K-Nives

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys!

I baught my first RX-7 and first car ever just over 2 months ago now and the more I drive it the more I want to take it to the track. This september Im going to be taking a mechanics course so I can learn a little more about how a car works and so I can do alote of the work myself.

My first thought was that I would just buy a truck to tow the car to the track when it was no longer street legal but after driving it for a while I realized I would miss it to much. So now my goal is to make a street legal racing car!

I dont know if it changes depending on where you live but I live in British Columbia so if you guys know what makes your car not street legal anymore or know of a site that can tell me all this I would greatly appreciate it. I dont have the money to get this done yet but I want to start researching what I should buy so I can figure out what kind of money I will be spending.

Thanks again for your help guys!

danegerous

iTrader: (10)

Most track cars have no emissions and what not so thats the legality issue. Otherwise if you can deal with a stiff ride, a lot of road noise and your diff scaring your girlfriend you'd be in the clear. It's a lot easier to build a reliable running track car and not have to worry about unnecessary smog pumps and what not. I have a truck and a trailer and trust me I miss being able to take my car to get food and pick up hookers in but at the same time my car is a lot more serious and set up so it's a lot more effective at the track. Not to mention should I crash it and compromise it's drivability I still have my truck to tow it home.

Kentetsu

I didn't build my car for the track, but rather for Autocross, and I'm pretty competetive at that. A lot of my competition shows up on trailers, but I drive my car to the events.

The biggest reason that the trailer queens don't do well on the street is due to the uber-stiff suspension that they feel is necessary. I prefer to use lighter spring rates, but compensate with heavier swaybars/adjustable shocks/and lowered ride height. This seems to work great! I love passing the cars on trailers after the race as I drive my "racecar" home.

Best of all, I can still have a blast driving it to work every day...

.

wrankin

One of the biggest benefits in keeping your registered and street-legal is that you can test-drive it and debug problems without having to be at the track. For instance, I've been chasing some trouble with my front wheel bearings and hubs and it would be real nice if I could actually take it out and drive it for 10 minutes after I make changes just to see it I fixed the problem.

I've been entertaining the thought of trying to get my FC back to street legal status just so I could do this.

-bill

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

i think at some point the car gets to be just too much to drive on the street...

for example a spec miata is street legal except there's no cat, but you almost never see anyone drive one to the track.

too loud, too stiff etc etc

so it can be done, but you have to think harder about what you do to the car.

eage8

iTrader: (9)

street legality only has to do with what you need to do to a car to keep plates on it. I have special historic plates on my RX-7 so I don't need to get it emissions tested or safety inspected. I can pretty much do whatever I want to it and keep the ability to drive it on the street.

At that point the only limiting factor is what you are willing to put up with.

if where you live requires emissions or safety inspections then you'll have to be able to pass those tests to keep plates on it.

noddleman

I have no emissions on my 91 fc, and I have a loud exhaust. Becoming street legal isnt that hard. Really just depends on your local emission standards, and how much they care about it.

K-Nives

iTrader: (1)

I dony have to get my emmissions tested in Victoria but the only track I know of on the Island isnt that good. Because my insurance is from Victoria I would be able to go to the mainland and drive it to a better track wouldnt I?

I do like kentetsu's idea of heavier sway bars and lowering the car but im guessing having stiff suspension would help alot. I still have alot of consideration to do and tons of research.

danegerous

iTrader: (10)

It all depends on what you expect of the car.

Kentetsu

When I first decided to upgrade from my Racing Beat suspension, I told Billy from Respeed (www.re-speed.com) that I was looking for a car that could win in CSP autocross (very tough class) and still be driven to work everyday. He got me exactly what I was looking for.

If you were to go with something like I've got, then decide that you need a stiffer suspension, swapping out the springs is not a big deal. Maybe 20 minutes per side on the front, 5 minutes per side on the back. And springs are not very expensive either, so having more than one set is not a big investment.

Good luck with your project.

Silkworm

Well, and you got a pretty good chance of coming home with dented fenders or missing body panels too


anyway back to the OP, there are a ton of street car tuners that make 'street car' setups that you couldn't pay me to drive on the street. For me, it boils down to:

1. can I legally register the car (smog, lights, brakes, etc)
2. can I take a passenger somewhere without making 15 excuses for the car. The windows need to be there and they need to work. The doors should not be bare, there should be a carpet, the heater should work, etc.
3. will my neighbors kill me if I drive past their house at 3am

Dunno what the smog laws are for your country, sorry I can't help you there.

nos_fx

iTrader: (1)

There are lots of us who have track cars that are street legal. When I'm buying parts for my car I tend to sacrifice comfort for more fun on the track. I don't drive my car a whole lot on the streets, and when I do usually I'm going out for a fun cruise. When I bought the car it was 100% stock and my girlfriend LOVED it, now most of my girlfriends always ask for me to pick them up in my other car! If you want to lean more towards track performance then street comfort I would suggest picking up a beater to drive around while a.) you want to have a conversation or not bruise your kidneys on a road trip, and b.) to drive while your RX7 is broken. The more you lean on a car, the more you are going to break it.

-Kyle

K-Nives

iTrader: (1)

Im not exactly sure what my suspension is but I know its not stock. In fact its not a very smooth ride at all on most of the bumpy roads lol.

Right now my poor car is sitting uninsured for the next month so I can get myself out of debt so in the mean time im going to look for some parts for it and get some more info from the previous owner about what he installed.

One of the things I have been considering is buying another 1st gen that needs a engine and just throw my 12b in there when I go and buy a 13b or if im gutsy enough a 20b (though that would put me in a good ol debt once again :P )

Thanks for all your intel guys, Im still learning right now and fixing little things with the car as I go. Finding the parts isnt as east as I was hoping tho :P

orion84gsl

iTrader: (5)

Stick with the 12A. It's a good engine and will last a while.

www.sterlingmetalworks.com to replace the carb. Great product, service and support.

www.re-speed.com for suspension. The best bet for daily driving and tracking the car is an adjustable suspension. You can get it all at RE-Speed. Like Kentetsu said, just call Billy and tell him what you want, and be honest with yourself about what you want the car for. There's no need to suffer driving your car around because your friends might scoff at your spring rates. They'll stop when your DD beats all of them.

Since you have no emissions testing your exhaust options are fairly wide open. www.racingbeat.com sells good high quality bolt on systems. They are expensive, and heavy, but also durable and they do a decent job of increasing power while staying dead quiet at idle and howling nicely when you really get on it. It's basically a good compromise between street and track. They also sell individual parts for building custom systems, so look around and see what suits your needs best. Keep in mind a thin wall mild steel custom setup from your corner muffler shop will burn out quickly. Rotary exhaust temps are much higher than piston engines and they won't build something to withstand it.

Check the Canadian Section of the forum. There is a sticky with all the reputable Canadian rotary shops listed there.
Good luck.

Kentetsu

You can contact Billy several ways:

PM: user name Bwaits_
At the forum on his website: http://www.re-speed.com/forums/
Or over at http://www.iwankel.com/

Let me know if I can do anything to assist.

EDSRX3

Liability is determined at the scene of the accident.

In BC “Street legal” means it meets the “BC Motor Vehicle Act”. That takes some reading.