MRWEST's 73 RX3 Coupe

[MRWEST]

Well the 808 made way to make way for this......

By a chance conversation at Chrome 2020 I found out about this car,

1973 Mazda RX3 Coupe.

Complete car minus a motor,
Cars been baremetalled, rust done and most of the prep for paint has been done which is awesome. 

Came with a heap of extra parts and upgrade parts including
-S5 RX7 gearbox
-B2000 LSD diff thats been narrowed, with RX8 Rear calipers/rotors
-Front coilovers
-Factory suspension and diff as well
-Lots of new bushes, rack ends, lights, badges etc etc

Cars been real well done this far in and perfect base to build how it want and do it once and do it properly.

 

Tell me im crazy and iv got a big job ahead of me here haha

 

 

[MRWEST]

So when i first looked at the car right before Auckland Lockdown V2 it was a bare shell on a chassis dolly,

The previous owner spent a bit of time during lockdown and put the panels back on, factory suspension and steering and diff in and got it mobile again for me.
He packed the car with as much as he could then when I picked it up the ute tray and back seat was chocka with bits as well for the trip home!

 

 

[MRWEST]

So whats my plan for this?

Well.

Plan at this stage is as follows:

-13B PP Injected 
-Link ecu or the likes with built in dash (no need for aftermarket gauges this way)
-Front Coilovers with S4/5 Front brakes and convert to 4x114.3 or 5x114.3
- Narrowed B2000 LSD (Has been narrowed 40mm from RX3 stock width) is currently 5x114.3 with RX8 rear calipers and rotors but may change to 4x114.3 to allow better wheel choice in 15s/16s
-Reset leaves and blocks in rear
- S5 RX7 gearbox
-Custom exhaust, driveshaft, driveshaft hoops, gearbox xmember to suit drivetrain
- Nice tidied up painted/polished/shaved/deloomed niced up engine bay

Wheels TBC, got a few ideas but need to keep working through that
Colour TBC. Again got a few ideas but haven't committed to anything

Spent half a day going through all the boxes of bits on the weekend an working out what iv got and what i need or want to replace,
Majority of stuff is there which is a good start.

 

 

[MRWEST]

Have bought a new mazda crate motor to build 13b PP out of all new parts, hopefully get into that shortly,

In the meantime have been doing a couple of odd jobs,

Pushed it outside to get some daylight and inspiration haha

+

I pulled the factory struts and leaves out of the car,
Car came with some 2nd hand coilovers in so chucked those in and wound them right down for a laugh and chucked some reset leaves and blocks in the back.

Factory struts have been sent to Brady at BLG Engineering,
Hes building me some coilovers, camber plates, billet 4x114.3 hubs, and setting the front up with 4 pot wilwoods and 280mm rotors.
Hes also sending me some rotors and wilwoods for the rear, going to redrill the diff to 4x114.3. 
Should stop and handle a bit better after i get those back.

 

Also dragged out the ROH ZS i have in the shed to see how they look sitting up on it,

Thats all for now,
Got a bit of motivation back again so going to try make some progress in the next wee while on it.

 

[MRWEST]

Got a few goodies on the way for this.

But this week,
Managed to score a old school Haynes manual off Trademe so that was a handy score.
Got so much detail in it, right down to how to rebuild the motor and box

 

Also had a clean up of shed and sorting parts out,
Pic of the cleaned up S5 RX7 box the car came with.
Like new, unsure on internal condition so going to strip it down before it goes in the car to save any future headaches.

 

Thats all for today!

 

[MRWEST]

All go here this week.

BLG Engineering sent up my 4 pot rear calipers, so my mate is currently making brackets for the diff for these.

BLG Engineering is currently building some coilovers for the front with camber plates,  and 4 pot wilwood fronts, so those should be here in the next few weeks. 

Also picked up a set of refurbed 15x 6.5 and 15x7 SSR Formula Mesh for the car as another option for wheels, one of the 7s has been damaged so will probably relip to 8 or so for the rear when i get too it. But for now will keep the car rolling with the new stud pattern of 4x114.3

Also had a mates car for a couple of days so test fit his Works CR01 wheels to see what that looked like,

\

 

 

 

[MRWEST]

Brady at BLG Engineering whipped me up a set of new coilovers for the front and camber plates

Also made new 4x114.3 front hubs and mounted a set of 4 pot wilwoods.
He also supplied a new wilwood master cylinder and prop valve as well as rear rotors & 4 pot wilwoods to get mounted to the diff.

 

[MRWEST]

Progress has been a bit slow but things are happening slowly.

Have found a 4.8 ratio b1600 diff head to rob the parts to regear my 4.1 ratio B2000 which will be a heap better for the PP N/A motor.
Have all the brake parts now including bundy tube to make new lines up, a mates making brackets to mount the rear calipers to my diff.
 

Motor still being done, Toby BOP Polishers has my housings and front cover to polish and a mate has my plates to smooth and paint.

Have been keeping a eye out for a OG steering wheel, unicorn shit to find and $$$$$$ usually, managed to find one that was a semi reasonable price and in decent nick so grabbed that which im stoked about.

 

[MRWEST]

Got my new front end in for a test fit,

Then a mate bought round some 15" SSR Longchamps so gave them a test fit.

15x8's on the front, and 15x8 on the rear with a 20mm adaptor and stock width diff (my diffs 20mm narrower) so will be able to run a fair bit more dish

Pretty happy with how they look!

 

[MRWEST]

Things are progressing slowly in the background,

Have had my new PP'd housings and front cover over at Toby to get the maddog polish,
Shit they came up so good.

Plates are getting the casting marks smoothed on them currently and then painted ready for the engine to be assembled.

Iv been trying to work out how the jigsaw of the dash/heater/glovebox etc etc all goes back together from a box of a million screws and bolts and a whole lot of parts.
Taking its time but getting there. want to make sure anything missing or broken is acquired before final assembly.

 

[MRWEST]

Bit more progress.

Mate Gav just finished up the brake brackets for the rear calipers on the diff this week so i got that in,
First issue was U bolts for RX3 diff are much smaller so had to get a set of B2000 ubolts and blocks.
Chucked those in and got it fitted up last night

 

Have ordered a heap of bits for the wiring, sensors (water temp, oil temp/pressure, fuel pressure) as well as a new alternator, starter and electric water pump which are all getting stripped to go to Toby for polishing.
I also picked up a few goodies from Franklin Performance for the motor so they are ready to go on once assembled.

 

Also test fitted a set of 17x7.5 ROH Z's for some nostalgia! 
Got plenty of space to run a 8.5" at least on the rear so will keep a eye out for a set of those.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MRWEST]

Purchased a full rubber and seal kit for the car from Azhar so thats here ready for when it goes back together.

When i sold the 808 i had a pair of BBS RS in 15x11 with 5.5" dish and a pair of 15x8 with 3" dish which i kept for a rainy day.
Heres a pic of the 11 on the back of the RX3 for a laugh, shows how big the flares had to be to make them fit on the 808.

Anyway was browsing market place and stumbled across a set of 3.5" lip 30 hole BBS lips by chance.
A quick measure up and they look to be perfect once guards are rolled to fit on the rear with the narrowed diff.

Will give them a full recon, repowder coat centres, new hardware, full height hex centres and repolish lips once i decide on car colour.
Fit front and rear with basically next to no spacer so thats a bonus too.

I also found a set of mint 5x114.3 17x8.5 ROH Z'S. The 8.5" only came in 5 Stud AFAIK and have a huge dish compared to the 7.5" 4 stud versions.
Unsure if they will fit on the front but will definately work on the rear with a 4x114.3 to 5x114.3 adaptor spacer.
So will wait for these to get up from down south and i can work out what of these i will run front and rear and then get Toby to give a set a polish up.

Have decided to sell the SSR Mesh and the 5.5" BBS lips as im not going to be needing either of these any time soon and iv got too many wheels it seems haha.

 

[MRWEST]

Got my plates back from being smoothed and painted by a mate,

Dummied it up with housings and front cover last night and pretty stoked on the outcome.

Off to Revolution Engine Services to get assembled, the rest of the parts are ready for assembly. 

 

 

[MRWEST]

Well managed to pick up a mint set of 17x8.5 5x114.3 ROH Z'S in the hope they fit the shortened diff in the back better and give a heap more dish.

Test fit with a 4x114.3-5x114.3 and whilst too wide for the front fit perfect on the back.
Reckon the staggered 7.5" front and 8.5" rear looks good!

Will get them all polished up and mint again before they go on but at least i know they fit, and i can fit "legal" tyres on for vin/cert.

 

 

 

[MRWEST]

Fair bit going on in the background at the moment.

Motor is all ready too assemble at Revolution Engine Services.
Body is at a mates getting fab work done, exhaust, mounts, rad/oil cooler and various other bits.
Loom as been started at Re-Wires NZ.

Toby has been busy getting a few bits looking sharp, EWP & Alternator housing and CAS all polished up mint to go on the motor.

 

Ordered a lightweight flywheel and Quartermaster clutch, sexy little number!

Have had a heap of new goodies come from Azhar via PAC as well!

 

All happening slowly but surely heading in the right direction.
Next few months are going to be moving forward quite quickly all going to plan!

 

[MRWEST]

Lots of stuff happening,

Got a few packages turn up from Azhar at PAC,

Random rubbers, centre console, gear shift surround and RHD stereo surround all nice new and shiny, new RHD headlights and a heap of other miscellaneous bits.

Ordered some new full height polished hexes for the BBS RS, New BBS centre caps and new chrome hardware so that all turned up so i dummied a rear wheel up.
Lips have gone to polisher for the rears and need to decide centre colours before i assemble.

Found this photo of when i test fit the 2 x 8" wides on one side (they are going on the front) and the above is a 9" wide to go on the rear. Fits perfect with the 4x114.3 diff (photo is a 8" on rear with a 4x110 to 4x114.3 adaptor spacer)

 

Nice milspec engine loom being made up so thats already to go and the body loom being made up as well.

Doors, guards and nose cone have been stripped to bare metal and epoxied, some minor steel repairs to be done this weekend too. then they are ready for panel beating.
Grabbing the bonnet and boot to go to painter for prep this weekend too.

Going to see progress on the body at fab on Sunday so no doubt will have more updates after that.

 

[MRWEST]

Went and checked on progress on the weekend.

Guards, doors and nose cone have been baremetalled, epoxied and had some minor steel work done so those are ready for paint prep.

Have dropped the bonnet and boot to the painter to bare metal as well.

Body has  had a few bits and pieces done on it fab wise. Still lots to do but all the parts are there now more or less to get things sorted.
Has a dummy motor and my FC gearbox sitting in the hole ready for gearbox mounts to be built.

 

 

 

 

[MRWEST]

Its all go.

Have had front and rear factory bumpers rechromed at Shiny Bits in Geraldine, came up mint as.

 

Have ordered and awaiting a Motorsport 3D dash from aussie to fit the Haltech IC7.
Fits in the location of factory gauge cluster so makes it nice and tidy location to mount the dash.

Retains the factory air vent etc.

Toby has polished my BBS lips and all my stainless trim for the car. So its all straightened and wrapped up in bubble wrap ready for when the cars painted.

BBS Centres need a repaint still but all the new hardware and repolished lips are looking tops.

 

 

[MRWEST]

Few goodies turned up on the slow boat from Aussie today.

A Dynamic Metalcraft Australia Billet filler neck & cap for the fuel tank, nice powder coated tow hook, and a gas strut conversion for the bonnet.

 

Then also my Motorsport 3D dash turned up to suit Haltech IC7 dash. 

3D Printed replacement cluster to bolt into the factory location and keep the factory air vent and the likes.
Stoked how its turned out should look nice and tidy in the car.

++

 

 

[MRWEST]

All go at the moment.

Mate doing the fabrication has shaved/filled the engine bay excess holes, made a new gearbox mount on the body, mounted the heater/blower for RHD (Was still setup for LHD), did the windscreen wiper conversion for LHD to RHD, reattached front seat mounts (old owner had taken  out for bucket seats) , few other minor bits and pieces on the body. 

Shell has been dropped to mate whos painting it, is part way through baremetalling it again and hopefully get engine bay blasted and get the whole thing epoxied next week.

My Classic auto sound headunit turned up after 3 months, a factory look but modern internals. Will go good with the factory interior styling im going with but has all the modern functions such as bluetooth etc.

Ordered a PROMUFF muffler and 2 x resonators off BLG Engineering for my exhaust, didnt quite get time to do before painter but itll get done before paint goes on the body. (only half that pic is mine)

Ordered a Haltech Elite 1500 ECU on black friday so thatll be suitable for driveby wire ill be running and should do everything i need nicely. 

 

 

Have also dropped interior off to start getting chipped away at.

All coming together slowly,
Should have the motor in my possession in the next week which will be another mile stone ticked off.
Next big push is panel/paint prep, get on to rotisserie for underneath, then final bits and pieces and get it painted.