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

[CSBolger]

I've never been interested in an LS swap, but if that shit literally has T-1000-level healing properties, I'm in.

[Quillhill36]

I admire your positivity, I would be terrorized by the self-healing knock LOL like, what if it comes back kicking the door, worse than before and screaming "here I am knocking like a hurricane"?

the rest of the car is still super cool tho

+1 I'd be more worried now than I was before. Something still isn't right, but I hope it truly is self healing and irons itself out. The retro vibe is awesome.

[Quillhill36]

I've never been interested in an LS swap, but if that shit literally has T-1000-level healing properties, I'm in.

I believe it's an lt. Out of the c4s

[Wagonbae]

Twilight photos are great!

[Miroteknik]

Awesome video! It sounds healthy. That's so weird but I'm glad everything is all good!

I admire your positivity, I would be terrorized by the self-healing knock LOL like, what if it comes back kicking the door, worse than before and screaming "here I am knocking like a hurricane"?

the rest of the car is still super cool tho

I've never been interested in an LS swap, but if that shit literally has T-1000-level healing properties, I'm in.

+1 I'd be more worried now than I was before. Something still isn't right, but I hope it truly is self healing and irons itself out. The retro vibe is awesome.

Twilight photos are great!

Thanks dudes. I know what you're thinking, and I'm thinking it too. But I have a month or two left before drive-able weather is over. This is the first year I've had the car on the road, and I just want to enjoy it. Regardless of whether it blows up now or later, I will probably be doing some kind of refresh this winter. So till then, if it isn't literally blowing metal chunks out the exhaust, I'll keep driving it. I'm not going to cut my first year down cause of some intermittent noise.

Just hang in there for the rest of the year.

Don't blow up.

PLZ BBYGRL

[Miroteknik]

Went on a cruise with a friend and stopped at an old hang-out we used to frequent back in the day.











There was a local car show this weekend. I had to live up to the build thread title, and enter it into the show.





It was the only RX7 there. It was also probably the "roughest" looking car there. It was probably a dumb idea entering into a car show among $60k-$100k+ hot rod builds, but at the same time, I didn't care. I wanted to check this off my list, and I did. It seemed like crackheads and little kids liked the car the most. Hmm. A handful of people I've known over the years came by and got to see the car for the first time too. It was cool getting to chat with them again and show them that the car really did exist, and to prove to them, I really was going to finish the car, although I know they really could care less either way. Its funny how hard we try in life to prove something to people that could care less about.

I even attended the award ceremony. There were guys that came in from Cali, Canada, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and a bunch of other places. It was funny to me that they went to all that trouble, all that expense, to walk away with a $15 trophy and the applause of dudes just like them, with cars just like theirs. Naturally, the cars that won were the ones that had chromed-out engine bays, and $20,000.00 paint jobs. I spent most of the day thinking about all the money put into those show cars, and what the return was on that expense. It all really comes down to how much money you have to spend. If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars, you can build up shiny cars, and drive through small-town-car-shows and win $15 trophies. The crazy thing is, there were so many other beautiful cars there that I would love to have, that never so much as got a mention. I feel really dumb for not taking any pictures of some of these cars. I brought my camera and everything, but never took it out of the trunk. But if you've ever been to a car show, you know what I'm talking about.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is; super-expensive builds piss me off. I grew up with very little, and this has made me extremely sensitive to high-dollar spending of any kind.


I guess I should just stop being poor.


Since I'm kind-of "done" with the car and the driving season is winding down, here is a cost-list update for anyone curious.

My RX7 Cost List to date 9/10/2018:

Car: $450
Wheels: $800
Licensing: $120
Optima Battery: $250
Engine: $1,500
Transmission: $1,100
Conversion Kit: $1000
Coilovers: $500
Bellhousing and Flywheel: $400
Stereo and Harness: $230
Short-Throw Shifter: $250
Dust Cover (Clutch): $50
T-Pivot: $30
Stage 2 Clutch: $250
Slave Cylinder: $70
Transmission (Rubber) Mount: $20
Rear Spacers: $70
LED Running Lights: $60
Custom Lip: $80
Slave Cylinder Adapter: $50
Tint: $40
Monster Sub 400 cable: $50
Window Motor/Regulators: $100
Window Switch, Misc. Interior Trim: $60
Full Body Kit: $250
HID Projector Headlight Kit (H4): $50
Rear Strut Bar: $30
A1 Performance Parts Racing Seats: $150
Custom Radiator Brackets: $150
OEM TurboII Hood: $100
Slave Cylinder Adapter: $40
A/C Clutch: $80
A/C Lines, Dryer, and Condenser: $30
Tensioner: $30
Steel Clutch and Steering Lines: $40
Radiator and Bracket: $650
Adjustable Rear Camber Rod: $100
Oil Sender: $50
Radiator Hoses: $60
Front Sway Bar Endlinks: $80
TurboII LSD: $400
Water Temp Sender: $20
NRG Steering Wheel Disconnect: $200
Custom Steering Shaft Bushing: $70
Steering Wheel: $150
Custom Ducktail: $100
Intake Elbows, Couplers, and Filter: $200
Battery Cable: $80
Hedman Ceramic Headers: $400
Borla Mufflers: $400
Walbro Fuel Pump: $200
Accel Fuel Pump: $200
(2nd) Optima Battery: $230
Exhaust: $800
Starter: $200
Alternator: $150
Spark Plug Wires and Heat Boots: $30
Canards: $50
RE-Amemiya Wing: $500
Turbo II Axles: $200
Planted Driver Seat Mount: $150

Total so far: $14,050.00



So at 14k this build is probably considered cheap, but I found this video the other day and thought it was cute, might delete later idk










Anyway, make your own conclusions. I just be out here making poor life choices.




actually irl thinking of all the other things i could have done with 14k lol whatevver

[Quillhill36]

Oh, so I can't hang but this super stock not low at all stock wheel havin no spacer ass e36 is all good? You're a dick man haha. Has anything at all been done to the 36? "Builds" definitely add up quick especially when you have a long list of maintenance to take care off also. Do you know how much power you're putting to pavement?

[Miroteknik]

Oh, so I can't hang but this super stock not low at all stock wheel havin no spacer ass e36 is all good? You're a dick man haha. Has anything at all been done to the 36? "Builds" definitely add up quick especially when you have a long list of maintenance to take care off also. Do you know how much power you're putting to pavement?

lmao u can hang b, i'm just gonna give u a hard time cuz




as for the stock af e36 i was rolling with, thats just a homie. I didn't post the pic cause his car was low or modified, I posted the pic cause we went for a drive.....
here's his old M3, he kinda gave up on mods after he wrapped it around a pole few years back.
(lol this pic was taken at the same spot)

[Quillhill36]

Lmfao what does she say? Sad going from m to non-m, but other than power/brakes they're pretty equal anyhow. I'm just giving you shit back haha. His car is leagues cleaner than mine. Yours is looking good. Still running alright?

[Miroteknik]

Lmfao what does she say? Sad going from m to non-m, but other than power/brakes they're pretty equal anyhow. I'm just giving you shit back haha. His car is leagues cleaner than mine. Yours is looking good. Still running alright?

https://youtu.be/HkE83Zu8z58

mine still knockin but i just leave the exhaust cut-out open and let the engine noise drown out the knock. problem solved.

[Miroteknik]

The excitement and chaos of summer is winding down.
I am nearing the end of the "shakedown year".
Looking forward to fall, to blasting through leaf-covered streets.
Went for a late-night drive.



























XXXX

[Porterhousestk]

I always enjoy reading your thread I love this type of grassroots build, not many of us have the kind of money we see others building cars with, but in the long run, maybe our cars hold more sentimental value because we spend all our time and hard earned money on them.. It's cool seeing your dream come true through this car.

[Teeson1111]

I came for the rx7, but I stay for the writing.

Also my old time friend bought an e36, twinsies.

I feel you on the car show thing too

[SebastienPeek]

Ayyy, dis so purdy



Also, only 14k in is seriously cheap build. Nice work man.

[Fruttolo]

Yep that pic is lit (pun intended)

Is a plan to fix the hole in the hood being made or still gonna rock it?