1991 Mazda RX7 - From junk, to showcar in $3,000

[zoo]

Yay, real wheels.

[saturnstance]

I need Meisters in my life.

[Miroteknik]

I got tires for the front Meisters (rears will get tires after they are rebuilt) and because I sold my SVE's, I needed some rollers. Snagged a set of stock 350Z wheels, and put the rears on so I could take the car out for a feeler drive. Things seemed ok for the first few miles, but suddenly there was a loud noise up front, that really got me worried. It only happened while rolling. I wondered if it was the transmission or clutch, but it would do it in neutral too. Then I wondered if it was an axle, but I could swear it was coming from up front, and the car was moving normally.... It was late at night and I was just super frustrated so I cautiously rolled home and parked it. Went to bed with blown transmission parts floating around in my head, and a sour taste in my mouth. I ***** the car. I went out for the drive with a girl and it was supposed to be a fun rip through the backroads. Instead it was stressful, worrisome, and a bit embarrassing if I'm being honest. I told her it'd be the ride of a lifetime.

Woke up and got out of bed like I was set to kill a man, and headed straight for the garage. Stood there and stared hatefully at the car. I let the fire burn and once the first heat was over, I decided to wash the car (something I often do when I **** my cars). As I washed it, I calmed down. I ran the soapy sponge over the rear-wing I had installed last summer, over the fender I pulled, bondo'd, and painted in the fall. I saw some of my stickers starting to peel up at the edges, and felt forgiveness seep in. Is this a car or is this a woman, it puts me through all of the same paces.

Calmer now, I fondly moved on to soaping up the wheels, and thought I heard something as I ran the sponge over the lug nuts. What, I ran the sponge over the nuts again. Yes, there was definitely a sound. I slowly put the sponge down, and with my wet, soapy, slippery hands, I reached for a nut. I touched it, and it wiggled. A wave of neurons exploded though some field in my brain. No, that cannot be. But it was.

Every. Single. Lug. (up front) Was. Loose.

This was the noise, this was the fuss. The lug nuts that were holding my $2,000.00 wheels onto my car that cost me $15,000.00 that was hurling myself and my passenger 80 mph through the curvy, tree-lined back roads of my little town on a carefree and footloose Friday night.




I thought about how I could have killed my passenger; the car didn't have air-bags or seat belts. It would have been every tragic emo song I made it through high-school on. I wonder how aesthetic the photographer would have been with the picture for the local newspaper... I sure hope it would be dramatic. Shards of white fiberglass scattered about, doors flung open, two lifeless bodies, blood spattered all about, with the stereo still screaming into the night.











I lived to see another day.
















It was exceptionally weird since I tightened the lugs the night I put the wheels on... did I not tighten them enough?


Perhaps I will check them again tomorrow.

[Fruttolo]

Lol dude. Are the lugs correct for the wheel's cone seats?
Btw when you lose a wheel the car usually stops pretty quick. The wheel tho, may not. I've seen a pickup truck right before me in traffic lose a wheel, it digged into the road stopping suddenly, while said wheel shooted forward, impacted a car coming the other way, jumped back flying in my direction and while I waited the moment I'd become a gross puddle of blood in a jungle gym of old e30 sheetmetal, it flew right over me and crashed on the car just behind. It was pretty funny now that I recall it, but in that moment I pretty much shat my pants full

[Miroteknik]

Lol dude. Are the lugs correct for the wheel's cone seats?
Btw when you lose a wheel the car usually stops pretty quick. The wheel tho, may not. I've seen a pickup truck right before me in traffic lose a wheel, it digged into the road stopping suddenly, while said wheel shooted forward, impacted a car coming the other way, jumped back flying in my direction and while I waited the moment I'd become a gross puddle of blood in a jungle gym of old e30 sheetmetal, it flew right over me and crashed on the car just behind. It was pretty funny now that I recall it, but in that moment I pretty much shat my pants full

yeah man lugs are correct. went on another drive this weekend at 80mph+ and lugs were fine. i must have forgotten to tighten the lugs that last time.....


i seen videos of cars and semi's losing wheels at speed, and

[zoo]

Phew. Glad you got it sorted. It happens more than people admit.

[hinrichs]

Cant wait to see the back mounted up, glad the lugs are fine now.

[k1405]

cleanest fc I've seen

[Miroteknik]

Phew. Glad you got it sorted. It happens more than people admit.

Cant wait to see the back mounted up, glad the lugs are fine now.

cleanest fc I've seen

thanks dudes, never has happened to me before; coming into 2019 on a whole new level of dumb

speaking of which, im still waiting for my rear lips. its been a month since i paid the guy on instagram via some chick's account cause i dont do social media and low-key think i might have got scammed

so instead been playing around in MS Paint, lookin at opening a shop where i dont actually do or fix anything, just kind of park my car in the middle of the street so people have to look at it when they drive by. also might have fresh coffee brewing and fast and furious movies projected on a wall, maybe some couches and a hot tub. some aquariums with snakes or iguanas in them or stuffed exotic cats, whichever smells better. angel investors can start sending me money now. every day around 9am we'll get online to look at stocks and make fun of bitcoin (try to come up with ways to crash it if possible). you can bring your broken cars too, just park em wherever is most inconvenient. might get a toolbox and do oil-changes oh no i can't pay the lease the bank is saying they're gonna kick me out, bro i was living in here this cant be happening its only been 3 months! where is all my money going, where are the profits why is everything on this bill in red? why is this so expensive all i wanted to do is be an entrepreneur and maybe run a youtube vlog haha nobody is coming in for coffee or oil changes its just me in here drinking all the coffee cause i cant afford to pour it out but all its doing is making me freak out more and panic about the actual tragic financial situation i've put myself in, maybe i should start playing high-stakes poker and bounce back off the profits, is poker hard to play? cant be hard, its just a game right haha

[zoo]

Shoot me an address, I'll drag a few cars over to class up the place.

[Miroteknik]

Things with the car have rather slowed down. Other areas of my life have taken priority and I simply do not have the time right now to deal with the RX7. Even posted it up for sale, with lots of interest but no buyers.

It'll be interesting to see what happens, because I am neutral either way. The car could sell and I'd be fine, or the car could stay and I'd be fine. In the next month or so I'll know better what the future may hold for the car.

In the meantime, my rear lips came in for the Meisters. Haven't had time to do anything so they've become home decor for the time-being.












xxxx

[Miroteknik]

CAR IS SOLD








(True Story, that is the same sweatshirt I wore almost 10 years ago when I started the build. It became the RX7-build sweatshirt. Has not been washed.)






Hmm where do I start. Do I lie, and say this is a terrible day and that I am heartbroken? Or do I tell you the truth, and say that I've been ready to let it go for a while now?

I have a lot of memories, lessons, and experiences associated with the car, but a lot has happened in life over the nine years that I have owned it. I have completely grown out of the car. Also, all of my inner ROI (return on investment) alarms were screaming, and as any other cunning investor would have known, I knew it was time to cut losses and move on. I am a logical and practical thinker, and I knew that any further expenses would just be more money I would never get back. I don't mind losing a little money in spirit of a hobby or interest, but I do mind losing the price of an entire other car in a project. Not to mention, a project that has no end. I like closure. This car had none. Selling it was a cold-blooded business move. I loved the car and what it meant to me, but it got too comfortable spending my money, so I had to take it out. Nothing personal, kid.

Imma keep it straight with you chief, I lost $8,000.00 on the car, and I'm the type of dude that likes breaking even if not making a profit on every endeavor, so this is rather shameful.

I was never going to drift competitively, I was never trying to raise the bar in the car scene. I just wanted to do a swap. I wanted a loud and proud little sports-car with an american V8. I wanted to do as much of it myself, and most importantly, not bail on the project before it was done.

I succeeded in this, and for that I am proud, if only to myself. I had a dream, and I made it happen. So thank you, you big dummy. Thank you for forcing me to learn so much. The pain of getting a title for a car with no title. The pain of wiring, and swaps in general. The fact that even after the swap is done, the result is never quite what you thought it was going to be. Reality is a sobering drink. Thank you for my friend John, and my day one homie Alex, and all the others that threw me a pitiful "like" on fb or roasted me for all these years. Its all over now. The saga has come to its close.

The search for the next (milder) build is on. My love for cars rages on.











THE END




xxxx

[DawsonLiri]

Damn, I don't know what to say, I didn't except this...

[MightyMouse133]

Dang, this is like one of those shows you really get into and then the final episode they kill off the main character. Great work though

[gnmzl]

I have to say, this was a very moving project for me as a spectator. Your style of story telling is incredible.
Totally with you on the decision and it seems to be a closure of some sort for you, too. You dove in, did the swap, enjoyed the car as much as it was possible. Time to move on. Excited for your next project, whenever it may happen. All the best and good luck to you