rivalrx

The rear callipers are now secured to the diff and were spot on using the brackets I had fabbed up. Old School FXGT callipers (fit under 13” wheels) Series 2 RX7 new discs 4 x 110 I’m replacing the countersunk stainless brake disc screws for more high tensile options and probably moving away from the allen key also. The old hard line is in place however I need to cut and flare/adapt to suit soft lines. These will need to be custom as the FXGT callipers are fine thread and the old Mazda is coarse thread. I might be able to fire the LH soft line directly to the T junction if I play my cards right… Another step closer…..keen as to button up the rear end so I can move onto the fuel system and wiring.

After much contorting, sweating and swearing, the side glass and rubbers are all in on the coupe. I just need to fit the door cards and window felts and jobs a goodin. I tore my hood lining the other day….sooo I’m having to buy another $300-$350. I’m not entirely looking forward to fitting it… The engine front mount bracket has been ditched…..the engine was at 8 degrees which is way too much of an angle. This was due to the fact that I’m running a 13b turbo box (89-91 FC RX7) which is substantially taller in the main body than the series 1-3 box. This means it limits the angle as the top of the box contacts the tunnel roof. I’m now getting a custom front bracket that will lover the block 5cm ish which puts the drive train at an acceptable angle. The sump is sitting on a spacer 20mm off the cross member at the moment - now the clutch slave clears the tunnel. Now I need to get a drive shaft made to suit and then set the entire drive train up so that I’m happy with all the angles. THEN the front bracket can be made…THEN the custom quad throttle body intake manifold can then be made to suit the angle of the block. I got a drive shaft off a mate however it appears to be 20mm too short unfortunately - when you are talking about a high revving engine, you really want the drive shaft to be on point etc. Yes I have a loop to go in. I also tidied up and prepped the diff brake line and fitted a new hose I had hanging about the place 4 steps forward, 6 back….

the 13b is in the hole...happy as!

With some help from good mates, the 13b bridgie is now sitting where it should sit. I had the oil pick up extended by SDP (Stephen Dean Performance) and then 3 Bonded the sump and baffle plate on. SDP will be coming to measure the mani angle this week and then will get into fabbing that as well as making risers for my quad throttle body intake. I’m happy - aiming for Chrome in August for a non-road legal hoon…….

Holy mother of god I like your build thread......will be my next car build

FINALLY it's rolling happy happy joy joy

The see me rollin – they hatin. So yesterday was a good day – aside from the mega flood out west Auckland….only the floor of my shed got wet which was super lucky. I secured the hubs to the struts and sat the struts in = rolling. I surprised myself with the guestimation of ride height at the rear as it was almost perfect – albeit without any actual weight in the car. The fronts seemed to be at a nice height too however I will need to see it with the engine, box, glass bla bla in. On a side note, I’ve been looking high and low for my gearbox cross member bush and basically turned the shed inside out over the past 2 months……I went to move the gearbox and reached under it and what do ya know……there it is, secured to the frikkin gearbox. This is the automotive world equivalent of looking for your glasses when they are on your head. Now to get the oil pick up extended so I can hoon on the sump and plonk the engine in the hole. Injectors are ordered for the custom quad throttle bodies – 4 x Bosch 630’s including pigtails. Once they arrive, I can have the top half of the throttle bodies fabbed up as it needs a custom rail to suit injectors and the velocity stacks need slight machining to fit on.

Yea - next steps... Front struts, steering, sway bar and arms in = rolling extend oil pick up and then I can put the sump on. Then box and this all can be mounted in the car. Plenty more things to do also...stress

I managed to wrangle the diff into the car over the weekend and now it’s sitting on the ground/bricks on its own weight. There would have been jack removal issues without the bricks. I will hoon it on the garage floor soon. Engine bay is done and all that’s required now is a buff. I’m happy how the sunrise red has darkened and the clear has really made it pop. It should make a nice contrast to the huckery exterior haha Next is engine and box, front struts etc.

I picked up some hi tensile bolts and 'cone lock' nuts. The guy told me there is no need for spring washers if you use 'cone lock' nuts? Anyone know if this is the case and if they are all good, can the 'cone lock' nuts be removed without compromising the 'cone lock' properties?

Riiight - now that RE union and the nats are done and dusted, I'm able to cobble together manpower to help piece together the sled. Just a couple more engine bay coats remaining and then we can get the front end in. Diff should be in this week

Diff is all together apart from the odd bolts here and there. I just need some high tensile ones for the flange ends as these will hold on my caliper brackets therefore the standard ones won't do. This is also good as I can't find them. FML. Hopefully this week, I can have the rear end rolling and the adjusties wound down A few of the Rotor West lads chipped in and got a tyre machine and balancer off trademe. We fired it up last Friday and now I have tyres on my hotwires. Oh, my custom rad and cooler turned up the other day - quality bit of kit right there

After another rub-down, we shot another layer of sunrise red in the bay. Now there are only a few patches where you can see the sanding marks therefore yet another rub down will be needed. The colour really deepened after the second coat and should be looking bang on after another couple. Somehow I have lost 1L of clear in my shed somewhere….FML. The FXGT brakes/s2 RX7 discs are all fitted to the dummy diff and this all should be ready to bosch together this weekend. The discs were opened up on the lathe so that they fit over the ‘snout’ of the hub extensions which allows me to run my RX2 wheel centres. Hoping that this weekend I can have the rear end rolling and the bay painted. 6 mates pooled in $80 each and we got ourselves a tyre changing machine and balancer off trademe - this is living in a mates shed and will give us free tyre changes for life.

this one right

I agree - the rear panel looks killer. I have a complete rx2 beaver panel, lights and garnish that will remain a wall hanging for now, as it's likely I keep this look. The auto badge haha yea.....I need to double side tape the garnish on and this particular one has all the pins in tact on the back. My mate has another one with no pins, so I probably will get that as I'm loathed to cut the pins if someone else can use the original un-messed with one. 6 of us bought a tyre machine and balancer last week - this will be stashed in a mates shed and should save us loads on trye changing etc. That and earn us beer money for letting others use it. Some tyre places charge like wounded bulls for tyre removal/fitting.