Rob's Weekend Special (picture heavy)
 

Three years ago, I sold my 240 Coupe (in the pic below) and bought a 89 FC N/A for 3k. My reasoning....because rotary. The car was unmolested. 30,000 on the original clock. It was well maintained, rocking a failed MOP, stock interior, and freshly overs-prayed with a new coat of white paint.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/E_L_I_A_N/1.jpg

I got to drive the car a total of once before I got handed my orders to Japan. So for two years the FC sat in my old man's garage while I spent my time playing with this beauty, a 94 Pulsar GTiR. (I will post videos and pictures from my time in Japan eventually)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43..._A_N/Front.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/E_L_I_A_N/Back.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43.../FrontSeat.jpg

As I got near the end of my tour, I started getting the itch. I started to feel like I had abandoned my FC while I hooned around the mountains in the GTiR. So I started buying parts. The basic stuff for tune ups first. (Spark plugs, fluids, hoses, belts, etc.)

Then things got real: PaceSetter Headers, Corksport 2.5 cat-back exhaust, Powered By Max Coil-Overs, Turbo-II 4 pot front brakes, and Corksport strut bars (front and rear).

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...72672724_o.jpg

2.5 Test Pipe (muffler man special)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...04_142859.jpeg

I then got my orders to Cherry Point, NC. With two weeks of leave, my wife & 5 month old daughter, and extended family; I found myself with almost no time to prep the car for the 13.5 hour drive to NC.

So my best friends and I set to many cold/long nights:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...107_203600.jpg

We removed the air-pump and EGR with the exhaust and sourced a double sheaved alternator pulley from Racing Beat.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...107_203606.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...107_192212.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...107_203624.jpg

It took us till the eleventh hour, but in the end we got the FC ready to roll and I made the 13.5 hours in what felt like a brand new car.

After getting to NC, I started going about bypassing the failed MOP by picking up a RTek 1.0 from pyrod27. I followed this up with a headlight motor from 00xtremist to fix a winking problem the car developed during its 2 year slumber.

Then I got my gear from Japan and picked up a HKB hub kit and Sparco quick release hub so that I could fit the Imola RS steering wheel from my GTiR. At which point meximan was kind enough to provide me with a steering surround after I destroyed mine during the hub install.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...06_160135.jpeg

Next an upgrade to the rear brakes came courtesy of brapdashdbrap. Turbo-II calipers to match vented rotors.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43..._N/qMtDOo1.jpg

This is how she currently sits awaiting the arrival of a set of vert rims:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...112_134218.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...112_134157.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...112_134143.jpg

Very clean car man! And 30,000 miles, nice find... Can't wait to see what you do next!

Those pinstripes though.

Clean find

Not much of an update this weekend. I spent some money on new oil pan and gasket via Mazdatrix. Also scored a NRG magnetic oil drain plug off a guy at work.

I'm going to try to get some Himni Polyurethane Motor Mounts before the oil pan get here, considering I have to lift the engine up anyway; might as well replace the stock mounts.

Great build, nice start!

PM'd you about motor mounts.

The next set of packages have started to come in. My Mazdatrix package isn't due in until next week, but I at least got my magnetic drain plug.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...121_194845.jpg

After a week of snow days (2 inches and NC shuts down apparently), I got a Friday morning surprise when all of my mail arrived.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43...131_094626.jpg

I might just be able to get some work done this weekend. Hopefully my job doesn't decide that another weekend of 24 hour operation is a good idea.


*Note: Also I've realized I'm being a total knob by not scaling down the pictures posted directly from my phone. I will attempt to make things a bit cleaner in the future. Sorry to all of the low desktop resolution guys out there.

Just scored a set of front control arms (plan on doing all new bushings and it's easier with them off the car) and front hubs. I plan on sending the hubs off to be modded by either PBM or someone here on the forums. Both of these parts are courtesy of Rotary Resurrection's Ebay Store.

*Pictures are potato quality from Ebay

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/E_L_I_A_N/_571.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y43/E_L_I_A_N/_57.jpg

Can't see the pics but from what I read it sounds it is going to be a nice build. :icon_tup: I am just starting a build on my 90 vert. Look forward to more!

I would of rather seen you pick up a spare set of s4 FLCA. Why? Replaceable ball joint. But looking good so far brother.... well, that pinstripe though.....

I am kicking myself for not doing the research on this one. Well it was only thirty dollars mis-spent. Still hurts in the long run, but now I am on the hunt for some S4's.

I know. I know. I plan on taking care of that eventually.

Didn't have time to pick up RTV for the oil pan, so I opted to just replace the motor mounts.

Attachment 651942

Solid mounts are solid.

Sweet ride

This is what happens when I get the day off work and

Attachment 651885

Purple oil pan is really purple.

great build so far love it

Scariest day of my life: due to circumstance...my wife is driving my FC to work until next Friday. :'( I have never been this tense in my life.

The new oil pan is on and the cold start system has been deleted. Now it's time to wait for my next box from Powered by Max to arrive. :blatant foreshadowing:

Looks good man. I'm halfway through writing up a bit of my decade w rotaries and mostly through my vert build.

I would HIGHLY recommend changing all of the driveline mounts. If your motor is more solid then the rest of it the. Things will move at different rates making stress higher in places it should. IE motor is solid but trans is stock and floppy - so there will be a lot of stress between the motor and trans. Not good. Plus new mounts (even stock) make a big difference after 2+ decades.

That's the next job on the schedule.

I finally got my hands on a set of S4 LCAs; As well as some solid trans mounts. Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, I am going to a local import yard to strip rear end off of a S4 Turbo II. Might even rip out the heater core to replace mine and get myself a working wiper switch!

I got my PBM box yesterday, just not the one I was expecting. :/

Attachment 651198

I had a little bit of time to poke around the engine bay last night and I found the unmistakable drips of oil pooling on the MOP. So a quick jaunt over to Banzai Racing has netted me a MOP delete plate and banjo bolts.