Quick overview...
1971 Mazda RX-2 Sedan UK spec.
I bought this car for £150 with another enthusiast (who has now withdrawn from the project) about 3 years ago. It was an MOT failure due to rust on the chassis where the cross-member mounts. I have repaired that and its passed mot and has made it to Brooklands and to Rotorstock.
BODY
Previous owner had started repairing the rust, hence the primer! I have now painted over the primer, though there is lots of rust around. Amazingly, there are very few dings in the panels, for a car of 35 years old !
This picture is of the rear panel. This is about the worst spot. I have made a temp repair on it for the moment. Around the windscreens are very rusted, too, and I will need try and slow down the rust on the bottom of the doors, too.
ENGINE.
Have a look at the pic, its the wrong engine, and the badge says it DESERVES a rotary.
Its a 2l ford, and its being removed, see my Technical Thread at :
http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22737
INTERIOR
No piccies yet. It has the wrong front seats in, and driver\'s carpet needs replacing. Roof lining shabby. Dash has 1 crack. Otherwise its pretty good inside. I would like to somehow fit seat belts in the rear, too.
There should be mount holes on the C pillars and the floor under the seats.
Ford Engine is removed.
Havent seen the replacement RX-7 engine for ages, but I found it, still in the shed! I had put oil in the ports and turned it over before storing.
Pulled it out and turned it over a few times, feels ok. Its filthy so I am cleaning it up now.
Ford engine coming out....
^ Love that pic!
Quote from: MartinyFord engine coming out....
I know of the perfect solution for that boinger Martin. Send it to portsmouth & let them use it as an anchor weight :Giggle
Jase, I actually found someone in Fanrborough who wants it, so I am delivering it on Saturday :-)
So, whens the rota goin in and what ya doin to it?
That Ford lump sitting in my garage now. Forgot it was there last night at about 10.30 and fell over it. :Hammer
Quote from: kiwimazdaThat Ford lump sitting in my garage now. Forgot it was there last night at about 10.30 and fell over it. :Hammer
Why are stumbling around in yer garage in the dark at 10:30 in the evening ? :Hammer
Long story. I am lucky enough to have a garage for the wifes car.(garage a. Full of conservatory) and a second workshop 6m sq at the back of the garden. (Garage b has no power yet ) the ectension lead to the B garage is plugged into A and i couldnt see a damn thing last night. Was off to do some sly work on the race car. Missus had to rescue me from trying to defy gravity.
Quote from: ORE616So, whens the rota goin in and what ya doin to it?
Well, for now a standard 12A from 83 RX-7, with RX-7 gearbox. No mods, I just want it Rotorised for a start. As to when, I am doing a little bit, little little bit.
Cleaned everything yesterday. Now the measuring starts for the engine and gearbox mountings and to determine prop shaft length.
Quote from: kiwimazdaLong story. I am lucky enough to have a garage for the wifes car.(garage a. Full of conservatory) and a second workshop 6m sq at the back of the garden. (Garage b has no power yet ) the ectension lead to the B garage is plugged into A and i couldnt see a damn thing last night. Was off to do some sly work on the race car. Missus had to rescue me from trying to defy gravity.
****ing Muppet show LOLOLOLOL :rollin :Giggle :cool :WaveBye
Well, whad\'y\'know, I am back on this project! Have been fitting and refitting the engine, gearbox and prop shaft so I can start making the engine mountings.
Here is my modification to make the gearlever housing sit in more or less the right place.
and here, I ground down the clutch fork lever, then welded on some more meat to make it stronger. This is because it fouls the body, and I want to minimize the amount of cutting/denting in the body. I will still have to cut/dent the body though.
This is just some parts being cleaned.......
Anyone have a gear-lever to sell me please?
I\'ve got one, but i want £20 for it because it makes the rest of the gearbox much harder to sell without it.
Ok, gear lever arrived.
Jimmys sent me a new clutch, a distributor, and the slave and master cylinders for the clutch.
Of course, I have rounded one of the bolts for the clutch, so i have to get a new one from Mazda, hopefully today !
The mountings are made and welded to the crossmember, the motor is in! Now I have to connect everything! Hopefully, this weekend I can start with the clutch, and then get the gearbox on, and then I can crank it and see what it sounds like. Probably do poor man\'s compression test too.
Then I have to figure out the wiring for the Dizzy.
Thats my weekend set, then !
nice one, look forward to the next installment. a big regret of mine is letting an rx2 go for scrap some years back :( it was to be a future restoration project until the local yobs started smashing it up. i then had an order slapped on it to be destroyed because it was a danger to children! probably the sames ****ers that smashed it up! i grabbed all i could from it before the scrap man arrived :( same thing happened with an rx3 too.
I love these old skool restoration threads. A rare thing on here.Will look forward to the finished beauty
its a LONG way from being beautiful! I just want it running with Rotary power for now.
Aftermarket exhaust that I have from 1st Gen doesnt fit ! :-( The header fouls the body, and it also looks like it will catch the steering box. Been contemplating this all weekend. Maybe I could modify it somehow. Am buying some 90 degree bent pieces to see if that will help me out, - maybe I could change the radius of the curve of the header pipes, and just maybe that will give me room at the steering box and arm, too.
i take it the lever fitted ok? sounds like you are having fun with those other parts
Mark
Clutch on tonight, I hope , then gearbox in, then fit starter, then crank it !
( to hear it cranking will just be a little reward to myself for getting this far!)
THEN i will see if the lever fits ! Lol!
:-)
No progress on the clutch, I am waiting for 1 little bolt from Mazda!
IGNITION working !!!! Yay!
Between the RX-2 diagram ( with an error in it) , and the RX-7 Haynes Manual, I managed to get the ignition working !!!!
Been cracking on.
Connected the fuel pump but it failed soon... so there is a new one on the way.
In spite of not having all the bolts for the clutch, I fitted the gearbox. On went the starter, then I connected up the wires. I turned the key, and....
nothing! ? So, what I thought was a 15 min job (fitting the starter), turned into a good few hours ( isnt it always like that!), tracing wiring and what not.
So, eventually, I managed to get it to crank ! Sort of like a reward to myself for all the work I have put in recently. The pulses dont sound even, but I am going to connect everything and see if it starts.
Exhaust.
The 1st Gen RX-7 exhaust (that I have) doesnt fit. So I have started cutting it to get it to fit. There are many places it needs to bend ( I dont have the right tools for that), so I am cutting a slot, and then bending it there. Lots of welding coming up....
Exhaust Header ( too big!) from Donor RX-7.
After cutting to adjust.... lining up the zorst, and you can see my home-made engine mounting here. too.
Looking good :D
I see you\'ve been branching out onto Retrocarclub as well :D
Just an update. Ages ago, I tried and tried to start it, but alas, there is no compression in one rotor and only 4 psi on the other.
Have been busy on other 3 cars, but I hope to update this thread soon with some news.
You are having zero luck with these engines! How many is that now?
time for a turbo II engine i would reckon!!!