RX7Club.com - Mazda RX7 Forum - Such a long-time lurker it's almost creepy

Hi all! My name is James, and I've been a member since 2003. Sorry I never really got around to introducing myself. Looking at what I entered in my "about me" section, I'd say I've matured some since then (I was 18). I'm a software developer, served in the Marine Corps from 2004 to 2008, and have a lovely wife and seven year old daughter. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas and somehow ended up back here after all my travels. There's a bit of a car scene here, so I'm not all that disappointed. There are lots of Mustangs and Camaros, but we all get along well.

My first RX-7 was the same model as my current car, an '86 GXL. It was pretty beaten down. It was stripped to become a race car, and the engine wiring harness was cut at the firewall for some reason. The previous owner said something about an auto to manual swap, but I'm pretty sure he didn't know what he was doing. It was $1000 with no title. I was young and dumb, so I bought it. The engine itself was probably good, but I eventually realized that I bit off more than I could chew for my level of electrical ability and never did get it to start. I reluctantly sold it about a year later after I picked up my '91 Prelude.

The Prelude, Asuka, is where I earned my stripes. She's been my ongoing project since December 2003. It all started with a JDM engine swap, which I thought was the greatest thing in the world. It had torque and handled well, but I thought it could do better. After many years of trial and error, and four turbos later, I got her up to nearly 400 whp on 91 octane with a mild suspension setup and new paint. That's about all I want out of a FWD car. She's really good for I-hope-I-don't-go-to-jail-for-this highway runs. Well, I went to jail in 2014 and shifted my focus to autocross. Asuka held her own on the autocross track, but with the turbo selected for top end power and a steep torque curve, I figured I should look for a better candidate. And on the way to the shooting range, I saw it there in a field.

I picked up my current '86 GXL in 2017 on April Fools' Day. It had been sitting for about sixteen years, it was automatic, and it didn't run. But hey, it was $500. The body was fairly straight and didn't have shotshell marks all over it like my first GXL in '03.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...1b20faf2ff.jpgFirst day home.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0cdf5b969a.jpgGot all the mildew off. I wish it was always this shiny.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8b839680b3.jpgFound a no-title donor car with no title and a good engine (he didn't know that) for $500.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...7a5c773d64.jpgYoink!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ed0ecec4dc.jpgGetting cleaned up.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...bfc2c208a9.jpgIn you go!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d805e5458d.jpgI still need to paint that hood.

I got the clutch and brake pedals from the donor car and installed them. I never want to get that far up the firewall again. In hindsight, I really should have removed the driver's seat. I had some issues with the auto trans wiring, but eventually got the car to start by jumping a connector that ran to the original transmission. It ran pretty well after that. The old clutch slave cylinder was rusted together, so I changed that. Then the clutch master cylinder leaked, so I changed that. And the exhaust was holey enough to be the pope, so I built another one from the header back using Magnaflow mufflers. Oh, the parts car had what looks like a Pacesetter header with really long primary tubes. I cleaned that up and wrapped it.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...e1ee3b17e9.jpgWelding up a single-exit exhaust since the originals from both cars were rusted through. At first it was unresonated. That was a mistake. Then it was resonated. It was better, but not quite there.https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9fe361c578.jpgTwice the mufflers and resonators makes it twice as quiet, right?https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c59c2216e5.jpgI hope this works.https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...5bcb2634c3.jpgIt's still loud, but MUCH better.https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8d04530af7.jpgI have to fit with a helmet somehow. Also, the seat feels amazing now.

I'll have more of the RX-7, dubbed Rei, in a build thread sometime soon. Thanks for having me, and I hope to get to know y'all better as I actually start to post.