Thanks for all the help thus far. Here are some updates:

-I splurged for the Ohlins coilovers. It transformed the car. 10 clicks in the front and 12 clicks in the rear. I think clockwise makes it ride rougher, counterclockwise is softer. I shall experiment!
-Decided not to go for the Rx8 A/C conversion after a local shop found that my refrigerant was a mix of r12 and a newer formulation. They had evacuated it, and refilled with R12. It works well enough for Northern California
-I went with Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2. They are Porsche tires, but work great on my car
-Sakebomb in Fremont, CA sent my cluster to some rebuilder, and I now have a working tach and speedo! Kind of helpful for a rotary!
-I did the comprehensive fuel service. It was not cheap, but I got all new hoses in the rats' nest
-Racing Beat dual tip muffler works great. Car is louder, but not obnoxious
-I have adjusted the clutch pedal height myself. It now bites lower, making stop and go traffic more pleasant
-Put the stock radio back in. It lights up, but there is no sound. I have an appointment on Tue at a local stereo shop
-I had contacted at least 20 recyclers on eBay for my missing tunnel/ center console trim piece. No dice. A 3d printed one would be great! Send me an invoice!!

I still have a slightly lumpy and rough idle, particularly when I come off the throttle, but it does die, and it is intermittent, so I will live with it. I also need to chase creaks and rattles in the driver door. A detail is next!

 

Thanks for all the help thus far. Here are some updates:

-I splurged for the Ohlins coilovers. It transformed the car. 10 clicks in the front and 12 clicks in the rear. I think clockwise makes it ride rougher, counterclockwise is softer. I shall experiment!
-Decided not to go for the Rx8 A/C conversion after a local shop found that my refrigerant was a mix of r12 and a newer formulation. They had evacuated it, and refilled with R12. It works well enough for Northern California
-I went with Michelin Pilot Exalto PE2. They are Porsche tires, but work great on my car
-Sakebomb in Fremont, CA sent my cluster to some rebuilder, and I now have a working tach and speedo! Kind of helpful for a rotary!
-I did the comprehensive fuel service. It was not cheap, but I got all new hoses in the rats' nest
-Racing Beat dual tip muffler works great. Car is louder, but not obnoxious
-I have adjusted the clutch pedal height myself. It now bites lower, making stop and go traffic more pleasant
-Put the stock radio back in. It lights up, but there is no sound. I have an appointment on Tue at a local stereo shop
-I had contacted at least 20 recyclers on eBay for my missing tunnel/ center console trim piece. No dice. A 3d printed one would be great! Send me an invoice!!

I still have a slightly lumpy and rough idle, particularly when I come off the throttle, but it does die, and it is intermittent, so I will live with it. I also need to chase creaks and rattles in the driver door. An interior and exterior detail is next!

 

My friend is still working on the knee oval. He said it is a difficult piece to do.

Meanwhile he has done a very good job creating these.

Can you tell which one is the original?




You will become familiar with this part when you take your door card off.

Actually it is not officially a part, which makes it so hard to find.

Understand well how to take your door cards off.

Very easy to bust things.

Watch out for the hidden screws in the door cups and the bolt behind the passenger window switch.

The USDM FSM gives a good explanation how to remove door cards. Never force anything.

Door card rattling often can be attributed to the metal hanging clips the sit on the metal door frame at the top of the card. The foam anti-rattle disappears over time leaving the metal on metal to make a racket.

While you have the door card off replace all the anti-squeak ribbon.

 

Another San Francisco FD! I thought it was funny how similar your pick up story is to mine.

Like you, I also bought my car with a sporadic tachometer. The Palo Alto Speedometer shop told me they only worked on Porsche clusters when I brought them mine.
Give Gen2m3 a PM - he gave me good direction on fixing my cluster myself just re-soldering an IC on the tach board, I guess the solder joints go cold. I can pull up his messages too if you need. This was only my second time soldering, and the new solder joints aren't pretty, but 5 years on the tach is still going. Highly recommend trying it yourself and saving some shipping and time and money.

Edit: i did not read that sakebomb got yours working again. Ignore that last paragraph.

My car just got back from sakebomb for a fuel system refresh. They are great, Chris keeps you in touch with everything he finds on the car.

My car just became driveable again. If you see a montego blue blasting around skyline boulevard or 280, or up at alices restaurant, be sure to say hi! 😃

 

thanks for the update on the 3d laser parts! And yes, my door cards do squeak, but mostly by the door lock. I will be addressing these after I get the radio to work.

 

I love the Montego Blue FD! I remember obsessing over it when they first came out!
My bill at sakebomb was not pretty, but it was all the deferred maintenance from the previous owner who was afraid to drive it. And the Ohlins coil overs. I kept the old setup and threw it in the basement with parts from 20 other cars!
I was at the San Mateo fashion island cars and coffee yesterday, but parked off to the side since there was a long queue to enter the parking lot. See you at the next c&c, or in them hills!