So as many here one of my dream cars is a Financial Disaster,

well I finnaly made the plunge yesterday... after trolling the boards for over 4 years... and dreaming


Picked up a 1992 VR, R1, good shape...

It was purchased from a local (450 kms away)

It almost completely stock from what I seen, has a small coolant leak, (unable to pinpoint so far, hoping its small *fingers crossed*)

has Cat back, nothing under the hood is touched (from what I could see)

and just an turbo timer and DVD deck he put in, previous owner before the last repainted it, (not the greatest job, but it works, some massive over spray) put new tires on it (almost a year ago)



plans as of now? AST, Rad, might be picking up a power FC localy (again like 700kms away)










Let me know what you think...



J.

 

I saw that car and was actually thinking of getting it.

Good luck with it and congratulations, hopefully my first FD will be coming very soon.

 

congratulations on the pick up. Car looks clean, reminds me when i first got mine. try to find out the coolant leak before you start anything else..hopefully its nothing major.welcome to the site and if you have questions we have very helpful and knowledgeable members here.

 

Congratulations! looks good! makes me nostalgic of first FD, looked almost the same when I got it. If you can't find the source of the coolant leak, I'd have Adam give it a good once over at RX7 Specialists in Calgary. Good luck!

 

Thanks Guys... yeah im excited... I have not even really driven it yet!!! if all goes well.. this weekend,

Hey Shifty... what kind of rims do you have on your FD?

previous owner said "its just a small coolant leak" says it slow over time, so mreh.. I will find it, and fix i, got AST on the way, looking at trying to Pawn off a few parts from local FD that people are trying to sell... maybe get an intake or some other goodies for a good price, give them my stock one.... hopefully, will see.

I would have much rather gotten a LHD FD, but for $10,000 cheaper, and in really nice shape (the price was right too) I had a hard time turning my back on this deal...
its still sitting outside the guys house.. go down this weekend to get it back to a safe haven...

I have two choices, take it my parents house in Red Deer (central alberta) or trailer it back up to where I live Fort McMurray (you all know where that is)


J.

 

Congrad, have fun with the RHD FD.... welcome aboard~!

 

mmm, engine bay looks like a virgin. Good luck with the mods and congrats on the buy.

thewird

 

nice pick up

I hope its leaking coolant on the ground or externally and not consuming it

 

yeah looks like it might be the rad (only had a second to check it out) so easy enough if thats it..

I cannot complain either way.. the engine started in minus 23 celicus (aprox) like it was a nice hot summer day,

and even if the leak is more then the rad.. I got a decent deal on the car so I cannot complain about replacing a few parts...


J.

 

Nice, clean looking FD - what's with the rash on the left door though?

Hopefully the leak is external, not a seal. FWIW, my 7 had a very slow leak from somewhere around the lower rad hose at the engine for a number of years - then it just stopped. Now, it weeps a little around the air sensor in the top of the rad, not enough to worry about, just enough to put a wif of coolant smell on the air when you open the hood sometimes.

 

your missing the ducting for the ic and airbox

 

This is true....

I think I may have found the coolant leak, well in theroy at least...

Got the car taken to my brothers house, took it out for a while, let it sit for an hour or two, start it up. Instantly the low coolant comes on, I immediately turn the car off and pop the hood, under further inspection I find that there is no coolant in the resivour, so I go pick some up, start pouring it in, get about 3/4 liter in. Stop to just check something, and all I hear is coolant dripping out onto the ground. So I have not had a chance to look at it yet, but I'm thinking it would be safe to assume it is the resivour that needs replacing...

Does this sound somewhat right... or am I out to lunch....





J.

 

Your adding coolant to the reservoir tank?
Best way to determine a coolant leak/problem is to pressurize the system to 10 psi and look for leaks, this will not tell you if your reservoir tank is bad but will find all other leaks.
If there is coolant visible its a easy fix, if you have a pressure drop and no coolant is visable you have much bigger problems.
Keep us posted on your findings....

 

congrats on the purchase..i remember when i got my first FD..came with a bad battery because it sat for a few months even after a boost and running it would die..


hopefully that leak isnt to bad, best of luck on the car..time for some sweat and tears over the course of the ownership

 

Well I do not know foresure, as I have only driven the car for under an hour, but I do not believe it is on the presure side of system.... As of right now I have avsolutly no information to back this up, I also would really like to believe that it is the resivour, and not an engine seal.... Lol

when all the coolant was draining out, it was draining out right out from the front drivers (JDM) corner, right where I'm assuming the resivour tank is... I have yet to pull the car into the garage and either confirm or deny this... But it is my current hypothisis...


J.

 

I have one of those parts you are missing. I was asking $35 plus shipping.

PM me if you are interested and congrats on the new wheels!

 

So I was in the process of driving my baby back up from where it was stored to where I live (Fort McMuuray) and on the way up i blew my coolant seal...

that was the day of the Mens Oylimpic hockey Final, (feburary 28) I was 19kms from my parents house when I pulled her over to assess the damage,


well long story short, decided to rebuild it myself, cause I wanted to learn, I was a bit apprehensive about messing something up, but I decided too anyways...


well after a month and a half of driving 700kms (one way) to even work on the car, it finally all came together last Saturday night, For some reason me and my dad mad a bet for $100, I get three cranks if it starts at all.... he owes me, if it does not start and idle for a tiny bit, I owe him...


so here is the video of the first start http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EsfA7hrmVM


as you can bet I was quite happy with the result....


the lumpy idle is cause by a few things

foremost

Emissions removal,
New Turbos,
New full through exhaust
Street port


also the motor has Rotary Avaiation "Super Seals" in it, they were the only ones readily avaliable to me at the time of the rebuild, so I went with them....


I am quite proud she "runs" as of right now, got a booking in for tuning middle of June (ick) but until then I will be a slow break in period...


Let me know what you guys think...


J.

 

Good stuff. You should twist the idle screw so it idles high for the first bit, you shouldn't let it lope like that on the first start lol. The engine just needs to build some compression. With a street port, it should idle between 900-1,100 RPM anyway depending on how big it is for a nice idle.

thewird

 

Will do, i'm heading back down this weekend, another 1400kms on the DD.... lol

I spent 17 hours friday working on it, had 4 hours sleep, then another 12 hours, and then she started, so I was just happy she started at all..


J.

 

Excellent work on the rebuild and first time start.

 

As stated above, be very careful with the catless/straight through exhaust.

They love to over boost.

And congratulations on the first build ever. Always very satisfying the first start up.

 

I have a set of BNR stage 3's on it, I was talking to Brian before I threw it all together, he said that with the new turbos, I *should* be fine, not encounter any creep, or overboosting,

but either way I am currently looking in a boost controller that retains the sequential setup, among a few other parts...

I want to install the FMIC I have, yet I feel more inclined to sell it and get a SMIC, because of the better track performance...

feel free to chime in on that idea... I want to track the car more, but its hard out here, we only have one "real" local track, and its used by carts and bikes most of the time, other then that, its just drag strips....


I'm also considering either new fuel setup, or just bump up the factory pump for a while (better voltage)


any suggestions will be considered

here is another short video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3BqB0atiEw



J.

 

Sweet progress!

I don't have an fd so I can't give you any advice. Nice car though.