My Project

[Bubba Bob]

I love Mazda, but the rotary just wasn't one of their better engines.

[garmanma]

I love Mazda, but the rotary just wasn't one of their better engines.

One of my old bosses had one and I got to drive it quite a bit. It was a lot of fun. When he finally wore out the motor he put it in storage. I talked to him awhile ago and he told me he found a place in Florida the rebuilds the motor, with a warranty. He's thinking about it. Of course, he has the money to blow

Mark

[TheTerrorist_75]

Those rotary engines are a PITA. You would be better off buying a rebuilt rotary by a shop that guarantees their work. A non-turbo rotary for an '88 runs $2000 plus core charge.

http://www.mazdarx7engines.com/Pricing.html

You would need deep pockets for putting that Mazda back together. The foolish money invested on that project would be better spent on tricking out your hatchback.

[Honda_Boy]

if I had $2000 layin around, lord knows it wouldn't be invested on anything Mazda. I'd be getting me than SiR conversion and a paint job or maybe a new header and cat-back exhaust and a new brake set up.

[Honda_Boy]

does anyone have an LS1 laying around? That body of RX-7 (FC) is popular for putting LS1 and LT1 motors in. Ah a V8 RX-7. That'd be cool.

[TheTerrorist_75]

does anyone have an LS1 laying around? That body of RX-7 (FC) is popular for putting LS1 and LT1 motors in. Ah a V8 RX-7. That'd be cool.

Now you're talking you about investing over $4000 to dump a small block Chevy in it. Not only do you need to buy a decent $mall block, but you will need the adapter setup, suspension upgrades, exhaust, better brakes and etc.

[bozodog]

I almost bought a Toyota 4x4 pickup with a Chevy V8. Jeesch!!!! That thing was dangerously fast! It just about leaped off the ground when hammered. I really wanted it but I knew the speeding ticket costs would have been unafordable. :-)

Edited February 14, 2007 by bozodog

[Honda_Boy]

I was just kidding about the LS1. Yeah I'm just gonna leave the RX-7 alone. If I find like an old 88-91 Civic Si or CRX Si to trade that motor for then heck yeah. Those things get killer gas mileage.

[TheTerrorist_75]

I have stuck small block Chevies in Vegas, AMC Gremlins, Corvairs and VWs. Everyone of those projects were time consuming and expensive. I have been doing engine swaps for many years. In the old days I made my own engine/tranny adapters, headers and frame modifications. My fabrication shop was well outfitted and my tool costs were close to the six figure amount. I had friends that worked in the local spring shop which provided me with custom coil/leaf spring setups.

I miss my shop and the enjoyment I got from working on custom vehicles. Someday I hope to start up again.

[JDoors]

... Vegas, Gremlins, Corvairs ...

What are those?

[TheTerrorist_75]

... Vegas, Gremlins, Corvairs ...

What are those?

Fun cars. You would have enjoyed the Gremlin that we stuck in a 401 with 4-spd. from an AMX. That car was stable and fast. I had fun beating small block Fords and Chevys plus a certain 383 Road Runner with my '62 Corvair Spyder convertible with the turbo setup. I lost that one on a nasty curve and rolled it several times. The one conversion that scared even me was the '72 Vega I stuck a 327/350HP in. It was real fast going straight, but going through the curves!!!

My next project I hope to do is stick a 500 c.i. Caddy in a 1/2 ton, 2 wheel drive, '88 to '92 GMC Sierra or Chevy Silverado. That is a nice light weight, small package big block that can make some decent horsepower with unreal torque.

Edited February 14, 2007 by TheTerrorist_75

[Honda_Boy]

my dad had a Vega back in the day. His Step-dad bought it for him brand new cause someone stole his car. It was recovered but ti was beat-up and some of his stuff was stolen.

He drove it for like 3 years and sold it due to the crappy motor in it. It ran off 3 cylinders for the longest he said until someone told him to pour glass sealer or something in the radiator. Said he was drivin one day then the car began shake and rattle then a loud pop...... 4th cylinder kicked in. He sold it right after that. Had it for 3 years and had more trouble than my 10-12 year Hondas.

My brother has done one engine swap and all he did was replace a cracked 283 with a 350 in a 1960 Chevy 3/4 Ton. My hatchback has an engine swap but I didn't do it. The car is supposed to have a D16Y7 (1.6L SOHC non-VTEC 107 Factory HP) while it has a B16A2 (1.6L DOHC VTEC 160 Factory HP). The transmission is insane in it. It's geared so close together and 2nd gear is just ridiculous. It's so damn short that when I shift from 1st to 2nd it jars the car hard and skips the CD Player when doin a high rev shift (6500-8000RPM).

[Honda_Boy]

speakin of LS1's and LT1's, an LT1 Camaro Z28 with a 6-speed manual came through the drive through today. Man I'm glad we are slow. I got to talk to the guy for a while. I was droolin over that car.

Also there is someone on TennSpeed.net (my favorite auto forum, for Tennessee and surrounding areas) that has an FC RX-7 (bout an 88 or so) that has an LT1 in it. Oh man it's wicked.

[Honda_Boy]

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!

I just put some side skirts on. They suck and they look like crap but they are better than not having any at all. I think they were meant to go with a body kit but I don't think they are even for a 96-00 Hatchback. I think they are meant for a 92-95 cause they are just a hair short. It was a pain to get them on but at lest the color matches. The car looks a little better but since they don't fit correctly you can see things you ain't supposed to. Plus some idiot tried to use double stick tape on them at one point and you can see that. I got 3 screws on each one holdings them in. I hope they stay on.

I'll get pics when I can but I don't have time right now. I gotta get to work in a bit.

oh also one of my center caps on my wheels fell off.

Edited February 15, 2007 by Honda_Boy

[JDoors]

... oh also one of my center caps on my wheels fell off.

I never had that happen to my Opel, two Fords, Jeep OR my Dodge. Jeez, what else will fall off that Honda?

Reading 'bout the skirts I excitedly looked at the pic ... imagine my disappointment! No pic!

[Honda_Boy]

These wheels are Keystone replicas of the 1997 Acura Integra GS-R wheels with blank chrome center caps. It really doesn't surprise me that much that one fell off. I emailed my dealership asking for a quote on 1999-2000 Honda Civic Si center caps. They have the Honda H emblem on them. Also one of my sidemarker covers fell off too but they are APC and I had a spare so no problems. I think for now I'll order some USDM fenders from partstrain.com and put them on and paint them. I think I'll get a USDM bumper too. Parts on there are cheap and I've heard they fit perfectly. Later on down the road I'll get a new hood and grille too. I may just get the grille with the bumper though. I think I'm just gonna make a USDM sleeper for now and wait until I have enough money to buy me a good 99-00 DX Hatchback. I'll swap the motor into it and go JDM with it.

[Honda_Boy]

I just took a fresh batch of pics but most of them suck so here's the pretty much only pic that was good.

New side skirts. I'm sporting some Alabama Chrome on the hatch now too. (For those of you that don't know, Alabama Chrome is Duct Tape) I had to cover up the hole in my hatch so I could run through a car wash. I needed an undercarriage wash to get the salt off of it.

Also I called the dealer about the center caps. $30...................... each. I ain't paying $120 for center caps.

[Bubba Bob]

Those side skirts look great!! The car looks kind of more "completed" now.

$30 isnt bad for center caps. My truck came with two American Racing center caps. One was stolen so I looked up the price on the internet. $90 each Cosmetics just arent that important sometimes

[Honda_Boy]

not up close they don't. Lord neither of them fits right and both are a tad short (bout half an inch). The front tire is actually covering up how poorly the sideskirt fits in this pic. Whoever drilled th holes for em was about half retarded. None were where they should have been.

[Honda_Boy]

man, my project came inches from being over and me having to start a new one.

I was driving to work and I'm on the bypass (multi-lane road that goes around the town) and I was just cruisin at about 65 and I switch lanes back to the right. Well a little spot where cars turn in from the left onto this road comes a Saturn. Now, there is an acceleration lane they are supposed to use. Guess what. They decide to ignore that lane, cross the left lane, then pull into the right......RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME WHILE I'M GOING 65!!!!!! DAMN. Idiot. I swerved I hit my brakes and went around him. There were vehicles in the left lane so I had to go around him on the shoulder. Well my car decides not to stay straight but rather spins around narrowly missing this Saturn again and putting me in the median. Because neither vehicle was even touched I just backed my car back into the road straightened out and floored it, making plenty of noise to let the dumbass know I was pissed. I wasn't going to stop and talk to that idiot. It was his fault and neither car was hurt so I felt no need. I just hauled butt on to work.

A few weeks ago a T100 pulled a similar deal only they were just crossing the road without paying attention but I was able to keep full control. Lower speed. They were on a cell phone. Damn things should be outlawed from use in a vehicle entirely and cops need to enforce it. I think it's supposed to be illegal to be using one without a hands free device here but cops don't enforce it.

I swear this hatchback is both good luck and bad luck at the same time. It attracts near accidents but always comes out unscathed. And the one tiny little low speed tire slip totals my old car. Go figure.

Edited February 28, 2007 by Honda_Boy

[Bubba Bob]

Haha! ^^^ Im going to get my CDL and become an OTR truck driver just to run idiots that don't know proper lane procedure off the road.

Could make for an interesting career...

[JDoors]

man, my project came inches from being over and me having to start a new one. ...

Another narrowly averted disaster ... Can't say enough about your driving skills, many people would'nt have come out of that one clean.

[Honda_Boy]

Why thank you on commentin on my skills. Of course if I had been REALLY good, I wouldn't touched the brake peddle at all and just gone around the guy but your first reaction when someone pulls out in front of you is to hit the brake. I hit the brake and then realized that was gonna slow me down fast enough and then I tried to go around him. I still think I did alright.

Well, my dad made me apply for Geek Squad. He made me do it. I'll have to drive 45 minutes to work everyday, but I think that 10 bucks an hour totally justifies the drive. I'm thinking seriously about buying a second car. Something like a 91-97 Accord EX 5-speed or a 92-95 Civic VX (the fuel economy one with VTEC-E) or maybe even an old 90-93 Integra GS. Just a second beater that gets better gas milage so the drive won't hurt my wallet as much plus it'll give me a spare vehicle in case something happens to the other.

[JDoors]

Knowin' when to take your foot OFF the brake is a skill that's just as important as any other driving skill.

I miss havin' an extra car, but I don't see how you can justify it on the basis of fuel economy -- Is there a Honda car that doesn't get good mileage? Even the NSX probably got great mileage. You'll never recoup the cost of the car (and maintenance & repairs for it) in fuel savings (though I know there are other benefits to having a spare to fall back on).

Good luck on your new job! Yea! More money to spend on the car(s)!

[Honda_Boy]

hmmm coulda sworn I pushed thea reply button. Oh well I'll just write it again.

I ain't got the job at Geek Squad yet. I just applied. My car gets OK gas mileage but I miss the 40mpg my old one got on the highway versus the 28-30 I get outta this one. Plus I'd like to have a better condition car for driving that far everyday. Mine leaks oil and just looks like any part could fall off at random. I'd like a good older model Honda preferably with Cruise Control (which my beater lacks) that gets decent gas mileage that I can trust.

I am definitely getting a second car though. Or at least I'm gonna try to. It just ain't gonna be what I thought and it's not gonna be for the same purpose. It's gonna be that 1988 Mazda RX-7. I think I will go through with the motor trade. I have a friend of mine that's gonna help me with it and we plan to either A. get it runnin good and have some fun with it B. sell it for profit cause we can easily get $800-1000 without it runnin and we are tradin a $300 motor for it that I didn't pay for anyway or C. get it runnin and sell it for $1500 or so. I'm really likin the profit ideas. It'd be fun to have but that money could really fix my Civic up nice.