Introducing myself on this forum, (first forum I've ever registered/used, so I'm a little confused on using one, but starting to get the hang of it.) I live in central Kansas and was looking for a small fun car that needed work for a second vehicle. I was looking for a 1st Gen RX7, but most I saw were so rusty and beat they weren't worth the time. I finally found one in Oklahoma and have to go pick it up. I used to have a 75 rotary pickup, boy was that thing a lot of fun to drive. Unfortunately I was dumb enough to sell it. The car has low compression on the number 2 rotor so I'm going to need to rebuild it. When I was trying to research a question on the net it kept referring me back to your site. I figured if there's a group this knowledgeable out there I had to join. I'll be looking for lots of information, since as with all the other projects I've taken on over the years I'm sure this one will take twice as long and cost twice as much as expected. Hope to be able to get to some of the events and meet other members in person. Good to meet all of you, Thanks.

 

Frank, thanks for taking the time to get into the whole forum thing and for registering with our website! The more 1stgen folk who join, the better, sez I! Got a couple of them myself.

Welcome aboard!

Mario III

 

Thanks, Irelly liked these cars when they came out but for 1 reason or another I never got one. Remedying that oversight with this one, but it's gonna be a learning experience. I've rebuilt plenty of piston engines, but the one rotary I had never missed a beat while I had it. So the only mechanical experience I've got with them is basic tuneup and maintenance. Already picking up a lot from the FAQ and other sections.

 

Well, alrighty! Good job! Biggest thing to remember is that it's all been done before so don't kill yourself trying to re-invent the wheel, as it were. The answer to any question is buried somewhere on this site.

 

army or marine corp?

 

USMC, Uncle Sam's misguided children.

 

hey Sarge,

I also didn't jump on board the first go around, ideal for second cars due to their age but fun lil boogers. Like Mar said tons of info here and the rotary community as a whole is an awesome bunch of people you will see as you read around of the response of fellow owners when someone finds themselves in a jam

happy brap brap

 

I was looking for a small car I could run around in that was still a lot of fun. Looked at some of the older MR2s, X1/9s, etc. When I came on the RX7s, I remembered how much fun my REPU was that I had back in the early 80s and figured this was the car for me. Getting lots of info on the cars/engine. Found a 79 SA with a pristine body/interior, but no compression in the number 2 bank. So I get to figure out what to do about the engine before I can really enjoy it. Reading up on what everybody else is doing in here really helps. Giving me lots of ideas, that cost more than I wanted to spend though, isn't that the way it always goes with car projects?

 

nice to meet you sarge! salute!

 

Well, finally got the 12A pulled apart yesterday. The rear rotor and housing, that had no compression, is almost perfect. Unfortunately the front housing and iron is showing a lot of wear with a big gouge in the housing by the exhaust port. The rotor must have hit it at one time. The strange part is that this was the rotor that was still working. I think the apex springs collapsed on the rear rotor some time ago and they must have kept driving it on one rotor overloading the front. Unless I can find a good 12A front housing and iron, it looks like I'd better find a 13B.

 

Just an update for those interested. I bought an 87 NA shell with a good engine to swap over. Well the engine went in fine, (85 13B front cover and oil pan). The 87 transmission fit with the 79 mounts, had to weld in the shifter transmission tunnel housing from the 87. (I wanted the shifter further back anway, short arms) Cut out the stock radiator surround from the 87 and welded it into the 79, I had to do it this way to get the shroud and everthing to sit correctly. Fabricated a pickup box that mates to the modified stock 87 airbox which was relocated under the front headlight for a cold air box. Swapped in the 87 fuels lines and the 87 fuel tank, this made it necessary to relocate the fuel filler to the rear panel under the license plate. The 87 exhaust heat shields were modified (i.e. big hammer) to fit on either side of the fuel tank and the rear valance was modified, to accept dual exhaust. The only problem with this is going to be that I'll need to remove the Watts link and go to a panhard bar setup for over the axle clearance on the driver's side pipe. I swapeed the entire wiring harness engine and interior in from the 87. Unfortunately a lot of the relays etc. as well as the dash, except instrument cluster, are missing. Including the dash harness that connects into the main harness. It's in and fitting well but I'm becoming intimate with the FC wiring diagrams. I still have to figure where to hookup most of the 79 switches etc. Right now I'm modifying the instrument panel to put in the 87 instrument cluster so it looks like it's supposed to be there. (That sound you hear is me banging my head on the wall.) One of these days it will run again, I swear. And the fun continues...