1st generation resoration suggestions
 

hello,
My name is Jutta and i am looking for suggestions for finding a thread (or other info other than my RX7 Workshop Manual) that would guide me as my goal to restore my 1980 RX7 proceeds. An engine rebuild has been arranged and i am assured a good body shop is available locally. Any help is greatly appreciated.

You can look at people's build threads. Also you can use the search function, and find pretty much anything on here that can help you

as suggested, you can take ideas from other peoples' build threads, but if you're doing an honest-to-goodness restoration, then it's probably best to start your own build thread and then ask your questions as they come along in the process.

I was told it needed a mild restoration by a restoration company....the undercarriage is in good shape and the body looks good looking inside after the tail lights were removed to see

it was suggested to clean the engine compartment myself with gunk before the bodywork is done but then it would get filthy again after the soda blasting...is that a good idea then?

not for nothing, but i just had to draw attention to this. it sort of tickles me. :)

my gut tells me it probably won't make much of a difference if you Gunk the bay or not. given that they're going to be working on the area anyway, they will likely have equipment and chemicals that would do it better, quicker and to their own standard.

the ballpark quote for the bodywork from a reputable restoration shop is in. My guess its more than double a standard quote but the work includes soda blasting the entire car to see if there are any hidden issues that need addressing to remedy them. The finish would have 6 coats of lacquer over Tornado Silver and black trim. 3 perforation spots are to be repared are identified. This would be the last paint job this car requires barring an accident. I got the low to high end price.
Does anyone think any specific parts availabity that should be addressed now since proposed bodywork would be invested into this car. Theres 80K original km with everything stock original except for a Racing beat exhaust. I have the original exhaust still but not sure about the header parts.
i would like to friend knowledgeable trustworthy people with experience but not sure how to do this.

since restoration bodywork would be a significant investment in the car, I am wondering if there are any parts or mechanical issues that make it a a foolish decision. Are there any reasons other members have to retire their car for good? What longevity could I expect since I have located a service shop about a 3 hour drive from my home. The person there who is versed in this year RX7 will be back from the USA soon so I could ask him any questions after that. What questions would be reasonable? Right now there's a puff of black smoke after starting the car when it's been sitting for a week so could could ask him if I need to be concerned about that. I'm running the 2nd tank of premium octane right now before running the mid grade.

basically the only real reason to retire one of these is due to either accident damage or rust, everything else is pretty straight forward easy to service mechanicals

the shop manuals are here, Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals

Yep only an accident or too much rust would be the reason to to get rid of the car.