Hello everyone,

I'm new here and not that great on my RX7 knowledge, so be kind to this newbie!

I'm looking around at RX7's to make into a race car, but I'm not entirely sure which model would be the best one to start off with.

From what I've seen I think that the twin turbo version would be a good base, which would then be converted to run a single turbo. I've also seen some "Type R" cars advertised. Could anyone tell me what is really better about these?

What models should I be on the look out for and what should I avoid?

I'm looking at 1993 and later models btw.

Thanks,

Alex

 

The r1 has stiffer suspension and duel oil coolers and is lighter, I belive no sun roof. It also depends on what type of racing you want to do.

 

What's different about the R model versus the touring and base? That sounds alot like a frequently asked question.

 

Maybe I didn't explain well enough exactly what I'm looking for in the car and what I plan to do with it.

I plan to totally gut the car down to the bodyshell and build up a race car from it. So, starting with putting in a roll cage, probably widen the track using newly fabricated suspension wishbones, wider tyres, adjustable springs and dampers, big brakes, dry break fuel tank and so on.

I don't really suppose it matters too much what we start with, but I would still like to know what's good and what's not

 

Well, if you look up the info with a search or the FAQ, you would see that the differences are very minor, especially if you plan to do that much custom work.

 

if your gonna re work the entire suspension, id say forget the r1. it sounds like to me youd be better off just getting a base, with no options at all.

oh, and all 3rd gens are twin turbo. thats not an option

 

Wonderful, thanks guys. Looks like any type of FD3 will do for this project.

I have a few more questions:

Literature - which books, websites and DVD's are must haves for RX7 owners?

Particularly interested in the engine tuning side of things - mainly of the actual metal of the engine though, not really the engine management which I think can get too much attention.

Also, who are good people to know? I mean which suppliers stock good parts, light rotors, and who's willing to talk to you about what works and what doesn't?

I'm very familiar with racing four and two strokes but my knowledge of rotary engines is limited, although I did once own an NSU Ro80!

Cheers

 

A base or R1/2 model will have no sunroof.

Also, engine management is definitely a must when you've got a single-turbo'd FD.

 

Best bet would be to look for a model w/o the sunroof with a straight chassis. That way you save some weight and get some increased head room which is limited in this chassis.

Since you will be stripping everything down to prep for race duty, I don't think other options (such as dual oil coolers and such) would really matter much to you. The oil coolers aren't race spec items and aren't sufficient for real racing.

There were some JDM model cars that came stock with a 4.33 gear in the rear diff. I forget if its 1999 and up or if it was a specific model throughout the range. I believe all JDM cars came with a shorter 5th gear in the tranny also which would be beneficial to a race car unless you plan on going custom.

For your other questions, I'd do some research on what the Aussies did in the past (as the FD did race in Australia) and also find some local resources there in the UK.

On this board, search for threads from Damian and GooRoo and Fritz Flynn and others that frequent this board.

 

You might try to get in touch with Daryl Drummond:

http://www.awrracing.com/pages/drummond.html

I used to have his email address, but I seem to have lost it. You might search on the forum as I probably posted it around the subject of lightening rotors and balancing the assembly.