Greetings Rotorheads,

It's been almost 10 years since I posted on a rotary forum. Has it really been that long? I suppose time flies when you aren't banging your head against the wheel well, trying to install brake shoe return springs for the first time Glad to see that the site and RX7 community are still going strong!

When I was 17, I got my first car—a 1983 Mazda RX7. When I first stepped on the gas pedal, I didn't know much about the rotors spinning away in the engine bay. I just liked the sporty design and the roaring sound of the mechanically coupled fan. It was like driving a mixture between a go–cart and a tank. I had no idea what I was getting into.

For a while I only performed basic repairs and maintenance, using the RX7 as my daily driver. After I saved up some money while working at the local car wash, I decided I would purchase a new daily driver and overhaul the FB. By that time I had learned a few things and had big ideas—streetport 13B with other various drivetrain upgrades. This was actually a compromise between resources and my original plans for a bridgeport 20B :P

In retrospect, considering my finances and limited time before college, the streetport plan was still overly ambitious. But try telling the 17 year old me that. I did make some progress before heading off to college, but I never completed the overhaul. I don't regret it at all though—it was an amazing learning experience and I'll never forget pulling off the end housing to see a rotor in person for the first time.

Ten years later, in the process of moving to a new city, I visited my parent's house for a few weeks. I took some of that time to clean up the RX7, still patiently waiting for new parts. Even a decade later, I can still remember how I wanted the finished project to look. Since this is the first time it has been clean in 10 years, I thought I would share:



Keep Spinning,

Bryan

 

Thanks for sharing! And good luck!

 

Thanks!

More photos for anyone interested:

RX7 Project Car Photos

 

Looks good