X4....Please keep your amazing build up on here John. Your work has been an inspiration to myself and many others.
Cheers, Benn,

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Rockin' the 7 in a street near you.....

There's nothing wrong with AusRotary if you ignore the bits you have no interest in. I choose to ignore a large portion of posts simply because I have no interest, just like anything really. However, me removing my post from there has nothing to do with site content, Ive been ripped off, Im angry, have been blatantly lied to.... and Im no idiot. I acknowledge there are alot of good people there, but they are generally the quiet ones. People create unnecessary headaches, if I remove myself from that environment I reduce the chance of future headaches, and yes I am seeking a refund.

Maybe removing the post was a build up over time or reactionary over this event. For the record I havent left JNC or AR but I dont feel like posting anything anywhere until I sort my problem out, Ive shared alot more than most so no one should complain.

Good luck with getting your refund, you should leave trader feedback on AR so that no-one gets stung by another shonky trader.

Very impressive work.

A sad fact about life John... these pricks are everywhere. Goodluck with it all and see you soon

Regards
Bill

*subscribes to build thread*



- Adam

You people can thank my other half for her insistance the post remain. I'll try and sort out the issue over the coming weeks....... lets leave it at that please.

When AR comes back I'll try and fix that up as well. I've never seen so many disappointed people over a clapped out Mazda post...

Screwing the patch to the panel so I can accurately cut between both panel edges. Pic 2, tacked into place. Turned out pretty good, a little tweaking required but thats all. I found the dog leg trim in the 25th box I opened (not pictured). Everything will be trial fitted before the area is welded to the car. You can see lots of highs and lows that need attention.


Pic 1, thats what it looks like fitted to the car prior to final tweaking, good fit so far. Pic 2, the car is starting (barely) to resemble a car again. Filler work on A pillar done, just needs sanding. The scuttle panel is now shorter up the A pillar on both sides than how Mazda made the panel in that area so filler was required to smooth the 2 joining areas over the weld. I was originally going to lead wipe the area but whats the bloody difference between modern high quality filler and lead filler. They are both filler no matter how you try and justify that lead is better ! Using lead on a flat panel should be OK because you can effectively clean the area from the chloride in the tinning paste. This however is a join and could be difficult removing all the chloride from the join which may result in more rust and paint problems. Like I said filler is filler !


I really wanted to finish the beaver off more than anything so I can put the car on the rotisserie for some under body clean up. Beaver panel unpicked, and the damaged licence plate holder is coming off for either repair or replacement with one I made. Pic 1, I highly recommend avoiding strip disks when cleaning up panels, they polish the metal and introduce lots of highs and lows which most people wont recognise at the time. This panel is wavy so I didn't particularly care and I need to go over the entire panel as its pretty bad. Pic 2, under all that dirt you can see the factory coloured primer. I'd rather fix a shit panel than waste my time with shit people


Some pics of the damaged plate holder and beaver. Should be easy to fix off the car.


Plate holder off and you can see the replacement if the original is beyond repair. Pic 2, you can see the arrow straight beaver.


Well lets get side tracked, this stuff was suppose to be dropped off to my mechanic but I suspect he was racing at the Bathurst 1000. Thanks to Billy for the 10a dowels and my first ever ride in a r100, he put a big smile on my face and had me reaching for the dashboard knowing that if he stacked it there wouldnt be much holding his little r100 together, probably less than an Rx3 if thats possible. These cars are crumble zones from front to back. If mine goes half as good I'll be happy ! So whats going into my engine, nothing special really. The special bits being single side seal rotors, an auto factory matched eccentric shaft with weights, 2 piece apex seals (NLA), ultra rare matching apex springs (NLA), and matching assist pieces (Mazda NLA) organised by Mo. Im told I should be able to use these bits in my motor. In pic 2 you can see one of the new corner seals. Apparently all twin dizzy motors should run at least 1st over size corner seals even if your using NOS rotors. The're one of many tricks with these old motors for good compression and easy start up. I have some other cool stuff to use but that means nothing without photos.


Another pic of the engine bits that need clean up from old dried grease to help protect them. Pic 2, a photo of a factory Mazda (race style I suspect ?) LSD that I imported from Japan several years ago now. Cost was $250 ! If it isnt period or available from Mazda I dont want it.


Fixing the beaver panel, taking some rough measurements in pic 1. I dont like cars where the beaver and quarter lines are welded together, that looks dodge to me and makes me suspicious of a poor repair underneath. Pic 2, I'll probably run some seam welds to hold the 2 inner panels together before fitting the beaver to the car. You can see some highs and lows where I ran the body file over the lower beaver panel area in pic 2.


I cut the beaver further to make the welding easier. A straight edge...


I used tin snips to cut the replacement area. Tin snips give a nice cut but make the panel way in that area which is why both ends of the weld are straightened over a dolly. Pic 2 clamped into place for welding.


I love oxy welding panels, MIG welding doesnt come close for panel repairs. The only other welding means that is comparable for panel repairs is TIG which still produces a mailable, workable weld but more slightly harder than what is produced with an oxy. These welds are pretty flat and have been hammered over a dolly to keep everything from distorting. If this were being repaired on the car you'd definitely use a MIG. I wouldnt expect a pro to normally use an Oxy for panel repairs unless you want to triple your build cost. The aim is to try and get the join invisible using a hammer and dolly.. lots of noise.


Bottom edge will be shaped and then trimmed appropriately. I spent a little time tapping the beaver straight, still lots to do but alot better in a short time.


Repeating for the other side....


Welded and hammered over a dolly, nice result. I stuffed up the bend however that will corrected using a piece of hardwood wedged in that section and then tapped straight.


Pic 1, a shot of the opposite side of the weld. Pic 2, beaver not finished but looking a hell of a lot straighter. Yes the ends will be trimmed when the time is right.


In pic 1 I blew a couple of holes just before the step area, no biggy as these will be tapped down and filed. Ive spent a little more time on the RH side as opposed to the LH side. Again the step in pic 1 will be straightened before fitting.


One of the licence plate screws was bent and snapped. No matter what I did it wasnt budging, rusted solid around the threads. I even tried screwing 2 nuts and tightening them together trick but that just stripped the thread. The answer finally hit me, I welded a nut to the snapped bolt using the MIG.


.... and that got me the result I wanted !

Thank you....

_________________

My Parts

Another update..


Thanks to the person who sent reference photos of an untouched 55,000 mile Rx3. You cleared up how the nosecone/ guard should look. I was a little surprised by how they originally looked, Im not too far off the mark with what I have. The two ends simply need to be tapped together to get that crap 70's appearance, I'll leave it for the next nosecone update. Ive been looking at too many show car photos which have now obviously been altered for cleaner lines in that area.


I ended up putting in a couple more plugs in the flowing area to ensure paint cracking wont occur. Im think of putting one more further down as shown in pic 1. The problem is gauging where to place it as the inner panel tapers sharply on the underside. If I miss calculate I'll end up with a 8mm hole ! Maybe Im being a little paranoid.. Pic 2 shows where the new plugs were placed. It was a job I never finished for some reason when I originally installed the panel.


Marking out and checking out a couple of different lines before I cut anything. I got sick of all the junk in the car as well so it got a good clean up. The dust, never seen so much dust despite the constant cleaning within the car and around the garage. Just as well Im not restoring it in the lounge room


Pic 1 snipped and then Im working a curve around the edge to match the rear quarter panel. Pic 2, I then fine tune it using a hand dolly while constantly putting on and pulling it off the car.... a bit of a pain.


The bottom edge of the beaver has 2 folds, Here Im patching the new bit with the old. Pic 1 Ive screwed a bit of hardwood in place to get and accurate first bend. Pic 2 I then define the bend using a blunt brickies bolster over some soft wood. Even though the beaver is now reasonably straight, there are still lots of little lows that need attention as seen in pic 1.


Pic 1, more tap tap tap...... Pic 2, forming the second bend with some vice grips.


Pic 1, Defining the edge, using the vice grips as a dolly..... what ever works ! Pic 2, good fit all round except the bottom edge now needs more shape from forming the folds. You'll also notice the welds at the bottom of the quarter are not coated in Polyester. I did this deliberately in case there are any microscopic holes through to the rear side. Polyester is porous by nature and I dont want future problems. The area will be sealed in a water proof sealer (epoxy primer) after the quarter is blocked down. The inside seam will be brushed with converter and flooded with primer as well. Im super paranoid over future rust and paint problems.


Pic 1, another angle..... I got sick of the beaver so started to finish off the boot floor. I vacuumed I blew it out and vacummed again etc to try and get rid off all the dust and garnet from blasting. The stuff goes everywhere and is a pain to get rid of it all ! Pic 2, after wiping down the boot with wax and grease remover I use a tack cloth to pickup any remaining bits Ive missed.


Its shooting time ! Sealed with Lesonnal Epoxy 440, make sure your have a fresh air system


One wet coat was used to seal everything from moisture. Very happy with the result.


I was really worried about the weld seam sticking out like hippo's nuts but didnt seem it be a problem in the end. I spend a bit of time trying to take anything away from it that would catch the eye.... and no its not loaded with bog, but a smear of bog was used to smooth out the weld line area so there are no sharp edges to catch your eye... Pic 2, I use a piece of paper to setup the gun (spray gun, unfortunately not the shotgun). For panel spraying you generally want a long flat cigar shape, for painting a boot in a Mazda.... good luck ! There is a little technique and thought before the paint gets mixed in the cup. You need to work out a spray sequence so you dont knock the wet surface.


The dried finish.... ready to fix the imperfections. This was more to seal the work than anything else. The bumper brackets can now be welded in place and some minor smoothing of the floor can happen as well. One thing that wasnt noticeable prior to the sealer was the rust pits that were blasted back to white metal. They look awful even though they arent even close to being holes. I'll probably fill them to make the area look smooth. There is only a very small section on the left side that is like that. Once the beaver is ready to go back on, I'll scuff the boot up for its second coat. So I need to fill some minor stuff and seam seal all the joints before the next coat. Next time I'll use a mini gun to get to some tight areas. Using a full size gun and cup isnt ideal for the tight hard to reach areas where you need to wind the spray fan right in.

Sensational work as usual Gypsy. The car is coming along nicely now. Won't be long until paint time!!

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Rockin' the 7 in a street near you.....

How long before its finished ?

Im not really sure, this has been going on for at least 5 years !

Here is a quick run down on the near future....

Major body work to shell should be completed before December ready for paint prep. (left quarter and beaver panel remaining)
All going well, shell will be on rotisserie to clean up underside and should be painted underneath in paint matched stone guard, which is actually beige stone guard mixed with 20 - 30% body paint.
Boot and engine bay can then be painted when it comes off rotisserie
The 10a engine should be rebuilt before the end of the year, gearbox already done.
Alignment of doors and front guards so painting the shell can happen early next year.
Finishing off doors (90% both done- paint prep)

Road trip to Sydney which is 900km each way (for people who have never been to Australia) to pick up seats, engine and the rest of the interior which has all been restored.

THEN things really slow down
Paint shell towards the end of summer
Start cleaning up cross members, nuts bolts (zincing) to install engine.
Blast and paint front struts so I can assemble all new associated parts.
Buy a set of front lowered springs.

Other stuff...

Finish off guard rust repairs, takes alot of time as Im oxy welding and filing the patches.
Finish off the nosecone
rebuild entire rear end, paint prep, LSD install, align diff gear set, brakes etc etc

and then there is all the stuff I havent thought about

Renewing everything so it doesnt look out of place on the car
Carpets, insulation, door rubbers, fuel tank, exhaust system, hopefully find a better bonnet etc etc. Throw into the car build all the non related car stuff in my life and I just realised I'll be updating this post for the next 10 years

So to answer your question I really have no idea, but am aiming for early next spring

Ha Ha Well put!! I know how you feel....it feels like it will never be done......I have owned mine for 10 years, been working on it for 3....and have never even driven it....

Why do we do this??????

_________________
Rockin' the 7 in a street near you.....

Keep up the good work, looking forward to see the result

you get a A+ for effort many people would have given up a long time ago.
should be worth in in the end when finished good luck with it.

is the 10a going to be stock or modified ?

I am building 2 engines for this car

The first is an old improved production engine that was last run in the early 80's and similar to what you could buy out of a Mazda catalogue with a few exceptions. The main one being I'll be using a 48IDA Weber instead of the period correct Japanese carb. The main reasons for this are that I dont fancy paying top dollar for an unknown 40yo carb that I probably wont be able to get the correct jets, gaskets and other parts to make the engine run right. There is a good chance that an unknown condition carb will be nothing more than an expensive paper weight !

The second engine is currently sitting in the car and is standard. I'm keeping the motor in case I ever want to make the car more road standard. The difficulty with this engine is that I'm missing some of the auxiliary components to make the whole thing look standard ie factory exhaust manifold, air cleaner, carb, snorkel and few other small items mainly brackets. Some of these parts are cheap others expensive, Im buying the missing bits as I find them when they are advertised at the right price. Building a totally original car is very difficult. I prefer a period car, life's to short too be purist in my opinion + its not something that I really want at this stage. Great to look at and admire but not for me. I've opened this motor up and all it needs is a new gasket kit, seal springs and a clean up. Its looks like it wasn't built too long before being removed from a car.

As far as the rest of the car goes it is pretty much standard aside from some small stuff to make it more reliable. For example I want to retain the twin distributors but dont want a points ignition. I will be modifying the guts of the distributors myself to take a first gen Rx7 cam, rotator, pickup sensors and igniters. The rotator will need to be modified to fit and if it doesnt I'll have a machine shop make one up. I'll also need to make a new base plate to mount the sensors within the dizzy cap.

Aside from that the car will be painted in single stage ( like Mazda did, no clear coat) Aurora White (white with green tinge) which is the original colour for this car, a 100% standard restored interior, AM radio, lowered a little on modern shock absorbers, riding on standard steel wheels with factory dress rims and center caps. The front end will retain the correct nose and lower valance panel while the rear will have a set of candy red 10a tail lights.. and the car will have no CURTAINS, BLINDS, DRAPES, LOUVRES or VENETIANS on the back window !! They belong in mums kitchen not on a 70's sports car. Sorry its a pet hate of mine...

You meen, like this....


personaly, i think it gives the car a more sporty look.

This is even better.

louvres on the rear side windows.

I'm still thinking about lowering my 818 to, but how do you lower the rear suspension?

Love your work

_________________
1994 mazda 626 1.8L 16V hatchback
1977 mazda 818 1.3L 8V coupe
1992 mazda MX-6 2,5L 24V

your are right about second hand carbs ,very to find a good one in working order any nikki 4 barrel .
and cost is a issue as well when restoring a car as the cost of NOS parts certainly adds up as does good second hand parts as well as prices have skyrocketed in the last 4 years
the weber is a good move reliable and easy to tune as is going electronic dizzy as well.
well said about the blinds or venetians ,but they do block out alot of sun in the coupes as well a heat

The SP looks OK with louvres but I'm not a fan of them otherwise. I used to not mind them once upon a time but I think they distract the eyes from the cars clean lines these days. It works with the SP because of the colour contrast and the louvres have a thin profile because I suspect they are made from metal. Heat is not a problem with this car, it has no turbo to heat everything up, will be painted white (cool colour) and it came from the factory with a fan, air vents in the center and at both extremes of the dash pad. We're talking major cooling technology here

To lower the rear of an Rx3 is not difficult. Rx3's have embarrassingly primitive suspension at the rear dating back to a similar setup that the Romans and Greeks used on their chariots while chasing helpless Catholics for entertainment

You can do any of the following to lower the rear:
Use lowering blocks between the diff and the leaf springs (yes its legal in Vic provided the blocks are metal)
Reset the springs to a different profile
Reverse the leaf spring mount points

Zotti, you misinterpreted what I have said...

Engine 1 (modified) will use a new Weber carb. The carb that I was refering too that is difficult to find is a Mikuni with suitable manifold and jets. I believe this is what Mazda used from reading a fellow members Rx2 coupe post. His car apparently left the factory with all the Mazda performance options ie bridgeport side rotor housings, sand cast twin dizzy rotor housings etc etc. Im not an expert on this stuff...

Engine 2 will remain standard including the Nikki (or Stromberg ?) carb. 10a carbs are dirt cheap and can be picked up for around $50, they are not hard to find or have rebuilt. This engine will have the factory air cleaner, filter snorkel, Alternator, points ignition, centrifugal fan assembly etc etc. The hard to get parts for this set up is only the snorkel and air cleaner assembly.

Both set ups will use the centrifugal fan clutch set up, factory 10a radiator, 10a radiator shroud (thanks Dennis, got mine cheap from the USA a while back ), 10a external regulator alternator, twin distributors, and will look factory standard with the exception of the Weber. Both engines will be detailed, rezinc'd nuts bolts etc...

Some people have posters in their garage, I plan on having the factory 10a engine setup on a stand like the Mazda sales brochures once the car is completed

mikuni carbs turn up ocasionaly on yahoo japan and ebay mazda had a option
of bridgeporting on the r100 and rx2 the option was even available in Australia from what i have read in magazine articles ,but have not seen or heard of a factory built bridgeport sold in Aus.