Sk1dmark (Forum Supporter) said:Saw the pictures on your instagram so knew this post was coming, but so glad that you're safe and all equipment did its job! Can't wait to see the car back on stage
shameless plug for @midwestwankel
yeah I am really happy I chopped the floor to add more bars and halo seats a few years back. I'm getting more comfortable at driving how it should be so with that has come increased risk.
Finally read all 26 pages! Have been commenting on facebook but this seems like a better spot.
I just got my rx7 and have the same aspirations. Start with some rallyx then move into something more serious!
Its currently in quite good shape so want to get it a bit higher off the ground and take care of any weak links before I do too much damage to it!
Wondering if you don't mind sharing some more suspension details with part numbers ideally as I'm quite new to dialing in suspension. Have experience doing engine swaps and lots of 4x4 work and welding but new to the world of racing.
What springs have you settled on for front and rear? Seems like you've flipped between a few different rates and sizes. Also what shocks and valving on the bilsteins? Did you get an off the shelf set or did you have them custom valved?
I found a mazdaspeed coilover kit on ebay thats intrigueing, save me a bit of work and I'd have to purchase coilover sleeves anyways! Any reason you see not to use them?
I'm running 250# on all 4 corners now. I run about 185 for winter events, maybe 200#
these are the shocks im using, its an off the shelf valving and has a 6.8" stroke, I think its the 380/180 setup - Ill have to double check, they are stamped onto the part
the rears are bilstein 7100 series that have been modified for schrader valve for rebuilding, not sure on what valving they are either but its off the shelf stuff meant for circle track racers. overall its a decent setup and is very flexible to my needs since I run an array of events and I don't want to have a suspension for every kind of surface because of cost/effort.
any coiloverover kit will work as a start, I just don't know about whats inside. I went to two different shops to get the suspension upgraded because I had raised the rear shock towers ~4" too
Awesome info thanks!
What length springs did you settle on or does that changed based on winter vs summer?
I guess in the winter you run softer springs since it's a bit slower and flatter? I'm running rallyx to start not stage so I'll probably run softer as well. I mostly want to get a bit of height like you've done!
Raising the rear towers just gets you a few more inches of travel?
I have 12" all around for easy swapability, length is regardless of spring weight.
if you're running rallycross just spend all your money on tires and the rest is useless
Thanks for the advice!
I'm going to go with some new springs and shocks because the car is super low at the moment. Stock worn out springs. Will probably just buy parts store Bilstein shocks replacements for now and get into more later.
Other than that tires and under body protection.
If there's anything you'd reinforce let me know! I'll have the welder out. Will tack up some seams in the engine bay while it's empty as I've got some work to do up there.
Man I'm just now catching up on this. Knew about the roll from Facebook/Instagram but I'm just now seeing your "fix" for the weak throttle return. Have any pictures of everything hooked up? My current setup works but is a little hokey and I have issues with fatiguing and breaking springs after a while. But I agree with you, as soon as I can find a way to make DWB work that's the direction I'm going. I just don't want to pay EFI like $1000 for a fancy billet cover on a $50 Bosch throttle body...
In reply to infernosg :
I'll snap some and send it to you, seems to work so far. otherwise the temp fix was just those slotted sheet metal things you get from home depot attached to one of the strut mount bolts with a spring on the end hanging in space.
Ceptwrench said:Thanks for the advice!
I'm going to go with some new springs and shocks because the car is super low at the moment. Stock worn out springs. Will probably just buy parts store Bilstein shocks replacements for now and get into more later.
Other than that tires and under body protection.
If there's anything you'd reinforce let me know! I'll have the welder out. Will tack up some seams in the engine bay while it's empty as I've got some work to do up there.
Rotaries naturally make great rally cars because their oil pan is stamped steel (not cast aluminum like most german/other rally cars) and that its lowest point is still an inch away from the bottom of the subframe.
aluminum 3/16" is the way to go there and then 1/8th will do for the gas tank/rear area and HDPE in the middle at desired thickness (1/8"-1/4" & 3/16" or so most common). Getting a coilover setup in general will help above tired old stock parts.
In reply to infernosg :
if you watch some of the earlier on-boards where i have data overlay you can see actually many times its not registering WOT, like it is missing the last 2-4%. I found myself on the afternoon of Iron Mule 2024 really holding my foot to the floor and noticing an actual WOT and the car really had some pickup and the IATs were plenty hot, likely 180-200F
social media ruins the perspective of photos, here are some excellent shots of us really shredding it. It was fun to figure out how to actually drive it fast, really does make me itch to get back out there...
huge shout out to @unboxed_studios for getting these action shots here for your enjoyment.
Photos are epic!
Gets me stoked to work on mine. Moving a Suzuki samurai out of the garage in the next few days to make room.
Had a few weeks at work, then this project, this week should be the rx7 this thread gets me excited to work on it. Ordered Mazda speed coilovers bottoms and a parts store shock for them. Stock rears, again parts store. Keep it cheap and learn to drive it for now!
the bilstein b6s are great to get going they wont last long but you can replace them twice before you go down the deep end for few thousand to several thousand dollars per set of shocks.
Which brings us nicely up to speed to here: the current status!
exokart for the gram until it gets too cold and we run out of cars n coffees of the season:
used the winch on the truck again, always comes in handy - randomly.
but I really need to take care of this:
even though it drives down the road straight, it doesn't make me super comfortable
I haven't touched the alignment yet and it drives straight down the road, an old broken rear hatch "glass" (polycarbonate) can be re-cycled into a front windshield.
I will take 1 year off racing or until I get to couped up I guess. I will fix it but I don't know if stage worthy is gonna happen. keep going back and forth and its not like this car didn't have a great run.
daily driver from 2006-2009, then proceeded to bomb down dirt roads, autocross, and rallycross for the next several years, sprinkled in with some ice racing and track days there are 19 entries in my log book, so 17 stage rallies and 2 test and tunes. Some friends say its berkeleyed and I shouldn't fix it, just re-shell it which is alot more work than it seems considering my floor needs
Time to move to another chassis? do a newer one? start on the rx3? I got nothing but time and no money now and I have very little time to work on the car with family life these days so unfortunately a lot of this is going to take a back seat. I would like to fix the car to a more presentable state and that can be done and I already have found a sunroofless donor and additional donors keeping popping up via friends but thats going to be some time.
Fundamentally I really don't know if I have "build another rally car" in me, I love this sport but its just becoming too much and it sucks because it finally feels like I figured it all out and I was ready to just enjoy and compete here and there a few moments out of the year.
I started this journey roughly 2012-2014 really and got on stage the first time in 2017. not accounting for prior rallyX and back road shennanigans
I can relate to your emotions!
I had a 2nd gen rx7 roadrace car that hung around for years. It was fun and was just getting sorted properly and starting to win races
Then the Charlotte roval happened. I destroyed the car.
I ended up building 2nd gen rx7 2.0. It was faster. It handled better. It was also a lot of work and my kids were (and still are) young.
After realizing I had more fun going to races and hanging out with friends than I did wrenching on E36 M3 all the time, I sold the car.
If I had it to do over again, I think I would have NOT built the second one. I would have just Raced friends cars or stuck to track days or something. So much time and energy put into that car.
Not sure what I'm trying to say with this post, other than "ive been there. I hear ya buddy!".
It's a shame that the photos are gone thanks to link rot. Andrew Havas rolled his RX-7 and in two weeks (maybe 1 month?) he stripped the car down to a floorpan and cage, then put a new car on top of it.
It was an FB donor but he kept registering it as a 1979 RX-7. No catalysts before 1981 
Seems like it's time for a pause until life cooperates with your racing plans and budget.
With the bent cage and such, I don't think you'll be able to pass an annual tech inspection.
wvumtnbkr said:I can relate to your emotions!
I had a 2nd gen rx7 roadrace car that hung around for years. It was fun and was just getting sorted properly and starting to win races
Then the Charlotte roval happened. I destroyed the car.
I ended up building 2nd gen rx7 2.0. It was faster. It handled better. It was also a lot of work and my kids were (and still are) young.
After realizing I had more fun going to races and hanging out with friends than I did wrenching on E36 M3 all the time, I sold the car.
If I had it to do over again, I think I would have NOT built the second one. I would have just Raced friends cars or stuck to track days or something. So much time and energy put into that car.
Not sure what I'm trying to say with this post, other than "ive been there. I hear ya buddy!".
yes the kid card, mine just turned 3 over the summer and that has been heavy in my mind and the words of Esapekka Lappi recently after being interviewed from the Chile since he has basically lost his ride and hi co-driver retired (eerily similar story here) and was asked "I guess I will be a better father."
RX8racer said:Seems like it's time for a pause until life cooperates with your racing plans and budget.
With the bent cage and such, I don't think you'll be able to pass an annual tech inspection.
that bar is planned to be cut out and replaced but my logbook doesn't show as wrecked either, it just says OKAY TO COMPETE on the latest entry. I think this cage would pass a drift day tech no problem lol
I get 110 octane leaded gas by me by at the pump because im close to a lot of lakes (which is also scary for leaded gas in my local waters?! but this is a bigger aspect) and I don't want to mess with E85 because its always a nightmare. so its tempted to toss a turbo on, give it high octane and let it eat and just have fun.
I have no plan for road racing this car outside of the HDPE or open track days I do currently, once or twice a year really.
furthermore the vehicle is coming up on a major race overhaul needed. Granted the diff/trans/engine powerplant side is up to date the shocks are aging and need replacement/upgrade which is a several thousand dollar update it seems and with that many rallies under the belt the car absolutely has fatigue hidden. is it time to move onto something different but similar or try something else entirely.
Crazy to see how long you've been at it!
Shame that one accident brings it all to a halt after so many years. Hopefully you find something good to do with it!
Has been cool to read. Just finished my first event in mine yesterday, your info helped, so thanks for that!
yeah its a shame so many old link photos have gone stale. I have many backed up but its quite an ordeal to re-host and locate all of them. I was very diligent about this in the past but over the last few years not so much.
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