It started when I was a kid. I had this Majorette model car that I really liked...my dad knew what it was, even though it was really rare in this part of the world. It was a RX7 SA...he told me about how that car had a Wankel engine, how it had a lot of HP from a small block, how it was rare and a wish for many young men. Everybody here drove Zastava(something like FIAT made in Yugoslavia, you had Yugo in US, so you know), Lada, Renault and Volkswagens...japanese cars imports were rare and started building up after 1990...
When I was 27(2009), I have already have owned a few Hondas(Civic, Prelude, CRX and Integra Type R), my later to become my wedding best man, told me that he knew of a RX7 lying somewhere near my city(Split) in front of a house. He told me that car was pre-owned by his uncle and sold...So, one lazy afternoon, we went for a ride to find it...and luckily we did. It was under a tree, neglected, hasn't been driven for 7-8 years...a sad sight. But it looked as it was complete...I met the owner and told him I wanted to buy it off. We shook hands for about 800EUR and the car was in my garage the same night...I only took two photos, I don't want to remember it like that... :-) When I got it, it already had the 12A removed, and someone put a Lancia Delta engine inside with a turbo...the clutch was bad, the trann was from a FIAT 131...a mess...

 

So, when I sum everything up, here's what needed be done:
1. think of a engine swap
2. think of a shop to put the engine in
3. reupholster seats and interior
4. polish windows(had deposits of everything on in, including concrete dust)
5. remove the rust and do the bodywork
6. think of a color and paint the car
7. brakes and all the mech work on suspension
8. new tyres, rims and miscellania

I started thinking about the engine swap...that was the biggest issue. I didn't want to put a Wankel back in. There's hardly any people here who now what it is, no cars with that type of engine, and the biggest problem, no mechanics who has enough know-how to deal with it.
I found a few more pics from that period.



The first thing that comes to mind is Ford Probe or Scorpio...but I don't want a Ford engine inside. Then it came to me...Mazda has a front engined-rear wheeled car...lots of them...the MX-5! So, I started looking for a complete swap and found it in Zadar. Perfect swap...38000 miles, with tranny and transaxle, and electricals. For around $1600. Picked it up and went on looking for a shop to fit it in.
The shop that I had most faith in was Linx racing in Solin(just adherent to Split). The car was towed, they had a look and reluctantly said that they would do it. As the time passed they started taking real interest in this, because they found out that it hasn't been done before, they couldn't find any info on how to...but, I have to say thank you to those guys, they did a hell of a job. They fitted the engine with the tranny to the car, and it was a perfect fit! The shifter was dead on the spot, the engine was 5 cm from firewall, the transaxle fitted as it was built for the RX!. The electrical part took em a while, but everything was done in a month. And cost me almost $4000...they did a complete service and changed a lot of suspension parts.



Then I drove, yes, I drove the car to the bodywork/paint shop!!!! For the first time sice I bought it...what a thrill!!!

The rust was taken off, the body work done and the car was painted with Mazda 6 paint that was similar to original but more modern with pearl in it. I was very satisfied. We removed the rear wing completely, the holes were welded.





The windscreen and windows had to be polished, so that was done neraby, and they are still pretty now 4 years later. Cost of bodywork, painting and glass polishing - $2500.

 

The interior was in my garage so I took it to be reupholstered, red leather and black with stripes fabric for the seats. I did the rest of the interior on my own with black leather and grey alcantara. The price was around $1000.

RX then sat in my garage for a few years. I had changed jobs and moved to Sibenik for good and then in 2013, I took test plates and drove it to Sibenik! New tyre BF Goodrich 185/60R13. A first run longer than few miles! 50 miles to be exact. It drove like a champ!!! So much fun...








I had to put the interior back in and it took me almost a month to get everything in place. The roof got sprayed with rubber coating, also the floor from underneath the car. I also had to dremmel the opening for the radio to put a Pioneer DEH-X3500 UB in.

 

Radio fitting...


Interior...


Couldn't find my door mouldings for years(garage is stuffed), tried to find them online, but only new ones popped up, for insane prices...you know what I'm talking about...the car looks so bare without them.



New set of wheels I've found, BBS with Michelin 195/60R15, and I finally put the mouldings back on(found both door mouldings in Croatia for $25!!!). Talk about luck!

 

Looks fantastic! My brother and I wanted to do that swap a few years ago to keep true to the Mazda part of it.

Nice job, and keep it up!

 

Really, what was tempting to me is, that I couldn't find a gen 1 with this engine fitted, and atop of that, everything functions. The original 12A had similar HP, this one has 116HP(no cat, CAI).
In the owner's license someone, sometime, changed the engine type from "Wankel" to "otto-motor" with no catalytic converter, so it was a perfect fit. Put B6ZE in, no cat, and everything is according to license. We are rolling around 39000 miles now...I drive it around on weekends only(wish it had AC).

 

Nice final result!!^^

 

Nardi wheel came in this weekend...After a light battle, everything is in place.