Papercup's V8 RX7
Discussion
Air-con compressor is off for reconditioning. When it gets back the bonnet struts and quick-shift wil be waiting. No hurry to get it back as the car has gone off to my local stereo shop to have all the interior re-fitted (assuming all the bags and boxes full of stuff I was given with the car actually contain all the interior!), an alarm fitted (the original went mental during Craig's work, and had to be put down; I've also always wanted one that unlocked the doors), and a whole bunch of stereo put in. This is the next stage of my quest to make a comfortable, usable car 
Most of the stereo I already have from my last van install; its been in the loft for 3 years in its original boxes, waiting for a suitable car to come along.
I also bought an Optima red-top battery. £180. The original battery, a dinky little Odyssey PC680 dry-cell, was woefully inadequate and had to leave. Craig had moved it to the very back of the car, in the spare wheel well, but the new one is larger, and I want the spare wheel and interior back in. So; plan is to put the battery in the rear seat well on the passenger side. Then the two JL amps (one that runs the 6" JL component speakers in the front doors, and another monoblock to run the two 8" JL subs) in the other rear seat well. The two subs are then mounted above the battery and amps, one each side. All boxed in and 'built' with the original interior. Finally a cover on the rear seats that allows me to use it as storage space for overnight bags etc. The rear seats have always been bloody useless on a Rex (unless your passengers have no legs) so its no loss at all.
Hopefully that lot should sound OK. We may possibly have to run a pair of 6x9s in those rear boxes as well to fill in the sound field behind me. If so, we'll just run them off the head unit. We'll see.
Nice double-din head unit on the wayhttp://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/products/25/111/241/AV...
Oh, and the registration document has come back from the DVLA with a letter saying I can't change the cubic capacity without an engineer's report, or a letter from the garage who did it, or.......what a pain in the arse.
Craig! Got any headed paper?
Most of the stereo I already have from my last van install; its been in the loft for 3 years in its original boxes, waiting for a suitable car to come along.
I also bought an Optima red-top battery. £180. The original battery, a dinky little Odyssey PC680 dry-cell, was woefully inadequate and had to leave. Craig had moved it to the very back of the car, in the spare wheel well, but the new one is larger, and I want the spare wheel and interior back in. So; plan is to put the battery in the rear seat well on the passenger side. Then the two JL amps (one that runs the 6" JL component speakers in the front doors, and another monoblock to run the two 8" JL subs) in the other rear seat well. The two subs are then mounted above the battery and amps, one each side. All boxed in and 'built' with the original interior. Finally a cover on the rear seats that allows me to use it as storage space for overnight bags etc. The rear seats have always been bloody useless on a Rex (unless your passengers have no legs) so its no loss at all.
Hopefully that lot should sound OK. We may possibly have to run a pair of 6x9s in those rear boxes as well to fill in the sound field behind me. If so, we'll just run them off the head unit. We'll see.
Nice double-din head unit on the way
http://www.pioneer.co.uk/uk/products/25/111/241/AV...Oh, and the registration document has come back from the DVLA with a letter saying I can't change the cubic capacity without an engineer's report, or a letter from the garage who did it, or.......what a pain in the arse.
Craig! Got any headed paper?Yes, running a KTM supermoto, number 331. Unlikely the Rex will be there though. Feel free to come up and chat.
On a side note, now I have more time to type......all those boxes did indeed include all the interior. Apart from a few missing or broken clips, its all there, including the original toolkit. Its a double-decker arrangement, with a polystyrene tray with each of the original tools clipped in, then it lifts out the way to show a bigger version with the larger tools below. All behind a nice clip-in door. I'm like a kid with a new toy; I've never actually seen the interior of one of these up close. Loving it.
The only thing missing, and it may not have had one, is the parcel shelf. I didn't even know Rex's had them. I found one in supposedly good condition at one of the Rotary specialists and got it sent to the stereo shop.
They've trimmed the original rear panels, the ones that would be by your side if you were sitting in the rear seats, around the cage really nicely. It makes the rear panels a bit useless in terms of putting speakers in, at least as far as bass is concerned as there's no seal at all, holes everywhere. But this won't be a problem as the subs will handle the mid-bass. In my van I used 8" subs to keep the bass punchy, and avoid that whole 'subwoofer' drone you get from big subs, that sounds great with only dance music and wipes out all the bass notes from 'normal' music, which i prefer. I have always wanted car stereo to sound good with music like the Killers' first album, as an example. A whole sound field, no overpowering bass or sub noise. To this end we have fitted rear speakers to try and fill that space behind the front seats more. Nothing too expensive (the fronts were not cheap) as most of it will be lost into the rear panel.
It has a Clifford alarm that opens the doors for me, which never happened with the old alarm.
Looking forward to being able to drive up the motorway and not hear anything but music
On a side note, now I have more time to type......all those boxes did indeed include all the interior. Apart from a few missing or broken clips, its all there, including the original toolkit. Its a double-decker arrangement, with a polystyrene tray with each of the original tools clipped in, then it lifts out the way to show a bigger version with the larger tools below. All behind a nice clip-in door. I'm like a kid with a new toy; I've never actually seen the interior of one of these up close. Loving it.
The only thing missing, and it may not have had one, is the parcel shelf. I didn't even know Rex's had them. I found one in supposedly good condition at one of the Rotary specialists and got it sent to the stereo shop.
They've trimmed the original rear panels, the ones that would be by your side if you were sitting in the rear seats, around the cage really nicely. It makes the rear panels a bit useless in terms of putting speakers in, at least as far as bass is concerned as there's no seal at all, holes everywhere. But this won't be a problem as the subs will handle the mid-bass. In my van I used 8" subs to keep the bass punchy, and avoid that whole 'subwoofer' drone you get from big subs, that sounds great with only dance music and wipes out all the bass notes from 'normal' music, which i prefer. I have always wanted car stereo to sound good with music like the Killers' first album, as an example. A whole sound field, no overpowering bass or sub noise. To this end we have fitted rear speakers to try and fill that space behind the front seats more. Nothing too expensive (the fronts were not cheap) as most of it will be lost into the rear panel.
It has a Clifford alarm that opens the doors for me, which never happened with the old alarm.
Looking forward to being able to drive up the motorway and not hear anything but music
Time for an update I should do this more often, but its been a busy few weeks with not only the Rex but the Speed Trials and work.
OK, picked up the car from the stereo shop. The stereo install is immense; stunning sound, and quite loud enough to drown out ANYTHING (road noise, sound of massive V8, etc)at 100mph+. Ahem. Whats stranger is having a full interior. bear in mind I never had one. We have some (not lots, apparently carpeting it is NOT the way to go) Dynamat and such to deaden sound. There are still a lot of squeaks and rattles, this is a 15-year-old car with a roll-cage and many modificiations, but compared to how it was its.......almost civilised. I'm loving it. Its comfortable, with a stereo, and I no longer dread going distances in it.
So I've done it, I've created a different car. Not only in its feel and interior, but the motor is so very different from the intense, frantic turbo-nutter it once was. I went out for a spirited drive today and making progress is so easy. It piles on speed without incident or alarm. Its VERY easy to drive extremely fast now. Overtaking is done without changing gear. You just leave it in 5th.
Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. Rewind. I picked it up from ther stereo shop. On the way home the rubber water pipe that goes across the front of the engine to the bottom of the rad caught the bottom (large) pulley. Fortunately this happened on my road, so I pulled up on the drive, couldn't quite see where the water was coming from, so reversed violently up the drive which caused the motor to rock more than usual, and it REALLY caught the water pipe. All the water came out. I'd looked down at it before and thought 'I reckon thats a bit close'. Oh well; ordered some Samco stuff from www.f1btn.com and because this stuff is more rigid than the normal rubber stuff, I think it will be fine; i pulled it futher out of the way before doing up the hose clips.
Next problem; car will no longer start when hot. Its always turned slower when hot, these engines are known for it. But that was with the ickle battery. Now as part of the stereo install I put a large red-top dry-cell in the back seat. It should be better. But its worse. Too much of a coincidence that this happened after the stereo install and battery move.
Also, the speedo stops working at 80mph; just hits zero. Again, seeing as the satnav head unit takes speed pulse off the speedo converter, using the output wire to the speedo, this is too much of a coincidence. So, back to the stereo shop and switch it from the output to the speedo (which was a spliced wire, basically) to one of the other outputs and set the head unit to start learnign again (as the pulse has apparently changed) and bob is your uncle.
As for the starting thing; well, she was off back to Craig in Birmingham this week anyway, to get the quickshifter outlined a few posts above fitted (looking forward to this greatly; the gearchange is just nasty and I hate it, it spoils the whole experience) and the air-con pump has been reconditioned (£200) and needs fitting.
So, Wednesday in Birmingham. First things first; starting. We look at the earth from the battery to the body, right next to it. Its thick enough. But maybe the body isn't thick enough. If you've seen under an RX-7 you'll know that all the metal at the back (boot floor, rear seats, etc) is like a tin can. Its lightweight for a reason. So Craig runs another earth off the underneath of the same bolt, up the length of the car, straight to the block. Problem solved. Motor now spins like a nutter whenever key is turned. Sweet.
Quickshifter. Its a sod of a job to fit. I stand around asking daft questions while watching Craig do it properly. It completely replaces the shifter mechanism on top of the box, and some of the metal transmission tunnel of the rex needs to be cut away. He also fits a new seal to stop fumes coming uip from under the car; its been a problem on the run up. I also have a theory that the standard, unvented bonnet is pressurising and lifting at speed, allowing foul air into the heater vents under the windscreen. More on this later.
Quickshifter fitted. I love it. Its wonderful. Short but not heavy, and very precise. I can heartily recommend it. Hold on, i took a pic:
Aircon: the pump is fitted but its 4.30pm and the guys up the road that can pressurise it have gone home
Bugger. Oh well, a job for next time, and its bloody cold now anyway!
I put the towing eye back on while I am under the car. I actually do this myself! Of course I smash one of my fingers and bleed all over the place. Great. I go back to asking daft questions.
More to come, cooling and the return of my original bonnet!
I should do this more often, but its been a busy few weeks with not only the Rex but the Speed Trials and work.OK, picked up the car from the stereo shop. The stereo install is immense; stunning sound, and quite loud enough to drown out ANYTHING (road noise, sound of massive V8, etc)at 100mph+. Ahem. Whats stranger is having a full interior. bear in mind I never had one. We have some (not lots, apparently carpeting it is NOT the way to go) Dynamat and such to deaden sound. There are still a lot of squeaks and rattles, this is a 15-year-old car with a roll-cage and many modificiations, but compared to how it was its.......almost civilised. I'm loving it. Its comfortable, with a stereo, and I no longer dread going distances in it.
So I've done it, I've created a different car. Not only in its feel and interior, but the motor is so very different from the intense, frantic turbo-nutter it once was. I went out for a spirited drive today and making progress is so easy. It piles on speed without incident or alarm. Its VERY easy to drive extremely fast now. Overtaking is done without changing gear. You just leave it in 5th.
Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself. Rewind. I picked it up from ther stereo shop. On the way home the rubber water pipe that goes across the front of the engine to the bottom of the rad caught the bottom (large) pulley. Fortunately this happened on my road, so I pulled up on the drive, couldn't quite see where the water was coming from, so reversed violently up the drive which caused the motor to rock more than usual, and it REALLY caught the water pipe. All the water came out. I'd looked down at it before and thought 'I reckon thats a bit close'. Oh well; ordered some Samco stuff from www.f1btn.com and because this stuff is more rigid than the normal rubber stuff, I think it will be fine; i pulled it futher out of the way before doing up the hose clips.
Next problem; car will no longer start when hot. Its always turned slower when hot, these engines are known for it. But that was with the ickle battery. Now as part of the stereo install I put a large red-top dry-cell in the back seat. It should be better. But its worse. Too much of a coincidence that this happened after the stereo install and battery move.
Also, the speedo stops working at 80mph; just hits zero. Again, seeing as the satnav head unit takes speed pulse off the speedo converter, using the output wire to the speedo, this is too much of a coincidence. So, back to the stereo shop and switch it from the output to the speedo (which was a spliced wire, basically) to one of the other outputs and set the head unit to start learnign again (as the pulse has apparently changed) and bob is your uncle.
As for the starting thing; well, she was off back to Craig in Birmingham this week anyway, to get the quickshifter outlined a few posts above fitted (looking forward to this greatly; the gearchange is just nasty and I hate it, it spoils the whole experience) and the air-con pump has been reconditioned (£200) and needs fitting.
So, Wednesday in Birmingham. First things first; starting. We look at the earth from the battery to the body, right next to it. Its thick enough. But maybe the body isn't thick enough. If you've seen under an RX-7 you'll know that all the metal at the back (boot floor, rear seats, etc) is like a tin can. Its lightweight for a reason. So Craig runs another earth off the underneath of the same bolt, up the length of the car, straight to the block. Problem solved. Motor now spins like a nutter whenever key is turned. Sweet.
Quickshifter. Its a sod of a job to fit. I stand around asking daft questions while watching Craig do it properly. It completely replaces the shifter mechanism on top of the box, and some of the metal transmission tunnel of the rex needs to be cut away. He also fits a new seal to stop fumes coming uip from under the car; its been a problem on the run up. I also have a theory that the standard, unvented bonnet is pressurising and lifting at speed, allowing foul air into the heater vents under the windscreen. More on this later.
Quickshifter fitted. I love it. Its wonderful. Short but not heavy, and very precise. I can heartily recommend it. Hold on, i took a pic:
Aircon: the pump is fitted but its 4.30pm and the guys up the road that can pressurise it have gone home
Bugger. Oh well, a job for next time, and its bloody cold now anyway!I put the towing eye back on while I am under the car. I actually do this myself! Of course I smash one of my fingers and bleed all over the place. Great. I go back to asking daft questions.
More to come, cooling and the return of my original bonnet!
Edited by papercup on Sunday 26th September 13:16
Continuation. As said, I thought that the standard bonnet was lifting not because air was getting in around the headlamps, but that its cming in through the front for the rad and not being able to get out of the back. I've always thought this. Even after the bonnet pins stop the lift at the front and sides, I still think its pushing its way out the back at the bottom of the windscreen. This means the car smells of heat and oil when you drive it. We did two things at Craig's to combat this; first he installed the better seal around the gear lever where it enters the car, and second we modified the seal at the back of the bonnet, that sits on the car held by clips and basically seals the back of the bonnet where it meets the car under the windscreen. We thought this was maybe being squashed, or not creating a good enough seal, so we stuffed a length of reinforced water pipe through the centre of it, with the help of some lube. Its now much better on a run.
So, the bonnet. I must credit Re:Worx with this idea. We had to change from my original, vented R-Magic bonnet as it hit the air intake on the front of the engine. I was very, very unhappy about this. I miss it. It looked great. The standard bonnet looks rubbish, and is heavy, and has lots of little dents on it where the bracing was taken out the inside of it. I am planning to get the car sprayed at the front anyway and would have them all fixed then but.....i don't want to spend the money on the standard one. I just dislike it.
I happened to visit Re:Worx last week and they mentioned that the V8 conversion they had done had an aftermarket bonnet similar to mine, and they'd managed to make it fit by turning that intake upside down. So armed with this info, I tasked Craig with making my original bonnet fit. It was late in the day when we started this, so I didn't expect it to happen that day, but I though we could make a start and see what hits what when the bonnet is lowered.
So we turn the intake over, which involves moving the power steering fluid bottle. We just stuff it to one side for the moment. There is also a small hard metal water pipe that goes from left to right, under that intake, which will need to be moved. Again, a job for later; we just remove it.
The next thing to hit was the new brake bias valve fitted by Craig when the ABS was removed. This is right up on the scuttle on the left. That can be moved later as well.
Next its the radiator. Its mounted high, and there is space underneath it. I've thought previously that if it were dropped lower then airflow through the radiator would be improved; right now I think air coming through the air-con rad simply whistles under the radiator. The reason for it being higher was to clear the air intake pipe.
In normal driving temps are fine, but I do think that on-track it will overheat due to the airflow issues. But more urgently we are having problems keeping the car cool at a standstill. There is one fan on the front of the radiator, a 14" Pacet. We did some tests of unplugging it, letting the water temp get to 110 degrees, then plggung it back in. It will hold it there, but it won't go down. This confirms the problems I have had when travelling at speed then hitting a traffic jam, such as a blockage on a motorway - it gets hot then stays hot until I start moving again.
So.....radiator needs more fans. So that 14" Pacet gets moved to the back, still on the left. A 16" Pacet gets added to the front on the right, and they'll crossover in the middle. The rad has to come off for this. So....while its off, mount it lower. This means the water pipe that hit the pulley will be a lot further away, which means that won't be a problem ever again. Airflow under the rad will cease; everything will go through it. The airpipe will have to fit over the bottom hose but that can happen, we think.
Then my old bonnet will fit
So, the bonnet. I must credit Re:Worx with this idea. We had to change from my original, vented R-Magic bonnet as it hit the air intake on the front of the engine. I was very, very unhappy about this. I miss it. It looked great. The standard bonnet looks rubbish, and is heavy, and has lots of little dents on it where the bracing was taken out the inside of it. I am planning to get the car sprayed at the front anyway and would have them all fixed then but.....i don't want to spend the money on the standard one. I just dislike it.
I happened to visit Re:Worx last week and they mentioned that the V8 conversion they had done had an aftermarket bonnet similar to mine, and they'd managed to make it fit by turning that intake upside down. So armed with this info, I tasked Craig with making my original bonnet fit. It was late in the day when we started this, so I didn't expect it to happen that day, but I though we could make a start and see what hits what when the bonnet is lowered.
So we turn the intake over, which involves moving the power steering fluid bottle. We just stuff it to one side for the moment. There is also a small hard metal water pipe that goes from left to right, under that intake, which will need to be moved. Again, a job for later; we just remove it.
The next thing to hit was the new brake bias valve fitted by Craig when the ABS was removed. This is right up on the scuttle on the left. That can be moved later as well.
Next its the radiator. Its mounted high, and there is space underneath it. I've thought previously that if it were dropped lower then airflow through the radiator would be improved; right now I think air coming through the air-con rad simply whistles under the radiator. The reason for it being higher was to clear the air intake pipe.
In normal driving temps are fine, but I do think that on-track it will overheat due to the airflow issues. But more urgently we are having problems keeping the car cool at a standstill. There is one fan on the front of the radiator, a 14" Pacet. We did some tests of unplugging it, letting the water temp get to 110 degrees, then plggung it back in. It will hold it there, but it won't go down. This confirms the problems I have had when travelling at speed then hitting a traffic jam, such as a blockage on a motorway - it gets hot then stays hot until I start moving again.
So.....radiator needs more fans. So that 14" Pacet gets moved to the back, still on the left. A 16" Pacet gets added to the front on the right, and they'll crossover in the middle. The rad has to come off for this. So....while its off, mount it lower. This means the water pipe that hit the pulley will be a lot further away, which means that won't be a problem ever again. Airflow under the rad will cease; everything will go through it. The airpipe will have to fit over the bottom hose but that can happen, we think.
Then my old bonnet will fit
I should update this more often, I am falling behind.
OK, ring trip: the usual carnage on a tourist day, though worse than i remember it from 2006 when I last went a few times. They haven't made the car parks at the ring any bigger and the gridlock whenever the ring opens and shuts (due to brits crashing, generally) is ridiculous. They have however taken the cafe in the middle of the ring car parks and turned it into a 50s Yank-themed 'diner' which is pants. Really, WTF? The coolest race track in the world, with years and years of heritage and history and they copy sodding Happy Days?
Friday: Get there 4ish and ponce around a bit, visit where we will be staying (Frozenspeed Jochen's gaff, very nice and welcoming, top bloke). Get 3 laps in. It appears I have forgotten huge parts of the track, so take it easy. On road tyres anyway as I never intended to be in a huge hurry, this represents somewhat of a baptism-of-fire for the not-finished Rex, and the weather looks crap for the weekend anyway so 888s across Europe didnt seem clever.
Saturday: chucks it down all day. Do no laps. Sliding around in the wet and looking at all the crashed cars is bad enough, but you want £20 from me as well? Apparently Sunday will be fine, so happy to wait.
Sunday: Sunny, lovely weather. We are out first thing but its greasy as hell still on the higher parts of the track (middle and end) and under the trees. Wait a few hours. Go out when its fine and do 4 laps in a row, primarily because the queue to get back on the track is shorter than the one to leave the track and join the traffic jam outside, and my car is overheating. She runs too hot, like I thought. While on a motorway on the way she sat at 90c all the way, on the ring I am in more of a hurry and its 100-105. When i stop at the end of the lap its nearing 120 as I get back out. Not good. As I speed up during the day I can hold it at 110c. Slowing down to 60 for the start-finish straight before stopping gets it to 90, but when the track shuts and I am forced to sit in a queue I see the needle hit 123 before it stops moving completely. I go for a drive in the country to escape the carnage but when I get back its climbing while I look for a parking space. 9 laps in total today and not a single one is free from disruption as the crashes come thick and fast all day.
So....I was right. She's too hot. Time to get my bonnet back on and change the fan.
OK, ring trip: the usual carnage on a tourist day, though worse than i remember it from 2006 when I last went a few times. They haven't made the car parks at the ring any bigger and the gridlock whenever the ring opens and shuts (due to brits crashing, generally) is ridiculous. They have however taken the cafe in the middle of the ring car parks and turned it into a 50s Yank-themed 'diner' which is pants. Really, WTF? The coolest race track in the world, with years and years of heritage and history and they copy sodding Happy Days?
Friday: Get there 4ish and ponce around a bit, visit where we will be staying (Frozenspeed Jochen's gaff, very nice and welcoming, top bloke). Get 3 laps in. It appears I have forgotten huge parts of the track, so take it easy. On road tyres anyway as I never intended to be in a huge hurry, this represents somewhat of a baptism-of-fire for the not-finished Rex, and the weather looks crap for the weekend anyway so 888s across Europe didnt seem clever.
Saturday: chucks it down all day. Do no laps. Sliding around in the wet and looking at all the crashed cars is bad enough, but you want £20 from me as well? Apparently Sunday will be fine, so happy to wait.
Sunday: Sunny, lovely weather. We are out first thing but its greasy as hell still on the higher parts of the track (middle and end) and under the trees. Wait a few hours. Go out when its fine and do 4 laps in a row, primarily because the queue to get back on the track is shorter than the one to leave the track and join the traffic jam outside, and my car is overheating. She runs too hot, like I thought. While on a motorway on the way she sat at 90c all the way, on the ring I am in more of a hurry and its 100-105. When i stop at the end of the lap its nearing 120 as I get back out. Not good. As I speed up during the day I can hold it at 110c. Slowing down to 60 for the start-finish straight before stopping gets it to 90, but when the track shuts and I am forced to sit in a queue I see the needle hit 123 before it stops moving completely. I go for a drive in the country to escape the carnage but when I get back its climbing while I look for a parking space. 9 laps in total today and not a single one is free from disruption as the crashes come thick and fast all day.
So....I was right. She's too hot. Time to get my bonnet back on and change the fan.
Edited by papercup on Wednesday 27th October 14:38
Other stuff: the gearbox overheats. It gets hot, smells (and gearbox oil has a certain smell, so its obvious) and doesn't want to change gear. Getting from 5th back to 4th (the two most commonly-used gears) when its hot almost needs two hands, and I miss 4th constantly, hitting what I think is the gate but is actually the gear itself and its too hot to engage.
I don't like it anyway. The ratios are all over the place. 1st is useless, I dont use it at all. 6th is so high its ridiculous. That would be fine if 1st-5th were usable, but they are too close together, especially for a car with this power-to-weight.
I meet a guy, while parked on the start/finish straight of the 'ring while waiting for it to be opened again after someone binning it, from www.gdcars.com who are from Nottingham way and build a replica of a Can-am-looking Lola T70 car with a 6.3 LS1 in it. He tells me of the Tremec Magnum, which is the new 'race/performance' version of the Tremec T56 which I have. Better shifting and stronger. Interesting. I may end up putting a small gearbox oil cooler and leccy pump on for the meantime, but I am looking into these seriously.....
There is another choice however; change the diff for something far lower, and put that cooler on it....that could fix it all, and cheaper than a new gearbox eh?
We'll see. No hurry.
I don't like it anyway. The ratios are all over the place. 1st is useless, I dont use it at all. 6th is so high its ridiculous. That would be fine if 1st-5th were usable, but they are too close together, especially for a car with this power-to-weight.
I meet a guy, while parked on the start/finish straight of the 'ring while waiting for it to be opened again after someone binning it, from www.gdcars.com who are from Nottingham way and build a replica of a Can-am-looking Lola T70 car with a 6.3 LS1 in it. He tells me of the Tremec Magnum, which is the new 'race/performance' version of the Tremec T56 which I have. Better shifting and stronger. Interesting. I may end up putting a small gearbox oil cooler and leccy pump on for the meantime, but I am looking into these seriously.....
There is another choice however; change the diff for something far lower, and put that cooler on it....that could fix it all, and cheaper than a new gearbox eh?
We'll see. No hurry.
OK, I've been remiss about updating this. Its cold out there and the last time I went to Craig's I couldnt feel my feet after a while. Been driving the car around a fair bit and washed it at the weekend so really must take some pics and update this a little. The temperature woes are over and done with, for instance, with the return of my lovely vented bonnet and the most powerful radiator fan available in the UK 
I must also do what I said I would at the start, and have done so fitfully throughout the thread; proper cost breakdown for all aspects of it. I've wanted extras and they have cost, and other things I just had to do. My grand plan is a complete breakdown including optionals and true costs of things.
Would I do it again? Yes. Would I do anything differently, especially the gearbox? No, because I didnt know and had to experience it all to know better. I already knew it was the worst thing about the conversion, but what do you do? I'm a picky sod. I want perfection, which is hardly fair.
Actually, I would do one thing differently. The air-con pump was from a 99-model camaro (the 2006 original fouls something so you need the old one with the pipes coming out in a different place) and we really should have just had the damn thing rebuilt before we fitted it. After getting everything connected up and gassing it up it s
t itself immediately and leaked everywhere. Of course it did. Everything off and get it rebuilt and its been all back together since about November but I havent had it gassed up again as its bloody freezing and who cares? Still annoying though.
This is all hindsight though, as is the quickshioter on the box, which would have been far easier to fit with the box out of the car; but then I wouldnt have known I needed it and would always think 'I wonder if I did?'.
One thing; you will find me treating with utter contempt muppets who say things like 'throw a V8 in it, its simple, they cost tuppence'. I've seen how much work went into this and getting the engine to fit was the easiest and quickest part. When it comes time to connect the propshaft and program the ECU.....thats when people regret their hasty talk.
I must also do what I said I would at the start, and have done so fitfully throughout the thread; proper cost breakdown for all aspects of it. I've wanted extras and they have cost, and other things I just had to do. My grand plan is a complete breakdown including optionals and true costs of things.
Would I do it again? Yes. Would I do anything differently, especially the gearbox? No, because I didnt know and had to experience it all to know better. I already knew it was the worst thing about the conversion, but what do you do? I'm a picky sod. I want perfection, which is hardly fair.
Actually, I would do one thing differently. The air-con pump was from a 99-model camaro (the 2006 original fouls something so you need the old one with the pipes coming out in a different place) and we really should have just had the damn thing rebuilt before we fitted it. After getting everything connected up and gassing it up it s
t itself immediately and leaked everywhere. Of course it did. Everything off and get it rebuilt and its been all back together since about November but I havent had it gassed up again as its bloody freezing and who cares? Still annoying though.This is all hindsight though, as is the quickshioter on the box, which would have been far easier to fit with the box out of the car; but then I wouldnt have known I needed it and would always think 'I wonder if I did?'.
One thing; you will find me treating with utter contempt muppets who say things like 'throw a V8 in it, its simple, they cost tuppence'. I've seen how much work went into this and getting the engine to fit was the easiest and quickest part. When it comes time to connect the propshaft and program the ECU.....thats when people regret their hasty talk.
4packet said:
Have been waiting for an update on this thread as considering this conversion myself. The gearbox and associated ratios is perhaps (aside from the projected costs I've calculated) my main concern. What were the issues with the poor shifting/overheating originally and how have you overcome them? Do you know which ratios you have in your T56?
Do you think the Cobra diff is the way to go in the future or are you happy with your '5 speed'?
Thanks in advance
Rex is in a bodyshop having the front end finished off. The bumper wanted some work; after an off into the gravel at Lydden last year and 2 years of racing and trackdays it was just a bit of a mess. The old manky bonnet pins had been drilled out of the bonnet and needed filling, and the new sleek ones we'd fitted in the standard bonnet are going into a new position (behind the headlamps, not inboard of them) in this bonnet. New headlamp covers; the originals are known for snapping their mounts and mine had broken both sides. Making the bonnet fit with the V8 was never quite finished, so more is being shaved off the big vent holes in the middle and the grille is going back on (you could just reach in and undo the radiator header tank before!). Then new paint for the whole front end and one door (the last panel with its original paint, and it was looking very '15 years old' with touch-ins here and there and a few dents).Do you think the Cobra diff is the way to go in the future or are you happy with your '5 speed'?
Thanks in advance
When its back, it needs to go back to Craig to have the air-con gassed up; we assume it will all work fine as the compressor was rebuilt months ago; it just got cold so i never bothered with it.
Gearbox; only overheated at the nurburgring, and due to standard bonnet and weedy radiator fan, the engine ran ridiculously hot as well, which must have contributed. So i must check that when i take it on a track in the UK that the gearbox still overheats; i don't know that it will. I will post up here when i trackday (which i will do first). We'll see. I will then do a sprint or two perhaps, which are too short to affect the 'box.
Gearbox ratios are:
2.970:1 (1st gear)
2.070:1 (2nd)
1.430:1 (3rd)
1.000:1 (4th)
0.840:1 (5th)
0.570:1 (6th)
which i got from here: http://www.kgbanswers.com/what-is-the-stock-gear-r...
I've looked into the Magnum, and different versions of it with higher 1st gears. You know what? On the road i don't care, i just drive my dog-leg 5 speed and i'm quite happy. Definitely put the quickshifter on it though. But the car is fine; I may change my mind next time i am on a track or at the 'ring, but as a road car its great.
I'd like to change the box just because I'd like a better one but I am not spending thousands on it yet. Cooling this one will be a pain; it has no cooler so will need one, and a pump.....whereas the Magnum is plumbed for it already. So I'll see how I get on. One thing is for sure; I am not going to spend loads this year as I have plenty of other toys and just bought a new sportsbike as well. I've been driving the car loads and as a daily driver, with its interior re-fitted and its nice stereo system, its great, and very entertaining to boot. Right now I am content.
The answer really is to change the diff; the fact is that the Rex diff is too low (or high?) and the gears simply want spacing out a bit. I just can't be bothered right now and will let someone else go through it all first. Once its established as a swap and Craig can knock them out in his sleep (like he does with fitting V8s) then I'll probably do it.
But I wouldn't let you put this off. The car is fantastic, and barking, and drivable, and entertaining, and.....its many things. I'm just going to use it this year, and slow down, and stop worrying about every little thing I can perhaps fix by throwing thousands at it. Ask me in 6 months.
But do it, you really should. Yes, the gearbox is the worst part, but its not that bad!
4packet said:
Thanks for your detailed response! Would be great to see some pics of it completed. The steering rack position vs bonnet modification is also something I'm weighing up. While it is possible to lower the engine sufficiently to clear stock bonnet it does involve bump steer corection on the steering arms which I don't like the idea of. I'm also struggling to find any mention online of the sump to road clearance. Are you happy with your ground clearance?
Martin
Not sure about any of that; I didn't do that work. I know Craig is working on new steering thingies to stop the bump steer. I was going to get a set when I am next up there.Martin
I assume he got the engine pretty low as the strut brace is still there (but had to be spaced up about a centimetre).
I am happy with ground clearance; my lowest point is the back of the exhaust mid-box, and I am running sensible heights these days as I want to drive the car and be able to drive over speed bumps without issues. Its fine.
Rex is home
Rex is also wearing his BBS LMs as the Volks are just too minty-mint to be fitted when the car is anywhere near a bodyshop They are a different look for Rex. So different do they look, that I honestly love the look of either, and couldn't say I preferred one over the other. See the first thread here (when Rex was a rotary) for a selection of pics of both if you want to make your mind up Generally he wears the Volks recently as they have the road tyres on, and the LMs have the 888s for sprinting/track/etc.
Not only is it all shiny and happy, with the new paint over the entire front end and one door, but the mop has been out and all the work mentioned in the previous page has been done. My R-Magic bonnet has returned!
Oh, and last week I found a pair of the best-looking headlamps you can get for a Rex. Craig had sweated blood and uttered almost continuous swear-words at my insistence on keeping those pop-ups, but they can be improved on. I give you......the Knightsports twin pop-ups:
I'd missed a few sets of these before on the forum over the last few years, they go for £500-odd second-hand which gives you some idea of what they cost new from Japan, but the chance of finding a set when the car is in a bodyshop and simply begging for them to be fitted was one not to be missed. One late-night dash to Watford and back and they were delivered to the bodyshop by me the next day. They are a quality piece of kit. As they 'pop-up' less than the standard ones, they aren't just new lights, but instead the complete rotating metal assembly that bolts to the slam panel, and uses the same motors. An electrical kit that plugs into the existing bulb-plug and controls them using relays finishes them off. They were still a bit of a sod to fit, and require a bit of butchering of the standard light covers (they use the same ones, but need modding slightly) but as we had new ones it allowed the bodyshop to practice with the old ones first, and get them perfect. I also had the bezels painted the same gloss black as the rest of the car, so they look fantastic, and match the car perfectly, much better than the standard ones that look a bit naff, and have dull grey plastic surrounds.
While we are here, why not a few with the bonnet up, to remind you how well this tiny new motor fits
Last but not least, the latest shot of the radiator. Contrast this to the stuff on page 5 of this thread, you can see how the radiator has been dropped that vital 3 inches to make it flush with the undertray to stop any air getting under it. Also, how the fan has changed from the front (bad!) to the back (good!) and got bigger and with a chunkier motor on it. We'll see how the temperatures do as we roll slowly into spring and summer.
BEFORE
AFTER
Rex is also wearing his BBS LMs as the Volks are just too minty-mint to be fitted when the car is anywhere near a bodyshop
They are a different look for Rex. So different do they look, that I honestly love the look of either, and couldn't say I preferred one over the other. See the first thread here (when Rex was a rotary) for a selection of pics of both if you want to make your mind up Generally he wears the Volks recently as they have the road tyres on, and the LMs have the 888s for sprinting/track/etc.Not only is it all shiny and happy, with the new paint over the entire front end and one door, but the mop has been out and all the work mentioned in the previous page has been done. My R-Magic bonnet has returned!
Oh, and last week I found a pair of the best-looking headlamps you can get for a Rex. Craig had sweated blood and uttered almost continuous swear-words at my insistence on keeping those pop-ups, but they can be improved on. I give you......the Knightsports twin pop-ups:
I'd missed a few sets of these before on the forum over the last few years, they go for £500-odd second-hand which gives you some idea of what they cost new from Japan, but the chance of finding a set when the car is in a bodyshop and simply begging for them to be fitted was one not to be missed. One late-night dash to Watford and back and they were delivered to the bodyshop by me the next day. They are a quality piece of kit. As they 'pop-up' less than the standard ones, they aren't just new lights, but instead the complete rotating metal assembly that bolts to the slam panel, and uses the same motors. An electrical kit that plugs into the existing bulb-plug and controls them using relays finishes them off. They were still a bit of a sod to fit, and require a bit of butchering of the standard light covers (they use the same ones, but need modding slightly) but as we had new ones it allowed the bodyshop to practice with the old ones first, and get them perfect. I also had the bezels painted the same gloss black as the rest of the car, so they look fantastic, and match the car perfectly, much better than the standard ones that look a bit naff, and have dull grey plastic surrounds.
While we are here, why not a few with the bonnet up, to remind you how well this tiny new motor fits
Last but not least, the latest shot of the radiator. Contrast this to the stuff on page 5 of this thread, you can see how the radiator has been dropped that vital 3 inches to make it flush with the undertray to stop any air getting under it. Also, how the fan has changed from the front (bad!) to the back (good!) and got bigger and with a chunkier motor on it. We'll see how the temperatures do as we roll slowly into spring and summer.
BEFORE
AFTER
Neil needs to read the whole thread Goodwood, last Saturday
First trackday since the 'ring last October, and all the recent temperature-related mods (vented bonnet, larger fan, relocation of fan from front to back, moving radiator down to remove gap beneath it) and I think its safe to say we've fixed the temperature problems.
Bear in mind I was lapping the 'ring at 110 degrees water and oil. Thanks to my wonderful new gauges (which I really must do a post about on their own, as I haven't even pictured them here, and they are properly nice bits of kit that truly impress) I can reset the output and they will then hold the maximum they have reached and a quick button press shows you what that is.
So.....weather was nice. Overcast but sunny, and the sun would break through the clouds every now and then. The sort of day when if the sun is out its nice, but in the shade you needed a jacket.
Hottest temps I saw all day were:
89 water
99 oil
...and thats under continued fast lapping (1:30 -ish laps)
Anyone got any idea of those temperatures are good or not? I would say that once the oil got over 90 the car was hot inside; the shell heats up and you can feel the roll cage heating your leg (where it rests against the vertical pipe that comes down by the dashboard), and heat would pour out of the trim either side of the centre console. Also, I could feel that my shins and feet were warm. Must get that air-con working!
Car was impressive though; I know Goodwood well and I was belting round, wasting most things. I am going to sprint there next month and those times will tell me if the car is the same; it certainly feels it. I've done a 90 second standing-start lap there before.
Rex was VERY popular. Steady stream of people all day wanting to see what was in it, and just why it sounded so funny.....several people came up and said 'thats not a rotary is it?'. I spent as much time talking about it as I did driving it. It helped that I'd washed it the day before; she was very clean and looked fantastic in the sun.
Its much easier now to play with oversteer at the chicane Just prod the throttle a little too much and..... 
All in all it was a really good day out.
Problems? Well, the back-box has been dying for a while. It was noticeable recently on the road at high revs; a sound like someone tearing sheets of thin metal that would drown out the engine. Not nice. I've blown the guts out of it, and whats left has sheared off and is vibrating. As you can imagine caning the pants off it at Goodwood lap after lap did this no favours; by mid-afternoon you could only hear that nasty sound trackside, and I decided to stop as I was starting to get filthy looks from the noise people.
Speaking of noise, I only just got through the noise test at the start of the day, probably to do with this damage; initially tested at 108db, we raised the revs really slowly and got through at 102db. For a laugh the noise guy held it over the bonnet and got 109! But no problems on track with the driveby meters, which are usually the issue. I spent the morning being careful past them but was flat-out in the afternoon with not one peep. Great news about the drivebys, but the static stuff may be a problem at certain tracks.
I also, in that last session, managed to blow the exhaust apart behind the mid-box; the ring clamp must not have been up to the job. We put it back in but I want that join changing to the same method as the others; a proper flange with nuts and bolts; then it can't happen again.
cheers
Andy
First trackday since the 'ring last October, and all the recent temperature-related mods (vented bonnet, larger fan, relocation of fan from front to back, moving radiator down to remove gap beneath it) and I think its safe to say we've fixed the temperature problems.
Bear in mind I was lapping the 'ring at 110 degrees water and oil. Thanks to my wonderful new gauges (which I really must do a post about on their own, as I haven't even pictured them here, and they are properly nice bits of kit that truly impress) I can reset the output and they will then hold the maximum they have reached and a quick button press shows you what that is.
So.....weather was nice. Overcast but sunny, and the sun would break through the clouds every now and then. The sort of day when if the sun is out its nice, but in the shade you needed a jacket.
Hottest temps I saw all day were:
89 water
99 oil
...and thats under continued fast lapping (1:30 -ish laps)
Anyone got any idea of those temperatures are good or not? I would say that once the oil got over 90 the car was hot inside; the shell heats up and you can feel the roll cage heating your leg (where it rests against the vertical pipe that comes down by the dashboard), and heat would pour out of the trim either side of the centre console. Also, I could feel that my shins and feet were warm. Must get that air-con working!
Car was impressive though; I know Goodwood well and I was belting round, wasting most things. I am going to sprint there next month and those times will tell me if the car is the same; it certainly feels it. I've done a 90 second standing-start lap there before.
Rex was VERY popular. Steady stream of people all day wanting to see what was in it, and just why it sounded so funny.....several people came up and said 'thats not a rotary is it?'. I spent as much time talking about it as I did driving it. It helped that I'd washed it the day before; she was very clean and looked fantastic in the sun.
Its much easier now to play with oversteer at the chicane
Just prod the throttle a little too much and..... All in all it was a really good day out.
Problems? Well, the back-box has been dying for a while. It was noticeable recently on the road at high revs; a sound like someone tearing sheets of thin metal that would drown out the engine. Not nice. I've blown the guts out of it, and whats left has sheared off and is vibrating. As you can imagine caning the pants off it at Goodwood lap after lap did this no favours; by mid-afternoon you could only hear that nasty sound trackside, and I decided to stop as I was starting to get filthy looks from the noise people.
Speaking of noise, I only just got through the noise test at the start of the day, probably to do with this damage; initially tested at 108db, we raised the revs really slowly and got through at 102db. For a laugh the noise guy held it over the bonnet and got 109! But no problems on track with the driveby meters, which are usually the issue. I spent the morning being careful past them but was flat-out in the afternoon with not one peep. Great news about the drivebys, but the static stuff may be a problem at certain tracks.
I also, in that last session, managed to blow the exhaust apart behind the mid-box; the ring clamp must not have been up to the job. We put it back in but I want that join changing to the same method as the others; a proper flange with nuts and bolts; then it can't happen again.
cheers
Andy
Edited by papercup on Tuesday 29th March 16:34
Chunkychucky said:
papercup said:
...and thats under continued fast lapping (1:30 -ish laps)
Anyone got any idea of thats good or not?
Andy, in my Austin A35 I have just scraped a high 1:38 on a flying lap, so yes very quick!! Although I was on crossply rubber and pushing around 120mph down the straight! Your RX7 is an awesome car, and the degree of work that has gone into it is fabulous. Must say it looks gorgeous on those BBSs too... Anyone got any idea of thats good or not?
I've done a 1:30 from a standing start on the grid, so I wasn't particularly impressed by the 1:30 flying lap.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff