I'm 18, and my grandpa(former mazda mechanic) just gave me a '72 Rx2. I need some help finding after-market parts. If you know any places, please let me know.

I have been doing most of the actual labor myself, with my dad and grandpa guiding me. I'm hoping to inherit all my grandfather's rotary stuff(An entire shop full of assorted parts and engines, 3 more Rx2's that need "running" engines, a REPU, and a Ford Courier[same as the REPU, and with a rotary engine would be]) basically i have some hook-ups. but need some of you guys that actually mod your cars to guide me with some advice as well

 

What are you looking for? I'm going to tell you now there is not a lot out there specific to the RX2. There is a lot of taking parts from other cars and making them work. Most of the drivetrain on my car is from a 1st gen RX7.

 

Do a search in this forum for rx2 and rx3 suspension parts. There are many threads that cover the best places to find new repl. parts.

 

i have on like 3 or 4 different forums

 

[Check ebay there is new front end parts I beleive his ebay name is phils rotary. They are in Austrailia Goodluck.




QUOTE=Skyhighjared;8081743]i have on like 3 or 4 different forums[/QUOTE]

 

Hello SHJ

I thinks would be easier if you ask specific questions about the mod you are after, suspension, engine, drive-train.........................

There's a few bad a$$ RX-2 in this forum am sure they will share their knowledge if you are more specific.

Good Luck.

 

First:
Define your budget. What can you REALISTICALLY afford
Second:
Daily Driver or Weekend Warrior?
Third:
What are you abilities and capabilities?
Fourth:
What condition is the car in?
Fifth:
What do you want to do to the car?

 

Good advice. Be very specific about what your looking for. Search, search, search, search.... I am new to the rotary scene and never owned a car older then an 88 before I bought my RX2. I learned a lot by just reading through the forums and googling.

 

1+ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

1. realistically about $300(thats under half of what im making) a month until August. then im gunna have to cut down on some spending cause im leaving for college.

2. daily driver for now

3. im your slightly above average highschool guy, who takes autoshop. ummm, well ive pretty much got a major hook-up in my grandfather until he dies. he's a former mazda rotary mechanic. he's retired now, but it was him that pieced the one i have into running condition. he has 3 more of the "Two's" in his backyard he lets me tear anything off of amongst some other old rotaries. he also has a shop that is filled with old rotary parts. ranging from 10A's and 12A's too some old glass and seats from rx7's....anything you can think of. so if something major broke on my car, in about a week(maybe two) i can have one that works.

4. it runs very nicely. it has some minor dings my Aunt put in it in the mid 1980s. nothing i wont be able to pull out with a dent puller before i repaint it. i need some new glass and window seals. the seals are rotted and the glass is a little foggy. some small rust spots. i have some old 5 spoke 13in aluminum rims that need to be cleaned up.
front seats need to be reupholstered. right now ive got the suspension dropped to what my grandpa's rx2 race cars used to run at. for now i need a new carburettor. because the jets are bad in the one i have-it makes my car die when i have it parked at certain slopes or if im turning 90 degrees to the right(to compensate ive been giving it a rev so it doesnt die). i could use a new retractable antenna. mine is snapped in half


5. im going to try and keep this car. pass it down or something. eventually im hoping for it to be one bad little weekend warrior. maybe get some pretty filthy auto-cross times.
new glass. a ported 13b TT or 13b with supercharged. electric fan. carbon fiber hood and dashboard. cold air intake. suspension, springs and struts. brakes-bigger rotors and calipers. lower profile tires. full exhaust- going 3" all the way back, aftermarket muffler, wanna try no cat. paint white with a black rally style strip along the bottom edge of the car.

 

Great little project you got there...

Start off with simple but effective things like new suspension bushings, tie rods, ball joints etc because they will give you a good foundation any major HP mods you might do in the future.. After that you might wanna have someone build you a proper set of coilovers etc so you can enjoy the car more instead of the old 30 yo parts thats on there now.. hope this helps

PS. ask your grandpa if he has a Rx3 coupe front windshield and a Rx2 4 door wingshield laying around his shop.. I'll pay for shipping and packaging, plus i'll hook you up with some aftermarket suspension bushings if you make this happen

 

Hello SHJ

Nice project car you got there, congrats at owning your first rotary at 18!

I was almost 40 when I got my first rotary car


Just take your time and do it right the first time.....................

 

Check the Ausrotary.com site for plenty of helpful hints, plus tons of shops that supply everything you need, shipping sucks, but many of the parts are tops and found only there. THis includes new poly bushings, full rubber kits for doors/windows/carpets/etc., they are just lucky bastards.

My Rx2 is using Ground Control Coil-overs with Koni adjustables made for the rear of a 1st Gen. MR2 in the front strut housing. The rear has Koni reds w/ coil-overs. Stiff but very tolerable on the streets of L.A. Currently running K-Mac adjustable strut tops but would go RE-SPeed if I needed to change. Brakes....if just upgrading the stocks, I like my slotted front rotors with Axxis Carbon pads.

I love my Weber IDA carb if you want to keep it reasonable and fun. Going EFI turbo is going to open plenty of hassles and need a decent amount of cash. The fuel system alone will be nearly a grand (figure pumps, larger line, surge tank, regulator)

 

$1200 should get you reliable.....

I spent $500 at Rare Parts just in Front Susension work not counting struts.

My advice: Skip all the new fangled "kewl" krap and stick to the basics. Carbon Fiber is a fad; and an expensive one at that. Some elboe grease and polish and sandpaper will get those slot rims looking good in a weekend.

Just start small and work your way up to the big projects. DO NOT TEAR IT APART!!!!

 

i know for sure that he has two Rx2 4 door windshields. problem is that they're still in two cars. they're both pretty foggy from vinyl sweat. plus ive heard that its better to get glass new from custom places, mainly cause the old stuff breaks when pulling it out

i can take a look at it though. ill let you know within the next 2 or 3 weeks. i wanna let a little bit more snow melt before i make a trip over the mountains.

 

Looks like you're on the right track with it. Other members are giving you good advise telling you to keep it simple for now...just reliability and safety mods until you have enough "cubic dollars" to do what you want. Its also nice to hear you want to keep your car and pass it down. These cars just get more and more rare as time goes on... to say the least of more and more cool! I was doing the same thing with my duece when I was your age....of course back then my car was only 9 or 10 years old Wish I still had even 1 or 2 of the other 20 or so old schoolers I went thru over the years. Good luck with it and keep us all posted. Tom G

 

nice gift. i love rx2s i own a 1973 rx2. good luck with your car!

 

Nice car!! i own one too...

Good luck!!