I put this up on the first gen. area, but wanted to get you guys opinions too. Ok, so I was up at 3am again and doing my usual "brainstorming". (more like "brain dead" thinking) And I got this picture of an engine bay stuck in my head. So I start thinking of what look I want on my new project, (84 GS) my wifes is pretty well stock minus emissions and my red 84 is done with all ss braided lines and anodized fittings with new red wiring loom. I like both looks ok, but the "brassy" looking tubing w/stock black hoses is kinda "plain vanilla" looking. No offense to anyone intended. And the braided and anodized look with the colored loom looks good, but feels a little "over the top" to me. I'd really like a "clean" and "uncluttered" look. After a bit of mental fumbling I ended up with an idea. I'd like to run all new fuel, return, vac, oil, etc. lines and do it all in aluminum tubing and fittings. Different sizes of course for each. 3/8 fuel, 5/16 return, 1/4 vac, 5/8 brake booster and heater and 5/8 or 3/4 oil lines. Maybe even used anodized if I wanted a little color. Also run a 1 inch tube along each side frame rail and behind the rad to run my wiring through. It would basically eliminate all the rubber hoses except the rad, and looming would dissappear too! It would certainly take quite awhile to bend, fit and route all the tubing, but it would look "Ultra Clean"! Now for the practical application....... Can anyone see a reason that this wouldn't work? Or why it shouldn't be done? Has anyone done this before? The only part I haven't worked out yet is how to "cleanly" get the heater hose tubes at the firewall to tubing fittings. Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions on this concept are welcome. Even if you think it's stupid and a waste of time. Just try to keep it constructive and not attack me.

 

I probably should have mentioned the motor will be a street ported 12a w/ aftermarket carb. (haven't worked out for sure if I'm goin dual IDF,DCOE or just IDA,IDF,DCOE,Holley) So there won't really be but possibly 1 or 2 vac lines anyway off the intake.

 

I think it would look pretty good. As for the lines coming out at the firewall for the heater... pick a color (black like the radiator lines) and match that with a set of short sleeves. The collars (clamps) from the FC and FD look muck cleaner than the ones from our first gens.

 

I personally prefer the look of metal tubing rather than a lot of braided hoses where flexibility is not required. I used some stainless tubing for the heater lines on my V8 car. You can see them in the photo running below the air box.


I recommend stainless rather than aluminum because it will hold its luster better and is not so easily stained by coolant or other chemicals. Aluminum or stainless can be polished to a high luster, but the aluminum definitely requires more maintenance if you want to keep it looking good.

 

I'll have to check those out. Thanks!

Well, I'm planning on getting a small scale anodizing setup, and anodizing the tubing, as well as fittings, carb body, intake, pulleys, waterpump, and a few custom peices. That will greatly improve both the strength and the durability. And stainless is definately clean and easy to care for, but I'm afraid if I go that route that when I'm all done it will have an "industrial" or "sterile" look or feel to it. I like the idea of the anodizing as it allows me to add colors and put a little flare to it at the same time.

 

+1 on the color. cause if you have that option you can make it something that will go good with your cars paint color already,. i think you might be right about that way the stainless will make it look. but i guess something like that comes down to personal preference

 

Hmmm... bet it would look wicked to anodize the rotor housings in color! Have to try that with some old crap ones and see. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. I just seem to spend all day thinking of different possibilities, fuel delivery, cosmetics, performance............ I'll never get any sleep if I don't turn my brain off. Got his kick *** picture in my head of a dressed out motor with dual or triple stromberg 97's on top with those "old school" 45 degree scoop type stacks on em.

This will probably sound ignorant, but could you do a carb setup like that with 2 same style/different port carbs and use a larger throttle arm on the bigger one so that it kicked inn slower and at the higher rpm? It would seem in principle it would work, and you'd get good top end while still be reasonable on mileage. Jetting and tuning would be a bitch, but if you got it right, you could have a setup with power and decent mileage. (in principle)

 

"Well, I'm planning on getting a small scale anodizing setup, and anodizing the tubing, as well as fittings, carb body, intake, pulleys, waterpump, and a few custom peices. That will greatly improve both the strength and the durability. And stainless is definately clean and easy to care for, but I'm afraid if I go that route that when I'm all done it will have an "industrial" or "sterile" look or feel to it. I like the idea of the anodizing as it allows me to add colors and put a little flare to it at the same time."

If you are going to do anodizing of various parts, I strongly recommend you pick one color and use it for everything, preferably a black, red or blue that can match your spark plug wires. Years ago I saw an AT-6 that a guy had spent a fortune restoring - the landing gear "up" and "down", flap "up" and "down", fuel, brake, pitot and static lines were each anodized a different color. Handy for the mechanic, but it looked like an Easter egg. Too many engine compartments shown on the RX-7 forum have that Easter Egg look.

Attached is another example of stainless lines in an engine compartment (they may be chrome, I am not sure what was available in 1937). You get a prize if you can tell me what kind of car this is. I will give you a hint - it performed well at LeMans in the late 1930s, and again after the war, and is regarded by many classic car enthusiasts as the most beautiful car ever built. .