Snoozin

1988 Mazda RX7 FC3S (323)-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Pined some FC action today.

So sheepers popped around, we did a bit of a bolt check, clipped all the fuel and brake lines up and then the above happened. How cool.

The tune is only very beginning stages so I couldn't give it any real beans under load yet, but ambling around on part throttle was super great. The brakes feel awesome, as does the suspension.

Things to look at include (and this is for my reference):

- fix/adjust clutch so shifting is hopefully easier

- move exhaust to drivers side so muffler is away from rear passenger side wheel

- resolve tacho and speedo not working

- roll rear guards cos she rubs a bit

- driveshaft loop

- secure and install battery box

- seat mounts (for lush lush lush new interior)

- diff is noisy, change out worn CW & P for a good spare set I have 

- get it aligned properly

That's really about it for the moment. Not bad all things considered, the only stock mechanical component on the car is the steering column and rack!

Been a long time no update but anyway thanks to Stu and Sheepers and Nick the Sparky this is where we are at. 

Weird.

Went pretty smoothly, it's spooging a bit of oil out the breathers on the top but I guess once it's run in that'll settle down or it'll just keep doing it cos 4AG life. I have 5 forward gears, a clutch that works and some brakes so with a few hours checking things and tidying up small jobs there's nothing stopping me from going for a wee drive.

Oh the thermostat doesn't seem to be opening but that's not really a big deal to sort out hopefully, it might just be old and stuck, or new and stuck, as the case is.

The horn button and the steering wheel are still in their box. But instead I did some other stuff, we'll call this "Gen 2.0" of the project/not really a project. 

Last weekend, I fitted up the option OEM skirts and rear caps, made sure it all fit OK (which it did, because it's OEM) and trekked to Hamilton to get my mate Brendan to paint it all up. This stuff is all pretty rare - the skirts came up cheap locally so I pounced on them, but the caps I ended up having to spirit across from the USA. I've had it all for about 6 months I guess.

The skirts needed some cracks repaired - luckily this was easy, as they're made from ABS. 

I foolishly forgot to take any photos during the paint and final fitting process. A cool trick for those at home, is to use side skirt trim for a Toyota bB to act as the NLA Honda weatherstripping that seals the edges of the kit against the side of the car.

But anyway. I also scored a cheap set of Advan RG in 16x7.5" flavour just this weekend. They aren't mint, but present really well. They have a bit of light kerbing on 3 of the wheels, some stone chips as expected through age, and plenty of marks and chips on the inner barrels. I spent HOURS removing baked on brake scum, tar spots, and cutting the paint to remove light scuffs and they turned out pretty awesome I reckon. A bit of a bucket list wheel for me, I had some 17-inch versions on my old Torneo Euro R if anyone remembers that...

Anyway, pics of wheels and kit on car. They tyres are a bit too tall, these are a 205/50/16 where the 205/45/16 on the stock 16's fits (and looks) much nicer. Just lame-o phone photos for the moment, I'm intending to get out with the camera (and the car on 17's) soon for some nice pics of how it all looks with it's flash new aero.

DC2R Phone (41)-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

DC2R Phone (44)-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

DC2R Phone (42)-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Bloody good though, eh.

Mazda RX7 Group C 1-201-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

sure do shoot a lot of tangs.

Mazda RX7 Group C 1-28-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

How to be a nerd, Part 7

I've always loved the NSX-R steering wheel/horn button combo, and have long wanted to pop one into a DC2R as homage to the original Type R. Since I had my first one, all those years back.

Anyway, these steering wheels are actually still available, as is the horn button and the trim ring. The steering wheel price is $1440.00. Yeah um. Maybe not. The trim and horn button, while expensive (for what they are) don't break the bank, so I hatched a plan.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-1060-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Here, you can see I bought a contemporary MOMO Tuner wheel. For all intents and purposes, this is an NSX-R steering wheel. It feature a marginally different offset in the spoke, and a different printed logo, but still has the red stitch and pretty much identical rim/grip style.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-1066-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

This is a gen-you-wine NSX-R horn button, and trim ring. 

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-1072-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

And this is a detail shot of a gen-you-wine NSX-R horn button and trim ring wedged into a MOMO Tuner. There's something pretty cool about these brand new OEM beauty pieces, or maybe that's just me swooning irrationally. But yes.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-1076-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

This is what the assembled item should look like. I've got a WOF due in September, so I'll pop it on after that as I have to replace the OEM airbag wheel for WOF time.

Fun.

Yesterday, I put the intake. There were no tears, copious swearing and ALMOST one snapped bolt. But not quite.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-955-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The garage is only wee, so this is a door-up jobby. Yay for a break in the weather.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-957-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Car goes up, bumper comes off. More stuff needed to come off, too. How easy is it taking off a modern car bumper. This appears to be attached with 2 self tapping screws, 3 push-in clip things and a 10mm bolt. And maybe a hearty splurge of hopes and dreams.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-962-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The old intake arrangement consisted of this piece of convoluted hose feeding the original airbox. In the interests of total originality, I still have the big resonator that sits up in the guard and all the pieces required to reinstate to OEM will be kept.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-963-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The airbox has to come out. Along with the radiator overflow bottle and it's bracket. And the support bracket for the airbox. And you also need to undo a stay that connects the clutch flexible hose to the hard line. This becomes evident later in the swear-fest, after Richy says "surely I don't actually need to remove that part."

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-976-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Next, we attach this wee stainless bracket to the bellmouth part of the kit. 

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-981-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Then, you slide the bellmouth into the OEM intake arm. You'll see there's a wee spring on the end that goes around the circumference of the arm. This keeps enough tension on the joint to prevent slippage, in lieu of some ghastly looking hose clamp. 

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-985-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

THEN, oh boy, what a humdinger of a step... the wee bracket bolts onto the mounting tab vacated by one of the three bolts that secured the original airbox. MAGIC. But yeah nah, it located perfectly.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-991-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The filter - a K&N item made specifically for the kit - then slips onto the bellmouth. It's a pretty tight fit, so it stays put. For now at least. Until the next step. When it seems to be a real sausage in a hallway situation right when you don't want it to be.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-994-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Unfortunately, I had to use all 7 of my hands to complete this step, so couldn't document the in-progress part. That's a big V-band clamp at the wide end of the airbox. After you have successfully managed to spend most of your life maneuvering the airbox into general position - I took the headlight out also to help - you then have to deal with clamping the bellmouth, filter, and airbox together with this big clamp.

Now, the filter loses any conviction whatsoever to retain its interference fit to the bellmouth flange at this stage. This results in MUCH fumbling, and I'm pretty sure one of the instructions in the manual was "say FUCK a lot," but I don't read Japanese so I'm unable to confirm. So yeah, it's quite a challenge to ensure the clamp, er, clamps all three of the components. Often times you'd be like "YUS GREAT SUCCESS" only to realise the bottom (which is totally inaccessible) wasn't properly clamping.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-995-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Anyway, after saying 'fuck' about 589 times, it paid off and I got it all clamped up. I also added the trumpet to the bottom (fixed in place with aluminised tape) and fixed the bottom snorkel part with the supplied bracket. No pics, cos it was dark and I was mainly fumbling about trying to finish it off.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-1018-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The next day, the all important task of fitting the sticker was on the agenda. I struggle to attach a WOF sticker without it being 78% air bubble, so trying to place this no doubt expensive adhesive thing was slightly stressful. But we got there.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-1009-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Final step! Stand back and admire the view. Took it for a test doort round to sheepers place, seems to have fattened up the midrange noticeably in conjunction with the headers. And there's heaps of noise, so this unequivocally means it is faster. 

Thanks for looking.

THISSS....

Is a very expensive and difficult to get piece of discontinued Mugen equipment for a DC2R

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-932 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Why did I get it? Because I'm a stupid fucking magpie, that's why. I also have a Mugen exhaust and a recently restored header (which for some reason I never updated but OK), and wanted to finished off the intake, header and exhaust (I/H/E) holy trinity with a matching piece. So a friend of a friend found a wee shop in Hong Kong who had this. He subsequently bought it on my behalf, I sent him money, he sent me a large box, I dealt with the hassle that is customs, and voila. Here it is.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-945 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

I am going to read this manual, and figure out how it installs. There's a lot of parts.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-953 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

This is the airbox, and the velocity stack that locates inside the inner gaurd. Vs the stock arrangement, it has a HUGE volume. I'm going to assume there is some kind of science involved in the shape, and volume of it. Because well, justifying it.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-940 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

The airbox attaches to this bellmouth with the biggest V-band clamp I've ever seen. Apparently this particular part is quite responsible for the Mugen setup producing some better numbers than most other units on the market. I'm not a surgeon, so I can't comment with any real conviction. Really nicely made piece of kit however!

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-947 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

This thing stops all the nasties getting in, and claggin up my 'tec. It's really important that you keep fine particles away from your VTEC. K&N make this. So you can just do washing and oiling like you do with all the other K&N things and it'll last forever. Or at least for a few thousand KM this gets driven every year.

2000 Honda Integra Type RX-950 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

It is REALLY important to have a sticker. So here is the sticker, that usually goes on the shiny top part of the airbox. I'm gonna scan it, so I can get replacements made when I inevitably wreck the other one while I'm doing my best impression of an apprentice signwriter whom hasn't yet read the dictionary definition of "self adhesive." The shiny stuff is sticky tape. In true Japanese tuner fashion, you use that to stick the trumpet onto the end of the airbox. No lies.

Join me next time, for the part where I swear, scratch my new parts, cross thread some bolts and take some nice photos of it so it all appears super mint and well installed.

Useless info - the brakes on these are the same as a 98 spec Type R Integra. So, you have Type R brakes. How good.

DC2R Phone (33)-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

DC2R Phone (36)-Edit by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Wheels, meet car. Yeah good. Caffeine and Classics tomorrow if the weather holds!

2020-06-26_08-08-47 by Richard Opie, on Flickr

Finished. Tyres and stickers. Good.