mdcc2010

Hi. I'm Frank. I bought an '88 FC from a local guy when I moved here (Warner Robins, GA) at the end of last year. It was in very poor running order upon purchase, but thanks in no small part to this forum (and Aaron Cake's site, and FC3SPro, and wherever I got the FSM from), I have it in pretty decent shape right now.

I've always been mechanically inclined, and have done most of the work on my own cars since I got my '83 Accord when I was 17. Nearly ten years and as many cars later, I'm fairly capable of doing most things outside of welding and stuff requiring prohibitively expensive and/or huge specialty tools (alignments, etc).
Fortunately I work on Robins AFB and can utilize their Auto Hobby Shop should I prefer to use a lift or need a hydraulic press or anything, so taking my cars to mechanics is not done often. This is a good thing, because most mechanics won't know how to work on something like the RX-7 (or even some Japanese cars, around here), or they'll charge huge sums of money; I'd prefer to spend the extra cash on decent uprated parts than for someone else's labor to put generic stuff on the car.

Anyways, in addition to the FC, I have an '88 Subaru RX (currently partially disassembled...); a '91 Civic STD (daily driver, bog standard except for the upgraded instrument cluster); the '94 Impreza that my mother now drives (and abuses); and I still own a '91 Honda Beat, which is in the care of a friend in England until it turns 25 in four years.

So far, what I've done on my FC:
General tune-up (filters, TPS, oil)
Repaired broken water temp sensor connector (it was shorting on the block, causing all manner of driveability issues)
New hoses (fuel, coolant, and vacuum)
New speedo cable
New instrument cluster lamps
New stereo following an unsuccessful attempt to resurrect the failed stock unit (I liked the '80sness of the original with its EQ, and I have plenty of tapes still)
Mazdatrix short shifter
Freed stuck port actuator for front rotor
Had Fuel Injector Connection rebuild the injectors
Resoldered electronics (pretty much everything)
Replaced burnt port air solenoid resistor in ECU
Repaired wiper switch (actually required a replacement board, as the first repair was unsuccessful for one reason or another)
Partially repaired the power windows (they work now, mostly, but I may have used grease where I shouldn't have or need to tighten something up, as they often clunk or get stuck on ascent)

I'm currently in the process of repairing the A/C system (on my own, since the FSM I have doesn't seem to include the refrigerant system), and am waiting for a place in AZ to rebuild the refrigerant hose assembly before I install the new o-rings, compressor, drier, TXV, and a liquid line filter. I'll be using Freeze12 to charge, since it's the easiest to acquire R134a alternative. I'm pretty sure I've gleaned enough info from the various A/C-related threads here to be on the right path as far as getting it operational again. I spent today repairing the fresh/recycle air motor and replacing the disintegrated weather stripping with new stuff. Now all I have to do before reassembly of the interior bits is get all of the leaves and pine needles out from the air intake beneath the wiper arm cover...

This weekend I shall install the new KYB AGX struts, Tanabe springs, and Energy Suspension bushing kit.

I ought to have a fairly decent car after all is said and done, even though the interior will look like something out of The Road Warrior due to the rough fixes for the various bits of broken plastic (24 years of living outside in the Southeast will tend to make old plastics that much more brittle).

So, this was kind of a rambling intro, but most of the basics are there. If there's anything else anybody wants to know, feel free to reply.

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

Welcome, Frank!

Sounds like you have been busy.

Kent