This is great... very educational. Good luck with the drama queen – the project is looking good so far.

 

I kinda just assumed that it's because everything else was so worn back there (bushings-wise)... When I took out those DTSS bolts the bushing completely ripped apart and part of it is seized onto the bolt - It's actually easier to buy new ones. There is a little half-cylinder sliver of metal in there that's supposed to be part of the bushing... it just fell out. So whatever.
That being said.. get a new FC! I don't care if it's V8 just as long as it revs past 5,000rpm.

Thanks Jim!

Thanks HiWire... lots more to do over the winter.







I joined up with a rally team this year to crew and help build a new chassis up so that will likely take priority on the weekends over the Drama Queen... unless I
still have enough energy for late-night wrenching.
Today we started outfitting the service truck with some of the gear it'll get in the back.


I'm also not allowed to post pictures of the car until it's all done I might even get in trouble for posting this! lol... Luckily no one knows which team it is so whatever.

 

I know what you mean about the DTSS bushings, I nearly replaced every bolt on the rear suspension, the carrier bolts were ok everything else were done, I actually ordered the last set of toe bolts for Fc in north america

 

I actually think that DTSS stands for:
Damn That's Stupid ****!
..you can get the 21mm headed bolts but you have to buy the whole assembly to get "that bushing"..That is unless you go with aftermarket eliminators.(so you save 600 bucks!)

 

My Vert had this issue as well, may it runs in the family? Solved by just going with adjustables and new camber bolts, etc.
Definitely gotta try an visit ya and see your progress!!

 

And pick up your K&N filter! lol

 

Some more stuff going on... decided to get the carpet out to clean it properly and to see if there is any rust needing attention.




And she's naked...


Not much rust under the carpet to worry about. I think I'll be able to just wire brush a few crusty spots and POR-15 (or something similar) over it. There is a lot of bubbling on the sound deadening stuff but I don't think that's a sign of rust underneath is it?
I will likely also spray some sort of sound/insulation liner before the carpet goes back in... no way I'm putting that rats-nest material back in there!


Then I started brushing the crap off the rear subframe to see how bad it would be to hand-clean all the suspension parts before I paint them. I think I'll just take it a friends home-shop to do some sandblasting though...

 

Charles, so pumped for you for the progress so far your build is moving faster than mine lol

 

haha thanks Ken... guess whose build will be moving faster AFTER being done?!

 

Great job on your build!

 

Awesome work. I remember doing all this work on my car.

 

Thanks guys



So Here's what I got up to tonight...a little bit of search and destroy...
Went over the car interior with a pick, a wire brush, a mini scraper, and I used my phone camera to peer inside some of the gussets and places you can't see
directly into. The worst interior rust is the driver's side floor.

Starting with the front underneath the fuse boxes and pedals...


Then this is just before the front seat mount


Then in between the two seat mounts


And this is the rear behind the rear seat mount


And finally.... this is the result of about 10 minutes of wirebrushing underneath at the inside of the seam on the driver's side. Passenger side is just as bad but at
least I can see SOME fresh metal (if you can call that fresh). It sounds okay when you tap on it, meaning it isn't completely rotten through yet (I think) so I'll see
about just cleaning it up better and getting some POR-15 or something. At least until I can afford to take it to a body shop or get it to the rally car garage where
we can do some welding... Papi say no welding in "his" garage 'cause he don't want no fires...





Meanwhile I've been fixing some of the broken tabs and mounts and vents and UGGHHH FROZEN F***ING PLASTIC TRIM PIECES!!!!

 

Yeah, I hate touching that old brittle trim when it's cold.
I'm waiting for a sunny day in July.

 

Good progress dude its gettin there.

 

^ Thanks Mike

Order is in for a Prothane kit, $500 worth of OEM stuff, and some Mazdacomp stuff...

Getting the stuff ordered at Gyro, it looked as though a lot of Rx-7 parts have been replenished in the North American warehouses. They had plenty of quantity of everything suspension- and steering-related that I looked up. Either that or it's just suspension stuff that they keep. Interesting though.

 

Yeah, all that rust/rot along the seam between the floor and the door sill is very familiar. I thought my car was really clean, but it turns out all the rot is hidden in/under that seam sealer. Actually the next step on my build is to scrape all that away and weld it up from both the bottom and interior of the car.

 

every FC i've had, had issues along that seam interesting its on your vert I assumed it was just because of the sunroof drains

 

Got the amp bracket cut out of some scrap sheet metal we had lying around the rally car shop... Not particularly pretty by any means but it will be painted black and hidden under the rear deck anyways. The phrase "that'll do pig, that'll do" comes to mind.


Unfortunately I may be waiting quite a while until I get at it again as school is already kicking my *** this semester.
In the mean time I thought it would be funny to show how I organize things when I have a lot of parts to consider ordering.



Until next time...

 

I'm actually going to steal that excel format for my list of future purchases for my build!

 

I just got an email from Carl at Lucky-10 saying they've got some new products up for the rear suspension... UGH! They look fantastic and it's too bad I already put my order in for most of all my stuff.

https://www.facebook.com/Lucky10RDF/photos_albums

On that note, all my OEM parts are on their way home tonight!

 

your car is Slow

 

^Your car is nonexistent...

 

:'(

 

Lucky 10 do have good suspension parts. When I buy another FC to build for track only use I am buying alot of suspension and chasis parts from Lucky 10.

 

Alrighty... Got a shipment of parts from the dealer I was waiting for.


Still have to get all my suspension parts media blasted and painted, so I'll do this in the mean time... If you recall that stupid coolant leak from one of these suckers



Clean that ****.


New seal goes on snuggly.


And torque to 28 lbf*ft


and then REPEAT A MILLION F-IN TIMES


Now QUESTION... I started with the bottom tension bolt with the intent of letting the coolant drain from there before I move on
to the rest but not a lot of coolant came out. I thought the bolts went through the coolant passages and that's the point of these
seals so why didn't all of the coolant from the engine block drain out? I took the coolant filler cap off so there's no pressure difference.