Thanks, Guys! Appreciate your help. Still trying to get the AST situated before we head to the shop, and guess I have to sort out the brakes. Delayed gratification.

 

Still just messing around with stuff.

Got some OEM clear markers. The rears are actually "clear" reflectors modified to accept a bulb. We'll see how they look on with some LEDs. Worried they may not let light through. Wish I had sprung for the actually-clear rear markers on YAJ, but $1k way too crazy, I guess. I got a much more sane deal.


Wanted one of these for a while, and jealous of everyone snapping them up on here. Picked up a "BNIB" example off YAJ. Guess now I need a new shift boot, too. Always something. Please, forgive my dirty floor mats. The car is idle and dusty while I get it ready for a couple things at the shop.

 

New thermostat housing with the temperature sender, new turbo coolant lines, and the AST mounted and lined up on the Australian bracket. Lisle funnel is awesome...









Brake job and downpipe up next...

 

Shot of the AST mounting. Tight in there. A few things to nit pick, but call this final mockup and road test ready.




Glad this thing is finally working as planned...


Takes a minute to register readings while the car warms up and the thermostat opens, but I don't mind. Lets you know the thermostat is working, and I like the clean install.

 

Picked up the MS-02 and A-Spec catalogues from Japan, and an old school Racing Beat brochure. Kindof addicted, gonna have to grab some more as it comes up.








Gearing up to do the brakes super basic, since I need them but plan to upgrade later. Still not sure if I melted the cat, so need to do the exhaust. After that I was gonna do the fuel recall kit, coils, solenoids, vacuum job.

Need it all straight for smog and would like to hit seven stock, so the heat is on but it might take years at this rate lol. One thing at a time. Then we could strap on the new wheels and paint the wagon hatch and all the fun stuff.

 

So want that MS-02 and A-Spec catalog, VR and BB, just like my garage lol. Interestingly, the VR has rear wiper but no sunroof.

 

Big shout out to @TG888 for helping me with the tool trays. Got the regular and optional trays stocked and sorted with good condition OEM tools.







Never been a huge fan of the 15th anniversary Mazdaspeed kit, but it makes a pretty awesome brochure/flyer.

 

That tool set will help you when you have to rebuild your engine on the side of the road

The hood tho

 

Ha! Yeah purely for show, pretty much. Was thinking of getting a real tool bag together for the hatch. Hose clamp pliers, long nose angle pliers, metric socket set, etc. You could probably get a pretty helpful FD tool kit together. Marcus is selling that Mazda Tool Bag that would look sharp for it.

Right? Would love to have one of those some day.

 

All the extra stuff peppered through this thread made it so much fun to read through as many others have said, bookmarked and made note of a lot of things already.
Keep up the good work!

 

Here is a cool tool set from Japan for our cars:
https://pphoenix.thebase.in/items/20524456

 

Replaced the brakes with stock rotors and pads. Don't know why I got it in my mind that they were out. The rotors looked original, but the pads probably had half their life or more left. Good to knock it out, anyways. They look nice, but now my calipers look cruddy. I want to switch to the 17 inch brakes, which is why I didn't go whole hog on the stock brakes with a rebuild and paint and hot pads.

As always, the right tools make all the difference. I see a lot of people drilling out their rotor screws, which is totally unnecessary and shoddy. I really like these Vessel JIS drivers, and their JIS impact driver makes getting the rotor screws out a cinch. I used a Lang pad spreader for the front, and one of universal brake dice for the rear. And, the caliper mounts are a good spot to use loctite and torque everything to spec. Put the car back to stock for a hot minute and the remote hose clamp pliers makes dealing with the stock spring clamps almost bearable.





Missing the battery tie down and a little dirty. Please forgive. Maybe just a bit more maintenance and we can make moves.

 

Looking good and that's a nice tool set.

 

Thanks @Johnny Kommavongsa. I enjoy following your build threads.

 

Switched to the fluidic washer nozzles, and they're a great tiny improvement.

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-gen-gene...s-ever-929834/

As usual @DaleClark was spot on. You can remove the old nozzles easily with a 10mm deep socket, and I used short socket extension to poke it up in there.

 

Had to remove the passenger seat to install the SBG fire extinguisher mount. Figured if I was gonna clean under one seat, I should do both. Car is pretty clean as they go. But, there was plenty of dust under the seats. Only one quarter and no french fries.

Also lifted the console to fit the bubbletech console foam, but it didn't fit over my center speaker amp and I didn't want to remove that amp. Anyways, cleaned under there, too.






Extinguisher on order. I tried grabbing the one I got on their hatch mount just for photos, but it turns out those quick releases are just a little fiddly. The rear one wants to be in the rear and it's a little stiff to pull the pin. Front one seems happier, and I'll get a new bottle for it. Might try to ream out the tight one later. Get your mind out of the gutter!

Doing other stuff while we shelter in place. More photos when I close those tasks. All this social distancing is good for car projects. Looks like a lot of people are making progress. Hope some of the car events go off undisturbed towards the fall.

 

Very nice. I should follow in your footsteps for extinguishers.

 

Thanks. Better safe than sorry, right? We lost a family truck to a split fuel line and ensuing fire, some years back. And, I knew a guy who chanced upon a vehicle fire and reportedly saved the occupants. Anyways, hopefully they're purely aesthetic.

 

meanwhile...

 

You doin this??

 

Nah, not really. Just picking up a few brochures here and there. I do have some MS-02's I want to mount, but need to find a place to clean them up.

 

I love those wheels on the black one in that catalog.

 

I would love some MS-01, and where are you getting those catalogs?

 

MS-01s are nice. I could go for some RB-02s or some Racing Beat LSRs or some RE Amemiya AW7s. Some LSRs popped up recently, but I can't even get around to refinishing the wheels I got now. Got some of the catalogues from parts sourcers, but mostly been surfing YAJ lately.

 

Take the rear bumper off, they said. It will be easy, they said....

Anyways, more literature, while I wait for many a nik nak to show up and put the bumper back on real nice. Picked up an OG North American 1995 RX-7 brochure. Real nice graphics inside, some story line, options details, came with a cool post card too. Got some shop manuals coming. Need to pick up that Yamaguchi book and we'll have a little library going here.