IT'S ALIVE ! Finally got the V6-swapped RX-7 to start, on the second try! First try the fuel pump leads were backward, because the pump wasn't labeled
still gotta get to the clutch release
pics soon

 

great news, man. you should be grinning like Cheshire Cat! with the level of work i saw you perform in this thread, i can't help but LOL at your reversed fuel pump issue. (obviously i'm not laughing in a mean-spirited way.) seriously, this is an impressive project, at least it is to me. congrats!

boo! mods ban him now!

i really hope there will at least be video included when the pics come. i can't wait.

 

I got depressed, then I had no enthusiasm for this project, then I got engaged, now I'm married. The car is inspected, smogged, registered, and being driven weekly, but isn't done enough yet. The speedometer is 11-12% pessimistic, engine vacuum is reading low for no apparent reason, first gear is nearly too tall, fifth gear is essentially useless below 50 MPH, but it pulls really strongly from 1500-5500 in first, at least as well as my '95 Z28 convertible ever did. ( 4L60E, 2.73:1 )
I may add more pics later, dunno yet.
Anyone wishing any interaction may email me at 1idcsr@gmail.com, I check that every 2-3 weeks.

 

This was a great build man I would love to see the finished car and a video of it up and running. You put in so much hard work and effort sorting out the car and keeping the thread informative and up to date. It would be a shame to not show the results.

Also I'm sorry to hear that you have or where feeling down. It is sad when life gets you down but just remember it doesn't have to stay that way. I really enjoyed reading this thread so it has shed a little light on a few pretty drab days for me, so thank you .

Congratulations on your marriage and I hope to see more build threads from you on the forum soon.

 

Interior is mostly done, car is daily-driveable, and the owner wants to sell it, no "dialing it in".
Any offers?
Can do any V8, any trans, any axle for the right bid. Likewise delivery.

 

Current project: Building a Baja Camaro - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

 

Thanks, I'm starting a new project, Hello

This RX-7 didn't get sold, it's getting new 195/60R15 rear tires and the 2.41:1 gears.

 

Not. It got a new set of 205/50R15 tires to correct both the speedometer and the effective gearing, now it would be better with some higher-rate rear springs. Gut a guy thinking of buying it, priced firm at $5500, even with needing a few last details.

 

For sale, currently asking 3500, you cant duplicate it for twice that, even if you count your labor as free.

 

I was under the impression that you were building this for a customer. Did they bail out on you, and force you to sell?

 

The customer was my own mom, she doesnt love it no matter what changes i make, she's trying to sell it. It is really well integrated as is, it should be enjoyed as is, but i suggested a v8 swap, i have a 4.8L LSx, but i can't do that for free.
No interest unti, she tried buying an ad in Hemmings' then whenever someone was interested, one look through this build thread changed their minds, and none of them will explain why. The car looks good in person, it accelerates well, corners well, brakes well, cruises nicely, doesnt overheat, has a/c and cruise, its all it should be and more. I needed the 225/60 rear tires it had for something else, so now it has a new set of 205/50s front and rear.
Make a serious offer, I will pass it along.

 

It amazes me that noone wants to buy this car as is, but since it stays, it will get redone with an LSx V8, a 2.95 gear set in the T5, probably a 3.27-geared Ranger 8.8 axle, and the tire situation is a problem. There just isnt any way to tuck anything wider than 205s front and maybe some 235/60R15 drag radials on the rear. I'm seriously considering some cheap universal fender flares off Ebay.
If i hafta buy flares and wheels anyway, i may as well go right to 245/40R15 Maxxis Victra VR1 fronts and 275/35R15 Hoosiers in back. Probably on 10" wheels all around.
This also means a new exhaust system. The muffler will probably be an On3 67mm.
So most of what i already installed will be for sale.
And this time around, i feel i need to make every detail look like a million dollars. There's gotta be a way to get rich guys to pay me fairly to do turbo LSx swaps to their Ferraris and such. The more different makes of common cars you work on, the more you realize it does not matter what make it is.
And if i hafta use this rolling showcase, this mobile calling card, to humiliate their factory stock supercars, well, i can do that. Maybe then they'll ante up and join the big boys, rather than being shamed all over you tube.
Round 2 starts now.

 

I already have an '01 4.8L version of the GM LSx V8, called the LR4, with an '04 LS1 cam and ported heads, and a pair of '98 Z28 exhaust manifolds, so I have just ordered a bellhousing, and a used LS4 intake manifold with fuel rails.
Until it breaks the 3.8L gearing in the T5, I'm just going to put 2.73:1 gears in the rear axle already in the car. I already have a set in my '86 Camaro. If Rex breaks the axle before the trans, i already have 2.73 gears for a Ford 8.8" axle.

 

Why not drive this car till it breaks and get another 7 for the v8?

There are TONS of motorless rx7s out there

 

While i would love to have an FD, or at least an FC, the idea is to sell this FB. Since noone will buy it as is, well, i will have to take advantage of the demand for LSx swapped oddballs.
If you like it with the V6, then find a few thousand dollars and make it yours.
The thing about Rx7s is the supply really isn't there. Because the Rotary is crap, everyone does LSx swaps, so I will just do it cleaner for cheaper.

 

So, it wasn't a bad voltage regulator, it was a failed diode that popped the top of the Optima redtop.
No free replacement either way, but even after it popped, it continued to drive home, and none of the other electrics in the car are hurt.

 

did i see your rx7 listed on KSL?
if so you should include more pics

 

Decided to get the charging sorted before thinking about anything else, found a similar alternator in my collection of spare parts, but it won't bolt to my custom mounting, so I pulled ReX's alt in hopes of combining the two.
​​​​​​​ Hoping to drive the car before winter hits. It hasn't been started or driven in months. Way too many months.

 

After a bit of measuring and some calculations, it turns out I could tuck a pair of 275/40R17s under the rear, on a pair of Corvette 17x9.5s with a +56 mm offset, with no spacers. But what can it tuck up front? TBD.
I really don't want to re-engineer this car, it is excellent as is, plus the 4.8L version of the LSx that I have is iron block, and intended for my '94 Camaro, and I have a 4L80E for it, so I will probably just remote-turbo this V6.

 

Leaning toward a GT3076R, 56-trim.

 

Now you're cooking.

 

Thanks! I looked at a bunch of different compressor maps, this one may not be best for a pure stock L36, but I am planning to port the replacement heads, and maybe do a custom camshaft from Comp.

 

While E-shopping for wheels, I noticed that a 9.5 +56 has a backspacing of 7.455" which is not going to fit. The 7s I have are about 5.575" and I can see adding another inch easily, but not that much of 2" so the 17x9 +50 from a 96-02 Camaro SS will fit the car and the 275/40 Toyo Proxes TQs
This changes the backspacing to 6.97"

 

Glad to see u are still working on the car. So is it your car now since your mom didn't like it (thus your able to what you please?)

 

The b8ggest problem was the driver side window crank, and it was all the little details like that which soured the impression. Now she has a BMW, so I can do as I please with this car.
Getting the SS wheels to bolt on wouldn't be free, plus they already go for nearly 150 each, so more searching turned up some American Racing 17x9s, in this lug pattern, with a 6.77" backspacing for 173 each,