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yeah it's funny, when i was in my 20s i wanted everything replaced with poly or harder bushings than stock, or even solid. now i really want some factory replacement bushings, or mazdacomp stiffer rubber ones to keep it soft on the street.
does anyone have a list of part numbers for all the mazdacomp upgraded rubber bushings? i would much rather have these than the poly all around...
Agree, it is funny you mention this. I'd like to soften things up too. Intended to keep the Bilsteins and just try softer Eibachs on the GC hardware...no? Thoughts?
I'd keep the Bilsteins if they are in good condition. Now that I've tried them on the Miata, I think they are really nicely valved - perhaps valved a little more comfortable for street use than the Konis.
The Konis are pretty responsive and communicative which is great for spirited, enthusiastic driving, autox, track days etc. However, this makes them feel a little overly communicative in day to day driving on rough roads around me - especially concrete roads. Here in northern CA we have a lot of grooved concrete roads which make the communicative Konis a little tiring - like a chick that never shuts up. It never bothered me in NY or in San Diego where the streets were mostly black top. Then again, I was younger then so I could just be getting old and with my work load I'm less tolerant for **** like that.
Another thing I love about the konis is that they have the 3 position spring perch which allows you set the ride height where you want it. I have mine set in the middle perch since the H-Tech springs don't lower very much.
I had relatively soft spring (450#front / 350# rear) rates on the GC setup. Soft for a coilover anyway. I had tested a few different rates but I thought the 450/350 rates were great for street tires like the Dunlop Star Specs, intermediate/advanced level HPDE with a slight compromise to street comfort and wet traction (softer springs = better wet traction).
The GC setup is a fantastic setup especially considering the price. The reason I went to a standard lowering spring instead of softer spring rates is that the standard springs utilize the stock rubber upper shock mounts which add cushioning and decrease NVH compared to the GC and most coilover that use a poly urethane pad at the top mount to decrease NVH. Poly will always transmit more NVH than rubber. I'm sensitive to it on the roads I drive. Others may not be. YMMV and all that. Go ahead and try it out and see how you like it. I was able to resell the springs on sccaforums and nasaforums easily.
Originally Posted by IRPerformance
I did the same thing. But personally I wouldn't waste money on the Mazdacomp bushings. Superpros or Power Flex ride pretty damn good for the price.
I'm very satisfied with the Mazdacomp bushings. I was not as satisfied as with the Super Pro which I sold. Loved them on track and autox. Eventually got tired of them on the streets I drive on. Again, YMMV and such.
Originally Posted by jacobcartmill
yeah it's funny, when i was in my 20s i wanted everything replaced with poly or harder bushings than stock, or even solid. now i really want some factory replacement bushings, or mazdacomp stiffer rubber ones to keep it soft on the street.
does anyone have a list of part numbers for all the mazdacomp upgraded rubber bushings? i would much rather have these than the poly all around...
Yep. Your tastes change over time. I enjoyed loud when I was in my 20s. Eventually, I got tired of loud on my 88 GTU with RB header and exhaust at the end of my late 20s when I was working like a dog, tired and stressed. I got my FD in my 30s. First thing I did was quiet it down with a high flow cat. Smells better. Chicks don't dig guys that smell like rotary exhaust.
does anyone have a list of part numbers for all the mazdacomp upgraded rubber bushings? i would much rather have these than the poly all around...
You can get the Mazdacomp part numbers here page 19 and 21. They are very pricey if you can't get them from Mazda comp. For example at Mazdatrix, the inside rear upper control arm bushing OEM price is $66.17 and the Mazdacomp version is $107.25, and you need four of them. I bought a complete set of SuperPro bushings from Juan at J-Auto that I'm probably not going to use, if you're interested PM me.
Yes, If you are going the Mazdacomp bushing route. Borrow a helmet, drive around two auto cross courses like a little old lady, collect your time slips and save yourself $1,000.00. Well worth the embarrassment.
i have done several events that would qualify for membership.
If I tell you, I'd have to kill you. The program doesn't allow me to post their prices. Prices are a less than Ray's. No interior parts or stuff like that. Just mechanical.
I have put 30k miles on the new drivetrain and everything is working as it should. Other than oil changes and spark plugs and smog related wrenching, I haven't had to turn a wrench on the FD in years.
I think I've owned my FD for about 12 years now and still love every second behind the wheel.
I have put 30k miles on the new drivetrain and everything is working as it should. Other than oil changes and spark plugs and smog related wrenching, I haven't had to turn a wrench on the FD in years.
I think I've owned my FD for about 12 years now and still love every second behind the wheel.
Awesome Alberto. Shows what a properly built motor and solid setup can do. As I recall you track the car too.
Awesome Alberto. Shows what a properly built motor and solid setup can do. As I recall you track the car too.
Yes indeed. The engine has been a solid performer, makes good power. The IRP ported motor still passes smog with the stock cat. Tranny is doing well. Turbos were new so they are working well. I couldn't be happier.
All this reliability makes for a boring build thread but... I'd rather be driving the car than wrenching on it.
I think I tracked it after the drivetrain restoration but I built a Spec Miata in 2010 and have been racing that. The FD hasn't been on track in a long time.
Yes indeed. The engine has been a solid performer, makes good power. The IRP ported motor still passes smog with the stock cat. Tranny is doing well. Turbos were new so they are working well. I couldn't be happier.
All this reliability makes for a boring build thread but... I'd rather be driving the car than wrenching on it.
I think I tracked it after the drivetrain restoration but I built a Spec Miata in 2010 and have been racing that. The FD hasn't been on track in a long time.
Glad to see that engine is still truckin' along Alberto, as I recall we ported and built that sucker out of the original IRP location in Clifton many many years ago
Well, this is no longer just a drivetrain restoration thread.
I just finished installing yet a new suspension setup. I think this is my 9th. I went with a custom setup from Shaikh at Fat Cat Motorsports. Started a thread for it here:
soon. need to figure out my host now that google went and fucked up picasaweb...
It's not much to look at but I took a different approach on the springs which might be of interest to some - read as: other old guys like me
Sooo... My Optima Red Top finally died. I think I installed this battery 7-8 years ago so it served me well. I'll probably go and get another one given how long lasting it was. The racer in me keeps whispering in my ear to get a lighter weight battery like the Braille but the practical side of me is telling that side to STFU. My battery is relocated to the bins so it is a pita to replace.
Since the rear interior panels are out, I figured I might as well replace my speakers while I'm here b/c I never liked the Infinity's that I installed the last time the interior panels were out to relocate the battery and install the Optima. I started a thread in the Interior sub-forum hoping for recommendations but feel free to make some in this thread as well.
Anyway, hope everyone had a great Christmas / holidays.
Since the rear interior is still apart, I took this opportunity to install a set of low mileage, black seat belts that I've had in my parts stache for about 10 years now. Yeah, 10 years. I'm lazy about some things...
My seat belts were in pretty good condition except for the small section of belt that sits on the seat when not in use - as you can see in the pic. The sun discolors / bleaches the black out of the material over time. The new ones are blacker.
I also took this opportunity to remove the seat and vacuum out many years of dust from under and beside the seats. It's amazing what you find there! I had lost the key to my DD 2 years ago. Guess where it was? I also found my key card for a job from 5 years ago and a pen from an employer from 8 years ago.
^Wasn't that bad I was just surprised when I found those items.
I found a surprise when I removed the passenger seat to change out the seat belt receptacle to the aforementioned newer ones and vacuum and clean underneath. Found an old remembrance of my former life in NY. The last NYS inspection sticker removed after I moved out to Cali
Regarding the battery, I considered going with a different battery than my relocated Optima red top but I had such long life from the red top that I figure I can't go wrong with another. Plus, the mounting bracket is already there so it really is the easy button.
On another note, I'm rather enjoying not having the center console cover installed. It feels like I have so much more room. Anyone ever replace that with something smaller?
Something along these lines like the Miata peeps have
Sigh.... I had a long post written up and the damn forum ate my post. I'm out of time so not going to rewrite it... TL;DR I got a RE-A vented hood signed by RE-A himself. ******* forum software grumble grumble grumble...
So... it's been a minute since 2020 and COVID shut down the world. At the start of that, I was trying to prep the car for smog and starting a new job at a startup. The split air pipe attached to the rear of the intake manifold had cracked and was leaking. Replacing it was a fiasco as none of the replacement pipes that I sourced (used and NLA new) were slightly different and interfered with the unibody - https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...on%85-1155286/
Eventually I got the pipe sorted but wound up needing to rebuild the ACV under the UIM and that set me back as I was ridiculously busy working. The car wound up sitting for the last 4 years barely driven and not smogged. I started working on it in earnest in Nov. Because the car was sitting idle for so long, the gas went bad and the ethanol in the fuel caused the injectors to start leaking. I replaced the classic 1300 cc secondary injectors that had been in the car for probably 25 years with a set of freshly cleaned 850s. I have not yet done the primaries that I replaced at the start of this thread but am watching to see if they need to be replaced as well. Hope not... With some help from Sakebomb got the car running reasonably well and smogged so I can drive it now.
I am hoping that I can spend more time on the car this year. I have a bunch of cool parts to install and a decent amount of maintenance / wear items to address.
The poly engine mounts are worn out at this point. The driver's side melted from the heat of the turbos.
Some oil leaks
Install the JP3 a/c kit
Install the radiator from the Greddy v-mount kit that I bought 7 ish years ago
Figure out if I'm going to modify the RX8 Recaro seats and install in the FD
etc etc
Nothing worthy of pics atm but hoping that updating this thread will keep me motivated to get stuff done.
02-17-15, 10:33 AM
The program doesn't allow me to post their prices. Prices are a less than Ray's. No interior parts or stuff like that. Just mechanical.
