Budget Track/Street S1 RX7

[toddski]

Hi All,

Been lurking on this site for a while, figured it was time to put up a post about my track hack.

Photo of when I first saw it (mate msg'd me this photo when he bought it to tease me - it was mine a year later).

http://gt6.com/db/images/mycars/rx7/Rx7.jpg

Photo from last hillclimb - thanks to Tyrie for the photo.

http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l199/Tyrie_01/2lap%20hillclimb%202010/IMG_2710.jpg

It is a 79 Series 1 that I bought mainly to hillclimb with my local club http://www.sdmahillclimb.com.

Tried to build this on a budget - sold my previous hillclimber (an AE82 Twin Cam Corolla) for $2K and bought this for the same. Have since bought a lot of second hand bits off ebay/forums as well as scored some freebies and very little new bits.

Current Specs

Engine/Drivetrain:

13B 4 port - suspected to be a basic extend port, no lightening
Standard Nikki carb with softer secondary spring
Unknown extractors into SelectMaz 2.5 system with Rockwool packed rear muffler
S1 gearbox case with close ratio gearset - specs/origin unknown (on loan)
Button clutch
S3 diff - LSD - 4.44


Suspension:

New Kings Lows springs all round
Unused 2nd hand KYB shocks front (in S3 struts that have been tweaked for a bit of neg camber), 2nd hand Koni reds rear
Poly bushes in Watts, lower rear link, front sway bar links and castor rods - old rubber in the rest
Rear sway bar removed


Brakes

Front: S3 calipers and discs
Rear: S3 calipers and discs


Interior

Partly gutted with solid mounted Sparco Sprint V
Harness bar and 6 point harness for driver
Standard besides


Exterior

Ratty, bent and dented... I like it. :D
Runs random 15x6s with 2nd hand donated 205/50 Dunlop DZ03Gs for the track - whatever I can lay my hands on for the street


Car is still fairly low budget (but repair costs after tree incident kinda blew that out - hence the S2 bumper, different guards and matte black bonnet) and has done a 50.76 around the track - current front runners in my class are doing about mid 50s, class record is 47.56. My previous best in the Corolla which was pretty well sorted suspension wise (needed coilovers though) was a 53.66.

Still lots in the car and I still have to learn how to drive it.

Future plans are:

Get some 15x6.5 or 7s that have proper offset (+10 to +25) to widen track
Front Strut brace
Remove unnecessary engine bay items
Remove sound deadening - in progress (my 6yr old boy has taken it on as his job)
Half cage
Keep flogging the hell out of it on track


Will try to keep this post up to date now and update times as they hopefully drop.

Cheers,
Todd

[Coffin]

welcome aboard Todd, .... hope your car didnt get a curse from my diff :)

[rowdytoot]

hey todd,

go on, post pics of the imfamous tree incident (it's about as good as my sweep crash!)

[toddski]

Bloody thing has I think! :eek:

Unexplained traction issues at Sunday's hillclimb. Turned out the rear Dunlops, while still soft, had gone completely off. Swapped front to back and all of a sudden I had grip at the rear.

Have arranged to get next lot of smurf's blood blessed to ward off the curse. :)

Then again - you're running my old calipers - might be why you have all that front end damage?

[toddski]

Yeah Rowds, good point. For those not understanding tree/front end damage references.

Doing a road closure for a local rally late last year I drove the RX7 in - bad choice. Powerful engine + RWD + crappy old tyres + brain fade + no mad skillz =

http://gt6.com/db/images/mycars/rx7/crash_rdf/Photo0023.jpg
http://gt6.com/db/images/mycars/rx7/crash_rdf/Photo0024.jpg
http://gt6.com/db/images/mycars/rx7/crash_rdf/Photo0025.jpg
http://gt6.com/db/images/mycars/rx7/crash_rdf/Photo0026.jpg

I walked away ok and the rally went ahead with no dramas and I did the road closure and then all the helpful rally people got me and the car home.

[Chase Rockwell]

I approve of this car.

[TT]

You've listed a fair bit of track/hill climb work in this car..
are you sure it has a rotary in it?

[RotaUte]

Pics of missus?

[Ben Wilson]

You've listed a fair bit of track/hill climb work in this car..
are you sure it has a rotary in it?

It's a little disturbing when you go to the hillclimb here in Canberra, there are always a lot of healthy, running rotaries there. It's all a bit twilight zone.

[DrNick]

Must be the cold air. ;)

Welcome too Todd!

S

[ChrisS]

Good to see you are finally here mate, your 7 is always entertaining at the hill climbs. :)


BTW do you want your S1 diff back? :lol:

[choppo]

Powerful engine

A Canberra thing obviously........

[toddski]

Thanks all for the welcome.

Yep, it's a rotary - and so far pretty reliable. Prob because it's fairly stock and not producing eleventybillion!!!!111 killawasps. :) Has done almost 2 years worth of racing and will probably get a freshen up end of this year. Currently looking for a Weber for it.

Pics of missus - there's probably some out there. She'll be in a race suit in the nav seat of a S4T RX7 rally car.

Yes Chris - I'd like my diff back. A certain cursed individual keeps saying he'll drop it back. :) It was pretty entertaining watching my RX7 at the last hillclimb being driven by a local rally driver (who my wife navs for) - it was very sideways.

And as for the powerful engine comment - relative to stock 4AGE... :O

[Tyrie]

i like this :)

Keep an eye out on ebay for decent offset wheels, I've got all mine off there

[ChrisS]

Thanks all for the welcome.

Yep, it's a rotary - and so far pretty reliable. Prob because it's fairly stock and not producing eleventybillion!!!!111 killawasps. :) Has done almost 2 years worth of racing and will probably get a freshen up end of this year. Currently looking for a Weber for it.

Pics of missus - there's probably some out there. She'll be in a race suit in the nav seat of a S4T RX7 rally car.

Yes Chris - I'd like my diff back. A certain cursed individual keeps saying he'll drop it back. :) It was pretty entertaining watching my RX7 at the last hillclimb being driven by a local rally driver (who my wife navs for) - it was very sideways.

And as for the powerful engine comment - relative to stock 4AGE... :O
No probs dude, will chuck it in the back of the Ute and drop it off in the next couple of days after work.

[toddski]

Thanks heaps Chris - but better make it next week - not there this week.

[ChrisS]

Done deal mate can do

[toddski]

Sorry Chris - hadn't replied. Any time suits - if not there they can just be dumped at the garage door. Very much appreciated.

Big thanks to Tyrie - dropped around to his place last night to try on wheels. No photos of Simmons - they were offset fail on my car too. But his meshies! I soooo want!

http://gt6.com/db/images/mycars/rx7/VolksMesh.jpg

Perfect. I think I'd need slightly smaller offset as I run 205s not 195s, so about 15x6.5 +15 would be perfect.

But even the matte black mesh suited the car. Sure you don't want to sell Tyrie?

[toddski]

Oh - and before the smart ass pedants get in on the act - I know the Toyos are not supposed to go that way...

[buzz]

It's a little disturbing when you go to the hillclimb here in Canberra, there are always a lot of healthy, running rotaries there.

Until we kill them. :mad2::sad::lol:

That really was some weird shit going on with those Dunlops. Wouldn't have believed it unless I'd been there. Softness didn't equal grip.

I do prefer the S1 over the S2. Tempted to have another one... satin black... red steelies etc... ,