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Hello all,

(skip to the next part if you dont wanna hear me get all nostalgic about the days of yore)

I just wanted to post up, ive been snooping around here for a while and finally decided to ask some questions. I am very familiar with forums in general and please just let me know if these questions can be found elsewhere or by use of the search feature.

My background begins about 3-4 years ago when I decided to get serious and purchase one of my dream cars. I found myself behind the wheel of a vintage Porsche 911 that was completely stock...with the exception of some nice track mods. That lasted all of about a year before I was standing looking at a car that was void of almost every piece of mechanical hardware. New semi-racing clutch, full track suspension, rebuilt transmission, huge oil cooler, race bucket, track mufflers, bushings, RA-1 tires, stripped out, the works (at least as far as my budget was concerned) I was in deep, and loved it.

I have tracked my car regularly since I purchased it, my father soon followed suit after I mistakenly handed him the keys for a run. So now we have 2 911s, more spare wheels/tires/parts than any normal family should have and a newfound love of the sport and what it stands for. (heck my mom bought a Mini Cooper S 6speed and now she is ***** deep in this too, though she prefers autoX)

(this is the part when I start talking about things relevant, so if you feel like reading now would be a good time to start)

I've always loved 3rd Gen Rx7s, always. I can chase it back to a magazine article I read that had a (and for the life of me I cant remember the name of the company but you guys know of them for sure, Petit Racing I believe) 3rd Gen wide body, 3 rotor, frankly a monster of a car, hot, dirty, sexy perfection. I loved it, most of my teenage years where spent incessantly reading and learning about the inner workings of this unique motor and how turbo systems worked. Recently with my father getting antsy and thinking of moving to a faster breed (honestly that is a complete understatement...the guy has been seriously talking about buying an Ariel Atom, not even just the stock one...we are talking 300hp, 600hp per ton) I am thinking about moving to something with a bit more power. Porsches are great, but making turbo power in them can be hairy and generally requires deep pockets. (converting to a turbo set up on my car to make say 300hp at the wheels, even with calling in favors and not going overboard, would cost me more than 20k for the motor build alone...more than my car is worth and does not seem like a smart spending of my college loans.)

So I know the basics but I would love some insight into how these cars do on the track.

What kind of modifications would be conducive to track day or possibly in the future NASA class racing?

Turbo selection and motor upgrades? I know there are a lot of big turbos out there for these cars because of their strong connection to drag racing as well. I would want something set for track use; good mid-range power that would work making decent numbers. 3mm seals for a track car? Porting adjustments? Exhaust work?

Suspension and Brakes? Are there good adjustable kits out there that are favored by racers? Matched front to rear brake upgrades?

Heat issues, I've heard these cars can get HOT. What steps can be taken to help alleviate some of these issues? Heat wrapping? Vented hood? Oil coolers?

A while back I remember a company produced at "V" type radiator and intercooler set up that seemed really trick. Good/bad/ugly?

Anyway, I hope I havent come off as a complete idiot and of course I hope I am not wasting your time on issues you would rather have me search for but if you feel like chatting I would greatly appreciate some guidance in my research.

Matthew

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Let me know if this is taking the thread off topic but where I come from (PelicanParts.com forum) its customary to post pictures.

Here's what I am driving now:



Here is the car I was speaking of, and yes it was Pettit Racing. Gorgeous.

85rx-7gsl-se

iTrader: (2)

Welcome to forums. While I can't give much advice on the 3rd gen RX's, I just had to say that your 911 looks great. Classic 911 lines never grow old.

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I appreciate it. It's not period correct or factory fresh but I try to make it look good.

patfat

Welcome. PM sent.

Boswoj

Racing a heavily modified 3rd generation Rx-7 is one of those rare things that can make racing a Porsche seem affordable .............

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

I'm sure patfat probably PM'd you with a lot of info. Here's some more info for you to check out:

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/fd-road-racers-only-your-upgrades-your-rationale-136678/

As far as racing, to my knowledge, the about only thing you'll be able to do is Time Trials for NASA racing. The SCCA has no class the 3rd Gen would fit in unless you turned it into a tube-framed racecar for GT2.

There are a lot of turbo options out there. You just need to do a little research and see what the guys who road race are using. As far as seals, there is a huge debate on what is better, 2mm verse 3mm. Most shops won't recommend 3mm seals unless the rotors needs to milled for some other reason (a little damage or something). You can read the debate here and see what would fit your needs:

https://www.rx7club.com/rotary-car-performance-77/3mm-apex-seals-better-than-2mm-67833/

Even beyond the size, there is also 2/3 piece differences as well as manufacturer differences.

There are a ton of suspension kits out there, it just depends on how much money you are willing to spend. Same for brake kits; there is one being tested now:

https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/fd-new-brake-options-605463/

Take a look at the first link I posted in this post. There are tons of tips to help with keeping the cars cool.

While RotaryExtreme brought the V-Mount setup to us USA folks, he was not the creator of the concept. He is out of business but you can order the others from Japan from various sources. IMO, I don't think they are needed. A good SMIC and radiator setup works just fine but I would stay away from FMIC's for track use.

Black91n/a

In the SCCA you could race ITE (depending on the mods) or in SP regardless of the modifications. Both are very open classes, so don't expect to be competetive without a serious cash outlay. In NASA there's the PT class system with the ST and SU classes being for cars that exceed the prep of the PT system. You get points based on mods and are classed accordingly.

Roen

iTrader: (2)

FD in ITE?

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Mr. Links you live up to your title. Thanks a bunch for the info. I do need to look into more classifications for racing but right now the out of pocket expenses to actually race the car vs. social track days means it is a ways down the road. But it's good to know that I might need to think of another car if I plan on doing road racing seriously.

I did get your PM patfat but I limited on time lately with school and work. Dont worry, I will get you back soon. I really appreciate having access to a P-car to Rx translator. haha.

Black91n/a

Yes FD in ITE, at least most places. The regions will set the rules, and the car will have to remain fairly stock engine wise. Basically it's a catch-all class for cars prepped to IT standards but aren't classed in any particular class. I know of several FD's that have competed in ITE in the past.

BklynRX7

that's strange....u'd think they name it ITU or something, since the FC is in ITS.

wrankin

Actually ITE = "IT-Everybody" .

The class letters (in general) are in reverse order. ITA is faster than ITB is faster than ITC. ITS was added after the initial Improved Touring classes were declared. It was added to handle cars that were faster than what could safely be run in ITA. Recently there has been an additional ITR class for cars that were above the performance envelope of ITS (mainly the 3-series Bimmers).

FCs run in ITS, SA/FB's in ITA. There is also a regional variation called IT7, which is a subgroup of ITA that allows SA/FB's to compete amongst themselves.

Some regions (eg. Atlanta SCCA) split ITE into two classes, ITU and ITO, depending on desiplacement (3.0L or less in ITU). Turbos immediately move the car to ITO.

-b