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TL;DR I bought a Pro-7 spec 1982 RX7 to turn into a giant-killing, vintage IMSA-esque endurance racer!
Hello all! Long-time lurker. first time poster here to share with y'all what I'm up to. First, a little about me and the I'll tell y'all about the racer and what the plans for it entail.
I'm a 20-something engineering student who's taking a break from class due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I'm using my newfound time to both work on my project racer, and also work to afford the parts it needs! I've been passionate fan of motorsports for the last decade or so, with a particular fondness for the vintage and historic racing scenes that are prevalent here in the States, so much so that I've spent the last several years working as a mechanic, prepping for events and as a tracks mechanic, for a vintage racer who owns a business restoring mostly old Chevys for vintage racing, mostly Greenwood Corvettes, Trans-Am Camaros and Can-Am McLarens. There's something about those stripped down, barebones, archaic racing machines that really gets my blood flowing! Having worked several races has had me yearning to participate for what feels like ages now, and that time has finally come!
A few months ago I purchased a Pro-7 spec 1982 RX7 from a man named Rick Shea. Rick raced the car for several seasons all over SoCal and did quite well! The car has a number of win stickers to prove it! His shift in focus to racing Formula Mazdas found him wanting to sell his RX7 and I was lucky enough to purchase it. The car is completely stripped of all unnecessary weight and prepped to the Pro-7 regulations. The 12A engine in the car at purchase was last rebuilt by Mazdatrix in 2011 and had carbon apex seals installed. However, after running hard for 8 seasons or so, either the apex seals or the seal springs are failing, as evidenced by the engines inability to start with just the starter. The engine runs great if the car is pushed started or pulled by a golf-kart, but it needs some work. I purchased another 12A of unknown history and provenance from a different racer that had been rolled and that engine turned out to be bridge ported! That engine has oil pressure problems though, and I suspect (if its not actually my gauge that is broken) the oil pump is failing, or perhaps the oil seals.
My plans for the car is to get it sorted and get it on track ASAP! As I gain skill and experience I'd like to build the car up to an IMSA GTU or ATCC Group C spec and race it in vintage series, eventually moving to endurance racing like Chumpcar! I hope to one day build it into an IMSA GTO endurance racer like Allan Moffat's 1985 Dayton 24 hours entry, maybe even eventually building a replica of the 1983 Racing Beat 1983 Daytona 24 hours GTO class winner!
Here are some pics of how the car is currently configured:
Here"s Moffat's car I'd love to replicate
Welcome!! That's no doubt a killer car when its sorted out!! The Moffat car has been around for some time and seems to be a benchmark for many. The car is gorgeous. Will look forward to seeing how your build goes! Feel free to post a build thread in the 1st Gen section!
Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm definitely excited to get this car build started and I plan on making a build thread for it. It may be a rather protracted one, but it'd be fun to chronicle it none the less. I will definitely be making a 1st gen technical post to try and diagnose my oil pressure woes. I have a feeling its the oil pump and I'll be needing assistance swapping that out. I've heard horror stories if the Torrington slipping down into the engine if the clutch set depressed as one removes the cover plate and I'm scared to ruin my motor... but that's a topic for a different subthread!
Its actually a pretty easy job honestly. I would recommend removing the engine and either routing it on a stand so that it can be rotated or resting the engine on the flywheel. Either is fine, just so long as the eccentric shaft is pointing vertically. This will help with the thrust bearings.
02-02-21, 04:53 PM
