Another RX7 in the mix

Adam: My god you kick ass! Thank you, this will make my life a ton easier and finishing the project should now be more attainable.
I will be sure to keep you updated on my progress, and when I'm able (and the car is running reliably enough), I'll drive the Mazda down to Seattle to show it off if you want.

Matt: Now there's a thought. Shit, now I've got a ton of possibilities. This is great. I'm feeling a lot less discouraged.

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011

Evan...I've got a 79 RX7 with a current spec RA cage in it if you would like to see how to make some of the elements fit. PM me and I can send you photos of anything you need.

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"I, for one, welcome our Robot Overlords." - Philip J. Fry

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Mad Matt F
As I understand it, your biggest conundrum is getting the rear cage geometry right... And if you don't do towers now... You'll end up with shorty rear suspension...

If you're out of cash to buy the long rear shocks, can't you just weld up an extension for your stock junk? These don't take side load like a strut right... You said you're not going to actually rally it for a while... Build your towers to the lenght you want and weld up a tube with a top pin on one end and a bolt on the other... Add that to stock shock and go crush cones when your done.

Why not?

Matt

Hey Daddio, no top pins if they can be avoided. The Bilsteins he probably will end up with have nice eyelets, my ultra bitchin Stainless top PIN mounts cost $55 each,



cutting up 4 D shaped ears for eyelet mounts costs maybe $4 + a few minutes, and 2 'Omega" shaped strips top close over and keep the mud out maybe $1...

There are extensions available to do the lengthen to the gravel length and that is a good idea...

Even better would for the guy to ask me about what inventory of second hand stuff that might be laying around here that might be pressed into service.

I am eyeballing some second hand stuff for the mighty Sub-a-rat Justie in a kinda "Welcome to Papahood" semi-works Sponsorship deal so don't fawkin argue.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
pdxphil42
Evan...I've got a 79 RX7 with a current spec RA cage in it if you would like to see how to make some of the elements fit. PM me and I can send you photos of anything you need.

Hey post 'em up here so all the thousands of other lurkers see 'em instead of just one guy...

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
pdxphil42
Evan...I've got a 79 RX7 with a current spec RA cage in it if you would like to see how to make some of the elements fit. PM me and I can send you photos of anything you need.

Hey post 'em up here so all the thousands of other lurkers see 'em instead of just one guy...

What are you running here? Some sort of a Rally porn peep show?

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"I, for one, welcome our Robot Overlords." - Philip J. Fry

Quote
john vanlandingham

Hey Daddio, no top pins if they can be avoided. The Bilsteins he probably will end up with have nice eyelets, my ultra bitchin Stainless top PIN mounts cost $55 each,
cutting up 4 D shaped ears for eyelet mounts costs maybe $4 + a few minutes, and 2 'Omega" shaped strips top close over and keep the mud out maybe $1...

There are extensions available to do the lengthen to the gravel length and that is a good idea...

That's where my mind went with it when Matt suggested the extensions.

Quote
john vanlandingham
Even better would for the guy to ask me about what inventory of second hand stuff that might be laying around here that might be pressed into service.

Correct me if I misunderstand what you meant here, but are you offering to sell me inexpensive used shocks that aren't completely f'ed?

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011

Quote
pdxphil42
Evan...I've got a 79 RX7 with a current spec RA cage in it if you would like to see how to make some of the elements fit. PM me and I can send you photos of anything you need.

Phil,
Did you get my PM?

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011

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MeCalledEvan

Correct me if I misunderstand what you meant here, but are you offering to sell me inexpensive used shocks that aren't completely f'ed?

I'm suggesting that after you have measured your extended and collapsed lengths and post 'em so i can look what's on my shelf, that then you call and discuss cause I hate typing.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Quote
john vanlandingham

Quote
MeCalledEvan

Correct me if I misunderstand what you meant here, but are you offering to sell me inexpensive used shocks that aren't completely f'ed?

I'm suggesting that after you have measured your extended and collapsed lengths and post 'em so i can look what's on my shelf, that then you call and discuss cause I hate typing.

Roger that. Over and out.
Sounds good to me. Thank you.

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011

Hey John,
I had to pull the car out of the garage so that my roommate could use it, and so I haven't pulled or measured a shock.
But... The Mazda FB competition book states that the stock shocks are 548mm max length with 190mm of travel. There's a good starting point.

--Evan

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011

The stock shocks have a hell of a lot more than 190mm of travel.

Trying to figure what aftermarket shocks I could use, I worked their full stroke one time. With no bumpstops and no springs, and no Watts to get in the way, the axle rests against the body channel. And I could still compress the shocks.

They're way overtravel for the suspension, in other words. A shorter shock that mounts higher up on the rear could be used no problem. You can't get any more suspension up-travel without heavy body surgery, and you can't get more down-travel without a telescoping driveshaft or longer links (ahem) to cut down on how much the driveshaft moves. IIRC rear travel is in the 9-10" range.

Fox-body Mustang shocks are a direct fit after you narrow the bottom sleeve or widen the axle mounts 1/4", but the damping is all wrong.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Hey guys, I haven't had too much chance to work on the car or cage design lately due to letting my roommate work on his car in the garage combined with the snow we got. That and school and working on the carbon monocoque chassis for this years Formula SAE car.

I'll keep you guys posted when I get time to go back to work on it.

Thanks for all your help so far!

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011

Unaceptable! You will work on the car NOW!

hell i telecommute with my toolbox!

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First Rally: 2010 First RallyX: 2004 (a bunch)
Driver (0), Co-Driver (7)
Organizer (3), Volunteer (3)
Cars Built (2.5), Engines Blown (2) Cages Built (0) # of rotations (3.5)
Last Updated, Apr 9, 2023

How about we all conspire against my roommate and kill him so I can have the garage back! He didn't need to remove power steering from his FD in the first place!

That way, I can work on my Mazda when it's 11 degrees out. Also I could get it warm enough to start so I can tune the carb better and get it to start when it's freezing.

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Gravity Fed
hell i telecommute with my toolbox!

Shit man, you gotta teach me your magic! That would be an awesome trick.

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"The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know and have so much more to learn." - Claude Rouelle, Optimum G lecture June, 2011