Video Log Of The Restomodding Of My '76 RX-5 Cosmo (New Vid Jan 5/2023)
 

In September of 2007 I purchased a '76 RX-5 Cosmo from a local wreckers, only hours before it was to be crushed.

http://www.aaroncake.net/misc/RX-5%2...ger%20Side.jpg

For the past three years, the car has been sitting in my storage area while I finish other projects. Now, it is finally time to start working on the Cosmo.

My plans have changed a little over the time that I have had the car, from a complete factory perfect restoration, to highly modding, and finally settling on a "resto-modding". The idea being to modernize the car and make it a little more contemporary without completely violating the factory styling. Thus, I have decided the following loose guidelines for the build:

-6 port turbo 13B making 300HP and 300FT-LBS
-Megasquirt 2 or 3
-Dark metallic blue exterior, dark maroon interior
-Large (18" or 19") 5 spoke wheels
-Air suspension
-Shaved locks and door handles
-Most chrome trim shaved

http://www.aaroncake.net/misc/RX-5%20Interior2.jpg

Now from the pictures, you'd think the car was a basket case, but that is only partially true. It appears that the car was someone else's project, and they got as far as to do some body work, put it in primer, and then randomly disassemble parts of it. For the most part, it is complete minus a few minor and major components. I'm sure that I'm going to be hunting for some parts, and what I can't find, I will create.

I'm planning to do this restoration as a series of videos. I don't want to toot my own horn, but my Project Tina threads are legendary. While those threads kick all kinds of ass, I'm going to take the video approach this time.

http://www.aaroncake.net/misc/RX-5%20Engine.jpg

Over the course of this project I will just reply to this thread as I YouTube each video. To get things started, here is the "intro" video taken 3 years ago when I purchased the car:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWmHLbUyY0k

And now, to start this project off, here the first official video! In this video, the Cosmo has just been brought into the shop and I do a quick cleanup while taking an inventory of the parts I have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZfDYpkYgWk

Stay tuned (and subscribe to this thread) for more. I already have enough footage to put together both engine removal and engine disassembly videos, so more to come soon!

hay buddy let me know if you have any thing to trade i have a few pieces seem to be missing and you may have a few pieces in need so drop me a line if your interested

Thank you for the offer. I don't really know what I have unless you are looking for some of the trim that I don't need. Finding parts is going to be difficult so I will keep you in mind.

Oh, just noticed your avatar. That's awesome. I used the same image to make the title screen of my videos after a little minor editing.

cal mazmart in atlanta. i believe they will have a bunch of parts you will be looking for.

Can't say I agree with 18 or 19 inch wheels, but it's you're car and your project. I'm sure it will turn out nice and have quality effort put into it. :)

Hey Aaron if you are going for a that "resto-modding"look why not going with a 4 port bridged motor.A nice solid bridged motor with some nice ITB controlled by the MS ems?That way you have that old school rotary hotrod sound running with today's technology.You know something different 2 do,you already have a nice turbo rotary so why build another one?A nice suspension,brake setup using modern technology,a nice set of wheels,that metallic blue paint that you want,you know what i mean?that old school look but build with 21 century tech.Good luck with the project Aaron!and im looking forward 2 see her finish!

jeeze man where do you find the time and money to do this? most people struggle to build just one project, and here youre starting another one. mad props.

btw i found the video a bit entertaining, not sure if it was posed to be this way or not

They would have interior trim for a 34 year old car that barely sold in North America? ;) If so, then sweet! Most of the mechanicals are just RX-4 and 1st gen stuff, which I can get at the local parts store/Mazda dealer.

Remember, this is not a sports car for carving corners. It just has to ride well and look nice. 19s may be a bit big, but I'll know better once it is painted and I can slap some cardboard mock up wheels on it.

The problem with that approach is that I don't intend to build a "beast". Nothing wrong with bridgeports and such, but that is not what this car is about. This car needs to drive easily, get great mileage, idle well and have a torque curve to make someone cry. It also has to not stink and not make drivers behind it want to kill puppies. To do anything otherwise would violate the original intention of the car, which is an upmarket luxury car (in the day a Cosmo cost $5500+ while a Cadillac was around $4500).

This turbo setup will have very different goals then my RX-7. A small and responsive turbo which makes instant boost and carries it to 6.5-7K will make the car a joy to drive. I'm hardly even porting the engine. Since I'm going to use GSL-SE irons, the secondaries and aux get left alone. The primaries will be made taller. The Cosmo housings have tiny exhaust ports so I'll need to enlarge them, but by far less then most builds.

I have no life.

Are you going to shorten the shifter? I could imagine, it being up so high, it would get irritating quickly.

well no life or not i love waht you do! keep up the good work, cant wait to see an update:icon_tup:

i'm subscribed. this should be interesting.

I thought mazda and datsun began selling cars with burgundy interior beginning in 1979. I guess I;m wrong with mazda since this one is a 77. GL with your project Aaron. I'm sure you will have fun with it and get it going in no time.

wacky my 76 has burgundy also

Part 2: Engine Removal
 

The 2nd video, covering engine and transmission removal, is posted:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgsbVp22pOE

This video shows stripping down the engine to prepare it for removal, then finally removal of the engine and transmission as one unit. Normally I don't pull both at the same time, but it just seemed easier to yank them out simultaneously.

Looks like I can learn something here.... subscribed:icon_tup:

i actually like it

Old school 4 port 13B and RX5 Cosmo trans!I know people that will do anything for having that combo...are you gonna sell it?

iam intrested in that carb!! pm me

actually, yes. they have a handfull of these just sitting outside and some parts stocked in their warehouse.

i know the have the grill and the air dam and multiple other things man. call them up and talk to paul, or sheldon.

I have enough footage for another video, but it will be a little while before it gets done. Just trying to decide whether I should combine engine disassembly and cleaning into one...

The shifter needs to be high due to the location of the transmission. Most of the old Mazda rotary cars had a similar shifter, including the SA RX-7 (one of the things I loved about my old '78 1st gen).

The transmission will go back in the car, but at the moment I have no use for the irons or intake manifold. I have no immediate plans to sell this stuff, but if the price was right I'd have no issue selling them. Before anyone PMs me, the irons are new. You'll see in the next video.

Really? It doesn't work. I was just going to eBay it with a starting bid of $40. Next time I check my PMs, I'll send you a message.

Sweet! I think I have a good line on a used grill, but I will certainly give them a call when I know more of what I need. I have a bunch of PMs with offers of used parts so I will need to go through them first.

cant wait for updates.

I am loving the video logs you are doing, really takes watching someones build up of a project to the next level!

It especially helps a first timer like me feel a little more confident about working on a car.

Mad props bro :)

Nope, all the old school stuff is long gone sans Ricks cars in the back.

-billy

Nice Save!

not true......... I have a bunch and there are some NOS bits available through atkins rotary

and per rick the cars in the back are not there..... LOL although if i ever get over there and inventory that may change

Not your stuff Dave, the stuff at mazmart.

That is true, but the general answer given to 99% who call will be, nope all gone......

-billy

Guys, remember that I am across the continent and have no idea who this dealer is, or how any of you relate to it.

So should I even bother calling them? Or did the parts disappear long ago?

At any rate, I am editing the video disassembly video now but will have a busy next couple of days so it it may be a little while.

subscribed.... Nice videos

Your best bet would be to post a list of what you are looking for. Some of us know where to find the stuff but what we know is to broad to list.

Cool! I"m glad to finally see your cosmo is getting attention =)

Keep it up, looking forward to the engine tear down video

Agreed... I will help any way I can.

-billy

Thanks everyone. :) At the moment I think I have everything I need from a more local source. Everything except a passenger front fender. I'm sure that as I go along, I'll be needing more stuff...

Part 3 - Engine Disassembly and Cleaning
 

Part 3 covering engine disassembly and cleaning has now been posted. When I initially started tearing down the engine and looked through the exhaust ports, I was worried about the condition of the housings. But as soon as I got into the engine, I was pleasantly surprised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1MXfs_Srs4

Now, what to do next? I think I'll start plugging some holes (antenna, door handles, etc.) in the body. A little bit of light body work to get those juices flowing again.

Aaron Cake- the 23000 posts that ted wished he was

-Ted


great vids, great victory on the housings

I like where this is going!!!

I might of missed it in the earlier posts, but when you purchased this did it come with a title? If not are you just going to make this a show car or a track car ?

ah i love the canadian accent!! maaazda. so great man. i coulda swore i read that you were stickin a more modern motor in there. but i might have read wrong. that motor looked great man! cant wait for the next update :icon_tup:

Wow, this is great, keep it up!!!

Complete with title. The local wrecking yard will not take a car unless they receive the title.

These housings will be used with GSL-SE irons to create a hybrid old-school 6 port engine.

What electric impact and drill are you using, I could use those tools myself.

The electric impact is made by "Power Fist" and sold through Princess Auto. Your equivalent would be "Harbor Freight" and I bet they have one that looks exactly the same (they all come from the same place in China). For the $69 I paid, it has done very well. Most of the time it can get the flywheel and front hub nuts off without too much of an issue.

The little impact is a 1/4" drive 100 FT-LBs 18V cordless from Canadian Tire. They have a "powerXchange" line of tools which all use the same 18V Li-Ion or Ni-Cad batteries.

sweet dude cant wait to see what you do with the body ohh and hay when you get to the dash give just dashes a call iam sending mine to them soon too and rotarydude already has i believe

I figure I will just recover the dash myself with vinyl. Doesn't seem that hard to do. The shipping to Just Dashes and back would be very costly and I've never heard of the company before.

you should look int flocking the stock dash..

suede feel=cool fo real

well i know the mostly do stuff for classic american cars but did you check out there website http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP5Ao...layer_embedded

It's is probably easier and faster for me to just recover it in vinyl. Just need some glue and a heat gun, and then time. I'll likely be giving the same treatment to some other trim in the car when I reach that point. But that's a long way off.

When's the next video coming out, I enjoyed watching the others.

Found the perfect color today. http://is.gd/fU6n2

That's pretty close. What I'm going to have to do is hit the paint store and just look at a lot of samples. The metallic blue (possibly called "laser metallic blue") on the Chevy Cobalt is a good starting point, with a little darker tint.

Yeah, that's a pretty good color. Do you mean this one? http://is.gd/fV48M