goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 12, 2012 21:59:19 GMT
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So it's been a bit of a quiet week for me work wise, and between the rain showers I've made a start on this damn paintwork. All the paintwork I'm tackling looked 'ok' last year when I put the car on the road, but has slowly deteriorated to the point where it lets the car down compared to the areas that have been repainted. Firstly I tried to sort the lacquer peel on the sunroof panel. The more I tried to flat it the more whole chunks of lacquer were lifting so in the end I just decided to take it back to primer. At christmas I got a compressor, so this stage of painting will be with a proper spray gun rather than aerosols. With the weather looking dodgy I thought I'd prep all the areas that need attention now then try and do the actual base colour and lacquer in one go. Sometimes a garage would be nice! The next area requiring attention was the fuel filer area. As I premix 2t oil, I tend to give the petrol pump nozzle a good wiggle to try and make sure the oil is being mixed up well, and sometimes this has resulted in a little splash back. I bought petrol resistant lacquer for this area when I painted it last year but forgot to use it so it's looking a bit of a state. The petrol had discoloured the base colour as well so I had to go quite a way back. While I was at it I tackled some areas on the rear valance that were a bit surface rusty with some rust killer then filler. I think I'll go for the underseal type textured approach for the rear valance as where it joins the rear quarters there is this textured look and the valance is barely visible below the bumper so you wont notice the change. It should offer some stone chip protection ( and means I don't have to spent so much time sanding for s perfect smooth finish ) The final area requiring attention is the drivers door and rear arch lip. Both looked fine last year but I'd see some signs of rust along the trim line and arch lip. Removing the trim revealed this horror. So out came the wire wheel, then sand paper and rust killer, luckily I've caught it while it's all still very much surface rust. As skim of filler to smooth things out... And finally some primer courtesy of my new spray gun. I've got a long steep learning curve ahead, but for this first rough layre of primer, it'll do the job! So she's looking a bit rougher than last week but the darkest night comes before the dawn and all that!
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Jul 13, 2012 16:30:09 GMT
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mdh, I've just found Ratta's wheels polishing thread, sure does look easier than the hours I spent with Autosol doing mine by hand. Hopefully I'm going to keep them clean and waxed enough that they shan't need a heavy polish for quite a few months to come now My slot mags took about fifeteen minutes each... TBH yours look just as shiny, so I only saved myself some RSI!! Is your dead engine scrap?
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Koos
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 13, 2012 17:11:20 GMT
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Well I just wish you'd mentioned it earlier then The dead engine is indeed dead. The rotors, stationary gears, plates and some of the seals are re-usable. The e-shaft, all the bearings and seal springs are well dead. The housings, which are the most costly and difficult part to replace are borderline useable, you wouldn't use them again by choice but they might get you out of a hole. Basically if my new engine were to implode in a different way to the first one I might be able to build a bodge together engine to get me going, so I've kept all the parts. But if I'm building an engine for more power then I'd be better starting with a different donor engine that's in better condition. I did have my heart set on building a bridgeported 12a, but for the moment that's on hold. I'm fairly content with my current ~140hp and I'm just being careful not to throw too much money at the car. At the back of my mind are dark thoughts about old Ala Romeos.....
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Jul 13, 2012 21:47:53 GMT
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Shame I was gonna see if I could scrounge a knackered rotor, polish it up (with Ratta discs!) and put it on the mantel piece! Wouldnt you be better starting with a 13b for your fire breathing side port motor? Your sig intrigues me! Did you have an MX5 with a rotary under the bonnet? Dark thoughts about Italian exotica plague any petrol-sexual man... cast them aside and build a monster rotary!
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Koos
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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Jul 13, 2012 22:20:15 GMT
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I don't get why the MX5 never got the rotary from factory. It would've been rather nice wouldn't it?
I do love Alfa Romeos too, but don't forget that what you have there is a special car... FBs don't get better than that.
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 13, 2012 22:49:26 GMT
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I've got a spare 13b rotor I've no use for if you want one to polish mdh As for the mx5, yes over the spring and summer of 2010 I took the turboed 1.6 out of my mx5 and fitting a 13b rotary from an fc3s rx7. It was actually my friend Ross buying the rx7 that would become my Rexanne that lead me down that path! A thread about my mx5 turned on up on here not so long ago and I posted a couple of videos. retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=124199&page=1Regarding Mazda fitting a rotary to the mx5 IMO a rotary in the mx5 wasnt true the British sports can concept they were copying where as a nice twin cam inline 4 is and I think the rotary was considered a luxury/expensive to run power plant and the mx5 was meant to be cheap thrills. Still if theyd made an mx5 from the factory with an fd3s 280hp from the factory twin turbo rotary it would have been something crazy!! As for 13b vs 12a, there's a few HP in it but not loads, the 13b has more support now Mazda has stopped making 12a housings but I kinda like keeping the oldskool slightly under dog engine I nice bridgeported 12a would net me 220hp or so which should be plenty to be getting on with. I have wanted a '68-'72 Alfa Gt coupe in either Gt junior or Gtv 1750 form for as long as I remember so that will always be a temptation in the back of my mind but as you guys kindly point out the rx7 is a lovely car and if in a few months I did decided to sell up it would be a huge loss to me. Either way I think it just means I should think hard before throwing thousands more at it, I've already sunk ÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁÂŁ into her!!! Maybe a nice Gt junior with a bridgeported rotary heart is the way to go. Though I think id be murdered by AROC members haha
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Last Edit: Jul 13, 2012 22:52:12 GMT by goldnrust
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Jul 16, 2012 22:23:48 GMT
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That'd be cool, thanks!
That MX5 looked awesome! Sure it might not have been the Japanese Elan, bit it must have made you grin.
Can you get a nicely usable/streetable engine with sideport and efi?
Damn you, I'm google imaging old Alfas now!! ;-)
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Koos
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 17, 2012 10:43:44 GMT
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Wow, cesarbarbosa. now thats what I call a build! Just amazing fab work, the rest of us can only dream of that! That MX5 looked awesome! Sure it might not have been the Japanese Elan, bit it must have made you grin. Can you get a nicely usable/streetable engine with sideport and efi? It did make me grin ;D It drove like a more aggressive mx, steered on the throttle so nicely and was a hoot. On the downside, it was stupid loud, the custom exhaust sounded lovely but was about 110 dB on the motorway which in a soft top where it's always as loud as having the windows open is a bit brutal! hahaha. But it was doomed from the start. The engine I put in the mx came as a spare with this rx7 when my friend initially bought it out of the garage where it had sat since the early nineties. In fact the inspiration to actually have a go at the rotary mx idea came from my friend being interested in the rx7. And the moment I saw my Rexanne up close I was hooked. When my friend found all the rot and realised he wasn't up to restoring her it was a sad day for the mx, but there was only ever one outcome. All the Mazda rotary engines in their stock form are plenty streetable and smooth and easy to drive as a piston, whether carb or efi. efi does tend to be a little smoother though, the carbed engines can be a bit lumpy below 2k rpm. Until the Rx8 all Mazda rotaries had side ported intakes and peripheral ported exhausts. To make emissions better the rx8 has side ported exhaust too. The engines start to loose their streetability when you open up the ports. For example bridge porting the intake is like running a cam with 160 degrees overlap! And going the whole hog and peripheral porting the intake like on Mazda factory race engines, give even more overlap. There's a good little explanation of porting types here. www.mazdarotary.net/porting.htmAs for googling old Alfas, google + quick photoshop = OMG ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Last Edit: Jul 17, 2012 11:33:39 GMT by goldnrust
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Jul 17, 2012 14:32:31 GMT
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Wow that porting article.... I think I first saw it in the Australian Rotary Handbook way back in the early 90's! :-D
Back then we only had carbs and clockwork dizzys. I wondered if with modern efi you could use a side ported motor without owning your own oil well. I guess the answer is still no!
The Renesis is very porky at 122kg....
That Alfa looks slutty - build it quick!
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Koos
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 17, 2012 16:18:34 GMT
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Ah sorry didn't mean to patronise with that response! Thought you were asking the question as a rotary virgin. Fuel injection has made rotors smoother, certainly I think my huge ITBs are more tractable than a big IDA and the stock fuel injection in FC and FDs is just as smooth as any piston engine. Mid to high 20's MPG + 150:1 2t oil consumption is about what you can expect from efi on stock ported motors. On bridgeys it's about as bad as it is on carbs, haha.
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Jul 17, 2012 23:00:16 GMT
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Lol no worries! I've been interested in rotaries for years but never owned one....yet!
I remember talking to a racer in the 90s that dumped a bda for a 12a and reckoned he was getting 4mpg when chasing for the lead. :-O
Mid to high twenties is about what I get from my Mx, pretty good! Are they all 120kg though? That would stop me shoving one up the rear of my Davrian :-(
So the Alfa....is it gonna happen? Could you make it a real mongrel and use a Lancia Volumex lump?
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Koos
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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4mpg on track sounds about right . That was mid twenties using the car daily with a mix of fun and driving eco. I used to get mid to low 30s from an mx doing similar. I have done tanks at 18MPG with lots of smiles All the rotary engines are all indeed a similar weight and theres not much weight that can be shed easily. Still lighter than a small iron block 4 pot, like the mx motors but not feather weight. I think the Alfa has to happen someday, whether its months or years away I'm not sure. I couldn't afford to do it without selling the rx7 and I do love her so thats not an easy call. So for now, as I said before, I'm going to keep working out niggles with the Rx7, finish off details from last years restoration and just keep enjoying driving her When I get a GT Junior I think I'd like to see what the famous Alfa Twin Cam engine can do in its revvyest 1300cc form first, and go from there! edit: cant spell!
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Last Edit: Jul 18, 2012 0:20:17 GMT by goldnrust
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I have always loved the alfa juniors etc but never driven one. Now we have one in at work, having the gearbox etc overhauled, and I have to say it looks lovely but drives horrible. It's in pretty good condition but the steering is yuck, brake pedal feels odd ( bottom hinged) and the gear change wobbly. The engineering underneath is odd in places with what I would call over engineered complexthings going on. The car seems very heavy too? I'm sure there are better examples but it's sort of out me off- especially for what you have to pay to get a nice one!! I jump into the viva and the engine is silky smooth, tractable and gear change pretty sweet. But being british it still leaks water in somewhere and because the Japanese engine has been installed in a British car the sump gasket just has to weep. Not much but enough to remind me I own a Brit car....
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 18, 2012 23:10:40 GMT
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Awww that's disappointing to hear Alex Still I think theres only one way to scratch this itch.... Anyway back in the real world where rx7 is the car that we're here to talk about... MOT passed! Just one advisory for a slightly weak hand brake. Happy with that
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Clement
Europe
ambitious but rubbish
Posts: 2,095
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You'll have to sort it out for mountain passes, oldschool rallye style Congrats!
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,872
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Jul 19, 2012 10:02:28 GMT
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haha I think watching the youtube videos of guys rallying rx7s they don't us the handbrake, or normal brakes for that matter, its just foot to the floor, full opposite lock and normally indidcator on :S haha !
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Jul 20, 2012 13:38:36 GMT
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Congrats dude! Looking forward to a rotary ride! :-)
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Koos
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Jul 20, 2012 14:10:10 GMT
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haha I think watching the youtube videos of guys rallying rx7s they don't us the handbrake, or normal brakes for that matter, its just foot to the floor, full opposite lock and normally indidcator on :S haha ! I think i just fell in love with that noise... ;D
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Jul 20, 2012 16:03:09 GMT
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haha I think I just fell in love with that noise... ;D X2 ;D ;D ;D ;D
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