AnUnusedUsername

First off, I'm posting this in the regular technical section instead of as a build thread since I'm not actuall doing any major overhauls, which seems to be what that section is for. Mods, move if I'm incorrect.

So I bought a 1979 RX-7 Limited a couple weeks ago which was sitting in a garage for about twenty five years up until about six months ago. It only has 76k miles on it. I thought I'd open a thread to keep track of the various things I'll be doing to it to get it back on the road for more than ten miles at a time.

I'll start with some pictures. Overall the car looks pretty good, but the water from washing it hides a few white spots where the clearcoat is gone or almost gone:



The interior is great, minus the seats, which I plan to get reupholstered soon, and the cracked dash:




The engine bay looks to be pretty much all original, minus the new battery, starter, plugs, and wires the previous owner put on it to get it running. It's missing a battery tray, I'll have to work something out for that before driving it any real distance. No one even disconnected the sub zero start system yet...




Even still has the original spare:




So, as it is right now:
It doesn't idle well, usually stalling when it drops to ~600 RPM. I think some dirt got into the carb somewhere, it acts like it isn't getting enough fuel. It also wasn't doing this during the test drive, and I doubt you could fix that temporarily.

It takes a very long time to heat up (ten minutes before the temp gauge moves at all, about twenty before it's to a quarter of the way up, and it stays there). Maybe the thermostat is open or missing?

It puffs a pretty big cloud of smoke at startup if it's left for a few days. Maybe this is normal? Smells like oil, and only oil. It does not smoke after about ten seconds.

Once it's actually moving, the engine runs very well, no knocking, no smoke, and it's smooth in all gears.

Nothing leaks, anywhere.

The steering isn't great, but I have forty year old rubber bushings to blame on that.

I suspect the clutch and brake fluid is forty years old, at least that's simple to change.

The rubber brake hoses need replaced, as well as pretty much all the other hoses. Nothing is broken yet, but I may have a vacuum leak, since it doesn't idle, and the radiator hoses are beginning to look cracked.

A collection of miscellaneous things don't work, including the digital clock, but I suspect at least the clock is simply a blown fuse.

I'll try to post updates as I make progress. I'm not all that knowledgeable about older cars (yet), and most of what I know about RX-7s came from this forum, but I figured I'd jump in at the (comparatively) deep end and buy the car and work things out as I went.

twalke81

Car looks great. I have a 79 but not the limited. What is that green gauge on the left side of the instrument cluster?

AnUnusedUsername

It's a digital clock. Mine currently doesn't work but I think it has it's own fuse so I'm hoping that's all that's wrong with it.

(The fact that I haven't bought and tried replacing the fuse yet makes it a bit obvious I'm kind of slow to get anything done because I work relatively long hours during the week...)

7aull

iTrader: (2)

Welcome! Lots of work ahead, but lots of potential too. Once you get it running right, I 'd dig into the usual suspect areas for rust:
-sunroof metal edges under the weatherstrip
-under battery tray
-check the firewall at the brake/clutch masters for rust caused by leaks
-rear hatch seal - lift the lower lip of the rubber seal and check
-door bottoms; check to be sure drains aren't plugged
-rear lower fenders, esp pass side, and up over the rear inner wheel arches
-front and rear bumper rubber inserts have a metal rear support imbedded in them. It can be removed (but not bought separately!) and will be rusted! If enough of the strip still exists, you can clean up and seal-for-life with POR15. Otherwise these rubber pieces are still available new at about $120 ea...
Then:
-start buying your unique-to-SA rubber bits while you still can!
*taillight seals. Yours will rip when you pull the lenses.fragile design.
*front oil cooler rubber mounts
*front signal lense gaskets

'Luck!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

Like eating an elephant, one bite at a time and digest it.

7aull

iTrader: (2)

And I believe Banzai has, er...4? of these 'elephants', incl 2 Limiteds....big appetite!



Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

No, just not right in the head.

AnUnusedUsername

I was hoping I could fix my clock by simply replacing a blown fuse. Well, it won't be that easy. When I put a 15A fuse in the room/cigar/clock slot, the clock still doesn't work, and a buzzer (I'm guessing the over-rev buzzer) buzzes constantly, without starting the car. The rear hatch release works now, though, so at least part of the circuit is good.

If I put a 15A fuse in the hazard/AC comp slot, it blows instantly, with no key in the car. This worries me a bit, there shouldn't be live power to anything without a key in the ignition should there? Maybe something isn't grounded properly?

Before I dig into this much more, does anyone know if the wiring on the limited is noticeably different than that of the standard SA? Looking at the 79 wiring diagram I have (from the sticky), their fuse box diagram goes 10A/10/15/15/20 down the left side. Mine doesn't:




Was something changed to accommodate the clock, maybe?

Taking a quick look at the wiring in my engine bay I suspect someone may have messed with it, probably when they replaced the starter. My front left side turn signal isn't connected to anything, and the main harness area was probably a lot better organized at one point. I'm guessing something wasn't hooked back up correctly.

AnUnusedUsername

Ok, now I feel dumb.

Apparently the RX-7 has a door buzzer that goes off as long as a door is open, even without turning the key past accessories. And apparently the digital clock only stays lit with the car running, otherwise it's only lit when you push in the **** to adjust it.

So, clock works, and the buzzer is just annoying.

That only leaves my AC. I don't plan on using it or fixing it anytime soon, but it blowing a fuse even with no key in the car is a bit worrying. I guess I'll take a closer look at the wiring tomorrow to see if there's any obvious frayed wires that might be shorting.

Edit: A more informative update:

Planning on pulling the seats tomorrow to get an estimate on reupholstery, and waxing the car to see if it makes the ruined clearcoat spots look any better.

Mechanical stuff is going to have to wait a week or two, I need to order lots of suspension bushings, a few hoses, brake lines, a thermostat, and maybe brake pads. At this point I'm thinking (hoping) the idle problem may just be me not setting it right rather than a bad carb, since the car runs fine, it just won't idle. Once I get that fixed I'll get the car to a shop that can compression test it (I don't think it's too bad yet though since it starts back up instantly once it's warm, coincidentally that's very useful when it won't idle...)

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

I see you're in Ohio. If you're close by I'd be willing to help you get the car running correctly.

If a fuse keeps blowing instantly you have a short in the wiring. The wiring is being grounded somewhere in the a/c wiring. Depending on what's been done, either a wire got pinched somewhere of there's a break in the wiring and the open wiring is touching metal. Same goes for wiring that has lost some of its coating. It can be touching metal causing a short.

Expect to rebuild the carb. Its over 30 years old and most definitely in need of a rebuild. I would be happy to help with that should you decide to undertake that task. I rebuild a few per year for customers.

Remember to buy a Mazda brand thermostat. I would install nothing else. Make sure when you install it, the jiggle pin is at the 12 o'clock position.

Do you know any history on the car?

AnUnusedUsername

The thermostats sold by mazdatrix are mazda braded, right? They don't specifically state that but it seems like they do generally state when something isn't.

As for history, not much. I have the original owners name and date of delivery (5/12/79) from the manual. Service records show he put 5,337 miles on it over the next two years, then there's no more records. I suspect the car was sold around 81 to the owner who put the remaining 70,000 miles on it, then put it in a garage in the early 90s. There it sat until six months ago, when someone else bought it, replaced the starter, coils, plugs, and wires and then flooded it quite badly (or didn't know how to get it unflooded) and sold it. Next owner got it running and resold it, and I bought it from the person who bought it from him. It's been in Ohio the entire time.

I know the carb probably does need rebuilt, but if it works well enough I'd like to drive the car a bit before winter and then get stuff rebuilt then. I've been toying with the idea of having the engine itself rebuilt this winter more as a preventative maintenance step than because of any problems, because all of the seals in it are so old. I am a bit worried that it's taken apart and then I find out that it's not in good enough shape for a rebuild, but with only 76k miles I doubt that's going to happen.

(It does admittedly put out a reasonably large cloud of oily smoke when I first start it, but doesn't smoke afterwards. It definitely doesn't smell like coolant and I'm not losing any so I don't think it's a huge worry.)

AnUnusedUsername

So, $15 worth of wax/cleaner makes a gigantic difference. I guess that's what happens when a car isn't properly cleaned for twenty years.

Lighting isn't exactly the same, but Before:



After:




Still not great since the clearcoat is completely gone in a few spots, but it looks much better.

hcaulfield57

iTrader: (1)

Like the color, looks like British racing green from the pictures. Dunno if first gens were ever offered in that color though.

I think it's pretty normal for these cars to smoke some oil after starting. Mine always does in the morning.

AnUnusedUsername

All I did between those two photos was clean and wax it. The paint oxidation really was that bad.

The color is actually a brownish metallic. It looks brown in daylight and greyish in the shade. Only looks black in the dark. It's the original color for the limited trim (and in my case, the original paint).

It's a bit upsetting that I have ruined clearcoat spots on the roof but the paint on the side of the car is great, since to fix the roof spots properly I'd need to get the whole car repainted despite most of it still looking great.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

The original paint color is called Beat Black and the paint on that car is most definitely original.

Sh00bs

iTrader: (8)

welcome to the SA LE club!

first off, the paint on the LE should be Brilliant Black, not beat (from my research)

Secondly, your paint looks great! but that interior... and with everythign that isnt working, are you sure there's not 176k on the car rather than 76k...? just a thought
i only say that being you said it was sat in a garage most of it's life, but those seats and dash say otherwise IMO

GL with your LE, they're getting harder and harder to find and going up in value every day.

im working on getting SA LE jackets for the owners no no jk

i dont have any other pics saved on my computer of ours, just this one

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

Brilliant Black was introduced in 1980 as one of three available exterior colors on the Leather Sport (LS) special version SA. the 79 Limited was painted in Beat Black. More of a grey really that turned to look Black in certain lighting. A color that according to Mazda, was never used on any other model. Other than this, Black was not offered in 79 production.

The grey velour fabric used on the seats does have a tendency to get brittle and tear easily over time, even when looked after. I've noticed that some SA interior patterns hold up better than others.

AnUnusedUsername

I'm not completely positive it's only only 76k, but I am positive it sat for a very long time. The engine runs well, and has obviously never been rebuilt, I wouldn't expect it to run very well if it had 176k actual miles on it on top of sitting for so long.

I saw pictures of the car shortly after it was pulled out of the garage (about six months ago, the owner at the time hat it listed on craigslist). The seats looked great then... until someone sat in them a few minutes later and they literally fell apart at the seams. Every time I get out of the car now I take out a bit of seat out with me.

All that doesn't work (that I know of...) is the AC and one indicator light which is unplugged (I can't explain why unless someone tried and failed to get the AC running or messed it up when they replaced the starter). The carb probably needs rebuilt but sitting for twenty years explains that.

The dash is cracked, but it's not faded at all, same goes for a number of other interior parts. Maybe heat expansion or something from sitting? I am a bit suspicious that the carpet has been replaced, because it's hardly faded at all, but it's hard to say for sure. It looks good, regardless.

Either way, I fully expect the odometer to roll over at least once while I own it, so as far as legal purposes go it doesn't matter what the actual mileage is.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

Beat Black is the original color. I am 100% positive that it is. My 80 GS is Brilliant Black and you can see the color difference between the two shades of our cars:

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

A cracked dash is usually due to being left out in the sun. More common in the south, south west and west coast environments, but possible in the upper Midwest too. Especially if it was left out in the winter where you have large swings of temp differences day to day. Cold at night, then heats up during the day as the sun is magnified by the windshield.

The carpet could still be good. It would have a tendency to wear by getting thin or bare in high traffic areas in the drivers foot well. At the base of the accelerator pedal or around the rubber pad. I've not really saw black carpet fade except in the rear hatch area. (again, the sun through the glass) Pretty positive your carpet is original. It has the ribbed rubber pad that came in 79. In subsequent years this pad was different.

You have an aftermarket moon roof too. Do you also have the body colored OEM stock roof panel and wind deflector? Another small thing I noticed, your shift lever surround is all grey and one piece. A while back, there was an opinion that 79 Limiteds came with a chrome trimmed shift surround. I have never found this to be accurate. The chrome trimmed ones came along in 1980.

AnUnusedUsername

I bought the moon roof about three days after the car since it was a local craigslist ad and I knew they were rare. I figured it was cheaper than having the original repainted. I do have the original, but it looks like this:



For what it's worth, the bottom is ok:



I'm not sure how the paint ended up like it did. I know it sat for a very long time, but it wasn't outside or there'd be rust somewhere, and the top obviously got a lot of sun, but the rest of the car didn't. Maybe it sat in a garage with stuff piled on top of it, who knows...


Edit: I should add that I have noticed some small differences between my car and the flawless one linked in the registry. My stripes appear to be painted on rather than vinyls, and they're not quite as thin and my windshield surround was (at one point) chrome, not matte.

There's a pic of another car in the very same thread that also has a chrome windshield surround, and it's stripes don't match mine or the other car's. So maybe there were a few minor differences across the production run?

Mazdax605

iTrader: (5)

Your windshield trim was never chrome. As a matter of fact the trim is stainless steel, and then painted. The paint tends to come off over time. That is what you are seeing on your car. Most definitely black from the factory.

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

As Mazdax605 says, its common for the paint to wear off the trim, giving it a polished look. Originally, its a gunmetal grey on 79's. There were no differences in the stripes, yours were re done at some point. Again, not uncommon. Limited stripes were prone to fade. Originally, they were a metallic silver base, the Burgundy stripe was a colored layer over this silver base and would fade off. The stripes were not just a solid, straight line. They were cut special, tapered to be thinner at the front than at the rear. An original stripe has 2 seams (1ea above both middle tail light screws). At the front, the bottom, Burgundy stripe ends in an arrowhead design. For this reason, after the stripes became NLA, it was common to fix damaged cars or stripes with regular 1/8 pin stripe or some other method that appeared to replicate the original.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but its obvious your car did spend some time outside regardless of what you were told. You don't get the faded top surfaces like that unless it's been in the sun and elements. It not necessarily a bad thing but there is no shortcut to properly fixing it. You can gloss it over with wax or something but the only way to really make it right is to repaint it. It all depends on your budget and what you want the car to be.

AnUnusedUsername

If the trim is stainless underneath rather than a chrome coating on black plastic as I thought from looking at it, that's not entirely a bad thing. It's much easier to remove splotches of paint to at least make it look even than it would be to take a piece of trim off and get it rechromed.

At my first look at the top I knew it had been in the sun at some point. I'm only convinced it sat for a very long time, I suspected a garage, but it could just as well have been a barn or maybe just under a pile of junk. I'm not sure where it sat, but it can't have been fully exposed or something would have rusted (other than the inside of the gas tank anyway...).

At first look I thought I'd need to repaint it just to keep it from rusting since there's no clearcoat to protect the paint, but there's just a few spots like that on the car, a lot of what made it look bad was oxidation that polishing seems to have helped with.

My stripes must have been redone either extremely cheaply, or a veeery long time ago, they're cracked and almost faded off in places. The paint on them looks older than the paint on the car.

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

What the original stripes are like......First some pics of worn, faded ones. Typical of what you find on survivor LE's today.










Now, here are what they look like in full glory