Car 345, rx7 rally car.

[speedjunkie]

That's awesome man lol. So glad to see this coming to fruition.

[Whizbang]

Originally Posted by speedjunkie

That's awesome man lol. So glad to see this coming to fruition.

thanks Eric! Hope to spend this whole weekend sanding like mad! Get her ready for painting.

[Whizbang]

sooo....

the stock geometry of the rx7 is garage. the MFR stuff doesnt use the weak sauce short top links because Mazda released they stuck too. Probably a product of packing the car and not have boxes and towers in the body work.

Anyway, that has to go. The small running of Rx7s in rally generally all suffered from sevrere oversteer issues at the limit. Millen's car was essentially a Ford Escort, atlas axle and all, with a rotary.

The plan then is to get my hands on a early 90s 4runner toyota axle, then clean it off, weld mounts and four link / panhard this car.

Also, the kia sportage pinion seal is leaking like a sive on my car, and gues what! you can't get replacement seals for it and its just different enough that the mazda one doesnt work! (fuck!)

Not looking good for Idaho Rally, but such is life, ill just codrive for the open light driver, Jeff, again. Having the car sorted and getting seat time is more important. Also Rally Car 3.0, may still be another Rx7 so i could transfer the bits. Maybe Rx8 engine!

[Whizbang]

well..... fuck

so i guess every wonky swap needs its problems. Mine turns out to be that i need to shorten the driveshaft...

The car was occasionally making a rattle / grinding noise. So i went underneath to take a look. The shroud thing was lightly grinding at the tail housing because the driveshaft is too long and slides all the way it possibly can. This also mean i had to pry rather hard to get the shaft off the pinion flange and its doesnt really like going back on... (crap!)

Since the diff was already leaking oil in a nice circle, and I was discussing doing a four link with another axle, I think this is the cue that it is time to make that happen.

[GySgtFrank]

Originally Posted by Whizbang

well..... fuck

so i guess every wonky swap needs its problems. Mine turns out to be that i need to shorten the driveshaft...

The car was occasionally making a rattle / grinding noise. So i went underneath to take a look. The shroud thing was lightly grinding at the tail housing because the driveshaft is too long and slides all the way it possibly can. This also mean i had to pry rather hard to get the shaft off the pinion flange and its doesnt really like going back on... (crap!)

Since the diff was already leaking oil in a nice circle, and I was discussing doing a four link with another axle, I think this is the cue that it is time to make that happen.

The rear suspension is definitely less than ideal. Kind of fun changing things up though. I went with the three link because of simplicity. A lot of the guys that run them for road racing have been pretty happy with the setup. Whatever you run will have to be pretty stout for Rally racing I would imagine, and require a lot of travel while keeping pinion angle change to a minimum. Not strong points for the 1stGen rear suspension.

[WE3RX7]

^ isn't that the truth!


Side note, and I apologize if you aleady said this somewhere, but what color are you painting the car?

[Whizbang]

Originally Posted by WE3RX7

^ isn't that the truth!


Side note, and I apologize if you aleady said this somewhere, but what color are you painting the car?

Its getting sprayed white (sanding and masking today actually) then going over with a bright green vinyl for the livery. (then all the required sticker crap for events, door placards, mazda contingency, etc)

[Whizbang]

GySgtFrank,

Yea the stock geometry plain sucks. I'm basically doing what Rod Millen did which was copy the Ford Escort MkII Prep manual to the tee. Millen even used the Atlas axle (which the states never got) so im going with a Toyota 8"

[GySgtFrank]

Originally Posted by Whizbang

GySgtFrank,

Yea the stock geometry plain sucks. I'm basically doing what Rod Millen did which was copy the Ford Escort MkII Prep manual to the tee. Millen even used the Atlas axle (which the states never got) so im going with a Toyota 8"

Nothing like a little overkill!

I have run a few of the Fox body Mustangs and when I jacked up the SA I saw that the rear suspension setup was almost identical to the crappy Mustang rear. I knew then that the rear suspension was a high priority item.

I've spent too much time in the ditch because of that type of suspension setup. In Mazda's defense at least they did add the Watts link, even if it's not the best setup I've ever seen, unlike Ford.

[Whizbang]

the 50 dollar paint job is done! going to add orange vinyl between the green and white

[one320fc]

Sweet!! I really wanted to build a FB for local rally events but never got around to it and now I dont think they host the local event any more.. Good looking build though and should be a blast on the dirt!!

[chibikougan]

schweet!

[WE3RX7]

No details on the paint job / setup? Shame Looks good though....

[Whizbang]

i have some camera pics. its was kinda hokey. I use tractor paint (oil based enamel) thinned with paint thinner through a spray gun in a paint booth. No primer, but i did wet sand it some. Took quite a few coats. Then masked for the green and the black that you can't really see in the picture. all and all it was ghetto

[Whizbang]

mostly reassembled