It looked so simple at first!

[Duffman692002]

She looks great! I like what you've done with the exhaust and she looks very unassuming from the outside, great job man.

[GySgtFrank]

Thanks. I'm trying to keep it simple. At least the outside and interior appearance anyhow.

[infernosg]

Wow, incredible work! I'd swap my FC setup over to an SA/FB in a heartbeat if I had the opportunity.

How was depowering the steering rack? I need to do this myself but with most of the pictures missing from TTT's thread I'm a little nervous to tackle it. Did you TIG up the "quill" like he did as well?

[GySgtFrank]

Thank you. I followed along TTTs post and it was pretty straightforward. The biggest problem I had was with the caps being corroded on TIGHT, and getting the stake to come loose on the pinion plug. I think Godzilla went to Hiroshima and was working on RX7s the day they staked that plug in. I used my MIG to weld the quill up like TTT did. I did cut off the inlets and weld up the holes in the body, but I used bolts/pinch nuts and flat nylon washers to seal the holes in the aluminum housing.

[GySgtFrank]

I've got the FC front subframe pulled apart. Dirty and nasty, starting cleanup. The front rack is done, nothing else. I did put the extra front and rear rotors in the pic that I got from BrettLinton7. I need to take a lot of the parts down to be sandblasted (surface rust).


Build22 by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

[beefhole]

This is a really, really great build. Looks to be well worth all the effort in the end. hell it looks it now. I really like all the electronics swapping you've done, too.

[GySgtFrank]

Thanks beefhole. It's one of those projects that kind of got away from me. I was going to only put in the 13B and run a carburetor, but I had all the EFI stuff and figured Why Not?

I needed some experience with stuff outside of the stone age anyway. It got a lot more involved than I thought at first. I tried to get a complete stock FC setup in there so everything matches. This gives me a good baseline for future improvements (I hope).

Also, using as many stock parts as possible, also makes finding parts a lot easier when (not if) something breaks. I plan to drive this a lot and make some long road trips. I only used custom parts when I absolutely had to.

The known baseline is necessary, as I've found that trying to make too many changes at once will really screw the pooch on figuring out what you did wrong.

[BrettLinton7]

Wow, I didn't realize how much modification you were doing when we spoke. The car looks great, I love how you have the radiator/shroud and everything from the FC swapped over. Looks like the car came that way Those gauges look pretty good, too. Congrats on finishing it!

[GySgtFrank]

Thank you for the kind words.

Finished? Well, it's more like a starting point, but at least it's running again. I want to start upgrading all of the supporting hardware, i.e. drivetrain, suspension, chassis, etc., as money allows.

When everything else is done I'd like to upgrade to a MoTec ECU, just to make TTT happy and start playing with mapping.

At that point I can start playing with the engine. I want to avoid any more long downtimes on this project if I can, the car's just too much fun to drive to let it sit again.

Dang. Just found out the FC Brake master cylinder is going too. I also need to put in a couple more exhaust supports at the mufflers as they're moving a little too much. Always have a few bugs to work out after mods it seems.

[GySgtFrank]

Been trying to figure out my headlight motor problem. They go up and down on their own now and then. Sometimes the passenger side, sometimes the drivers, sometimes both. Even more annoying is when both the up and down circuits are powered and they keep cycling up and down continuously going down the road. Just call me Winky. I think the problem is in my combination switch. It fell apart on me when I was trying to trace wires. I thought I had it back together right, but it has been giving me problems with a few different bugs.

I did get the extra muffler mounts welded in. The muffler shop said I didn't need them, but too much vibration in that tight of a space. The mufflers need to be supported on both ends.


Build23. by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

Still working on the front subframe. Finally got the rusted together struts apart. I had to run a heavy bead with the MIG on the old strut shaft to get something to hold them while I fought the top bolt off (they just kept spinning). I think it needed new struts anyway.


Build24 by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

The good is that I have a new brake master cylinder on the way from MazdaTrix, inside door latch cups from Atkins, and a used combination switch from Frodogray on Ebay. We'll see if these help.

It looks like the guys in KC, will?, be having a get together on the 15th and I want to make it over there for that. It should be a good shakedown cruise.

[djmtsu]

Looking good man. Big project, but the results are excellent.

Oh, and PS- I have a '79 A/C compressor, perfect working order with 134A fittings already on it.

Just putting that out there...

[GySgtFrank]

Thanks. It wasn't meant to be a big project. Like the title says.. I may be giving you a call about that compressor in a month or two. I was going to stay with the R-12 but R-134a might work. I haven't really researched it yet, too much other stuff to do first. It'll probably become a much higher priority here pretty soon though.

[GySgtFrank]

I found the brake problem. The rear wheel cylinders were shot, that'll happen when the car sits 10-20 years. Tried to make a run to Kansas City to deliver some parts and make a meet the KC guys were having. Burned up a relay about 100 miles out, bypassed it and it was fine. Again, my overly complicated wiring scheme bites me in the a@@. Then about 150 miles out the car starts to sputter and died on the side of the interstate. Do a bunch of checks, no fuel to the filter. I assume the fuel pump went as the fuel gauge was above empty and called some local friends to come help. Put gas in it and it fired right up. I evidently bumped the needle putting in the panel and didn't notice it. Needless to say I didn't make KC in time for the meet. Oh well, this is why I was making the run in the first place. Need to make sure all the problems are worked out before I get too far away.

[MazdaLand]

Wow! I gotta say...GREAT build up and good job!

[GySgtFrank]

Quick update. About 1500 miles on it it and no more problems yet other than oil lines leaking at the cooler. I didn't put new crush washers in when I took them loose. I found out why it's a good idea. Running a little rough, need to pull the injectors, send them off and have them cleaned. Going to make the Ozarks run with 417Rotary club on 7 July if I have to tow it there this time.