My FB build
10-19-10, 06:03 PM
#1
My FB build
So a little bit of a back story first. My car is an 83 GS that sat in my uncles friends back yard for about 10 years. My uncle called me up and told me about the car so I went and looked at it. It was in great shape. The guy said $500. I was broke at the time so I told him I would try to come up with the money but wasn't able to with having only a minimum wage part time job. I had bills and gas and other things to take care of. Besides, I already had a car. No need for 2 right? 6 months later my uncle calls me up and tells me his friend is really trying to sell the car. He said I was his first choice because he could tell I really wanted it and said he would let me have it for $300. I made a few calls and had a talk with my dad and found a friend that would loan me the cash and my dad was kool with me having another car since I was having title issues with my 82 280ZX. I called my uncle and he said he would try to get a hold of his friend in a couple days and just as he said that his friend called him. He said we could come and get it right then so I got my dad and loaded up the truck with the chains and tow straps and within 2 hours she was mine. The next day some friends of mine that own 2nd gens came over and helped me with a tune-up. My friend turned the key and she fired right up. Even with 10 year old gas in the system. Didn't even have to crank it for awhile at all. It just fired up. We were all amazed. 2 Days later she wouldn't start. I rebuilt the carb because I knew it was going to need it anyways and I also stripped the emissions crap. I put her back together and she started up and ran great for about 2 days. Then the same thing. She wouldn't start. I tried everything under the sun and couldn't get her going again. I decided that I should just sell her and move on but I couldn't find anybody that was interested except 1 person that tried to low ball me. So she sat in the back yard for about 4 months. About a month ago I went to an RX7 meet with a couple buddies and met Jeff20B. We got to talking and he said he had a motor and a trans he would sell me. It sounded great and my friends were telling me to go for it. So we worked out a price for everything and I started to get really motivated. I've done some work since then. I still don't have the motor but I am saving for it.
Now for the pictures.
Here is how she looked after I had already done a lot of cleaning. It did sit for almost 10 years so she was VERY dirty.
After I decided to pull the motor and fix the fender.
Then I decided to strip the engine bay to clean and paint everything.
I also fixed the only cancer on the car.
I decided to do the engine bay with bed liner.
Now for the pictures.
Here is how she looked after I had already done a lot of cleaning. It did sit for almost 10 years so she was VERY dirty.
After I decided to pull the motor and fix the fender.
Then I decided to strip the engine bay to clean and paint everything.
I also fixed the only cancer on the car.
I decided to do the engine bay with bed liner.
10-19-10, 06:03 PM
#2
I tore down the old motor to see if I can see why it died and to see if any of the parts are usable and if so try to sell them to fund the swap.
Thats where I'm at right now. I need to pick up another can of the the Herculiner before I spray the bay and I have a lot more parts to clean and paint.
Thats where I'm at right now. I need to pick up another can of the the Herculiner before I spray the bay and I have a lot more parts to clean and paint.
10-19-10, 07:11 PM
#6
Thanks everyone. 
I forgot to mention that I got a new trans from Jeff. Internals are unknown but it seems like its in good shape externally. Jeff replaced the shifter spring and rear seal for me and I cleaned it up and changed the front seal and gasket. It looks almost new now. I still have to replace the lower shift boot and get a throw-out bearing and its good to go. Hopefully it will be better than the old one. Couldn't down shift into 1st and 3rd was starting to grind.
I forgot to mention that I got a new trans from Jeff. Internals are unknown but it seems like its in good shape externally. Jeff replaced the shifter spring and rear seal for me and I cleaned it up and changed the front seal and gasket. It looks almost new now. I still have to replace the lower shift boot and get a throw-out bearing and its good to go. Hopefully it will be better than the old one. Couldn't down shift into 1st and 3rd was starting to grind.
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10-19-10, 10:58 PM
#8
As far as I know the seats are the originals. They came with the car and everything else was original but the stereo and 2 front speakers. The engine bay is getting painted with truck bed liner. I've only seen it done a few times before but I love the look of it plus its easy to clean and it resists most chemicals. I'm hoping to have the engine bay painted this weekend or next. After that I can get the new tranny and the drive shaft back in.
I'm gonna post some pics of the housing later when I get home (I'm at work now). The rear looks great excpt for 1 little spot but the front looks ok, usable, but not great.
I'm gonna post some pics of the housing later when I get home (I'm at work now). The rear looks great excpt for 1 little spot but the front looks ok, usable, but not great.
10-20-10, 09:41 AM
#10
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Useable?????...uhhhhh NO!
You can re-use them but you won't have good compression and it won't be a strong motor. To be honest, those are actually pretty bad. I would pony up for some new(er) housings and pawn those off on someone who is desperate. Play your cards right and you shouldn't have to spend too much $$. Keep an eye in the classifieds.
Better yet - great excuse for a 13b swap!
You can re-use them but you won't have good compression and it won't be a strong motor. To be honest, those are actually pretty bad. I would pony up for some new(er) housings and pawn those off on someone who is desperate. Play your cards right and you shouldn't have to spend too much $$. Keep an eye in the classifieds.
Better yet - great excuse for a 13b swap!
10-20-10, 12:41 PM
#11
I already have a 4 port 13B with a street port lined up. I wanted to know if they were usable so I could sell them and use the money to fund the swap. I figured the rear was pretty good since it only has the one bad spot on the exhaust side.
10-20-10, 12:56 PM
#12
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Put them in the classifides w/ photos and see if they sell. 12A housings are getting somewhat rare, so I'm sure someone with a tossed seal/gouged housing would buy these up quickly to get their car running again. They do have value.
Sell them!
Sell them!
10-20-10, 01:52 PM
#13
if the price were right, i'd consider buying them. i'd use them for a rebuild for a driver. either way, a 4 port 13B is a good choice for the 7! the seats and door panels are from an 84-85 model year S or GS. your 83 had vinyl/velour seats. whoever installed them did so accordingly with the door panels and the rear plaid hatch side panels.
10-20-10, 02:11 PM
#14
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we talked about it at sevenstock, and we decided that gold color is really cool. and those seats look great in there.
those housings look tired, but i'd run em in a stock motor.... if you want a hot rod though, you'd be better off with new 13B ones
those housings look tired, but i'd run em in a stock motor.... if you want a hot rod though, you'd be better off with new 13B ones
10-20-10, 02:40 PM
#15
if the price were right, i'd consider buying them. i'd use them for a rebuild for a driver. either way, a 4 port 13B is a good choice for the 7! the seats and door panels are from an 84-85 model year S or GS. your 83 had vinyl/velour seats. whoever installed them did so accordingly with the door panels and the rear plaid hatch side panels.
Nice to know about the interior. Thanks.
Eventually I want to swap in a black interior. Thats a ways down the line though. Would the dash from an 84-85 mount in mine? There is one at the junk yard that would match my interior and isn't cracked. Mine is cracked pretty bad and I like the style of the S3 dash.
10-20-10, 02:46 PM
#16
I guess its not surprising. The motor had close to 200,000 on it. The 13B I'm looking at is rebuilt with very few miles on it and is street ported.
I think she will have a bit more get up and go.
10-22-10, 09:37 PM
#18
I have some good news and bad news. First the good. I was able to get some more parts cleaned and painted and I got some more bed liner in the engine bay and on a couple of other things. Now the bad news. I wasn't able to finish spraying the bed liner do to the weather and work, and my computers hard drive went out so no pictures for awhile. 
That's it for now.
That's it for now.
11-20-10, 09:56 PM
#23
Ok. Its been a bit since I updated. The weather hasn't been the greatest so I haven't been able to get too much done, but I do have some news. First of all I should be getting my motor in a couple weeks. I cant wait. Second, I found a 79 SA at the local junk yard with a SE swap. The motor was pretty well stripped but nobody took the RB header. 
I looked over the car some more and noticed that it had the SE rear end. Add another goody to my pile. It also had a full set of lowering springs. lol. I also ended up with a mess of other parts I needed like a wiper motor and a fuel pump and a few other odds and ends. I made out pretty good for only $200. Now to get things cleaned up and get a few new parts and start putting her back together and get her back on the road.
I cant wait. Second, I found a 79 SA at the local junk yard with a SE swap. The motor was pretty well stripped but nobody took the RB header. I looked over the car some more and noticed that it had the SE rear end. Add another goody to my pile. It also had a full set of lowering springs. lol. I also ended up with a mess of other parts I needed like a wiper motor and a fuel pump and a few other odds and ends. I made out pretty good for only $200. Now to get things cleaned up and get a few new parts and start putting her back together and get her back on the road.
12-03-10, 12:33 PM
#24
I got some more work done to the car. The front lowering springs are on. The engine bay is almost done being painted. I got new clutch master, slave, and throw out bearing ordered. I picked up a jug of gear oil. And I'm getting my new motor this after noon. Things are finally coming together. I even got a new job thats gonna pay a lot better so I'll have more money for my baby but I'll only be able to work on her during the weekends.
Things are finally coming together. I even got a new job thats gonna pay a lot better so I'll have more money for my baby but I'll only be able to work on her during the weekends.
