When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Some of you may have remembered my 1987 Base Rx7 build back in the day about 5 years ago or so. Did a lot of work to it, but then ended up parting it out and selling my FC parts and crap because I got into the 3rd gen Rx7 realm.
I started a build thread on my FD, well I had two, and then ended up parting out my 20B and sold my FD.
I did not have a connection with either of my FDs. I actually started missing my FC. I enjoy the lines more than the FD for some reason.
Anyways over the years I have owned over 10 2nd gens and 2 3rd gen Rx7s. My friends get worried every time I own a 2nd gen in fear that I'll part it out and scrap the shell. After all, that is pretty much what I did.
Are you going to get to the build story yet?
Yes, yes I will lol.
The start of it
So about a week ago (around June 20, 2017) I was searching craigslist like I always do. I had recently purchased a 1990 miata for the track since it is a less expensive car to maintain in theory so I was not intending on buying another car.
(About a month ago I owned about six (6) cars and now I was down to only two. )
When I was searching on craiglist I noticed an 89 T2 for sale that had recently price dropped from $4500 to $2500.
Out of my curiosity, I of course texted the person asking to go check it out.
The 7 had the following work done to it:
1) PBM $1400 coilovers
2) PBM Rear camber arm
3) some konig 17" white rims
4) walbro fuel pump
5) partial emissions delete
6) CX racing front mount intercooler
7) HKS BOV
8) some made in Japan exhaust
9) downpipe
10) JDM S5 engine
11) GReddy comp tube
12) Duraflex front bumper
13) JDM flash to pass lenses w/ working lights
So I went to check the 7 out.
Now usually when I go to look at a car I care mainly for body damage and that there is no rust. The paint really doesn't concern me as much as I can paint. But rust is key.
Well this car apparently was originally was from Texas so it was supposed to be a clean body.
When I got there, the kid had spray painted the car with white spray paint in spots. The body looked semi clean with exception of the dents on the passenger side rear 1/4. The undercarriage was harder to see since the car was sitting so low. But all in all it was in decent shape.
The front duraflex bumper was super ugly IMO and it needed to go.
Right off of the bat I knew I wanted it, but I did not want to pay $2500. Hell the most I have ever paid for an FC was $1040 and that was for a clean 88 T2.
Pics from CL add
My initial intention was to part this out. Seemingly good compression engine, good suspension, add-ons, hell I could triple the amount I paid for it.
I told myself that if there were any areas of rust on the car that I could push my fingers through or something similar I would part it out and scrap it.
Well...When I was finally able to get it in the garage, got it on stands, to my relief, there was only pinch weld damage, but nothing horrible. The body was still solid. Someone had undercoated the car before. Maybe it saved it, maybe it is just a cover, but from what I could tell it is still a solid little car.
What is the purpose of this build?
The purpose of this build is really just to drive it. There are a few things I need to fix that really bug me.
I would like to get it up and running again for PG2 this year, but who knows.
I plan to run the stock turbo and injectors until the engine pops.
I plan to run the Adaptronic M1200 w/ smart coils first. My buddy Shawn at Turblown/Turbosource is going to help me tune it (and wire it in right buddy? LOL).
So now my build saga begins....
Enjoy the show, I do hope to gain conversation for this build and suggestions.
I will update often and have about 70 pics already. Each day or week I will update accordingly.
Thanks again ,
Nick
Last edited by Broke_A_Baller; 08-07-17 at 03:07 PM.
Up on jack stands. The only body damage that was visible.
OMG UGLY job on the intercooler piping. <br/><br/>I am missing the bottom brace/support from this side if anybody has one they'd sell please let me know.
fender damage. Looks like someone did a shitty job repairing it too.
Prepare yourself for the worst hack job of an intercooler piping spots ever. The PO did not know what he was doing
Hackjob on the passenger side intercooler piping hole
even worse on the driver side
Chassis harness damage
Started removing the intercooler piping
front bumper and intercooler removed
Nice shot of the samco hoses and koyo radiator. <br/><br/>Oh I forgot to mention the car has a dual belt alt pulley, but the bolt to tighten the alt was NOT EVEN INSTALLED!
Ok guys/gals. I need some advice as how to run the ABS delete.
ABS removal...
Why I hate ABS (well just that it leaks brake fluid and destroys paint)
Rough sketch of brake diagram
a box of deadening material and the mats under the bins, rear hatch carpet, and spare trunk area.
I will weigh it today to see how much weight was removed.
That is all for now. I am making some Nylon braided oil cooler hoses for the oil coolers. Thought I had some parts leftover from my 20b Build, but could not locate where my dang 16mm x 1.5 x -10an adapter was
Yesterday I got to weighing what I removed so far for sound deadening and unnessary padding and it came to 27.6lbs.
I still have to remove the deadening in the storage bin area, trans tunnel area, and the footrest areas.
it should be about 40lbs of material removed.
Also, I brought the carpet to the cleaners to get cleaned. It came back bleached and I wasn't too happy about that. So I'll need to determine what I should do for carpet now. I will likely just keep it for now and change it out later. Who knows lol.
parts I need for yet:
two s5 fenders,
s5 front bumper,
underbody engine shield (will likely just get one made out of aluminum),
new hood release cable (I shattered mine),
shifter rebuild kit (mines wiggly),
POR-15 for coating the interior floorboards,
probaboy more.
thoughts on paint:
should I keep it white or use up my midori green I had from my rx8 build?
It has been a while since I posted an update, but it was because I have been working on getting my car back together and ready to be wired up with the ecu.
Before I post a massive amount of pics I wanted to give you a rundown on what I did since I last posted.
I sold the 17x7.5 + 37 Konig rims w/ 205 wide toyo tires and replaced them for some 5zigen 17x9 +35 245 45 17 tires. I personally do not like the 45 series sidewall, but they are cheap tires and I will hopefully burn them off and get new tires by proving grounds 2.
I cleaned up the interior, ran my battery cables, put most of the interior back in. cleaned up some of the engine bay crap that was there.
I ordered:
1) Adaptronic m1200
2) 4 smart coils
3) injector clips
4) some other clips
5) raychem dr 25 heatshrink
6) broadway mirror (because that review mirror sucks)
I probably forgot some things, but whatever.
Battery setup
For my battery relocation I ended up deciding to run the battery in the rear spare tire location. SO what I used wsa the largest size that was readily available to me, which was 1/0 gauge.
I ran one from the starter to the battery location for the positive. Used 4g for the oem relay box to run to the positive location as well. Then for the negative I ran one from the engine to the battery location and then another from the chassis to the battery location.
I will just get on to the pics now. Patience and enjoy
Looking like Tuesday next week we'll be getting this M1200 modular ECU installed.
In the meantime I have acquired a parts FC that i will be parting out and selling the roller.
I will be doing the following:
1) s4 lower control arm mod (had some red energy suspension bushings)
2) manual steering rack conversion
3) manual side mirror conversion ( )
4) FD caliper swap
5) braided brake lines
WOW can I say that this lower control arm crap is a pain. if it isnt the stupid ball joints that are stuck with in the hub, its the bolt not going through the hub where the ball joint is.
In order to get ready for the track i need to make sure that my car is safe.
I need new brake pads (getting hawk pads), new tires, and a lot of hope/faith.
06-28-17, 08:14 AM
)
