.
Finally after a year of part time building I took it in for some paint. It is painted in the factory color: Sunrise Red. The car was completely disassembled for paint (inside and bottoms of the doors and door jams were also painted) and it looks like wet nail polish close up.
In summary: Overall the car has too many mods and attention to detail items to list here. It drive perfectly and get 27 MPG when Highway cruising. Future plans include a higher flowing catalytic converter and electric cooling fans. I am very satisfied with the car and get compliments on it daily. I have even had a couple of guys follow me and flog me down in an attempt to buy.
Mods include:
Suspension: 5 lug conversion, Racing Beat rear steer eliminators, energy suspension end links and sway bar bushings, Tokiko struts, mazdatrix lowering springs, Limited slip Differential, manual steering rack (weight and complexity savings), stainless steel brake lines, BBS rims off a convertible, BF Goodrich tires, CP racing triangulated strut bar (painted to match the car, and modified to clear the hood). All new wheel bearings, brakes pads
Engine: New Mazda rebuild, Pineapple racing 6 port sleeves, flowed/balenced injectors, new pulsation damper, new dashpot, simplified vacuum system, duel alternator belt, ported throttle body with double throttle control removed. The tranny has been rebuilt with all new Mazda parts, new cross member, new shifter bushings, new shifter boot, new clutch, new clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder, stainless steel clutch hose and throw out bearing.
Body: New paint, new door handles, GTU wing, new power antenna shaft, rear hatch with wiper, Aluminum hood, Power mirrors, factory alarm, cruise control, installed A/C.
Interior: Reworked seats, carpet, storage bins, JVC CD head unit (disassembled and painted to match the interior), and Kicker sub-amp with a Bazooka 8 inch tube, Kenwood EQ, alpine amps and speakers.
Overall the car has too many mods and attention to detail items to list here. It drive perfectly and get 27 MPG when highway cruising. Future plans include a higher flowing cat and electric cooling fans. I am very satisfied with the car and get compliments on it daily. I have even had a couple of guys follow me, flag me down and offer to buy it!
I immediately started looking for a good “shell” to transfer all the parts from my wrecked GXL into. All I could find were rusted out cars needing too much bodywork here in New England. My search slowed to a snails pace. One day I noticed a set of RX-7 taillights poking out from behind a local garage. I stopped and found that the previous owner had given the car to the garage when he was told the engine was bad. I asked the owner what he wanted for it and he said $200! The car had a near perfect body!
I towed the car home and 2 hours later I had it running perfectly. The resister pack that the fuel injectors ground through had an open resister to the rear primary injector. The car was a 1986 base in Sunrise Red paint. It was a 14-inch rim base model car with absolutely no options. Then the work started.
I sandblasted the entire suspension out of my wrecked GXL and repainted it. I did the complete 5-lug suspension conversion and upgraded the springs, shock, sway bar bushings, end link bushings and differential from the GXL into the SE. I totally removed the drive-train to clean: the engine, tranny, engine bay and the bottom of the car. New items included numerous mods, improvements, and extreme attention to detail. After 6k miles I decided to replace the tired (but still running) engine with a Mazda rebuild.
The focus of the entire build was on reliability and comfortable cruising. The car was intended to be my daily driver. I have a 1993 Touring model that is totally modded and I do not like to put unnecessary miles on the turbo car. I gutted the interior then started looking for the best RX-7 parts I could find. I bought 2 parts cars and began work.
The cloth seats and carpet are out of a GXL I took two complete sets of seats to an auto upholsterer and he made one perfect set. I installed storage bins because the base model didn’t come with them. I added: Cruise control, A/C, power mirrors, factory alarm and a rear wiper arm (swapping the entire hatch).
In the engine / drive-train department I had all the injectors balanced flow tested, pineapple racing 5th and 6th port sleeves, removed double throttle control, new dashpot, new pulsation damper, I streamlined all the vacuum solenoids and extra hoses making the car as simple as possible. The air filter is a K&N with a cut air box (I have found that this is as good as any of the aftermarket cone filters), the car had a cat-back system on it when I got it (origin unknown). The first two pre-cats are removed and the main cat has been retained. I did this for two reasons: noise control and to maintain enough backpressure to actuate the 5th and 6th ports.
I bought a full set of 88 convertible rims off e-bay and added some BF Goodrich Comp-TA’s for rubber. While they certainly are not the best performance tires they fit the use criteria for the car: Comfortable daily driver.
Finally after a year of part time building I took it in for some paint. It is painted in the factory color: Sunrise Red. The car was completely disassembled for paint (inside and bottoms of the doors and door jams were also painted) and it looks like wet nail polish close up.
In summary: Overall the car has too many mods and attention to detail items to list here. It drive perfectly and get 27 MPG when Highway cruising. Future plans include a higher flowing catalytic converter and electric cooling fans. I am very satisfied with the car and get compliments on it daily. I have even had a couple of guys follow me and flog me down in an attempt to buy.
Mods include:
Suspension: 5 lug conversion, Racing Beat rear steer eliminators, energy suspension end links and sway bar bushings, Tokiko struts, mazdatrix lowering springs, Limited slip Differential, manual steering rack (weight and complexity savings), stainless steel brake lines, BBS rims off a convertible, BF Goodrich tires, CP racing triangulated strut bar (painted to match the car, and modified to clear the hood). All new wheel bearings, brakes pads
Engine: New Mazda rebuild, Pineapple racing 6 port sleeves, flowed/balenced injectors, new pulsation damper, new dashpot, simplified vacuum system, duel alternator belt, ported throttle body with double throttle control removed. The tranny has been rebuilt with all new Mazda parts, new cross member, new shifter bushings, new shifter boot, new clutch, new clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder, stainless steel clutch hose and throw out bearing.
Body: New paint, new door handles, GTU wing, new power antenna shaft, rear hatch with wiper, Aluminum hood, Power mirrors, factory alarm, cruise control, installed A/C.
Interior: Reworked seats, carpet, storage bins, JVC CD head unit (disassembled and painted to match the interior), and Kicker sub-amp with a Bazooka 8 inch tube, Kenwood EQ, alpine amps and speakers.
Overall the car has too many mods and attention to detail items to list here. It drive perfectly and get 27 MPG when highway cruising. Future plans include a higher flowing cat and electric cooling fans. I am very satisfied with the car and get compliments on it daily. I have even had a couple of guys follow me, flag me down and offer to buy it!
the blackest incarnation
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 760
Likes: 0
From: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
That makes me wish I had the money/time to do that to my Turbo =( Seriously though awesome work man, to many people try to half *** things but that is certainly far from half assed.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 446
Likes: 0
From: VERY upstate NY
It is the stock Sunrise Red paint. The painter said his supplier had 4 different shades of it and he got the brightest.
Thanks for all the compliments. My next project will be a TII series 5. Or a 10th Anniversary. Mike
Thanks for all the compliments. My next project will be a TII series 5. Or a 10th Anniversary. Mike
