pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Hey rx7club,

I’ve just recently picked up an 87 S4 NA to rebuild and I’ve found a bit of a nasty mess waiting for me when I started pulling parts out for inspection. Here’s a (relatively) short list of surprises that came with it:

-The power steering pump and the A/C compressor are missing (at least their mounting studs and the rest of the A/C system are there)
-There were no accessory belts with it or on it
-The fuel pump and its hanger are missing, and probably so is the fuel level sensor. The fuel lines are dry rotted, too. The fuel filter probably isn’t new
-The fuel injectors are exterior-wise rusted and ugly, and the fuel rail spat out this nasty reddish gasoline with lots of sediment when I pulled them out. Injectors surprisingly had continuity and read ~13ohms (if I remember correctly)
-The spark plugs are covered in soot and have rust on the tips (may just be from the engine sitting around). The plug wires read a resistance of 500+ohms (not sure if this is right?)
-The water pump and its housing are corroded. It’s pretty bad. The pump itself is okay-ish, with rust and corrosion caked onto the blades and interior, but the pulley and blades don’t spin very freely. The housing is a total cluster____, with the lower coolant hose end missing chunks and deep cavities eaten out. The hoses attached to it were even worse. The thermostat was practically welded to the housing, and the thermostat housing was starting to corrode pretty badly as well
-The oil and filter need to be changed, but at least the fluid was at medium level
-There was oil and grime caked everywhere on the bottom half of the engine. The dude who sold it to me said there was a leak somewhere in the oil pan or gasket, so I’m praying it’s just the gasket because I don’t have an engine hoist
-The transmission and differential don’t have fluid in them
-One of the wheel studs were broken off and it was missing lug nuts
-The wheels are the stock 15” steelies and are on dry rotted, worn down tires. 3 of them are Michelins, the odd one out a Kumho. The rear tires were significantly more worn out (guess why?)
-The brake hoses were replaced with these funky looking blue braided lines, but the front ones were too short to reach the calipers. It was also missing brake hose locks, but I have those now
-The inner brake pads were wearing faster than the outer pads (though they were still in the safe zone) and there’s a ton of brake dust all over the shroud and calipers
-The previous owner said he swapped in a 5 lug with the 4-piston brakes from a junked FC onto this base model, so I’m not sure about how the caliper seals are holding up
-The clutch and brakes need to be bled, though surprisingly both master cylinders seem to be in decent condition
-The emergency brake handle was electric taped and the lock mechanism was missing. The actual cable wasn’t tightened down at the rear wheels
-The springs were cut front and rear and the struts look like they’re ready to **** themselves
-The bushings are quite nasty looking, dry-rotted, and some are missing chunks
-The outer tie rod boots are blasted to smithereens and the front right tie rod is missing the castle nut and pin
-The ECU is fried and there wasn’t a battery with it
-The tray under the engine is bent and sagging, probably because of the grime caked on top of it
-Random bolts and washers were scattered in the engine bay
-The headlights are missing (at least the headlight covers are there, though are a different color than the car)
-The bulbs for the rear lights weren’t put in the right housings
-The rear left quarter panel looks like it was involved in a nasty crash in that corner. There doesn’t appear to be any frame damage and the rear lights have been replaced, but there’s a sizable gap between the lights and panel
-There’s a bunch of random dents around the car as well, though there’s a particularly nasty looking mess under the driver side door. Door opens and closes fine though
-The passenger side lock is extremely finicky and will not accept the key it came with. You have to lock/unlock it from inside, though the door still appears to have come from the same car. Same paint, interior color, amenities, and condition as the rest of the car
-Lots of random interior trim is missing
-There are no seats or seatbelts. It also appears that the car had airbags, but there are none on the car any more (by the way, how can you tell for certain whether the car was supposed to or not?)
-You can hand crank the engine fine though

So yeah, I picked up a real treat. Pictures will come later. I have a list of things I want to do and items I want to get for the car, but the list repeatedly exceeded my budget I’ve set for the time being. Below is a complete list of stuff to go on the car. Considering that this car is supposed to be a daily driver that I want to take to the track occasionally, what do you think I should do/not do or add/remove for the current build session and/or save for the next wave of upgrades? I really wanted to emphasize longevity and handling over power (though, it does seem really underpowered in its current state of tune…)

Engine:
-Idemitsu Racing Rotary Motor Oil 10W-30 (12 qts)
-K&N Gold Wrench-Off Oil Filter
-Aktins Rotary S4 NA Steel Gasket Kit
-K&N Reusable Panel Air Filter
-NGK BUR7EQ & BUR9EQ Spark Plugs
-Magnecor R100 10mm Ignition Wires (used from Craigslist)
-OEM Accessory Belts
-FilterMAG
-Himni Racing Master Nut/Bolt Kit (yes, I know it’s for the Turbo, but I’m missing countless little things that are interchangeable between the Turbo and NA)
-Used A/C Compressor
-Used Power Steering Pump
-Used Oil Pan
-Atkins Rotary Thermal Pellet
Transmission and Rear End:
-Neo Synthetic 75W-90HD Gear Lube (trans and diff)
-OEM Transmission Seal Kit
-OEM Differential Seals and Crush Tube
-Magnetic Drain Plug
-Rotary Performance Stainless Steel Clutch Hose
-Mazda Performance Differential Mounts
-? Exedy Stage 1 Organic Clutch Kit ? (I haven’t checked the current clutch’s condition, but I’d wager that the engine wouldn’t have enough ***** to break it anyways)
-Rotary Performance Short Throw Shifter (probably unnecessary)
Suspension and Steering:
-Energy Suspension Complete Polyurethane Bushing Kit
-Racing Beat DTSS Eliminators
-Whiteline 27mm and 16mm Front and Rear Adjustable Sway Bars
-ISC Racing Coilovers with Camber Plate, Bilsteins, and Delrin Eyeballs (used off craigslist) [I might get KSport Kontrol Pros though, since I can find them new for cheap]
-Corksport Front and Rear Strut Towers (Speaker towers will be ground off)
-Racing Beat Rear Camber Adjusters
-Duralast Rack and Pinion Bellows (one is torn, the other is inflexible)
Wheels and Brakes:
-Motegi Racing MR126 16x7” Wheels
-Kumho Ecsta LE Sport Tires (205/55R16 I think)
-Stoptech Cryo-Treated Slotted Brake Rotors
-Stoptech STR-600 Brake Fluid (2x500mL)
-Hawk Performance HPS Brake Pads
-Goodridge G-Stop Braided Steel Brake Lines
-Rear Wheel Studs
-Timken Front and Rear Wheel Seals (for repacking the wheel bearings)
Electronics:
-PLX DM-6 Wideband with Bosch Wideband Sensor
-Autometer Single 52mm Gauge Pillar Pod (technically not electronics, oh well)
-Used N326 ECU
-Headlamps
Fuel System:
-Rotary Performance Fuel Filter
-¼” x 25’ Rubber Fuel Line
-Used Fuel Pump Hanger
-AEM Fuel Pump (320 lph)
-Deatschwerks 550cc Injectors (x4 - primary and secondary)
-Rotary Performance Fuel Injector Connector Pigtails (some are broken. Also, do I need new resistors or are these drop-in?)
-? Aeromotive FPR ? (any alternative/bolt-on suggestions for the FPR?)
Coolant System:
-OEM FL-22 Coolant + Distilled Water
-Racing Beat Coolant Hoses
-Silicone Vacuum Lines
-Generic Replacement Heater Hoses
-Koyo R-Core Radiator
-Fluidyne Electric Fan and Shroud
-Greddy Radiator Cap 1.3bar (for the filler neck)
-S4 Turbo Water Pump Housing, Pump, Thermostat, and Thermostat Housing Assembly (with turbo nipple plugged)
Misc:
-Corksport Mazdaspeed-Style Front Bumper (original is screwed up at the bottom)
-Sparco Sprint V Competition Fixed-Back Seats w/ Bases, Sliders, and Mounts
-Corbeau 5-Point Camlock Harnesses and Strap Covers
-OMP Steering Wheel (already thinking of getting rid of this)
-OEM Exhaust Hangers (missing 2 and the donut)
-Used Handbrake Mechanism
-Used Gas Door Locking Mechanism
-A Bunch of Hose Clamps
-A/C Cleaning Solvent
-A/C Charging Kit
-Amsoil MP Metal Protector
-Gasgacinch Gasket Sealer

Things I already have:
-Solid Motor and Transmission Mounts
-Super Start Extreme Battery w/ Terminal Protectors
-A lot of Simple Green (lol)
-K&N Gold Oil Filter
-Custom Fabricated Full Dual-Exit Exhaust System with Long Headers, Dual High Flow Catalytic Converters, and Borla Mufflers (came with the car)
-Spray Seafoam (for the Dynamic Intake)
-Random other interior and exterior care products (Meguiars all day)
-Access to lots of tools (and torque wrenches!)

Other Notes:

I’m not porting the engine, not this time around anyhow, so excess power is not an issue for me. Honestly, the only power enhancements on the car are the air filter, the exhaust system, and the fuel upgrades. I’m expecting little more than the stock power figures given the age and presumable condition of the engine.

I’m young and stupid, so I can handle dealing with fixed-back seats. I don’t intend on driving this car a whole lot at college either, considering it’s more bicycle friendly than car friendly.

If or when I get into track racing, I’m going to try diving into some heavy duty grip racing instead of drifting unlike most other FC drivers, so it’ll be pretty taxing on the components. Hopefully by that time, I’ll be able to afford more shiny stuff and will probably upgrade the tires to Hankook Ventus R-S3s or Continental ExtremeContact DWs.

I live in Arizona, so the roads are flat, but also tar-melting-ly hot.

The car needs to stay street legal. I bought this car not running so I need to get it going, pass emissions, and get it registered so I can transfer the title to my name soon (as per AZ law).

And some final questions…

Should I replace the engine bearings? I haven’t had the chance to actually crack open the engine and look, but I’m on a tight schedule

On that note, is it totally necessary to replace the seals and o-rings straight away or can I just get this thing running before worrying about whether I need to or not?

Are functional air bags required to register/emissions test a vehicle?

Is the safety equipment inspected in general?

Is there a rough estimate on how much it would cost to get the airbags reinstalled?

Thanks to everyone bothering to read through the whole thing!

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Your '87 never had airbags.

You have quite a detailed list of brand names you want to use but are disturbingly casual about the shell in particular.
The "mess under the drivers door" could be a deal breaker, you ought to look into that first.

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Okay, thanks on the airbags.

I suppose I've been exaggerating the body damage. The dent under the door is strictly the skirt. I'll include some pictures of the quarter panel as well.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Man, that poor car has been rode hard and put up dead.

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, no kidding. I was hoping u could give it the TLC it was way overdue, but it's going to need a lot of extra work. I'll upload more pictures when I get back home tonight

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Sorry I didn't get round to posting those pictures like I said I would, I got sick and didn't feel like resizing pictures in my mild delirium. On the flip side, I did get time to slow down and mull over the state of the car.

The previous owner said that the engine was sourced from another car that was running 2 weeks prior to the sale (it's been another 2 weeks since), but I seriously think that's total BS. Considering the state of the engine parts I've already taken out, it's probably been sitting for at least a year, if not 2. And, when rotaries sit for any period of time, it begs the question of why, which is now making me paranoid that the seals or o-rings crapped out.

The spark plugs were black and had a few rust deposits on them when I yanked them. I could pass off the black as just the engine oil or a rich running car, but the rust is worrying. I'll get it compression tested when I can and check the exhaust headers for bits of apex seal or coolant...

In the mean time, I've got the engine torn down to the rats nest (see attached picture). I realized (after snapping several brittle vacuum hoses) that I should go and get silicone vacuum hoses for Arizona's dry heat. Hose Techniques seems to be relocating and not taking orders. Has anyone tried Hiperformance for an NA FC? It says it covers "all vacuum hoses associated with the fuel injection system" but is that actually enough to replace everything associated with the emissions system?

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Pics, before I go to sleep.

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

And a couple more...

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Wow.

Step 1: remove oil cap.
Step 2: slide new car underneath.
Step 3: clean and reinstall oil cap.

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

I've been thinking it over, and it really isn't going to be economically viable to rebuild this car. I'll probably be tearing down the rest of the car and parting it out soon. I think the previous posts have already made the point that this car is truly a mess and would be too much of a hassle to bother with. Hopefully I'll be able to break even after parting everything out, but now I'm back in the market for a 7...

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

Man, we have almost all been there. I bought an '84 gsl-se, my favorite rx7 of all time. I knew it was in rough shape, but the initial glance told me it was restorable. Price was right too! After tearing in to it, I found huge chunks of bondo with expandable foam behind it making up most of the body. The drivetrain came out, then came the real fun. I found extensive frame damage that was far beyond repairable.

I parted it out and made more than what I had in to it, but it was definitely a learning experience.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Yes, we have.
I once worked at a shop where a customer brought in a old Jaguar saloon he had just purchased. Looked great but had some electrical issues (I know, surprise!).

Turned out that underneath the nice exterior (whoever did this was a real artiste) about 60% of the "body" was in fact, rags soaked in tar and covered in bondo. It was truly amazing how well executed this hack job was.

Of course the electrics didn't work, there was no ground path through the sheetmetal.

BTW, pzr2...
if you part out the car I'd be interested in the gas filler neck.

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Hahaha, thanks guys. I still feel like an idiot, but slightly less of one now.

As for the gas filler neck, I should have one, but I'd rather not ship out of Arizona.

And also, what do you guys reckon would be a rough estimate for a clean NA these days? There's a clean S5 GTU that's nice in and out (and actually running) in my area, but it's $4K. Especially odd because there's only 100 miles on a rebuild and he had some guy "with a bad rep" do it.

AGreen

iTrader: (11)

$4k is on the high side for an NA. It'd have to be one seriously clean car for that price. I hope that engine was rebuilt properly for that price. I've seen some nasty pics of what some shops will put in their rebuilds

pzr2

iTrader: (3)

Yeah, just as I thought. I'll find a time to actually test drive the car and see if I can wiggle any anomalies out of it. Thankfully there are websites out there like Aaron Cake's, otherwise I'd have no idea where to even start.

In the meanwhile, a WTB on this forum wouldn't be a bad idea.