1st generation RX7 --- track car
Discussion
after much thinking and research, it seems to me these cars are seriously underrated/overlooked as classics
Ive been thinking of a cheapish (less than 10k) classic , rwd, decent looking, nice power, that wil be good for track and occasional drift
The 1st gen RX7 ticks the boxes.. it also has one of the most accomplished race histories of any production car. including, boneville speed record, Group B rallying, racing at Bathurst, and other road racing. It has won more races than any other car in SCCA events in the states(I think)
so my plan: to make a track car, either to look like the '78 Racing Beat Bonneville car, or maybe to look like a Bathurst racer...
Engine wise, ill prob stick with the original 12b and go for some street or wilder porting, with suitable carb (aiming for 200+ hp)
any thoughts on this?? is it easy to get parts? i wil want a good LSD and suspension set up.
Ive been thinking of a cheapish (less than 10k) classic , rwd, decent looking, nice power, that wil be good for track and occasional drift
The 1st gen RX7 ticks the boxes.. it also has one of the most accomplished race histories of any production car. including, boneville speed record, Group B rallying, racing at Bathurst, and other road racing. It has won more races than any other car in SCCA events in the states(I think)
so my plan: to make a track car, either to look like the '78 Racing Beat Bonneville car, or maybe to look like a Bathurst racer...
Engine wise, ill prob stick with the original 12b and go for some street or wilder porting, with suitable carb (aiming for 200+ hp)
any thoughts on this?? is it easy to get parts? i wil want a good LSD and suspension set up.
I entertained similar ideas for a while. They are a good looking car. Not too big. Eligible for some classic/historic competition. Very cheap for some reason.
Quite tricky to find a really nice one as a starting point then is it right to strip and modify. Probably!
I was disappointed by a test drive of a standard car. It didn't feel eager at all unlike my experience of later rotary Mazdas. The unassisted steering made the car feel heavy too so it really didn't go as well as it looked. On the plus side they are comfortable. And the layout is reasonably practical. It isn't a hatchback - more of a coupe with a hatch and a very high loading sill. Plenty of luggage space though. Weirdly, steering is by a steering box as opposed to a rack and pinion which is very old fashioned!
I've seen lots of YouTube footage of quick modified cars esp in NZ and they look like a lot of fun. There is an outfit in Sussex called Super 7 Autos. The owner is an expert on all things RX and has a very powerful 1st Gen. He said the easiest upgrade would be to transplant a 2nd Gen turbo engine complete for around 200bhp which would be terrific in one of these cars.
I chickened out and bought a MX5.
Quite tricky to find a really nice one as a starting point then is it right to strip and modify. Probably!
I was disappointed by a test drive of a standard car. It didn't feel eager at all unlike my experience of later rotary Mazdas. The unassisted steering made the car feel heavy too so it really didn't go as well as it looked. On the plus side they are comfortable. And the layout is reasonably practical. It isn't a hatchback - more of a coupe with a hatch and a very high loading sill. Plenty of luggage space though. Weirdly, steering is by a steering box as opposed to a rack and pinion which is very old fashioned!
I've seen lots of YouTube footage of quick modified cars esp in NZ and they look like a lot of fun. There is an outfit in Sussex called Super 7 Autos. The owner is an expert on all things RX and has a very powerful 1st Gen. He said the easiest upgrade would be to transplant a 2nd Gen turbo engine complete for around 200bhp which would be terrific in one of these cars.
I chickened out and bought a MX5.
Grim-d, I saw that one too. Nice, really nice.
Dont know what they would be like as a track car, im sure there must be some garages in the UK that specialise in doing a bit of work/ rebuilds on them. I just dont know if the standard 12A has enough puff to get you to 200bhp? Might be better with a 13b or 13BP or even a 13BPT for proper power. The engine options are pretty good when it comes to tuning I reckon.
Dont know what they would be like as a track car, im sure there must be some garages in the UK that specialise in doing a bit of work/ rebuilds on them. I just dont know if the standard 12A has enough puff to get you to 200bhp? Might be better with a 13b or 13BP or even a 13BPT for proper power. The engine options are pretty good when it comes to tuning I reckon.
Big fans of the old rotaries 
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