While watching the Import vs domestic World Cup a couple weeks ago, I told my wife how I’ve always loved the first gen body style. A few minutes later I opened Facebook on my phone and this sweet little thing is listed for sale a few miles from me. Ford 302, T5 manual trans and the stock diff. Hideous hood scoop, decent paint and very nice original interior. Couple small rust spots on the lower front fender. But otherwise very solid. The rear diff is destroyed and I’m planning a 8.8 swap. I’ve narrowed Ranger diffs before using the short side/long side method which yields a housing 2 inches narrower than the stock FB which will allow me to use 4x108 mustang axles and a 1 inch 4x108-110 spacer adapter which will bring it back to stock width and bolt pattern.
The kid selling it got it from his dad with the bad diff, and had zero mechanical knowledge and no money to have it fixed. Had it listed for $2500 with two really terrible pictures that made the paint look like patches of primer. I talked to the kid on the phone, told him what I thought it would need to get it back on the road, and made a deal for $1700.
My son-in-law and I went to see it. The kid yells from the house “pull the cover off and take a look, I’ll be out in a minute” We pulled the cover off, my son-in-law looks at me and says “$1700…are you f#%king kidding?”.

I swear this thing gets cooler every time I look at it. Anyway, thanks for having me, and I’m in the market for a non perforated hood if anyone is in the Pittsburgh region.
cheers,
Dusty

 

That is a sweet looking car, 1700 was a steal. Rotary Engineering out of Santa Barbara has fiberglass hoods available if you want to go that route.

 

Welcome to the forum, and killer deal you got there.

 

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new RX-7!! You definitely got a great deal on the car! What are your plans for the car?

 

Thank you. First I will be addressing the broken rear diff. Going to swap in a Ford 8.8. Talked to Grant from Granny’s. He no longer makes parts be he said his original build was a GM 10 bolt using the mounts from the stock diff, so that’s the plan for the narrowed 8.8.

After that just some minor stuff to tidy up the engine bay. Serpentine accessory drive from a 5.0 Explorer or GT Mustang and a new radiator and electric fan.

Eventually a lower intake and air cleaner and a stock hood. Scoops are cool but it ruins the otherwise perfect body lines on these cars.

Long term, depending on how it drives, possibly heads/cam and EFI.

 

Welcome .Sweet ride you have there . But scoop has to go

 

Agreed, that is a sweet ride. Rip that boomer *** hood scoop asap though!

Welcome!!

 

Incorporating an S4/5 TII hood scoop in place of that one and sealing it to the lower carburetor air filter housing like they did in the 60s and early 70s would be cool as hell.