Another FB Rally Car in the mix!
01-12-12, 12:57 PM
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Another FB Rally Car in the mix!
Time to start my own build thread. thumbs up
I'm starting to build my 1983 Mazda RX7 GSL into a rally car! I'm at the stage where all I have left is... everything.
My story:
I fell in love with rallying when I was 15. Well that's not quite true: I fell in love with the WRC when I was 15. Spent my high school career reading about the cars, watching youtube videos, playing loads of Rallysport Challenge 2 on my Xbox, and refurbishing a '83 Subaru GL 3-door we got for free, which, after we got it running, raised to have 11" of ground clearance, named "The Beast," and scared ourselves numerous times with very unstable 35mph drifts.
When I was 18, I bought a 1985 Mazda RX7 GSL and, thanks to that and Initial D, got distracted from rallying with the idea of street racing. I then decided that street racing wasn't very cool after I discovered that when you mess up, you can crush your car on the passenger side up to the transmission tunnel with a guardrail, and then the state makes you pay for all damages you caused to their property... and guardrail isn't cheap! sad smiley (I don't have any photos of that anymore. It was a sad time in my life).
Luckily, I had a 1983 RX7 with a motor with blown apex seals, so before insurance came and totaled my car out, I did a quick bolt-in motor swap so I could keep my good engine (only 109k on the ticker). I left that shell with the bolted-in motor (which I ended up oiling pretty regularly) sitting in front of my parents house for the next 3 years, much to my moms dismay. I was scared of the wiring (which as far as I'm concerned, is magic blue smoke trapped in the wires, and you know you did something wrong when it starts escaping), and was so busy with full-time school, the Formula SAE team, and a job, I spent most of that time trying to decide whether I wanted to turn the car into a rally car, or just scrap it.
I'm now studying Vehicle Engineering Technology-Plastics Engineering Technology major and am very involved in my Formula SAE team (feel free to check us out at our Facebook page).
This last September, I decided I wanted to keep the shell and turn the Mazda into a rally car. I towed it from my parents house to where I'm living and started to tear into it. Removed all the emissions, started to teach myself wiring, stripped the interior, and fixed a bunch of issues that arose from letting the car sit for 3 years.
I drove it for the first time 2 nights ago. There are still a few issues I need to fix before I would call it reliable, but it was a fantastic feeling to tear up the caul-de-sac and I couldn't stop laughing with excitement after I pulled it back in the driveway. I have an independent study this quarter based around reverse-engineering a RA regulation roll cage for the car and then building it. I'll be boxing in the suspension and seam-welding a few things (that won't require jigging) during that time as well. Should be a fun project, though I am a little worried about finishing it in time before the quarter is over. I have 9 weeks to go and am analyzing the rules currently to decide on the best elements to include in the cage for the cabin.
So here is how it stands now:
It has a carbureted 12a. And is all stock other than what follows.
Current Modifications:
-Stripped interior -- removed tar sound deadening
-Stripped Nikki carb
-Racing beat headers
-AFCO aluminum radiator - custom mounts (still need to shroud)
-Stripped emissions
-Gutted dashboard
-Working on de-looming and gutting all unneeded wiring
-Removed headlight motors
-POR-15 on the front end
Planned modifications (so far):
-FIA/RA roll cage/boxed strut towers
-Bucket seats (either purchase, or I know how to make carbon fiber parts so I might make my own if I can)
-Electric radiator fan
-2nd gen Direct Fire Ignition
-Skid plates
-Suspension (not sure what yet)
-GSL-SE subframe/axels
-1.5:1 Steering quickener
-Hydraulic e-brake
-Adjustable prop valve
-Prevent Watts link from binding (oil lite bushings maybe)
-Possibly a wideband for making for simpler rejetting of the carburetor
-Wheels and tires.... a lot
-A tiny battery (I'm using a dead battery with only 10.85 volts left and it starts the car just fine)
-Possibly Z31 300ZX brakes (if I can make them fit) - or I'm an intern at Girodisc Racing Brakes, so I may see about making floating 2-piece rotors with custom CNC aluminum top-hats and the rear rings for a WRX or an Elise or something along those lines
We will see how far I get on this or if I can finish it. I am hoping to go to grad school and my top choice is on the other side of the pond. If I'm lucky, there will probably be a caged and moderately modded FB for sale in about a year and a half. winking smiley
Photos:
I'm starting to build my 1983 Mazda RX7 GSL into a rally car! I'm at the stage where all I have left is... everything.
My story:
I fell in love with rallying when I was 15. Well that's not quite true: I fell in love with the WRC when I was 15. Spent my high school career reading about the cars, watching youtube videos, playing loads of Rallysport Challenge 2 on my Xbox, and refurbishing a '83 Subaru GL 3-door we got for free, which, after we got it running, raised to have 11" of ground clearance, named "The Beast," and scared ourselves numerous times with very unstable 35mph drifts.
When I was 18, I bought a 1985 Mazda RX7 GSL and, thanks to that and Initial D, got distracted from rallying with the idea of street racing. I then decided that street racing wasn't very cool after I discovered that when you mess up, you can crush your car on the passenger side up to the transmission tunnel with a guardrail, and then the state makes you pay for all damages you caused to their property... and guardrail isn't cheap! sad smiley (I don't have any photos of that anymore. It was a sad time in my life).
Luckily, I had a 1983 RX7 with a motor with blown apex seals, so before insurance came and totaled my car out, I did a quick bolt-in motor swap so I could keep my good engine (only 109k on the ticker). I left that shell with the bolted-in motor (which I ended up oiling pretty regularly) sitting in front of my parents house for the next 3 years, much to my moms dismay. I was scared of the wiring (which as far as I'm concerned, is magic blue smoke trapped in the wires, and you know you did something wrong when it starts escaping), and was so busy with full-time school, the Formula SAE team, and a job, I spent most of that time trying to decide whether I wanted to turn the car into a rally car, or just scrap it.
I'm now studying Vehicle Engineering Technology-Plastics Engineering Technology major and am very involved in my Formula SAE team (feel free to check us out at our Facebook page).
This last September, I decided I wanted to keep the shell and turn the Mazda into a rally car. I towed it from my parents house to where I'm living and started to tear into it. Removed all the emissions, started to teach myself wiring, stripped the interior, and fixed a bunch of issues that arose from letting the car sit for 3 years.
I drove it for the first time 2 nights ago. There are still a few issues I need to fix before I would call it reliable, but it was a fantastic feeling to tear up the caul-de-sac and I couldn't stop laughing with excitement after I pulled it back in the driveway. I have an independent study this quarter based around reverse-engineering a RA regulation roll cage for the car and then building it. I'll be boxing in the suspension and seam-welding a few things (that won't require jigging) during that time as well. Should be a fun project, though I am a little worried about finishing it in time before the quarter is over. I have 9 weeks to go and am analyzing the rules currently to decide on the best elements to include in the cage for the cabin.
So here is how it stands now:
It has a carbureted 12a. And is all stock other than what follows.
Current Modifications:
-Stripped interior -- removed tar sound deadening
-Stripped Nikki carb
-Racing beat headers
-AFCO aluminum radiator - custom mounts (still need to shroud)
-Stripped emissions
-Gutted dashboard
-Working on de-looming and gutting all unneeded wiring
-Removed headlight motors
-POR-15 on the front end
Planned modifications (so far):
-FIA/RA roll cage/boxed strut towers
-Bucket seats (either purchase, or I know how to make carbon fiber parts so I might make my own if I can)
-Electric radiator fan
-2nd gen Direct Fire Ignition
-Skid plates
-Suspension (not sure what yet)
-GSL-SE subframe/axels
-1.5:1 Steering quickener
-Hydraulic e-brake
-Adjustable prop valve
-Prevent Watts link from binding (oil lite bushings maybe)
-Possibly a wideband for making for simpler rejetting of the carburetor
-Wheels and tires.... a lot
-A tiny battery (I'm using a dead battery with only 10.85 volts left and it starts the car just fine)
-Possibly Z31 300ZX brakes (if I can make them fit) - or I'm an intern at Girodisc Racing Brakes, so I may see about making floating 2-piece rotors with custom CNC aluminum top-hats and the rear rings for a WRX or an Elise or something along those lines
We will see how far I get on this or if I can finish it. I am hoping to go to grad school and my top choice is on the other side of the pond. If I'm lucky, there will probably be a caged and moderately modded FB for sale in about a year and a half. winking smiley
Photos:
06-17-12, 02:15 PM
#6
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Hey guys sorry it's been a while. I was tied up pretty tough with Spring quarter in school and the Formula SAE team I'm on (got me averaging 1.5-2 hrs of sleep a night for a few months this last spring... that was fun). Now that summer break has started though, I'm back at it.
In the past few weeks I've done quite a bit of research and some work on the car. I'll start with revisions to the above lists:
- A couple gauges or warning lights for oil pressure and coolant temp. The stock ones on the cluster are horribly inaccurate, and the controls for them went through the emissions control unit, which no longer functions or resides in my car. If I use gauges, I'll place them in the passenger/co-driver area and let them worry so I can just drive.
- No longer an SE subframe, I'm just going to get an FC subframe/steering rack/spindles and hubs/brakes --> they're all better, require minimal fabrication, and with a 1.5:1 quickener I can have 2 turns from lock - to - lock.
- Rear suspension. damic, I'm going to keep the solid axle. That way I don't have to worry about tearing CV boots. But I'm going to alter the trailing links to be a 4-link with long, parallel links and a Panhard bar --> That way I don't have to deal with axle steer, snap oversteer, and can place my roll center where I want it, instead of at the Watts pivot.
- GSL-SE front mount oil cooler.
- Different lug pattern, because **** 4X110!
Since school got out, I've been working a lot to actually fund this. But I've finished most of my plans for the cage and bent my main hoop. I've been measuring out the current rear suspension geometry to start a plan of attack on altering it.
I got a bucket seat. It's a little Sparco unit that I got for a steal. I'll need to install it soon.
I also installed an electric fan and am still dialing in to the running temperature that I want. The fan is big enough with this radiator that I've got some overhang, so when I do end up getting a front-mount oil cooler, I'll be able to pull air through both radiator and oil cooler. I'm excited about that.
In addition, I've got it starting a lot nicer than it used to when I first started it up. I've put close to 100 miles on it now and she's still trucking along nicely. Lack of windshield wipers and loads of rain in northwest Washington has been keeping me off the road more than I would like to though.
I've replaced some f'ed up exhaust shielding that I made on the fly with a hammer and grinding wheel out of an old road sign. It's now some nicely fabricated sheet titanium I found laying around school (using that because Ti does not transfer heat).
Finally, I've been trying to sort through the mess of wiring this car has. Holy ****, I don' know what Mazda was thinking when they did the harness for this car, but it is absolutely awful.
What comes next on the agenda:
- I need tires. Badly. Probably will just get some all season tires from a used tire shop north of me that has served me well in the past.
- I need a new battery. Even though she starts up nice, the getting her started is rather hit-and-miss. Starting fluid has been my friend lately because the initial spark is too wimpy to actually ignite the gasoline. I'm going to get one like the one in my Civic for now because they're small, light, and cheap.
- I need to replace the stock steering with an FC rack. Or in the mean time, figure out how to tighten up the stock rack, because holy **** it is awful! ~10* of play? Yeah no thanks!
- Locate and fix oil leaks. Oh goody.
- More wiring.
- Get windshield wipers that work.
- Finish that roll cage and get some seam welding done on the thing.
I'll make an effort to post more often than once every 6 months. Hahaha
In the past few weeks I've done quite a bit of research and some work on the car. I'll start with revisions to the above lists:
- A couple gauges or warning lights for oil pressure and coolant temp. The stock ones on the cluster are horribly inaccurate, and the controls for them went through the emissions control unit, which no longer functions or resides in my car. If I use gauges, I'll place them in the passenger/co-driver area and let them worry so I can just drive.
- No longer an SE subframe, I'm just going to get an FC subframe/steering rack/spindles and hubs/brakes --> they're all better, require minimal fabrication, and with a 1.5:1 quickener I can have 2 turns from lock - to - lock.
- Rear suspension. damic, I'm going to keep the solid axle. That way I don't have to worry about tearing CV boots. But I'm going to alter the trailing links to be a 4-link with long, parallel links and a Panhard bar --> That way I don't have to deal with axle steer, snap oversteer, and can place my roll center where I want it, instead of at the Watts pivot.
- GSL-SE front mount oil cooler.
- Different lug pattern, because **** 4X110!
Since school got out, I've been working a lot to actually fund this. But I've finished most of my plans for the cage and bent my main hoop. I've been measuring out the current rear suspension geometry to start a plan of attack on altering it.
I got a bucket seat. It's a little Sparco unit that I got for a steal. I'll need to install it soon.
I also installed an electric fan and am still dialing in to the running temperature that I want. The fan is big enough with this radiator that I've got some overhang, so when I do end up getting a front-mount oil cooler, I'll be able to pull air through both radiator and oil cooler. I'm excited about that.
In addition, I've got it starting a lot nicer than it used to when I first started it up. I've put close to 100 miles on it now and she's still trucking along nicely. Lack of windshield wipers and loads of rain in northwest Washington has been keeping me off the road more than I would like to though.
I've replaced some f'ed up exhaust shielding that I made on the fly with a hammer and grinding wheel out of an old road sign. It's now some nicely fabricated sheet titanium I found laying around school (using that because Ti does not transfer heat).
Finally, I've been trying to sort through the mess of wiring this car has. Holy ****, I don' know what Mazda was thinking when they did the harness for this car, but it is absolutely awful.
What comes next on the agenda:
- I need tires. Badly. Probably will just get some all season tires from a used tire shop north of me that has served me well in the past.
- I need a new battery. Even though she starts up nice, the getting her started is rather hit-and-miss. Starting fluid has been my friend lately because the initial spark is too wimpy to actually ignite the gasoline. I'm going to get one like the one in my Civic for now because they're small, light, and cheap.
- I need to replace the stock steering with an FC rack. Or in the mean time, figure out how to tighten up the stock rack, because holy **** it is awful! ~10* of play? Yeah no thanks!
- Locate and fix oil leaks. Oh goody.
- More wiring.
- Get windshield wipers that work.
- Finish that roll cage and get some seam welding done on the thing.
I'll make an effort to post more often than once every 6 months. Hahaha
06-17-12, 03:33 PM
#7
Senior Member
Ow the big oil cooler = win, got it on my 80's rex to, its quite good in cooling (5 minuts @180kmph or more on the freeway and my oil temp gauge goes to 110°C and stays there).
You can adjust you play on the steering by loosen the big nut and screw the screw in wards (I think) and fasten de nut again.
In the near future we start are own project but it will take alot of fabrication (4x4, rotary,mx-3).
You can adjust you play on the steering by loosen the big nut and screw the screw in wards (I think) and fasten de nut again.
In the near future we start are own project but it will take alot of fabrication (4x4, rotary,mx-3).
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06-17-12, 09:19 PM
#8
mr.quiettires
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
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second 4x4 rotary mx3????? mmmmmm do i smell subaru?.. my first car was a 92 mx3 gs. awesome car. i miss it everyday.
third what color is your interior? i may be interested in the door panels, and door handle trim rings...if they are red pm me
06-18-12, 11:48 AM
#9
Senior Member
Scooby is to expensive, to buy a Imprezza even its wrecked
Don't know what color the car is because we don't have it yet. I tought they sais it was red outside.
Sending parts to Alaska is expensive from Belgium
Don't know what color the car is because we don't have it yet. I tought they sais it was red outside.
Sending parts to Alaska is expensive from Belgium
06-19-12, 01:57 AM
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mr.quiettires
Join Date: Jun 2012
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Yes i was indeed talking to evan. Sorry for any confusion..
I dont want to pollute this thread but the older l series subies would be well within a small budget..i get em around here for under $100 all the time. Not sure about the price where your at though..
I dont want to pollute this thread but the older l series subies would be well within a small budget..i get em around here for under $100 all the time. Not sure about the price where your at though..
it wasn't that clear.
06-25-12, 12:34 AM
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The past week, I've been working on getting the windshield wipers working. What I have rediscovered is that the wiring for pretty much everything in this new shell I have is super duper fucked. Almost to the point of me toying with the idea of tearing the whole harness out and making my own for just powering the essentials. I don't think I will, because that's a steep learning curve and I don't have the time for an undertaking like that right now. The wiring I discovered for powering the wiper motor in this chassis almost made me laugh (or cry): it has wires leading to the fusebox, but nothing on the other side of the fuse. Time to start chasing little blue wires! :.(
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