Griff's RX-7 Turbo FC Race Car Restoration
02-14-12, 08:12 PM
#1
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
Griff's RX-7 Turbo FC Race Car Restoration
So I purchased a 1986 Mazda RX-7 this past October, from a fellow customer/driver of the shop I work at. He purchased the car actually from my boss back in late '07 when he first was getting started in road racing.
My boss, Hugh, won many club races with it and really ran some quick times. The car was built as a replacement back in 1996, when his other red RX-7 crashed at Bridgehampton Raceway (which is no longer a track but rather a golf course lol).
He told me about how his #77 Red RX-7 was bumped as he was leading into the first turn. He was sent into a tree sideways at almost 90 mph (no armco on that part of track) in the passenger door and basically tore the car in half. So my car was built with a more, 'over engineered' cage. He only suffered minor injuries after the crash but it shows how important roll cages are (I am glad my RX-7 has the cage that it has now whew).
Bridgehampton was the first track this car ever raced at, at it won. 1:58 was his best lap time in this car which pretty quick considering it made less than 185whp (and still does).
The car has raced in NASA PTC for 3 years now, with a few events with EMRA and SCCA on and off. It runs a stock turbo, 13B rotary and weighs approximately 2550 lbs. w/o driver. No power steering or ABS.
At Lime Rock Park in 2006:
At NJMP Lightning last year (Thanks to GarageSpec Magazine for this photo):
Some of the best times run with this car (most on lower boost 7 psi):
1:01.4 - Lime Rock Park
1:25.4 - Summit Point
1:58.0 - Bridgehampton
1:19.6 - NJMP Lightning (not great, heat soaked)
So yeah, over the next few months or so, I will be repainting the car and wheels, doing new racing graphics, refinishing the tired interior, and repainting the cage, and fixing any issues that the car has. STAY TUNED!
*Also - I do need some replacement or used OEM body panels in slightly better shape so if anyone has any front fenders or Turbo hoods in good shape please let me know.
My boss, Hugh, won many club races with it and really ran some quick times. The car was built as a replacement back in 1996, when his other red RX-7 crashed at Bridgehampton Raceway (which is no longer a track but rather a golf course lol).
He told me about how his #77 Red RX-7 was bumped as he was leading into the first turn. He was sent into a tree sideways at almost 90 mph (no armco on that part of track) in the passenger door and basically tore the car in half. So my car was built with a more, 'over engineered' cage. He only suffered minor injuries after the crash but it shows how important roll cages are (I am glad my RX-7 has the cage that it has now whew).
Bridgehampton was the first track this car ever raced at, at it won. 1:58 was his best lap time in this car which pretty quick considering it made less than 185whp (and still does).
The car has raced in NASA PTC for 3 years now, with a few events with EMRA and SCCA on and off. It runs a stock turbo, 13B rotary and weighs approximately 2550 lbs. w/o driver. No power steering or ABS.
At Lime Rock Park in 2006:
At NJMP Lightning last year (Thanks to GarageSpec Magazine for this photo):
Some of the best times run with this car (most on lower boost 7 psi):
1:01.4 - Lime Rock Park
1:25.4 - Summit Point
1:58.0 - Bridgehampton
1:19.6 - NJMP Lightning (not great, heat soaked)
So yeah, over the next few months or so, I will be repainting the car and wheels, doing new racing graphics, refinishing the tired interior, and repainting the cage, and fixing any issues that the car has. STAY TUNED!
*Also - I do need some replacement or used OEM body panels in slightly better shape so if anyone has any front fenders or Turbo hoods in good shape please let me know.
Last edited by Grifkylian; 02-14-12 at 08:28 PM.
02-14-12, 08:27 PM
#2
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
Since it took me a while to post a thread on my so-called 'Racecar Restoration', I am posting what i have done so far.
Rough looking huh?
After removing the weight ballast mounts and the Sparco racing seat, I took out the adjustable seat rails. Boy was there some surface rust! Actually, there was surface rust EVERYWHERE! I'm glad I got to it before it got to the RUST/ROT stage.
The cage itself was tired and rough looking, and started to show some signs of rust around the foot plates and corner welds. At that point I decided that I would sand EVERYTHING down. And i mean everything!
The sanding and recoating of flat black primer of the entire cage took more than one full work day (over 10 hours) because of the state it was in. The cage hadn't had an ounce of TLC since about 2000.
After that was done, I focused on painting the rear half of the car white. After much more sanding and grinding, I applied the paint over a 2-day period. This POR15 better work!
Back half complete!
This was done in early December, and I have not touched the cage since due to the cold weather (whenever there's an oddly warm day, I never have the time to work on it). Spring, HURRY UP!
Rough looking huh?
After removing the weight ballast mounts and the Sparco racing seat, I took out the adjustable seat rails. Boy was there some surface rust! Actually, there was surface rust EVERYWHERE! I'm glad I got to it before it got to the RUST/ROT stage.
The cage itself was tired and rough looking, and started to show some signs of rust around the foot plates and corner welds. At that point I decided that I would sand EVERYTHING down. And i mean everything!
The sanding and recoating of flat black primer of the entire cage took more than one full work day (over 10 hours) because of the state it was in. The cage hadn't had an ounce of TLC since about 2000.
After that was done, I focused on painting the rear half of the car white. After much more sanding and grinding, I applied the paint over a 2-day period. This POR15 better work!
Back half complete!
This was done in early December, and I have not touched the cage since due to the cold weather (whenever there's an oddly warm day, I never have the time to work on it). Spring, HURRY UP!
02-14-12, 08:40 PM
#3
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
This past week, I have started to refinish the spare set of wheels/tires.
The yellow two wheels wear worn Hoosier A6's, and the black wheels wear OLD Hoosier MC Tires... MC, meaning 'Motorola Cup', when the car raced in the series back in 1999. Somehow there still is some meat on them (although I definitely would not really want to run an HPDE on them).
Since I plan to repaint the car blue with orange graphics/accents, I got to work by wet sanding them and getting all the old rubber and brake dust off on the both the inside and outside of the wheels (this took quite a while).
Once done with that, I painted them orange... well at least two of them (ran out of paint)
did 4 coats on each wheel without any clear... but you'd think there was!
More to come soon!
The yellow two wheels wear worn Hoosier A6's, and the black wheels wear OLD Hoosier MC Tires... MC, meaning 'Motorola Cup', when the car raced in the series back in 1999. Somehow there still is some meat on them (although I definitely would not really want to run an HPDE on them).
Since I plan to repaint the car blue with orange graphics/accents, I got to work by wet sanding them and getting all the old rubber and brake dust off on the both the inside and outside of the wheels (this took quite a while).
Once done with that, I painted them orange... well at least two of them (ran out of paint)
did 4 coats on each wheel without any clear... but you'd think there was!More to come soon!
02-15-12, 03:52 PM
#6
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
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02-16-12, 02:42 PM
#10
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
Thanks man! I was contemplating whether or not I should just drive the car as it was, but it hadn't gotten any love in quite a few years, and wanted to give it sort of a makeover (it deserved that at least for it being as reliable as it has... I hope I didn't just jinx it)
02-17-12, 08:15 PM
#12
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
I believe they are older, discontinued, KONIG wheels. Suspension is Ground Control/KYB GR-2 Shocks with Eibach Racing 6" Springs. The guy who raced it the past few years recently disconnected the rear sway bar to set it up for more understeer (not the quickest setup IMO but he did win with the car)
02-17-12, 08:16 PM
#13
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
02-19-12, 01:04 PM
#15
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
Haven't gotten much done recently, but yesterday I took mostly all the old and faded decals off the car and once it gets warmer, will finish painting the interior/cage, and start on the exterior body work before it goes in for paint.
Rear decals off:
Side decals off (now only to do the front end):
This is what I'm shooting for (only w/o those wheels... yet)
Rear decals off:
Side decals off (now only to do the front end):
This is what I'm shooting for (only w/o those wheels... yet)
02-19-12, 01:13 PM
#16
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
Some more pics of it over the years:
Hyperfest 2007 at Summit Point:
New Jersey Motorsports Park in April 2011:
My first Auto-X with the car (and 1st time ever driving it... and 1st time driving a rotary and 1st time driving w/o p/steering or ABS... it was a lot to get used to lol)
I have a few pics that I will scan soon of the car right when it was built back in '96.
Hyperfest 2007 at Summit Point:
New Jersey Motorsports Park in April 2011:
My first Auto-X with the car (and 1st time ever driving it... and 1st time driving a rotary and 1st time driving w/o p/steering or ABS... it was a lot to get used to lol)
I have a few pics that I will scan soon of the car right when it was built back in '96.
06-21-13, 03:37 PM
#20
NASA Pre-Rookie Racer
Thread Starter
Damn guys I'm sorry I haven't updated this thread in over a year
I still have the car. I finished much of the interior (wasn't able to really work on it during the winter months unfortunately). I was not able to get it to paint before the unmuffled event at Lime Rock this past Memorial Day, May 27th.
No new paint
Almost...
Ran out of POR-15 so I just said f-it and put the seat in a harnesses, etc.
The whole story about the event at Lime Rock is to come... let's just say 1/2 way through the first DE/TT session, the car went from having 12-13psi, to 7, then to 3, then 0... accompanied by a dentist drill whirring sound... all after 5.5 f-ing laps... sheesh.
I still have the car. I finished much of the interior (wasn't able to really work on it during the winter months unfortunately). I was not able to get it to paint before the unmuffled event at Lime Rock this past Memorial Day, May 27th.
No new paint
Almost...
Ran out of POR-15 so I just said f-it and put the seat in a harnesses, etc.
The whole story about the event at Lime Rock is to come... let's just say 1/2 way through the first DE/TT session, the car went from having 12-13psi, to 7, then to 3, then 0... accompanied by a dentist drill whirring sound... all after 5.5 f-ing laps... sheesh.
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