mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Took a few more pics as it was getting dark and was playing some lighting filters:

Started out normal:



And then started in with the filters:

Razz1

You need to sell all those cars and keep the Falcon!!!

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

The Falcon is fully restored and in my garage across town. It stays safe over there. It was my first car and will always be cherished.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Went out tonight after polishing the paint (what's left of it anyways) and took the car up the road and snapped a few pics. Just wanted to share the pics here:

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I came to find out today..completely by accident... that the 1980 GS that I picked up last week was featured in a book. The book is called Sport Car Colored History Mazda RX-7. I picked up the book in the late 90's and have read it many times. I decided to pick it up today and noticed that the SA in the first spread looked an awful lot like the SA that I picked up recently. Here's how I came to believe that its the same car:

Here is the picture in question that appears twice in the book. Once in a centerfold and once in the section talking about the 1980 model year:





And a close up of the front:



Note the sagging left headlight and the slightly raised right headlight. Same as the car in the pic:



Scratch on the front bumper in the same location as well as the front plate bracket:



In the pic you can see a spot of missing paint by the left front tire. Same spot is missing in my car but it has now turned to rust:



Proof that my car came from Virginia. Same state that car in the pic is from:



Pin striping can be seen with the top stripe once longer than the bottom as indicated in the pic:



Mud flaps secured with three screws. Identical to the pic:



Remnants of the inspection stickers that can be seen on the windshield in the pic:



The book the car was featured in:




These are all indicators to me that the car in the book is the car I have in my driveway.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Pic of my car and a pic of the car in the book for direct comparison:

gwilliams6

Seems reasonable assumption, cool ! Brings back memories.

patjza80

What did you use on the headlights? Look great!

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I'll post a pic of the stuff I used this afternoon. The original paint shines brightly, though its cracking everywhere. The pictures hide a lot unfortunately.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Lost the engine on the 8 late last month. Started it up and heard a pop and it stalled. Lost compression on the front rotor. When it rains it pours I guess. Can't afford to rebuild it right now and I won't part it and have no interest in selling it. Caught between a rock and a hard place.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I decided to attempt to deflood and start the engine. It did not start and flooded again instantly. This was the deciding factor in pulling the engine for a rebuild. Its not out quite yet but I decided to pull it and tear it down in hopes the housings are still good.

Before the tear down while attempting to unflood the engine:



Into removing things to get to the engine:



Here's where I am now:

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

What I figured out was that the wiring harness can be removed with the engine after its disconnected from the ECU. This will save me time when pulling the engine from the car. It does however appear as if there is wiring running over top of the trans that will need to be disconnected. Probably the reverse light switch wiring. Will continue to post more pics as I make progress on removing the engine!

ouimetnick

I'm curious as to what the autopsy reveals what failed.

FunRun8

iTrader: (5)

This is the best product to use and most reasonable, you'll get tons of uses out one of these packages, you'll not realize how many places you can use it until you have some.
It is a product designed for repairing leaks, stays flexible and soft and has some tackiness to it has good adhesion but is still removable from both the light and the car body and is usually resealable in similar applications. It is a product used primarily for swimming pools and underwater repairs in the light conduit so most likely source would be a local pool store, possibly a warehouse store too.

It's called butyl tape, get some, a little goes a long way, roll it out in a longer piece and thin it out a bit by rolling it like playdoh but not too much and apply it just above the rear tail light holes and just around the corners between the car body and the light in one continuous line to act as a gasket and you'll no longer have this problem but will still be able to easily remove your tail light if you need to and then to reinstall as well. No need to encircle the entire light unless you want to as the water drains down and around the seal instead of into your light.

I've used it plenty of times to seal various items such as sills under the dash on other cars where the a/c panel leaks and similar indescribable locations, it's also good to provide a bit of bonding in locations on various interior panels where may be tabs have broken off just for it's holding capacity to bond a given trim piece for example that still needs to be removable. I've even used it for patching a hard to reach, OEM specific (read expensive) vent hose on my GTI fuel filler line that was giving off a CEL due to the open vacuum. That was over 3 years ago and all is still well.

What you see here is about half of used roll.




Damn! Just reading into the thread after my post now you have much bigger concerns, but the info is for anyone who wants it anyway.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Bigger concerns yes, but good info none the less! Thank you for sharing!

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Hoping to pull the engine and get it torn down in the next week or so. Hoping the housings are still good. That would bump the rebuild cost up significantly if I have to replace the housings. I'm not giving up on this car regardless. Even if I have to buy a known good used engine and install that for awhile I will do that. Whatever it takes to get the car back on the road this spring!

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Not much progress has been made on the 8 due to me working 7:30 am to 6 pm six days a week. I sill go out and visit her every day though. Backed my MR2 out of the garage yesterday and took a pic of her in waiting:

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I found an engine for my 8 yesterday. Guy is parting his 04 RX-8 out and building a track car out of it. Doesn't need anything but the rolling shell. So.... I kinda bought everything else... literally.. Tested the engine yesterday and the compression was very good and even on both rotors. I got the interior as well, however its from a GT model, so I don't think I would really be able to use the seats. I like my cloth seats anyways. But I'm happy to keep them as spare parts. Going to pull the engine and trans out on Sunday and grab the exhaust system and the rest of the parts form the car and head home to begin cleaning this engine and installing all new Mazda brand gaskets and seals to ensure there will be no leaks.

Here's a pic of some of the interior parts that I was able to fit in the Sienna yesterday:



Pic of the engine as it sits in the car currently:

FunRun8

iTrader: (5)

That thing is filthy, did it get flooded possibly? Check very carefully for flood damage so as to be sure the engine didn't get swamped, yes based on some of the rust and such high up in the engine compartment I'd be suspicious that it wasn't flooded making most of the other parts possibly useless as well. What mileage? Personally I'd have a tear down and refresh done while it's out anyway before reinstall, have it cleaned out of all carbon etc. maybe rotor seals are still good, sounds like and no gouging, but maybe have everything cleaned and once'd over and new water jacket seals, installed but that'd be my starting point.

BTW Never really made the connection, but your whole investigative spiel about the Rx7 is due to the police car in the back ground of one your pics one can assume?

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I checked the engine over carefully and observed no flood damage. It is a little crusty from the car sitting outside. I ran a compression test and the pulses were even and even when using a compression tester for a piston engine, the results were favorable. This engine will run just fine. As of right now money is tight and I'm on a budget so a full rebuild isn't in the cards right now. This engine will be fine long enough for me to rebuild my original engine and have it ready to go back in the car should something happen to this engine.

The plan is to install all new oem external gaskets and seals and vacuum lines on the engine that I'm buying and installing. The SSV will be cleaned thoroughly and I will hot tank the intake manifolds. The engine itself will be cleaned thoroughly and will look very clean upon reinstallation. Pics will be posted of course!

FunRun8

iTrader: (5)

Well like I said not a full rebuild, that's what I'm suggesting you avoid by doing it now, but ok it's your engine and your project, and BTW few people have as restrictive a budget as I do, but I absolutely hate doing things twice and it's certain if I put in an engine that wasn't refreshed I'd be pulling it out in probably less than a month.

rx8m8

That's one dope garage you got there! I may have missed it, but are you planning on doing anything specific to the car? Or just light mods?

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

You make a very good point and I respect your way of thinking on this. However, here's my logic: A full rebuild kit will cost me $1500 and maybe more if my housings are out of spec or have chrome flaking. This engine that I'm getting is good. It will run. I'll spend less than $200 on all new external gaskets and seals and it should give me plenty of time to rebuild my original engine. Once I rebuild my original engine, if the engine I am picking up tomorrow is still as healthy as a horse, it will go in another 8 that I am building. I haven't posted anything on that yet. Its kind of my secret project. I don't mind pulling the engine twice. Its not a terrible job. I work for Toyota as a technician and we pull and rebuild engines frequently. I've been working on cars for 17 years and pulling an engine and reinstalling another is right up my alley. Just hoping to get the summer out of my 8 and then over this coming winter, rebuild and install the original engine back in the car. The one I am getting will also be rebuilt once the original engine is back in. I'll put it on a stand and have it ready should something happen to the engine I built or just install it in my RX-8 Touring project that I am haven't posted a thing about.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Thank you! I have a lot of cars and a lot of tools, lol. Acquired over a lot of time wrenching, lol. As far as mods go, I will not be modding the car in any way. I prefer an all original car. When I was younger, I did a lot of modding and I still support a buddy's business with his Subaru modding and dyno tuning. I help him out with his engine rebuilds and tunes and parts installations. I appreciate modding and love what it can do for a car. I am however, just kind of old fashioned when it comes to my cars. I prefer a quiet car that has a nice ride. I have 5 kids and a wife. As of now there's no need to build something fast and loud. Maybe when my boys are a little older and are able to drive. Maybe then they and I can build something together with them that's fast and loud.

FunRun8

iTrader: (5)

I plan to do an electric conversion with a couple of Rx8's as projects with my boys when they get older in a few years, we'll begin before they get their drivers license and be done by the time they can drive. They can have plenty of HP for limited distance and time so they'll have to be conservative about it, but when it comes to maintenance they'll have little to do and just plug it at night to charge it instead of having to worry about having money to buy gas to go somewhere, but they'll have the coolest cars in school IMO.