I've been a part of the hillclimbing scene in Vertmont since 2009, first helping run the events and lately racing myself once I finally was in a position to do so (life gets in the way).
After racing my 1996 Miata (prepped for SCCA STS Solo racing) up Ascutney this Spring, the missus decided i needed a full roll cage. In my first weekend racing I was 5 seconds off breakout time, which is the point where a full cage is required. Not bad for a 130k mile Miata that also serves as my daily driver.
Here's a vid: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3975152785257
Since the cage was a new requirement and this was my DD, a new car would be needed. I've always loved the sounds of rotary engines, especially since there's no sound limit at my favorite hillclimb, so I began digging around for an FC, which is a nice mix of affordability and good looks. FD's are too expensive so they were out of consideration.
I went with an N/A version over a turbo for simplicity, as I'd like to develop the chassis before adding power, but a turbo could be in the cards in the future. So could a V8...
Fellow GRM member Rex7 told me he had a 1987 GXL with 113k on the clock and a 13B that had been rebuilt around 20k miles ago. The car looked nice and straight with zero body rust, with the reason for its sale being a burnt out brake light switch or board. It won't pass state inspection but I don't need functional brake lights. Should I need them in the future I'll install a pressure switch to activate them.
I grabbed it for $2012 from and dragged her home to begin the process of build a full-on hillclimber.
Here's how it stands right now: Engine: K&N air filter, Racing Beat cat-back exhaust
Suspension: Koni yellow single adjustable shocks on stock springs.
Brakes: Corksport stainless steel brake lines, Brembo brake rotors, Hawk HPS brake pads
Wheels and Tires: Stock wheels with new Fuzion HRi 205/60/15 tires
Other: S5 taillights, Optima Red Top battery, recently replaced OEM radiator, silicone vacuum hoses.
OK that was lots of writing so here's some pictures.
First getting home and off the trailer:
Meeting the new room mate:
Time to start the tearing out:
This plate was last registered in 1989 by my aunt, so it's an homage (I'm a Vermonter born and raised and all the hillclimbs are in VT too)
Running out of stuff to take out. Only thing left is the dash and glass: I'm picking up an aluminum TII hood to replace the heavy steel stock unit.
Wheels came in! 15x10 with a 5" back space:
I'll be running 23.5/10.0-15 American Racer modified tires in the super soft M28 compound. That's roughly a 275/35 tire. They're $138 a pop, which is cheap when you consider their grip rivals the Hoosier A6. Yes I'll need flares, which will likely be fiberglassed this winter when I'm stuck inside.
I'm now digging around for a seat before I start the process of caging. I want to make sure I get things in there right before I add hard bars to the mix. I also have a 5 gallon fuel cell which will replace the gas tank, so I can drop more weight there.
The front strut housings are so rusty they're unsafe (deep blisters), so I'm looking into either having them replaced or repaired.