mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Thank you!! The interior is in great condition overall. It was the one thing that was maintained properly on the car, lol. The leather is still very soft and free of cracking. I'll continue to use Griot's leather conditioner on it as I have had excellent results in my BMW using it.

I took the one wheel I suspected to have a flat spotted tire to work yesterday and confirmed my suspicions. I have quite a few spare tires for the 8 in my shed so I grabbed a nice looking one and mounted it and balanced it after cleaning the rim itself off. It balanced quickly confirming the rim was not bent. But just rolling it with the old tire I could feel the flat spot. That wheel would constantly lose air and be down on pressure so I assume that it sat too long with a flat tire and the tire was ruined because of it. I'll check the pressure before I leave for work this morning. I have one more tire that keeps losing air so I'll take care of that if I drive the car to work on Saturday.

Jazer

Im envious! I'd like to get a few more things knocked out, then I would like to slowly replace the few worn interior pieces I have. Mainly the front seats/steering wheel. The door cards and rear seats are fine. The leather definitely wasn't cleaned/conditioned as much as I do it

I have to ask, do you plan to flip any of your 3? Is there 1 in particular you are definitely planning to keep?

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I get attached to my cars, lol. I won't flip any. Its very difficult for me to let go of a car that I've put a lot of time and money into or one that holds sentimental value. I suppose I'd sell my 04 Jetta if push came to shove. Its not an exciting car but it's reliable and has been a great backup car to my BMW as a daily driver.

My first 8 was black and I bought it new and had to sell it so that I could put a down payment on my house. So when I found my black 04, I knew it had to be mine. That car and I have been through a lot together so I could never part with it. My grey 05 GT is a nice car. Needs a few things, but I bought it neglected and saved it from becoming a parts car. I can't get rid of it, especially with the new engine that just went it. Plus, I get to fix things on it and its a rewarding feeling doing so.

That brings me to my Nordic Green 04 GT. When the 8 was new I obtained brochures on the car and read up on them, finally sold my 88 RX-7 TII pictured here at my old house with my 10AE and a couple other 7's occupying the driveway and garage:



I had my down payment for an 8 and decided I wanted a Nordic Green one. Didn't care about trim level, just wanted that color. It was next to impossible to get in my area. I would have to wait up to a month for the car as there were not any locally or anything reasonable for a dealer trade. While in my search, found that black 05 Sport and drove it and fell in love with it and bought it. The Nordic Green 8 has eluded me since 2005 and when I saw this one for sale, even knowing it was not a wise investment due to missing parts, rust, and needing an engine, I bought it anyways, lol. So no, I can't part with it either. It'll be my next undertaking when I save up some more money. I just had to shell out over 2k for a new engine for the 05 so I have to take a break on big purchases for awhile and focus on smaller things like this Titanium Grey GT.

Jazer

Hey no explanation necessary for me, I was just curious! I tend to be the same way. The beater my husband is using now, has been mine since I was fresh out of highschool. Im going on my 13th anniversary with it, LOL. My Subaru I also plan to keep indefinitely (I know it's history from day 1, as a family member sold it to me who owned since new, so it's just an excellent well maintained car for being 11 years old now)... so that leads me to my 8. I haven't enjoyed a car as much as I have enjoyed this one (even having owned cars packing a lot more punch under the hood). I tend to get a little bit emotionally attached to my cars, and this one has definitely found a spot in my heart , haha.. so yeah, I certainly hope it surpasses the length of time I've had my now beater. I'm right there with you!

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Took the car for a drive yesterday to test the new tire that I installed last week. The car drove well and the noise and vibration were cut down significantly but some was still present. I'll have to take the car to work and rack it up to see if I can see any failed bushings.

Also, I got a CEL on for a random misfire. I'm ordering plugs and wires today. Then if that doesn't solve the issue I'm going to order the coils. The coils were newer but I know that doesn't mean a thing so I may have to invest in a new set.

I also have a TPMS light on, even though all tire pressures are up to spec. The light doesn't flash as if there's a fault, it just remains solid like a tire is low. And the light for a headlamp level malfunction is on as well. I have to figure that one out as well. Not sure where to start with that but I'll keep everyone posted.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

I installed a new set of plugs last night and cleared the P0300 code. New NGK wires are on their way as well as the wiper blades. Once the wires arrive I'll toss them on and take the car for an extended drive, weather permitting. I'll see if the code returns. I feel as though I should just replace the coils as well. When I pulled the plugs they had a layer of wet gas on them down inside of the plug and were black on the electrode and the insulation as if they were fouled....which of course would cause a misfire. When the dealer installed the engine, they installed the plugs from the old engine, which of course I protested, as I knew they should be replaced. So here's hoping my good coils are still good and the plugs and wires fixes the issue. If not, I'll replace the coils.

xKp5609x

Good stuff! Keep up the nice restoration work! How does the underside and suspension components look?

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

the car has rust. The rear suspension is rusty and appear to be seized. My plan in the future is to remove the rear subframe and replace all of the arms and hardware and have the subframe portion sandblasted and powdercoated along with the differential housing. The car sat for some time outside in the mud and that just ruined some things. The suspension is still in very good condition despite the rust and the car handles and tracks extremely well.

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Finally got around to installing the new NGK plug wire set yesterday after work. While I was in there I attempted to clean the front connector for the headlight level sensor and found that a pin had sheared off on the sensor. That's a good start as to why my headlight lever light is on, lol. Took a couple pics to share while I was out there.

New wires going in:



New wires installed:



Letting the engine run to normal operating temperature after the plug wire install:

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

Drove the car to work yesterday and finished cleaning the plasti-dip off of the inside portion of the wheels and I balanced and rotated the tires while I was at it as well. What a big difference in ride quality! The more I drive the car the better it gets, however I'm still being gentle with it as the reman engine only has 67 miles on it as of pulling in the garage yesterday. Gonna drive the car to work again today as the weather is going to be in the 50's and because I still have a couple things I'd like to do. I want to change the transmission and differential oil and I'd like to give the car to the detail department for a thorough cleaning and maybe a wax job if they have time. Took one pic yesterday before I started the balance and rotate and wanted to post it here. More pics to follow!!

xKp5609x

Good stuff! I need to get my OEM wheels with new tires one and balanced etc. How's your suspension components looking down there on this one?

Razz1

Good to see a restore

mazdaverx7

iTrader: (6)

The car handles very well given the originality of the suspension. The left rear shock is bad causing the car to sag slightly on the left rear. The front suspension is tight with no sags or leaking struts. The bushings in the rear have some wear and the rear suspension is very scaly and has a layer of surface rust. I really need to drop the rear subframe and replace the adjusters and powder coat the components or replace them. For now I'll leave it alone and work out a couple little things with the car and drive it for the summer before I get crazy making it another project.