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Project Valkyrie: Resurrecting the Childhood Car
I've been waiting forever and it's finally happening! I'm finally getting back the Rx-7 I used to ride around in when I was a young kid.
So here's the story of the car: I grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii. Back in 1993 my Dad decided to buy a 1994 FD with Montego Blue, and Tan interior. He bought the car from a dealership in Salem Oregon that his buddy owns. He shipped the car back to the Big Island and I used to ride around in it around the age 4-7. I remember thinking the car was like a spaceship. He had these fluffy sheepskin seat covers, which I still don't understand why you would ever have in Hawaiian climates. He decided the car was too small and too dangerous to drive around a kid in everyday. So he sold it to his buddy in 99. I think the car at the time had around 40~50k miles and he sold it for about $7-9K. Since then, the car has been sitting around in the jungles of Hawaii. I remember hearing from the guy that the rats ate up the wiring harness, or it didnt start so he didnt drive it around.... I kept on trying to buy it, but he would never sell the damn car, even if the thing was sitting for years. Well I'm graduating with a engineering degree this year, and my dad asks me "what do you want as a graduation gift." Instant reply: "Your old Rx-7...." Well the guy decided it was time to sell it..... and I finally got the car I've been trying to buy for the last 10 years. Current Condition: The car has been sitting in one of the wettest climates in the world since about 2000. It's going to need some major work. Currently has about 55k miles. Here's the 1st photos I've received before the car left the seller's house https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...13de8f51c3.jpg 1st photos 1/4 https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...cb159db625.jpg 1st photos 2/4 https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a0a3d81cd5.jpg 1st photos 3/4 https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...65774a5626.jpg 1st photos 4/4 Found a shipping broker to send a non running car to Hayward CA and currently on a boat. Unfortunately, the car was no where near the standard to pass the agricultural inspection, so had to pay the only mobile detailer to come and really do some magic. The guy said rats lived in the car and ate the wiring harness, that was the least of problems.... |
Subbed for this build journey. Hope she gets back to her true glory days
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I got my buddy to take a few photos and do a quick cleaning on the car. Found out there's a fern growing in the car...
Fortunately the plants that were growing only fed on the leather seats and carpet, and did not actually grow through the floor boards. The limited amount of underchassis that he could see due to the flat tires, said there is very limited rust which is also good news. The mobile detailer sent me some images of the damage etc. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9c52bc3728.png Moldy Door Panels https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...99faf67821.png Apparently the passenger side leaks..... https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ed5d81f3ef.png an actual rats nest... in the rats nest... https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c7bb69bc6b.png not just a dozen rats... but also 1 dead mongoose. |
The mobile detailer did an amazing job... lets just say i paid as much for the cleaning as I did for the car...
I was thinking I needed to replace the carpet and panels, but from the looks of these photos he's sent over they might be reasonably usable still!! Still need to find some leather seats however. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...5d261f50c9.png door panel is saved!!! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...84fa52d51a.png its actually shiney..... https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b150b41100.png headliner might be saved! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0df9a1d598.png the carpet is an insane improvement.... i cant believe he cleaned it. |
I'm lost for words. I"ll be keeping an eye out though. Lord have mercy
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The boat arrived from Hilo Hawaii to San Diego yesterday. Unfortunately I live in Northern California. So the car is going to be towed and be arriving Monday.
I've been slowly collecting go fast parts for the car... So far: -Pettit Racing Downpipe -Pettit Racing Y-pipe -Pettit Racing BOV kit -HKS Intake -Fluidyne Radiator -Greddy Turbo Timer -Greddy Ti muffler (needs a little repair) -Apexi Tmax shocks -SS Clutch Line Since I have one more final exam left on next Thursday, Friday I will be cleaning out the fuel lines and tank, installing battery, and seeing if the car will start. Probably soak the rotors in Marvel Mystery oil before hand and hand crank it as well. |
wow !! I want to know who the hell is your detailer
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Insanely awesome. I wish I could help!
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subscribed
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Actual rats making a rats nest in the rats nest. Subscribed
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The girlfriend got a call while I was in bed this morning around 6am.
"we are are 5mins away from your house...." "wait what.... its Thursday, your supposed to deliver on Monday." Anyway, the car is here... The Mega Project. Interior is surprisingly clean due to the amazing detailer. A good bit of rust on nuts and bolts and accessory brackets. Only major rust concern is a wart on the outer quarter panel and the driver wheel well is rotted through. everything else seems to be a minor surface rust. Plugged the jumper pack in, and surprise surprise, the headlight motors moved! yay!! some sign of life. Unfortunately, the dash lights are non responsive with the battery pack. Checked the main 120A fuse, its blown. Checked oil, dirty but nothing out of the ordinary. No coolant whatsoever in the car. Added some distilled water and started leaking from somewhere near the lower coolant hose. Probably a cracked hose or radiator. The next step will be to start tossing some of the interior bits and parts that need replacing. Maybe do a large fastener order through Mcmaster Carr to replace all the rusty ones. The pulleys seems to be quite rusty, so i would like to replace them before trying to start the engine. I only have a aftermarket main pulley, but it does not support power steering. So need to order some aftermarket pulleys etc. Maybe decide to pull the AC compressor while I'm at it. There really seems no point for this car to go back to a clean stock look, so I've decided to go the "streetable" racecar direction. Still make it clean, but without all the overpriced factory interior bits etc. Also major thanks to my girlfriend Amanda! Without her help, the car would have never made it here! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...007f8c3649.jpg Wooo its here! https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...69ebbba41d.jpg Some rusty brackets, but everything seems in order. Some rat remains in the rats nest, in the rats nest..... https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...178e48dc44.jpg only major concern for rust repair. Rear Driver wheel well. Should be about to cut out and repair later down the line. |
Wow! This is quite the undertaking; it might be worthwhile for you to get a sandblasting cabinet. Good luck with this, you're on the right track with the "streetable racecar" plan, a complete restoration will be very expensive.
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I have access to a sandblasting cabinet at Tech Shop.
So one of the first things to do is: Almost complete disassembly, sandblast and powder-coat all rusty brackets. Would love to soda blast the underside of the car, but I don't think my neighbors would appreciate it... I've recently found out that non sunroof roof skins are still available, so might consider that since the glass sunroof is useless due to complete rotting of the integral brackets. I was almost considering doing a Post-Apocalyptic car! hahaha
Originally Posted by Molotovman
(Post 12182665)
Wow! This is quite the undertaking; it might be worthwhile for you to get a sandblasting cabinet. Good luck with this, you're on the right track with the "streetable racecar" plan, a complete restoration will be very expensive.
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Originally Posted by Kaigreenfd
(Post 12182670)
I have access to a sandblasting cabinet at Tech Shop.
So one of the first things to do is: Almost complete disassembly, sandblast and powder-coat all rusty brackets. Would love to soda blast the underside of the car, but I don't think my neighbors would appreciate it... I've recently found out that non sunroof roof skins are still available, so might consider that since the glass sunroof is useless due to complete rotting of the integral brackets. I was almost considering doing a Post-Apocalyptic car! hahaha So... when are we going to strip the car down? :egrin: |
Facebook brought me here! Lol. Good luck Kai and hope I can check it out soon.
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subbed! Goodluck with the build!
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Pulled out the old battery, intercooler, box etc.
Revealed some more rust areas that have to be repaired, shouldn't be terrible. Plan for rust: 1) wire brush and sand paper to remove majority of rust on surface. 2) Acid neutralize the rust 3) Seal the area using epoxy primer until car will be painted at a later date. Some areas will need to be patched or welded, but majority is surface rust. I replaced the 120A main fuse and the dash lights and beeps now work! woo~ electronics are not completely dead. Removed the spark plugs and currently soaking the chamber in Marvel Mystery Oil before hand cranking in a few days. I would like to clean out the fuel tank, but I cant get the damn hatch to open... tried the key and the lever... i just need to remove the trim from the inside and see if i can unlatch it. The alternator needs to be replaced since it's seized, and will end up removing the airpump, ac and power steering later down the line. I had a coral fall out of the car today.... i guess it rode here all the way from Hawaii..... https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...e0f294ca3.jpeg car runs on... coral..? |
Insane. Subscribed.
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Wow! It's going to be a big project but I love stories where people find THE CAR that started it all for them and bring it back to life. Such a shame that someone let it sit and rot in the elements for so long.
Few recommendations - - I would pull and rebuild the motor. That will also give you a chance to really go through the engine bay. There is no WAY that motor is going to be good. It may not have broken seals but most likely the water seals or oil seals are shot, rotors are rusty, etc. No sense trying to fix everything around the engine, get it running, then have it barfing coolant. - Gas tank is likely done, it's probably full of rust. You MAY be able to do one of those gas tank rust repairs but I'd probably get a good used or new tank. - Under the dash will need to be carefully gone through, if vermin were in the car you quite possibly have chewed wiring or insulation under the dash, maybe even rat/bug nests. Yes, this is a LOT. Don't get too carried away and try to do everything at the same time. Pick a project, get it done, move to the next thing. Be VERY careful if you try to do anything electrical, with chewed wiring it's real easy for something to short out and the car to catch fire. Keep a fire extinguisher handy! Take advantage of local rotorheads and the forum for help, we're here for you! Dale |
Originally Posted by DaleClark
(Post 12183495)
- I would pull and rebuild the motor. That will also give you a chance to really go through the engine bay. There is no WAY that motor is going to be good. It may not have broken seals but most likely the water seals or oil seals are shot, rotors are rusty, etc. No sense trying to fix everything around the engine, get it running, then have it barfing coolant.
Dale but its a Mazda with 40k on it, i bet you it fires right up and runs. |
I won't have any real updates until I try cranking the engine Friday. I'm expecting the engine to be bad, but doesn't hurt to try see if it idles.
Found some more rust spots that I need to try fixing or supporting (weld) later down the line. Considering getting a non-sunroof skin to not deal with the rust from the leaky glass sunroof. Direction is street able Race car: - no carpet (truck liner or POR15) - no AC - no airpump - maybe remove power steering - unsure on the dash, stock or aluminum. Current plan is: 1) remove interior and toss anything not usable. 2) remove and seal all rust on chassis, and determine which parts need to be reinforced with new metal. 3) if engine is bad, pull engine and prep the engine bay for paint. Powder coat all needed accessory brackets as well. |
There is ALWAYS a tractor! Anyone that has cars sitting around in their back yard, on the porch, wherever, also has some broken ass tractor sitting with it. :lol::lol:
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Atleast the tractor had a cover on it!!!! :tear:
Originally Posted by dhahlen
(Post 12184005)
There is ALWAYS a tractor! Anyone that has cars sitting around in their back yard, on the porch, wherever, also has some broken ass tractor sitting with it. :lol::lol:
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I love resurrection ! This one is a long shot , don't give up ! 👌
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Wow...good luck to you...
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Late update!
Been busy with graduation things and finals, but its finally all done! Slowly disassembling the interior and engine bay. Ordered some POR15 to paint the interior. Could not open the hatch initially. Crawled through to the latch and unbolted it from the chassis. The latch was rusted frozen. Next step is to drain the tank, and see how rusted out the tank is. Seal and re-install if it needs to be. Removed the Airpump, main pulley and alternator. Found remains of the rat's nest in the rats nest. I think my next tool investment is a shop vac... hahaha I tried to crank the engine, but only get clicks. pretty sure the starter is dead, but need to check the voltage to make sure. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...97fd94c34.jpeg POR15 to the rescue! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...06c0021c7.jpeg Somehow my Impact Gun that's been dead for 4+ years revived itself to join in on the project. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...06130110e.jpeg Interior is coming out, so is the dash. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...780999083.jpeg Seat sliders are frozen, so had to rip out the seat piece by piece to access the bolt. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...76796e265.jpeg Rat's nest under the alternator. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...25201f0ab.jpeg got the hatch open, now to remove the old tiny philips screws on the access cover..... |
Now this is a project! I admire you taking this on given the history and am excited to see her come back to life.
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I appreciate the sentiment and all, but that thing needs to be pushed back into the jungle from whence it came.
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This car needs Jesus
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Originally Posted by 7_rocket
(Post 12186363)
This car needs Jesus
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Wow, quite the project, man! I'll be keeping my eyes on this.
Hey, if you want that authentic childhood feel, let me know--I have a set of sheepskin covers that were on my FD's seats when I got it last year. They're like brand-new. LOL |
Originally Posted by eslai
(Post 12186392)
Wow, quite the project, man! I'll be keeping my eyes on this.
Hey, if you want that authentic childhood feel, let me know--I have a set of sheepskin covers that were on my FD's seats when I got it last year. They're like brand-new. LOL I think I'm aiming towards bucket seats at the end of this project. Would love to have an autocross or time attack car that i can drive to the track. |
Awesome, definitely following this build. If one of the facebook groups is where you saw new OEM roof skins could still be aquired from Mazda, that was my post, I finished my roof already, if you have any questions when doing it feel free to shoot me a message.
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This is the most ambitious FD project I've ever seen. Holy crap man, good luck!
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Awesome! I was going to start ordering some supplies to start on the body prep. I will be doing the roof in the next coming few months so I would really appreciate your help on how to smoothly get it done. Right now I'm about the order a seam buster chisel and spot weld cutting bits for the drill.
Originally Posted by Bird
(Post 12187066)
Awesome, definitely following this build. If one of the facebook groups is where you saw new OEM roof skins could still be aquired from Mazda, that was my post, I finished my roof already, if you have any questions when doing it feel free to shoot me a message.
So far I have just been removing the wiring harness and cleaning all rust and dirt from every surface to ready for the acid etching and POR15. Also determining which areas need to be patched and welded. Removing insulation on the floorboards to make sure it will be sealed from moisture and air. I would have to say that the shop vac was one of my best investments in this entire project, just keeps the overall work space and interior clean while removing rust and insulation. |
Excited to see your childhood car restored! Shame it was left to rot like that.
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OMG... how did i miss the start of this thread! Good luck with this FD. All the blood, sweat, tears and money will all be worth it once it purrs again. I'm sure all of us rotary lovers in the bay would love to help you out!
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Sorry for the late update Everyone!
I'm in Japan this and next month visiting family and vacationing! So I won't have any updates til end of July! some big things are happening in life and relating to the FD so I'm looking forward to it all! |
If i was going to restore this, i would strap her to a truck, and drive her up to Oregon:
Metal Dipping | Classic Car Acid Dipping to remove paint &rust Or find something similar close to you :) |
Heh. So Kai is vacationing in Japan for a month. I can only imagine what kind of crazy dieas he's going to come back with for this.
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Got back from Japan/Thailand about a week ago. Been cleaning out the garage for this and many other projects to follow.
Just got the engine I will be throwing in that I will be rebuilding in the next coming months. I'll share some photos of my trip that gave me some ideas for this build! |
So I had an amazing trip down to Japan and Thailand. Here's the trip and also some cars that I really drew some inspirations for the project that I will be continuing.
At first we went to the Glion Museum in Osaka. They have a nice selection of cars from around the world. They also sell some of these vehicles as well. I noticed this amazing BRG colored 1st gen for sale (about $8k). https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f8fcb0f24c.jpg BRG 1st gen SA @ Glion museum in Osaka Never knew this color was available. But I've decided to do a similar BRG with the FD after all bodywork is done with the car. Also noticed this beautiful Cosmo Sport, which was not for sale. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8e88679aab.jpg Cosmo Sport @ Glion Museum in Osaka After Osaka and Kyoto we took a flight to Bangkok. With no planning and pure coincidence the Bankok Autosalon was going on! It was the day after 7s day and a few vintage RXs were left from the night before. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...923be2f81c.jpg @ Bangkok Autosalon To my surprise RE-Amemiya shipped a REW swapped RX-8 to the Bangkok Auto Salon!!!https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3b2bd5beed.jpg RE-Amemiya REW Swapped RX-8 @ Bangkok Autosalon I saw the RE-Amemiya Booth, and started talking to Ken Amemiya in Japanese. We both met a while back during a couple Seven Stocks ago. He asked me to come down to the shop next time I'm in Japan. "Well, I'm flying into Narita Airport Tuesday morning, does that work?" "Oh, Sure!" To my surprise, we were on the same flight back to Tokyo from Bangkok. So I caught a ride from the airport to the shop in their CX-3 Diesel Demo Car. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4645cf1e04.jpg RE-Amemiya CX-3 Diesel Demo Car |
So I somehow ended up at RE-Amemiya. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8190de9bb3.jpg
Re-Amemiya @ Chiba They were extremely nice and helpful. Had their chief mechanics show me around and answers any questions about any of their cars. Here is this year's D1 car with a 20B Turbo. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b078db8a32.jpg 2017 D1 RX-7 @ RE-Amemiya The mechanic even started up the 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon 20B FC for me. hahaha https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f7a1822e07.jpg 2017 Tokyo Auto Salon FC 20B NA Streetport @ RE-Amemiya The quality of their race cars and show cars was just jaw dropping. I hope to even come half as close as their quality for my build. I do have other very exciting developments that were inspired from this trip that I will announce soon! Keep your eyes out! |
Holy crap, that's amazing. Congrats! Thanks for all the picks and hard work; it helps keep me going on mine! Very cool that you speak Japanese!!
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What an epic project, best of luck with it all! You're so lucky to have visited RE Amemiya!!!
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Just ordered my roofskin to delete the sunroof and remove the rust from the leaky sunroof.
I also have a TIG welder on it's way. Most people recommend MIG for bodywork, but I don't mind taking my time, and I'm considerably better at TIG then MIG (I know backward....). The welder will also be used to make a roll bar and to reinforce the chassis and sub-frame. Majority of the work since I've been back is organizing and cleaning the garage. Making room so I can bring the car in and start body work as well as welding. I also have been removing brackets that will be unused in the trunk area. This lets me practice the spot weld cutter on less critical components then the roof. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...e4e9cb3b22.png Organized garage is a happy garage! |
I also spent a few nights making a excel sheet to start recording my engine builds. I used information provided by the FSM and created a sheet which has conditional formatting for the measured inputs. Any input that is incorrect or out of specifications turns red!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a5688f919f.png |
Omg please upload that file and share! You're a magician I say!
Btw I love this thread. |
Originally Posted by BravePotato
(Post 12208734)
Omg please upload that file and share! You're a magician I say!
Btw I love this thread. PS. I tried to convert it to a excel file, and the conditional formatting gets all funky... |
My new TIG welder came in!
I know some people are going to give me a hard time for not going red or blue (Lincoln or Miller), but after my research I decided to get a Razorweld 200P. Good features at a reasonable price, and also seems more reliable then some of the cheaper mass manufactured machines. I'll end up doing some patch panels for the wheel wells as well as some of the smaller holes in the floor pans. My welding mask hasn't come in yet... so I still havn't played with it but im super excited!! The machine was considerably smaller then I'd imagined... you can see the comparison next to some rotor housings. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f830adeb1.jpeg New TIG welder!!! Razorweld 200P https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3b111f0d0.jpeg its so much smaller then any past TIGs I've used. |
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