Hi! I am a UCD grad and stuck with this bullshit pandemic.
Let's get wierd.
​​​​attached are pictures of my 1981 Mazda RX7 GSL.

​​​​​​It runs fine.. besides needing new spark plugs and the fuel tube needed replaced, which makes me worried about the tank and rust but I have yet to do a lift.
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The interior trim is breaking apart, as usual not exactly the best material or engineering) from sun damage,, as well as the steering wheel's horn broken and leather cracked, and the driver seat has rip and so does upper dash. It also seams someone tried to do some trim swaps as I have two random black pieces.


My plan, as an engineer and artist, is to combine my experience working as QC intern for Tesla, as well as being stuck in Paris for six months doing commisions while avoiding graduating, and create an "Homage" to the american and japan love affair that happened in the mid 80 and 90s, which led to the amazing anime like Akira, Cowboy Bebop, and Redline, and lastly a nod to Akira Nakai, because we all want our rough touch to be realized as beutiful.

I intend to restore and reinforce all origional parts, before adding to create something unique. The only thing I plan on swapping is the bezel so that it will fit a Tesla vertical infotainment, and the exterior will be changed to BMW 303 cosmosschwarz. I plan also on inner lights, expanding brackets for both seats, leather uphostery for the interior that does not have maroon leather or needs repairing, etc.


​​​​​​After this art project is complete, I am auctioning it off and donating the procedes towards the medical care for the detained children in our immigration centers during this pandemic.
























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Welcome, and good luck with your Project. Please update as you proceed...

Stu A
80GS
AZ

 

maybe this should have been posted in the build section.

 

Definitely better in the Builds section. So now here we are!

This looks like a great restoration project and I'm excited to see where this goes!

 

Looking forward to seeing the progress on this. Hopefully the build quality is better than Teslas :P

 

Honestly, Tesla's problem is exactly that of the type of production found during the 80s for japan and america. Interior installation for this rx7 makes me nostalgic about Tesla. The build could be so much better, one of the reasons why I am looking foreward to doing adjustments and addons.


I really hope you were never one of my supervisors for QC area on bottom floor.

 

I doubt I was. I did spend 6 months on GA in the end of 2018 and was laid off in 2019. Prior to that, I was in Powertrain for most of my time there.

I can't see the same issues in 80's japanese manufacturing being the same as Tesla. Quality and consistency was much better with 80's manufacturing than there is with Tesla. There is a bunch of issues w/ Tesla that contribute to their production issues unfortunately. Anyways, getting off track now. Haha.

It's been a while since i've seen a good restomod for the 1st gen. So i'm looking forward to this a lot and possibly inspire me to get a 1st gen build going.

 

Attached is a picture of my nearly gutted rx7.

​​​​​​I've decided I'm only doing this once, so might as well do this right. I removed all the moldy padding, and plan to put down sound and insulation boards from Amazon.

I am concerned with the tar.

1. What is its weight contribution to the vehicle
2. Does this material promote the rx7's oven effect?
3. Does it provide a sound barrier and insulation?

I am more than happy about leaving it be, but if it helps make the car very hot I would prefer to remove it and modify it with something modern.

 

The tar is a sound deadener. The car heats up quite a bit naturally due to the exhaust system. There are steel heat shields in place that help absorb some of the heat before it reaches the floorplan. I would personally leave the tar like sound deadener in place.

 

Are you going to do SEM spray on the interior pieces? if not what are u doing or using to clean up the brittle plastic bits?? I just bought an 85 in about the same condition....

 

Hmmm, I'm more concerned with it heating up just sitting outside, even when under the shade.

I'll keep the tar and just do a form of sodium cleanser, I still plan on doing reflective insulation and sound barrier over it before putting cushion and carpet. Speaking of which, does anyone know a reliable aftermarket source for carpet?

The degrading of the carpet for the back is beyond saving, and I would rather redo the entire set if I could get something soft and plush.

 

So you stumbled over similar posts!

Forewarning, this is my first attempt at restoration, and I've never dived into cars until this project.

Still, No Fear, MO Power.

I started off with chemical guys cleaner set off amazon.

After washing, there is a spray and shine for vinyl, plastic, and leather, that brings out the color by deepening, and corrects the sun-damaged spots, as well as UV protection.

The spray tends to take a long time to dry and is sticky, so you want to wipe the excess in linear strokes so as to not create a streaked look, throughout the beginning of the drying process. This becomes incredibly important when treating sun-damaged leather.
For sun-damaged leather, you will need to hydrate and treat the damaged spots several times before the silk and shine spray, simply because by itself, it will just be soaked up and look like dark oiled spots.

I would highly recommend that you somehow hydrate all of the pieces you want to remove from the car, before removing. (seriously, do this.)


As for your original question, yes I have heard of the SEM Burgundy, but it looks to be a darker color code from the original, and the only part I would feel safe using that spray for would be the elongated door handles. So I'm avoiding it for rn and hoping to leather upholster the piece that is damaged or does not have leather.

I am still looking for a compatible color spray as a backup plan, but looking into the design of the Rx-7 for both interior and exterior, I feel it needs a little bit more elegance via curvature, especially for the interior. So the idea of creating an entire curved leather body from console armrest, through the radio bezel to the entire dashboard(similar to what is found in modern interiors i.e less breaking points for the entire perspective, and allows eye-flow to be easier. Also, lt would be easier to keep in respect to the golden ratio rule via radius of dash area) seams to solve the problem of finding the right spray, and more on finding the correct leather.

​​​​​However, if it proves too difficult, I'll def be falling back to using a colored spray for immediate purposes.

The luxury of this restomod is that by treating the car as a newfound individual that needs to be fed and clothed before being pressured to go to grad school, that technically the highest mods can always be delayed, as restoring and reinforcing the foundation not only is the priority but allows leniency with your project.

 

So I've emptied out the interior, but have run into a problem with my ac system. Pale yellow parts that look like joinery are completely shattered. Two black pieces have fragmented end parts.

Do I need a 179 to 1981 or can I replace it with generation?
​​​​​​do I really need to have an OEM replacement?
can there be something structurally better?

Also, does anyone know a reliable carpet source? I'm hoping to find something softer and plusher and fits the entirety of the Rx7 body.