I have decided to start a thread detailing the restoration of my series 3 RX7. I bought the car in December 2009 and made a start on it but got waylaid by the Elford turbo conversion on my road car.
I’m going to get stuck into this project this year and although I’ll keep updating my website, a forum thread is good for day to day updates and advice from the rest of you guys!. I have quite a few photos of work already done and so it will take me a while to bring the thread up to date and show the current status of the car….
A bit of background to the car and my purchase of it…
This car is a series 3 RX7 in metallic black and was registered as C784 SPA in January 1986 by the supplying dealer, Broxhead Motors Ltd in Hampshire. The car spent the first 9 years of it’s life in the Hampshire area until being bought in 1995 by an owner in Berkshire who kept it for the next 14 years.
By 2008 however, the shell of the car was beginning to show it’s age in terms of corrosion in the usual places, perished hoses / bushes and poor brakes and needed work to pass another mot.
In January 2009 the owner px’d the car with Rotechniks and they it remained with them until I bought it in December of that year.
In February 2009, an employee at Rotechniks and member of this forum, James1902 bought the car from them intending to get it through the mot but after doing a deal with them for repairs to another Mazda, C784 SPA was handed back to them as part of the deal.
James kindly sent me these photo’s of the car when he / Rotechniks owned it…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r6.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r4.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r5.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r6.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/r7.jpg)
Rotechniks then decided that the car was worth more in parts than it was complete and stripped it. The shell was advertised for £100 and I bought sight unseen based on these photos and a telephone conversation with Gary at Rotechniks….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/C784SPA.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/C784SPA1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/C784SPA2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/C784SPA-200d.jpg)
Fortunately, Rotechniks stripped the car properly, carefully removing any parts and unplugging items rather than cutting the loom. Had the loom been hacked about, I’d have passed on this car but as it turned out it was fine. The interior was also complete and, with the exception of the door cards, was still in place. The trim was in excellent condition and had obviously been well looked after during its life.
The main positive about the shell was that, with the exception of the rear upper radius arm mounting points, it had never been welded. This was very important to me as I hate putting right other peoples bodges. It had minor corrosion in the usual 1st gen trouble spots and heavy but localised corrosion to the sill / rear wing base just ahead of the rear wheels.
The rest of the shell, floors, rails, wheel arches and panels were all very good including the bumpers and all the panel gaps were spot on.
It was obvious that many parts were missing and I knew I would need a good S3 donor car to help me resurrect C783 SPA. As luck would have it, Keith had just begun to strip a few parts off his old S3 and agreed to let me have the car as a donor for this project. This was amazing good fortune…. not only was the car just a couple of miles away and the same series car, it had been a good running car prior to finally being beaten by rust and so was an ideal donor with proven parts.
On 00.12.09, I went down to Reading with a trailer and collected the C784 SPA. I anticipated that moving it would be a bit of a challenge without the running gear on it and I was right.
Even without the engine, box and suspension on it, the body was still very heavy due to the interior and glass still being in place.
I’d built a sort of 1st gen dolly out of timber and wheelbarrow wheels and lowered the shell onto this then pushed it onto the trailer….. a right bloody struggle!
I’d taken my dad with me for a ride out and to give me a lift with it and I’m glad I did…. I’d never had loaded it by myself.
Here’s the shell sitting on my cunning contraption after it was just unloaded onto my drive…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF6020.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF6022.jpg)
I then pushed it into the garage and raised it on heavy timbers over my pit ready to start work on it …… where it’s been ever since.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF6055.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF6053.jpg)
Assessing the project….
Having got the car into the dry in my garage I had the chance to look around it properly and assess its condition…
The car had RX7 owners club stickers in the window which suggested that the previous owner(s) were club members /enthusiasts and tied in with the impression that the car had been looked after…. the trim, paintwork etc were very good.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/fg1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/fg2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/fg3.jpg)
The shell had corrosion in the usual areas but nothing too serious… the worse bit probably being the offside rear sill section…. looks worse than it is!
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF6039.jpg)
The nearside was also holed but not as bad…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF6065.jpg)
And there was the usual rot behind the steering idler arm…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/idlerarmrot.jpg)
The floors and chassis rails were fine though….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/und2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/und1.jpg)
The only previous welding on the car was the rear upper radius arm mounts….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/radiusplate1.jpg)
Not the prettiest of repairs but very strong and functional and I was glad they’d been done as they are a time consuming pain to do properly.
The electrics on the car were complete with the exception of the fuel pump and engine/gearbox loom. The main ignition loom was still all there and unmolested.
All in all I was very happy with the car/shell and it was well worth £100 and a day to go and fetch it.
Starting the restoration…
I unbolted and removed the front end panelwork and bumper and also the front wings to give good access to the inner wings and the front end metalwork of the shell to allow me to check for rot…
Only minor surface rust was found and this was treated, rubbed down and coated either with POR15 or etch primer depending on whether it was to be top coated with body colour paint…
The inner wings were in great condition…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/innerwing.jpg)
And just needed the POR 15 treatment…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/innerwingpor15.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1360.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1361.jpg)
The engine bay was just dirty with the usual bits of surface rust…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/bayprestrip1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/bayprestrip2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/bayprestrip3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/bayprestrip4.jpg)
The front chassis rail behind the idler arm was welded and then I stripped everything out of the engine bay, cleaned it all back, treated and removed any rust and then acid etch primed the bay…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/primer1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/primer2.jpg)
And started to put the top coat on it…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/colour5.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/colour2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/colour1.jpg)
Once the lacquer went on, it looked the biz….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/colour4.jpg)
All previously removed components were cleaned, repainted or re-plated as necessary.
I replaced all the fixings as a matter of course and bought a box of 6mm zinc plated hex head taptite bolts which were the bolts that Mazda used to secure many parts including wings, headlight lift assembles and loads of engine bay components. Sadly, I couldn’t get any on the proper yellow passivated colour so I bought a plating kit and did them myself…
Here’s one of my earlier attempts….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0075.jpg)
I soon got the hang of it and the parts look all the better for being the correct colour…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/spanner-2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0349.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0374.jpg)
Next I refurbed the brake and clutch master cylinders and then gave them a new coat of paint, plus the brake servo….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0005.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0012.jpg)
Then refitted them to the car…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0373.jpg)
Meanwhile I also wire brushed the underside of the bodywork, treated any surface rust and then coated it all with POR15…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1348.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1349.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1350.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1351.jpg)
The welding repairs to the rear of the sill still needed doing but the rest of the body was nearly ready for the refurbed parts to go onto it.
February 2009
Keith dropped his old series3 off for me to use as the donor car for this project and I set to work stripping it. I always think it’s sad to strip an old car but this one had genuinely reached the end of it’s road going life and at least a good percentage of it will live on in my series 3 again…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b1-2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b2-2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b3-2.jpg)
Wouldn’t you bloody know it… a few hours after he dropped it off, it started snowing!
Not to be deterred, I cracked on with it… in the cold!
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b5.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b4-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b7.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b6.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b8.jpg)
I spent 2 hours carefully cutting the bonded windscreen free and then cracked the b*****d on the last corner…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b9.png)
The Sthil saw was then fired up and I cut the shell in half to make it easier to access the suspension parts…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/b10.jpg)
Most of the rusty bolts came undone with a bit of heat and the impact gun… only a couple had to be cut off.
The remainder if the rusty shell was skipped and I set to work restoring the reclaimed parts ready to fit them to my car/shell.
Prepping the parts...
The rear axle was removed from the car and stripped of the Watts link, callipers, brake discs and old steel brake lines.
The whole thing was drained of its old oil and then thoroughly cleaned using a wire brush on an angle grinder and a smaller brush in a cordless drill for the more awkward places.
The whole thing was then blown over with a compressed air line to remove any dust, acid etched, cleaned again and dried and then given a coat of POR15 in black. The finish is superb and will hold the rust back for a few more years yet.
The old steel brake lines had rusted and were used as patterns to make up some new ones out of copper, which again will be resistant to rust.
The axle is now ready to install on the car once I have sourced some new suspension bushes.
The rusty rear axle whilst still on the donor car prior to being removed…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture1.jpg)
Most of the bolts came undone with the impact gun but a couple to the trailing arms were rusted solid and had to be cut off with the Sthil saw.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture2.jpg)
The last remnants of the old paint on the axle, which is mainly covered in rust…. Not for much longer though!
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture3.jpg)
At last, the axle is off the car, ready for the horrible task of removing all the rust.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture4.jpg)
Here it is with the rust all finally removed and having been acid etched ready for paint...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture5.jpg)
Doesn’t it look nice in its new coat of POR15? New copper brake lines installed
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture6.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture7.jpg)
With the parts off the car, I started stripping, cleaning and repainting them.
The steering box has been cleaned and repainted and is ready to refit to the car. This is a series 2 box that was an upgrade on the donor car and hopefully will help tighten up the 1st gens notoriously vague steering.
Upon dismantling the idler arm, I found the bushes were cracked and need replacing.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture1-1.jpg)
After taking advice from various other owners, I’m going to fit poly- urethane bushes to this arm as the original Mazda ones are softer and don’t last 5 minutes. Hopefully the poly bushes will also help to keep the steering play to a minimum.
The rear springs had surface rust but cleaned up a treat.
The rubber spring seats are also fine and will be re-used.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture2-1.jpg)
The remaining rear suspension parts were stripped and given the POR 15 treatment…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture3-1.jpg)
All of the bolts and fixings will be either replaced with new or if the originals are serviceable, they will be zinc plated prior to being re-used.
The hard and flexible brake lines will be replaced with new and the existing discs will be cleaned up and re-used and the callipers rebuilt.
After cleaning up the suspension parts, I discovered that one of the radius arms had been previously repaired ( badly) and an anti roll bar link was bent. The radius arm was a problem as it took 3 months to find a serviceable 2nd hand item at a sensible price. The drop link to the ARB will be replaced as a matter of course.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture5-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture6-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture4-1.jpg)
I sent some parts to be shot blasted and got them back ready to paint…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0260.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0262.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/p2.jpg)
And had the old tyres taken off the wheels so that I could have the alloys re-cut…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0329.jpg)
The front struts had suffered from 20 odd years on UK roads and looked their age…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0121.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0124.jpg)
The shocks were good so I stripped each strut to clean and paint it…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture1-2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture2-2.jpg)
They looked much more presentable after a coat of paint…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture3-2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture4-2.jpg)
The struts re-assembled and ready to go onto the car…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture5-2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture6-2.jpg)
A setback but then....
Early on I had a real setback when cleaning the petrol tank and the wire brush went straight through the top of it. I know this would be a real problem because good solid tanks are very hard to find but then....
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF0202.jpg)
I saw this \'new old stock\' tank on ebay and managed to buy it for £89.55... a right result!
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/nt1-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/nt4-1.jpg)
.
Nice project, i admire your dedication i have an fd in bits at the moment cleaning every part of it and it bloody hard work- im not particulary patient and wanna just bolt it all back together again and use it, but know if i am patient and take my time i\'ll have a very clean car again at the end of it and been rebuilt from bottom up, But i could never do what your doing!
Looking really good progress. Out of interest where did you saw the car in half ? I\'ve got a rusty patch in the roof on the drivers side and if you have an off cut around there it would make my life easier !
Shaun
It\'s about time you started a thread on this car! Look forward to future updates-I too admire your dedication to cleaning it all up.
The brakes…
My initial plan was to get a machine shop to give the discs a light skim to clean them up but I can’t find anywhere who can do this anymore… apparently modern machines only skim the discs on the car… no good to me so I’ll probably buy new discs…. The old ones are pretty rusty….
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/discs.jpg)
The front and rear callipers have been stripped and I’m just in the process of rebuilding them…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/cal1-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/cal2-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/ggun-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/pistons-1.jpg)
Other parts having a bit of restoration…
Rebuilding the windscreen wiper mechanism...
Wipers on classic cars often work slow and struggle to clear the screen
This is usually because they are difficult to get to and so don’t get any maintenance at all.
I’d stripped mine from the donor car and decided to give the whole mechanism the once over before fitting it to my car…. I’m glad I did!
The ball joints to the whole setup were very poorly lubricated and the pivots were stiff.
The passenger side wiper arm spindle was very stiff with no lubrication but the drivers side spindle was seized solid. I had to soak the spindle with penetrating oil and then work it loose with a pair of grips. Eventually, I had to use a hammer to drift the spindle out of its bushing.
Both spindles were rusted into their sleeves.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture1-3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture2-3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture3-3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture4-3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture5-3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture6-3.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture7-1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture8.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture9.jpg)
All the ball joints in the pivots were cleaned up and then re-assembled with silicon grease.
The spindles were polished up and their sleeves cleaned out and also lubricated with silicon grease.
The whole thing was then re-assembled and bench tested with a spare battery. They now work perfectly, nice and smooth and quiet.
The seized headlight washer pump…
A common problem with older 1st gens is that the headlamp washer pump gives up the ghost.
The pump is located low down just ahead of the offside front wheel and is inaccessible without dismantling some of the front panelwork.
The result is that it rusts away unseen and eventually stops working.
The metal body of the pump motor eventually rusts and this rust expands opening up a gap between the plastic part of the motor and the metal body. Water gets in and the armature rusts to the motor body, causing the whole thing to seize.
The pump motor on this car was completely seized.
I cut off the 2 small bolts holding it together and managed to prise the casing ( the metal housing and the plastic part ) apart enough to spray plenty of WD40 into it.
This was left overnight to soak and then carefully pulled apart the next day.
Great care is needed when separating the motor as sometimes the magnets can some away from the metal casing as the armature is pulled out if the whole thing is well rusted.
This motor was well seized. The brushes were seized in their housings,
The commutator was black and burnt and the inside of the metal motor housing was extremely rusty.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture10.jpg)
The inside of the metal casing was cleaned out with brake cleaner to get rid of the WD40 and then cleaned with a wire brush on a Dremel to get rid of all the rust.
The commutator was also cleaned with the dremel and the brushes freed up in their housings. The inside of the metal housing was then painted with POR15 paint to stop it rusting up again and ther whole thing was put back together with new bolts and test run by connecting it to a spare car battery.
Success!! It runs perfectly, should last a good few more years now.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture11.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture12.jpg)
.
Very impressive so far, presume this will be MOT\'s and Taxed by 1st of Feb then? :Giggle
Quote from: Brett;737256Very impressive so far, presume this will be MOT\'s and Taxed by 1st of Feb then? :Giggle
yeah, 2015 the way it\'s going! :D
This more or less brings things up to date...
I\'ve bought a few other parts such as a bonnet ( in the right colour for a tenner.... a newly recored rad for a fiver... bargains!) plus my sexy Aussie door mirrors....
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture13.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/Picture14.jpg)
Steves just ordered me a full set of Respeed polybushes...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/F150HFS.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/dd-1.jpg)
so it shouldn\'t be too long now before the car\'s sitting back on its wheels and mobile... hopefully!!
.
Quote from: RobMatthews;737223Nice project, i admire your dedication i have an fd in bits at the moment cleaning every part of it and it bloody hard work- im not particulary patient and wanna just bolt it all back together again and use it, but know if i am patient and take my time i\'ll have a very clean car again at the end of it and been rebuilt from bottom up, But i could never do what your doing!
Stick at it Rob, it\'ll all be worth it in the end!
Quote from: shaunwil;737224Looking really good progress. Out of interest where did you saw the car in half ? I\'ve got a rusty patch in the roof on the drivers side and if you have an off cut around there it would make my life easier !
Shaun
Sorry Shaun, it\'s long gone... I skipped the remains of the old shell as soon as I stripped it last Feb.
nice work Ian!!!
Real dedication stripping it right back like that! Wish I had the resources to do the same!
How did you clean the parts/underside up? just wire brush and por15 straight over? did you use rust treatment as well?
Thanks!
Jon :)
Doing the underside isn\'t too bad as the pit is very deep and the car is raised well up in the air, plus I\'ve taken everthing off the underside, heatshields, hard lines, clips... the lot.
Most of the underside isn\'t too bad, the most rusty bits being the underside of the rear of the shell, rear valance and inside of the rear lower quarter panels.
I used a 41/2" angle grinder with a wire brush attachment to remove most of the surface rust and most of it went back to clean metal. A small amount of light surface rust isn\'t the end of the world as POR15 prefers to bond to rust! plus if moisture and air can\'t get at it ( which it won\'t through POR15) it won\'t rust back up.
I then acid etched the surface, washed it, thoroughly dried the surace then POR15\'d it.
.
Brings a tear to my eye to see my old car in half .
If you do decide to skim those discs I know a great little engineering shop in Hixon.
Looking good by the way .
Keith...
Those respeed bushes look like a bit of a bargain...think I need to get me some of them...
what you need to finish it off is a nice set of TWR sideskirts ;)
Great Job Ian, this car is going to be one to treasure.
Possibly check classic car ads for machine shops? I would guess that my local one, Arnetts in Doncaster will still do disc skimming (but actually haven\'t been in there for years).
amazing resto job... fantastic commitment/ dedication ;)
Excellent work Ian - not a job to be rushed, should be better than new when finished.
Happy New Year.
Cliff
Looking awesome Ian. :)
I\'d be scared to drive it, looking that shiny underneath, incase it got dirty :P
This is definitely giving us all something to aim for - perfection.
Next time you\'re thinking of selling one of your rex\'s - give me a shout boss :Thumbs-up
Quote from: Ian65;737267Sorry Shaun, it\'s long gone... I skipped the remains of the old shell as soon as I stripped it last Feb.
No Problem, realised later on !
Shaun
The respeed bushes are very good. Been running them for over a year without a single issue.
Shaun
After 12 months, I’ve finally got the engine onto the bench to clean it up and get it ready to drop into the car…
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/e1.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/e2.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/e3.jpg)
The oil cooler has the usual leak under it and needs the O rings changing and I’ll drop a new clutch onto it as they are pretty cheap and easy to do while the engine is out.
Time to get a can of engine cleaner and tidy it up….
Brilliant thread!! Loving the work :) Im doing a similar thing on my FC, after reading yours I know im doing it right ;) :)
You\'ve got a brilliant working surface there Ian. My garage isn\'t large enough for a full work area as your - very jealous.
Must make life a lot easier for stripping down and laying out, also reduces the risk of mislaying anything, lucky man.
Keep it going Ian - doing great.
:Thumbs-up
A change of plan and a right result...
This car is now going to be an Elford turbo so another turbo\'d 1st gen will soon be on the road.
I\'ve managed to do a deal and buy a genuine Elford parts car with all the original bits still in place and working....
the engine, turbo, ignition control unit, boost control, exhaust, heat shields etc etc...
The body is shot but the engine purrs like a kitten and it has a load of paperwork and receipts for work done to it over the years inc an engine rebuild at RX Motors.
It also has a club valuation certificate for 4 grand from the year 2000 which is hard to believe from the look of it... it\'s spent the last 12 years on the coast in St Mawes and the salt air has ravaged the bodywork...
all I want though are the mechanical bits. I wish I\'d have found a car like this before I did my previous conversion... it would have saved much time, research and head scratching.
This engine is basically a plug and play... drop it out of the s2, a quick clean and maybe a clutch plate and then straight into my car... sorted!
Here\'s a few pictures...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1286.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1285.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1278.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1272.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1291.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1295.jpg)
and a couple of videos...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/th_DSCF1292.jpg) (http://s589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/?action=view¤t=DSCF1292.mp4)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/th_DSCF1293.jpg) (http://s589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/?action=view¤t=DSCF1293.mp4)
I love it when a plan comes together!
Haha,unbelievable!
Makes sense though.
Is that rear spoiler fibreglass,instead of the usual spongy rubber?
yeah, they\'re fibreglass and bolt on. I think they are one of the nicest spoilers made for the 1st gen... I actually prefer them to the factory rubber item.
Yep i prefer those rear spoilers.
Looks like you\'ll be able to save the front spoiler to.
How did your missus react when she saw it?
Out of interest are the interiors any different on elfords?A few extra gauges,maybe different steering wheel?
I\'ve lost track of how many you\'ve got now,is it 3?
ta stu..
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1295.jpg)
I like those decals too,obviously stand for injection?
Wonder if Elford put them on.
Well done Ian!
ta stu..
I had it collected and delivered to my house but the brakes were binding and there wasn\'t a battery on it so myself and the delivery driver just about managed to push it off the lane and onto my front lawn where it\'s stood until I put a battery on it and fired it up.
The wife said, " that looks nice doesn\'t it? on the front garden"
"Yeah" I said, "I\'m gonna take the wheels off it, put it up on bricks and leave it there, it\'ll rust up a treat!"
How she laughed.... not!
Luckily it fired up straight away ( it was on the road until 2008) and I drove it up the drive to the garage where it\'ll be stripped over the next couple of weeks.
Elfords are completely standard inside ( except for the ignition control unit fixed to the transmission tunnel under the dash... no boost gauge or anything.. Elford thought a boost gauge was unneccessary with alll the overboost safeguards they put in place to protect the engine.
I\'ve now got the 2 black series 3\'s the 1984 A reg with the Elford engine and the 1986 C reg ... soon to have an Elford engine... plus this s2 that I\'m stripping.
I love the decals! Sooo retro cool and go with the car so well! You\'ll be a world expert on Elford\'s by the time you\'re done with this second conversion!
If you only want the mechanicals....I\'ll take the rear spoiler and more importantly the front bumper off your hands!!! :p
Perhaps I should have been a bit more specific... I only want the Elford bits... mechanicals and spoilers!
Sorry...
hehe I thought that might be the case :P
Either way, that long shot of it sat on the grass made my mind up that the Elford front is the way to go for me.
This is an \'ex\' old rx7 club car and has been in the same area since new, as born out by the paperwork. I love white 1st gens ( nearly as much as black ones) and I reckon this car would have looked the dogs d**k back in the day.
Shame it\'s now at the end of its life but at least some of it will live on to tear up the tarmac.
Good find mate, you kept that quiet! I love them stickers too.
What are you doing with the pepperpots?
Quote from: Ian65;743715This is an \'ex\' old rx7 club car and has been in the same area since new, as born out by the paperwork. I love white 1st gens ( nearly as much as Green ones) and I reckon this car would have looked the dogs d**k back in the day.
Shame it\'s now at the end of its life but at least some of it will live on to tear up the tarmac.
White 1st gens just look fresh,even when their not!
Listened to the vids,sounds like a good runner.
Your wife must be very tolerant,i\'d be castrated.
Lot\'s of good resto\'s/mod\'s going on in 1st gen section.
See if anyone spots the slight alteration i\'ve made to Ian\'s quote above,could\'nt resist it:evillaugh
I dunno yet Tim... I\'ve always wanted a set of Elford pepperpots, they just look really cool but they won\'t fit my cars so I don\'t know what to do with them.
Thats easy, you need an RX3 to put them on.:bandit
Quote from: syebba;743720White 1st gens just look fresh,even when their not!
Listened to the vids,sounds like a good runner.
Your wife must be very tolerant,i\'d be castrated.
Lot\'s of good resto\'s/mod\'s going on in 1st gen section.
it was on choke in the video... sounds really smooth and sweet when I rev it up.
Quote from: captainbizzaro;743723Thats easy, you need an RX3 to put them on.:bandit
I don\'t want any more cars... it already looks like \'fair deal Dans\' car lot around here as it is!
Sal should have a halo!
Quote from: myatt1972;743739Sal should have a halo!
\'hello\' to you too!
If my memory serves me well, the decals were a TWR accessory and you could get a diaogal stripe that went across the bottom left hand corner of the bonnet.
.
Now you have your own S2 Elford to use as a workshop manual, you don\'t need Miss January any more..... She will be most upset.
What was the story with the elford ETL box / coil wiring that you were hving fun with a couple of weeks ago?
John
Wow.....Another 1st Gen enters the Magician\'s Garden. Down the lane under the Church Tower.
Decals found
http://www.flickr.com/photos/retromotoring/4328044493/#/photos/retromotoring/4328044493/lightbox/
Oh the irony of the rust comment there!
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4328044493_aa8975cdec_b.jpg)
Good find dibs.
Ian\'s decals on his elford are TWR & exactly same as above.
Love the comment,sure Ian will not agree!
Quote from a motor dealer < you could use a mazda as a taxi in a salt mine and it would\'nt rot away>
What can i say,but :evillaugh
ta stu..
I\'ve spent years restoring triumph spitfires... a car that has a phenomenal appetite for rust and is as durable as a suger lump but I\'ve never broken a car with as much rust as this Mazda. I dunno about it living by the seaside, it looks like it\'s spent the last 10 years on the seabed.
It was still on the road in 2008... frightening!!!
started stripping this donor car today...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1302.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1303.jpg)
it made me realise what a well engineered conversion this Elford mod was... even the front spoiler took an age to get off due to all the fixings etc. No wonder mazda gave it the thumbs up...
Ha ha... behold the heart of the beast!
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1324.jpg)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1326.jpg)
Also got the gearbox out and the front suspension off... tomorrow it\'ll be the tank and exhaust, doors and roof...
Ian I\'m amazed at your energy, I would have had to spend at least a couple of weeks planning and thinking before starting.
So good luck.
Dibs
Good man Ian - it couldn\'t have found a better home
Are you taking up a franchise with the Elfords? :god
What will you do wih the engine out of the C reg when you swap them over? I don\'t know whether Goldie\'s heart still beats so might be looking for a transplant in a few months :wave
Clutch looks fairly new?
Roseland Motors = St. Just in Roseland sort of thing. (As previous, Lands End, Truro area).....mucho interesting.
Quote from: johnnyboy;743780Now you have your own S2 Elford to use as a workshop manual, you don\'t need Miss January any more..... She will be most upset.
What was the story with the elford ETL box / coil wiring that you were hving fun with a couple of weeks ago?
John
the ETL boxes are basically a \'slight of hand\' they don\'t do anything worthwhile that you couldn\'t do yourself with 20 quid and a trip to Maplin.
The little setup on top of the engine that \'retards the timing\' is the important one but even that doesn\'t do what it was trumpeted to do... it sort of achieves the desired result in a round about way. It was made to sound like electronic wizardry back in the day but it\'s all just very very basic.
Quote from: David Nock;744045Clutch looks fairly new?
yeah, clutch fitted 4000 miles ago by RX Motors... I\'ll have a look at it and see what it looks like... I bought a new clutch plate off ebay for a tenner last week so I can always drop that in if it\'s needed.
http://www.mazdatrix.com/getprice.asp?partnum=FG591044
Rear spoiler exactly the same as Elfords $237 US dollars,i suspect Elford used these rather than craft their own?
(http://www.mazdatrix.com/pictures/kfg/LowProWingsS3.jpg)
Or mazdatrix made a copy of it a long time ago :Giggle
Shaun
Quote from: shaunwil;744778Or mazdatrix made a copy of it a long time ago :Giggle
Shaun
Haha,yes that could be true!:Laugh
I\'ve probably chosen the wrong thread - so please forgive me.
I can recall some time ago you were asking if anybody had or knew the availablity of the \'rubber stop\' fitted to the rear springs - did you ever get any feedback on this?
I was asking my local agent last week for some bits and they tell me the \'rubber stop\' is available on \'back order\' from Mazda for £13.11 + vat (if this is of any use).
Ta
Cliff
Quote from: CHC;747950I\'ve probably chosen the wrong thread - so please forgive me.
I can recall some time ago you were asking if anybody had or knew the availablity of the \'rubber stop\' fitted to the rear springs - did you ever get any feedback on this?
I was asking my local agent last week for some bits and they tell me the \'rubber stop\' is available on \'back order\' from Mazda for £13.11 + vat (if this is of any use).
Ta
Cliff
good info Cliff...
I have a cunning plan to bond the bump stop back to it\'s mounting plate with POR15 but if this fails, I\'ll buy some new ones.
Went yesterday and picked up my poly bushes from Steve ( nice to meet you mate! Gotta say lads that Steves work on his RX is a credit to him.... can\'t wait to see the finished article)
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/DSCF1385.jpg)
Had a look at the bushes today and after I got rained off from building the garden fence (he he he), I decided to have a go at putting some of them in...
what a B*****d of a job...
the \'lube\' you have to use is more like wet araldite and sticks to your fingers/hands/ clothes/ workbench/ tools/ gloves.... every bloody thing!
Nearly all in now though... they better be good after this!
I\'ve also managed to get the Elford engine onto the bench for cleaning prior to dropping into the car... time to get the polishing kit out!
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/benchengine.jpg)
Cliff called in to pick up the Elford wheels for his RX... great to meet Cliff and his good lady too... we could have talked RX7\'s all day!
I\'ve always wanted a set of Elford sonic wheels and when I finally got a set, they wouldn\'t fit either of my 1st gens1... drat and double drat!
I\'m glad Cliffs had them though... they\'ll look the absolute business on his S2.
Things are starting to move forward with this car now... just need a couple of new lower balljoints and a good S3 gearbox then I can get it back on it\'s wheels and get the lump back in.
.
Inspired by the arrival of my new poly bushes, I\'ve set to work cleaning up the remaining few rusty items from the donor car, ready to paint and fit to this car.
I\'m a bit fed up with grinding off rust so today I set up an electrolysis tank for rust removal and put my 1st rusty part in, the bit that links the front strut to the steering...
Here\'s my home made setup consisting of a plastic tub, 3 gallons of water mixed with washing soda to make electrolyte, an old battery and a battery charger.
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/tankbefore.jpg)
and here\'s the rusty part...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/linkbefore.jpg)
and here it is after an hour in the tank...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/linkafter.jpg)
and the dirty water after fetching all the rust and rubbish off the link...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/tankafter.jpg)
What an easy way to prep parts and all it needs is a bit of soapy water and a battery / charger...
Wow, thats awesome Ian. I might have to steal that idea off you! Were you using the metal parts to be cleaned as the anode or cathode? How long did they need in there to clean up?
that is very clever, can you do a bit more of a step by step guide on how to do this,
it depends how rusty and oily they are, this process will lift all old dirt, rust and paint... it\'s great for bits of tinware where you can\'t get a wire brush inside and other delicate stuff.... this link was in for an hour.
In the past I\'ve used an old brake disc as the anode but any old bit of iron will do. I hadn\'t got any to hand today so I just used some large steel brackets I had in the cupboard... not ideal but they did the job.
I bought the washing soda from tesco, about 45p a bag...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/soda.jpg)
just put a cup of soda into about 3 or 4 gallons of tap water, connect the positive battery terminal to the brake disc or whatever you decide to use and then connect the negative to the item to be cleaned. Then connect the battery charger to the battery as normal. The current flows from the item to the anode, taking all the rust etc with it.
I\'ve used this in the past to free off rusted bolts on small items as well
Easy!
here\'s a pic i found on the net...shows the connections... sort of...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/dd-3.jpg)
There\'s a lot of info on it on the net but some people seem to get a bit carried away and over-complicate it.
If you\'ve got a battery, charger and a bucket, which most of us have, you only need a bit of wire, some crock clips and the washing soda... couple of quid and you\'re up and running.
Some fantastic work there Ian :Thumbsup!
Think im going to be trying your rust cleaning method on some of the smaller bits on my RX3 :Thumbs-up
Also noticed that you know a bit about the black box on the elford turbo so i may be picking your brains if thats ok.
I\'ve gotta try that out!
trouble is, once you do, you\'ll end up plating stuff like I did. It\'s just the same system but reversed. the part to be plated becomes the anode (+) and the zinc plate becomes the cathode (-) and the zinc flows from the zinc plate and sticks to the part.
I started off cleaning old rust and paint away and before I knew it, I was in full production zinc coating.
Hi Ian - good to see you yesterday and your better half but what you doin\' callin\' mine the good lady? You know she prefers The Dragon or The Witch he.he.he:rollin:rollin
No seroiusly though, I too could have talked and looked all day but unfortunately we had other pressing engagements to go to. Listen guys, Ian\'s cars are better than the photos and really should be seen, they are a real credit to him and all the work and love that he gives them.
Yeah collected the Elford rims and tried one on JAZ today - alas couldn\'t bolt it on! My wheel studs are too short!!!! Never thought of that - daft me :Hammer. The PCD is the same @ 110mm so otherwise will fit
Don\'t suppose you have a spare set do you or anybody else out there watching?
They need to be 35 - 40mm length of thread - mine are only 20mm long.
Ta
Cliff
Quote from: Ian65;748781here\'s a pic i found on the net...shows the connections... sort of...
(http://i589.photobucket.com/albums/ss333/gsxrmovistar1/dd-3.jpg)
There\'s a lot of info on it on the net but some people seem to get a bit carried away and over-complicate it.
If you\'ve got a battery, charger and a bucket, which most of us have, you only need a bit of wire, some crock clips and the washing soda... couple of quid and you\'re up and running.
Fantastic set up there mate - you\'ll have us all setting up cottage industries as chemical cleaners.
Quote from: CHC;748810Hi Ian - good to see you yesterday and your better half but what you doin\' callin\' mine the good lady? You know she prefers The Dragon or The Witch he.he.he:rollin:rollin
No seroiusly though, I too could have talked and looked all day but unfortunately we had other pressing engagements to go to. Listen guys, Ian\'s cars are better than the photos and really should be seen, they are a real credit to him and all the work and love that he gives them.
Yeah collected the Elford rims and tried one on JAZ today - alas couldn\'t bolt it on! My wheel studs are too short!!!! Never thought of that - daft me :Hammer. The PCD is the same @ 110mm so otherwise will fit
Don\'t suppose you have a spare set do you or anybody else out there watching?
They need to be 35 - 40mm length of thread - mine are only 20mm long.
Ta
Cliff
I\'ve still got the front studs on the front hubs... I\'ll press them out of the hubs and drop them in the post to you.... haven\'t got the rears though as they disappeared with the rest of the shell! At least you\'ll have a pattern to use for reference.
Quote from: Ian65;748814I\'ve still got the front studs on the front hubs... I\'ll press them out of the hubs and drop them in the post to you.... haven\'t got the rears though as they disappeared with the rest of the shell! At least you\'ll have a pattern to use for reference.
Think my terminology was out a bit last night Ian :Hammer, not sure we are talking the same here, my hubs do not have studs in them - they need a bolt to secure the wheel.Don\'t worry if you have none, I\'m sure I\'ll be able to pick them up from somewhere
Quote from: CHC;748839Think my terminology was out a bit last night Ian :Hammer, not sure we are talking the same here, my hubs do not have studs in them - they need a bolt to secure the wheel.
Don\'t worry if you have none, I\'m sure I\'ll be able to pick them up from somewhere
sorry, my mistake, I still had my S3 head on..... forgot the S3\'s changed to wheel studs and nuts but the S2 had bolts. You\'ll need to bolts and the seats... there are a few places on thre net that do them though... I bought a set for some Alleycat Slots on my Spitfire and they did many different types.
You can get stud convertors, that screw into the hub, and then you can use wheel nuts, and they come in lots of different lengths. Not very expensive on eBay.
Quote from: Ian65;748914sorry, my mistake, I still had my S3 head on..... forgot the S3\'s changed to wheel studs and nuts but the S2 had bolts. You\'ll need to bolts and the seats... there are a few places on thre net that do them though... I bought a set for some Alleycat Slots on my Spitfire and they did many different types.
That\'s fine mate, just thought I\'d check before I start sourcing newuns.TaCliff
Quote from: Steve-A;748915You can get stud convertors, that screw into the hub, and then you can use wheel nuts, and they come in lots of different lengths. Not very expensive on eBay.
Now there\'s a thought .hmmmm???If I were to do this it would make the hubs non standard so if ever I were change the pepper pots over I\'d need to reduce the size of the studs or remove then and go back to bolts - hmmmm, will mull this one over whilst I\'m looking around.Cheers anyway Steve, another good shout from the gang.:cheers