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3rd Gen RX-7 Notes

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All of the engine related notes are here: Engine Related Notes

Kyosho 1/18 Scale Die-Cast Model RX-7 R1

Kyosho 1/18 die cast

They're hard to find

Two Antenna Connectors?

The 3rd Gen's stock radio has two antenna connectors, a normal size one and a small one. The large one goes to the motorized mast antenna. The small connector goes to a "diversity" wire antenna on the rear hatch glass. The radio uses the glass antenna to figure out which signals are direct from the transmitter and which ones are reflections that cause interference. If you replace the stock radio and the new one only has one antenna input, hook it up to the large antenna connector and leave the small one disconnected. Connecting the two antennas together will cause sub-optimal performance.
Rob Robinette

High Performance Hawker Battery

I finally decided to replace the small garden tractor 12 volt battery I've been using in my 93 for the last year (it worked great). So I called AVT Battery, they sell the Genesis 26 amp dry battery that Pettit uses in it's TKT cars. Pettit charges $175 for it. The battery is rated at 600 cold cranking amps, is small, 6.5" X 6.9 X 4.9", light weight at 23 lbs and fits in the bin behind the driver or passenger. It cost me $89 + $17 shipping. For an extra $10 you can upgrade to a metal case. Tell the receptionist you want to place an order, she'll try to tell you that they don't sell batteries for cars. See the Secure Battery how to for instructions on securing it in a storage bin.
    Ordered From:  AVT Battery  800 537-9602
    Genesis G26 EP 12 volt 26 amp, $89
    Genesis G26 EPX has metal case $99
    Part # 0765-2001 Plastic
    Part # 0765-2003 Metal Case
Rob Robinette

K&N A/F Meters Lights & Their Ratio

Just been reading up on the K&N A/F meter 'cause I wanna get one. For whoever wanted the numbers to go with the lights, according to this faxed extract from Demon Tweaks' catalogue, they are:
Light     Ratio
1            17.1
2            16.5
3            16.0
4            15.4
5            14.9
6            14.4
7            13.8
8            13.2
9            12.7
10          12.1
They don't quote the voltages. Looks like we can only afford to see the last few of these LED's go out. Should brighten up the cockpit a bit.

Cyberdyne/Intellitronix A/F Meter Lights and Their Voltages

Just installed my Cyberdyne A/F gauge this last weekend. While I was at it I measured the voltages corresponding to each LED. This is what I got from lean to rich:
red 0.10 v   Lean
red 0.20 v
yellow 0.30 v
yellow 0.39 v
green 0.49 v
green 0.59 v
yellow 0.69 v
yellow 0.78 v
red 0.88 v (want this one lit at WOT, 0.82 is best performance, you want to err on the rich side)
red approximately 0.97 v   Very Rich
0.82 = best performance. Also this is for my sample, others may get different values. With Cyberdyne's price, I'm not sure how good their quality control is. As this shows, the unit does not have enough resolution in the area of interest (only 2 LED's covering 0.78 to 0.88 volts) to be very useful for tuning, but can provide an indication of going too lean.

AutoMeter Air/Fuel Meter LEDs and Their Voltages

The LEDs indicate .05 volts each, the first 4 are red (lean), there are 10 yellow (stoich), and 6 green (rich). We want # 16 and 17 to light, indicating .8 and .85 volts--so we want the 2nd or 3rd green (rich) LED lit under wide open throttle. It's a good idea to mark the 2nd green LED with a small piece of tape. For more info click here.

Ratio Of Rear Wheel HP Rating On A Dyno to Flywheel HP

The book, Auto Math, says that a 15% drivetrain loss is typical. A fair multiplier is 1.176 -- 195 rear wheel HP * 1.176 = 229.32 Flywheel HP. Multiply by 0.85 to go from flywheel to rear wheel HP. See automath.zip Excel spreadsheet for more useful automotive math.
My totally 100% bone stock '93 Touring (2/92 production date) put out 230 RWHP on the first run (it was nice and cool), then backed it up with a pair of virtually identical 219 RWHP runs. 219 * 1.17 = 256.23, or DAMN close to the 255 HP it's supposed to put out. 230 * 1.17 = 269.1 HP, which is what I can expect after a cool down period and a minute or two warm-up.
I was VERY pleased with those numbers, and they were confirmed almost EXACTLY by the G-Tech Pro I purchased. (+/- 2HP). Now that I've got the car baselined, I can use the G-Tech to tell if modifications are helping or not, and exactly how much, and only hit a Dyno once every 6 months to a year. :]
Note: People use multipliers of anywhere from 1.1 to 1.2 or better. YMMV. 1.176 (85%) seems very accurate. The use of Synthetic fluids will reduce the amount of HP lost through the drivetrain. (We actually did back to back runs with friction reducers and saw a benefit.)

G-Tech Pro

The G-Tech is a very useful performance and tuning meter. It will give an accurate measure of horsepower, 0-60 and quarter mile times, and cornering g. It's very useful for doing before and after analysis of modifications. It retails for $139.95.

Headlight Bulbs

The main headlight bulbs are H-4's. There are many high wattage upgrade bulbs available.

Redline in the Tranny

Previously I mention I had changed from Redline MTL (manual transmission lubricant) to Amsoil Series 2000 75w90 in the tranny and that shifting suffered, particularly when cold. Well, stupid me and my mechanic. There are two drain bolts, drain them both. There are two fill holes on the tranny, one a regular bolt and the other a T55 Torex. The Torex bolt is above the other one and was used to refill the tranny with the Amsoil 75w90. This is NOT the one to use. Using it to determine when the tranny is full results in overfilling the tranny by at least a quart and very hard shifting. The Amsoil would probably have be fine if the tranny hadn't been overfilled. This Torex bolt doesn't appear anywhere in the service manual and I haven't been able to fine out what it is for. The tranny is now full of Redline MTL (naturally we figured this out after the Amsoil was dumped!) and shifting is again excellent. Hope this saves someone else a hassle. Using the proper fill hole the tranny takes exactly 2.5 quarts, just as specified.

Intro to Turbo Timers

The turbo timers are designed to counteract two things (which are actually interrelated anyway): Turbocharger bearing wear caused by the turbos continuing to spin after you shut down the engine immediately after high-boost driving, and "coking" which is a tar-like build-up in the turbo oil passages and bearings caused by high temps (from the oil being cooked). Coking is usually something that happens after you get the "spin-down" problem first. In your case you shouldn't have either problem due to the sedate nature of your driving.
BTW, I'm not much of a believer in these devices and don't have one installed. This is for these two reasons: I use only the factory alarm, and it doesn't get activated (in my '93) unless the engine is turned off before I lock the car. Also, the "spin down" problem is easily remedied by being easy on the gas the last minute or so before shut down.
The coking issue is more serious, but it's pretty rare that the turbos get hot enough to cause this. Only if you're racing in a track event, or lead-footing it on a hot day in the mountains, THEN come to a quick stop and instantly shut down does this become a problem however. If you don't do this, then coking isn't likely to ruin your turbo. What I do is just idle for a minute or two before shutting down, which alleviates this problem, and allows the turbos to spin down too. If you CAN'T wait, then, and only then, is the turbo timer going to be of any value. I would set it for as long as you feel comfortable with, up to about 5 minutes max. And I would probably just turn it off for most of your type of driving.
The ideal turbo timer would have a sensor in the turbo housing that would keep the engine on until the turbo's temp had dropped below some set value. The higher the temp the longer it would stay on to allow the oil to cool the turbos enough. Below some specific temp it wouldn't even come into effect. No temp sensors are available that I know of though, but it would probably be simple to add on a temp-controlled solenoid to accomplish this. It would simply disable the timer unless the temp was above "X" degrees.
You can also use common sense to dial in your regular timer manually. On cold days when you're just commuting, turn it off. On hot days, maybe for a minute or two. On hot days when you're playing "Foo Fighters" on your CD player or something, turn it up to three or four minutes! :-)
Another thing to consider is the electric oil pumps discussed on the list recently. They can be set up to oil the turbos _before_ the engine is turned on, as well as keeping just the oil pump going to cool the turbos after shutting down the engine.

Track Tips

I ran my TII at lapping events for 5 years. I have been running my 3rdGen on lapping events for 3 years. I'm not an expert or even very fast but I have had good luck keeping the cars reliable. I have the following advice in order of mods: Notice how low horsepower is. For the street I would put that first.
6 point belt - lapping is more fun when you don't have to spend effort hanging on.
Race tires and race brakes - don't try to run them on the street (dead rotors, heat cycled tires) I have tried the Hawks and Porterfields and I prefer the hawk gold (cheaper). I go through a set of pads in a weekend. I went through a set of Porterfields in one day! I go through a set of tires in two weekends. The more experience you have, the faster the tires and brakes wear.
Temperature control - seal air leaks in belly pan and add Water temp gauge - check it every lap and lift when you pass 235. If you are lifting all the time then add a bigger radiator. If you run events in over 80 deg regions then you will exceed 235. Raising horsepower makes this worse. You can make a center mount from a PVC elbow or spend $100 and get Pettit's. Get the long version of the mechanical cable for the temp gauge and tap the fat part of the aluminum housing (requires removing the intercooler).
Track alignment - more neg camber gives better lap times at the expense of the inside of your street tires. Play with your rear neg camber at the track to balance car. Mark the current setting and you can change it as you like. I like LOTS of understeer at the track. I run almost equal neg camber front and rear. Most after market antiroll bars add understeer and may change this.
Shocks, springs and antiroll bars - this will have a bigger effect on lap times than a cat back and not decrease reliability. This makes car harder to drive but ultimately improves lap times.
Computer/intake/catback - do these together as the computer map depends on the mods. DO NOT change intake and catback without computer. This is OK for the street but lapping is a different animal.
Add oil premix during lapping weekends. Pull the AC fuse and run ac to help cooling (forces fans to high). Change your brake fluid to high temp stuff before every weekend.
Trey Jones

Fixing Interior Peeling

By GREDDYRX7 <GREDDYRX7@aol.com>
I was fooling around in the garage last night with the seven. I climbed in and felt the black plastic on the drivers side door. Man, it is peeling really bad. I figure, what the hell.. and grab the lacquer thinner I have sitting on the shelf. I'll give this a shot. It can't be any worse than the peeling itself (we're talking Swiss cheese!). Guys, it worked. After about 1 hour of back and forth with a rag and lacquer thinner, the "extra layer" came off. The black plastic may have faded a shade, but you really can't tell and with some armor all or whatever it looks just fine. It is MUCH better now. It's actually shiny clean. Please if you try this, only do it if your peeling problem is out of hand.. and try it on an inconspicuous place (like there is one). Also make really sure you don't wipe the white lettering or bye-bye white lettering. Hey it's your car and you already know how to work it so feel free to! Just kidding.. anyways, take care.
Jason.

Bose CD Player Fix

Since several people have expressed interest in the fix, or similar problems...
Thanks to Firas for pointing out that the Bose CD player has a Clarion sticker on it but it is really a Panasonic unit. At least it had a Panasonic return address when it came back. Panasonic says they replaced the optics in the CD player. Bill was $200 parts + $22 labor + $16 tax = $238 total, covered under my extended warranty. The lady said individuals may send the CD players back for repair, to Panasonic Co. OEM, 6550 Katella Ave, Cypress, CA 90630. Phone (714) 373-7500. For individual return they charge $120 flat rate plus parts, she quoted $106 for the optics, plus tax. The repaired unit so far has performed extremely well, not missing a beat even when cornering hard over some bumps. Hope this helps someone.
Steve Stover

Alarm Suggestions

The ONLY system similar to this that seems to be effective, is the type that you unlock the steering wheel and take it with you....
Things to do when selecting/installing an alarm:
1. The cut-off switch MUST be of the normally OPEN variety (this discounts 99% of the crap on the market)
2. Do not install the main board/module/brain in the drivers side kick panel or dash area. (again this is where "Jiffy-Alarms" installs 99% of all alarms). Prefer: 1) Rear area, 2)Mid-upper dash or if you must...the 3)passenger kick panel.
3. If you have a manual trans, cutting the starter is NOT enough....many of these cars are push started (believe it!). I highly recommend a fuel relay cut-off for all cars.
4. Code jumping is good!
5. Sounds etc... do nothing to deter a thief. I have installed all my alarms w/o the stupid noise maker. I know if the car is armed with the parking lights blinking. Sounds DO piss off your neighbors and may get your car impounded (or worse...a trash can through the windshield, because your car keeps making noise).
6. Motion sensors are questionable at best (I don't install these either).
Voltage drop, door switches and infra-red sensors are good.
7. Keeping guns in cars is bad....if you are not there to attend to the gun: you have now armed a criminal, made it impossible to stop the in progress theft of your car and might get you arrested.
Drew

Finding Vendors On the Web

I found a great resource for finding vendors, parts, etc. Check it out at:
    http://www.performancemarket.com

Cup Holder

I have seen a few posts on the FD lacking a cup holder. I noticed that in my grandma's car (a late 80's Taurus) that has a stock cup holder built into a stereo DIN box. I think for those of us that do not have a CD....this just might be the ticket. The DIN box should just slide in and you should have cool cup holder. It might interfere with the shifter though.

Postal Fraud

I also called my local postal inspectors office (any post office can give you the number for your area) and got the forms necessary to initiate a mail fraud investigation. Its a really simple form where you just describe the situation and attach any documentation that you have and then send it in. I don't have a lot of confidence that Nathan will send refunds anytime soon, so I am going to go ahead and complete the form and send it in. Maybe a phone call from the Feds will scare him into action.

Fighting Speeding Tickets

Being the almighty avoider-of-paying-speed-tickets (pulled over over 20 times, 17 years old, given only 5 tickets, NOT A ONE TICKET ON MY RECORD, only had to pay 3 of those) I have some advice for you:
The last ticket I got - In Louisiana (I live in FL) was for 75 in a 55mph.. Cop was real nice, I was nice back to him.. When I got home, I called and talked to the clerk of courts about this not getting onto my record so my insurance won't go up. She was VERY helpful and gave me a name to write a letter to (and just include with the ticket/payment and she'll give it to him, it was the DA I think) stating that it would be appreciative if this was not put onto the record (or in my case, sending the ticket back to FL so USAA can see and charge me more!). I mailed the payment ($193.50 - which I have NO problem paying, as I WAS speeding) and included a letter to the DA nicely asking him to "withhold adjudication".
The other tickets have been around here - One for 87 in a 70mph zone - $143, talked to a lawyer in town (get a lawyer that was a former state prosecutor, you can find them all over) that my company does work for and he called the judge in that county (which was different than the county I live in) and told him that this was my first ticket (it was, if you look at my record) and it would hurt me financially (insurance). The judge "withheld" the ticket and points against my license, and charged me a "court cost" (although I never went back to the county) of $143 - the ticket price..
My advice is to call the judge - Especially now - As most places are having the elections Sept. 1st, tell him that you saw his "re-election" sign somewhere (pending he is running aghast someone) and figured you'd come to him and ask some questions. Tell him that you were speeding, tell him that you don't do it often, and ask him if it would be possible to withhold adjudication.. He should do it.. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TALK TO THE DA FIRST! That can have bad problems.. Like harsher penalties if they don't like you..
Hope that helps,
feel free to ask anything else.. I have a bunch of lawyer friends..
Mike Green
mikegreen@gulf.net

Recalls and TSB's

Safety Recalls
     TSB Number   Issue Date  TSB Title
  F00596         MAR 96       RECALL - Service Points For Fuel Leakage  
     General Recalls
     TSB Number   Issue Date  TSB Title 
 AD00794        AUG 94       Recalls Prior to Customer Delivery
     Service Bulletins
     TSB Number   Issue Date  TSB Title 
 0101899        MAY 99       Year 2000 Compliance  
 K00598         DEC 98       Automatic Transmission Cooler/Line Flushing Procedure  
 F01498         DEC 98       TAS (Throttle Adjustment Screw) Adjustment  
 G00198         OCT 98       Dead Battery (Inspecting for Back-Up Current)  
 S0800598       AUG 98       Seat Belt Extenders  
 S0901898       JUL 98       Wind Noise Around Doors  
 B00398         JUL 98       Oil Leak At Rear Stationary Gear O-Ring  
 K00598         APR 98       K00598 - 04/22/98  
 S0800598       APR 98       S0800598 - 04/22/98  
 N00196         APR 98       N00196 - 04/15/98  
 N00198         APR 98       Steering Wheel Slightly Off Center.  
 ST00198        FEB 98       New V5.0 NGS Card & Reprogramming of V3.0  
 AD00295        NOV 95       Vehicle Storage Management  
 ST00895        OCT 95       HFC-134a Requirements  
 S03195         OCT 95       Bumper Painting  
 U00995         SEP 95       A/C O-Ring Replacement  
 K00295         AUG 95       Automatic Transmission Repair Policy  
 U00895         JUL 95       Air Conditioning Malfunction  
 S02095         JUN 95       Door Mirror Vibration  
 F00595         JUN 95       Intake Manifold Gasket - Precaution  
 P00195         APR 95       Repairing Brake Judder  
 ST00295        APR 95       Required Tool (MRT) Inventory List  
 F00695         APR 95       Air Pump Failure - Use Of Non-Genuine Air Cleaners  
 G00295         APR 95       Maintenance Free Battery Diagnostic/Charging Procedure  
 F00595         MAR 95       F00595 - 03/28/95  
 B00595         MAR 95       HLA Noise After Long Storage  
 N00595         MAR 95       Steering Wheel Slightly Off Center  
 U00195         FEB 95       Receiver Dryer Replacement Criteria  
 N00195         JAN 95       Pre-Alignment Specifications  
 ATRATB294      JAN 95       Axle Nut/ Lug Nut Tightening Specifications  
 P00694         DEC 94       Brake Vibration/Pulsation Repair  
 N00394         DEC 94       Pre-Alignment  Specifications  
 ST00294        NOV 94       Shipment Of NGS Program Card - Version 2.0  
 ST00394        OCT 94       Brake Pulsation Repair  
 E00194         OCT 94       Propylene Glycol Based Coolant  
 K00294         OCT 94       Automatic Transmission Diagnostic Procedures  
 AD00594        JUL 94       Key Replacement (California Dealers Only)  
 B00494         JUN 94       Partial Engine Availability (Long Block)  
 U00194         APR 94       A/C 0-Ring Replacement  
 S01094         FEB 94       Door - Squeaking Noise When Opening or Closing  
 J00194         JAN 94       Manual Transmission - Grinding In 5TH Gear  
 J00294         JAN 94       1st and 2nd Gear Hard to Shift  
 S00194         JAN 94       Seat Belt Caution Label Cover  
 H00193         DEC 93       Clutch - Slipping  
 S04293         OCT 93       Glove Box Lamp-Stays On  
 N00293         OCT 93       Steering Wheel-Noise From Front While Turning  
 AD00793        OCT 93       Vehicle Preparation Program  
 ATRATB188      OCT 93       Retrieving Trouble Codes  
 F00593         APR 93       Proper Preparation For Emission Inspection Test  
 AD0093         MAR 93       Theft Deterrent System Info. - Owners' Manual Correction  
 S01093         FEB 93       Noise From the Rear Hatch Hinge  
 B00293         FEB 93       Unusual Noise From the Right Engine Mount  
 S00293         FEB 93       Wind Noise From the Door Windows  
 F00193         JAN 93       Fuel Injector Cleaner Kit Available  
 F03292         DEC 92       Engine Stalls During Warm-Up/Idle Fluctuation  
 S05692         DEC 92       Black Finish Peeling From Interior Trim  
 S05792         DEC 92       Squeaking Sound From the Hood  
 AD02892        NOV 92       Proof of Emissions Recall Correction Label Calif Vehicle  
 T01892         NOV 92       Radio Removal Tips ( W/CD Player )  
 S05092         OCT 92       Installation of Tie Down Hole Plugs  
 S04992         OCT 92       Whistling Noise From the Windshield Molding  
 Q00392         SEP 92       Wheel Center Cap Sticks Out  
 W02892         JUL 92       Fuel System, Manual Transmission - Manual Update  
 Q00291         JUL 92       Tire Pressure Specifications  
 K01292         JUL 92       Hold Indicator Light Flashes - Code 57  
 F01892         MAY 92       Premium Fuel Recommendation  
 AD02592        MAY 92       Pre-Delivery Inspection Process  
 02692          APR 92       Transit Coating Removal  
 ATRATB078      NOV 91       How To Use A Pressure Gauge - Automatic Trans.  
 ATRATB028      OCT 90       Engine Testing With A Vacuum Gauge - Auto Trans.  
 ATRATB9002006  FEB 90       Automatic Transmission Fluid  
 ATRATB8930     OCT 89       Automatic Transmission Math Part 2  
 ATRATB8927     SEP 89       20 Steps To successful Auto Transmission Repair  
 ATRATB8923     AUG 89       Automatic Transmission Math Formulas  
 ATRATB8754     SEP 87       All Automatics - Front Bushing Wear  
 ATRATB8748     AUG 87       Metal Sealing Rings - Automatic Transmissions

Stereo Upgrade

I tried hard to keep it looking stock, the only difference is the Alpine 7914 (may soon be upgraded) head unit. The storage buckets (gutted under the lids) behind the seats actually hold the amps (PPI PC450 and Rockford Punch 150 and Phoenix Gold Crossover. It took a while to build custom amp pads that bolted into the extra bolt holes in the back storage area (wonder what they were for?) Plenty of room. The factory speakers were replaced by MB Quart 5.25 coax in rear and Boston Pro 5.25 components in the front. Tweeters hidden in the front air vents (my favorite). The topper is the recently added JL stealth sub (2 8s) in the spare tire well. It looks like any other base model red '93. But it does rock.

Service Manual for 3rd Gen

Check out the phone number in the owners manual. Or they can be reached at 800-782-4356. This is their return department, but they should be happy to put you in touch with their sales dept. Cost is about $75. Their address is:
    Helm Publications Division
    14310 Hamilton Avenue
    Highland Park, MI 48203
But I'll warn you. Apparently this manual is different than at least one other in regards to compression test minimums.

Automobile Classifieds on the Web

Another GREAT resource is Classifieds2000 - The Internet's Classifieds (http://www.classifieds2000.com). They're easier to use than trader online. I like the interface better. But there are always PLENTY of 3rd gens for sale on both. There's a lot of 3rd gens for sale period. Though the auto dealers seem to think they're worth $5000 more than they actually are!!!
I recently ran a nationwide search on Trader Online - Classified Ads - Used Autos, Classic Cars, Pickups, Cycle s, RV's, Boats, Airplanes, Trucks, Equipment (http://www.traderonline.com) and found 118 3rd gens for sale. That's where I would start looking.
Car & Driver Classifieds http://caranddriver.autoweb.com
Seattle Times Rx7 Ads http://www.seatimes.com
The Parts Trader Opening Rx7 Page http://www.thepartstrader.com/rxtrader/index.html
Northwest area "Little Nickel" http://www.virtualclassifieds.net

40-70 mph Acceleration Time

Floor it at about 35mph and time from 40-70mph is the commonly accepted method of determining 40-70 times. My 40-70 times were 3.9-4.2s in third gear.

¼ Mile Times for 3rd Gens

I took my bone stock '94 touring model to the drags last night for the first time. I have Dunlop D40-M2 tires, stock size. It was 60 degrees out, and my best run was 13.49 @ 102.12mph. After it heated up and I was making pass after pass, it slowed to 13.80's at 100-101mph. My best 60 ft. time was 1.842". I was shifting at 7200rpm. Can somebody tell me if these times are normal for our cars in totally stock form? I thought it would be a tad slower. Could it be because the engine is broken in quite well now(50,000 miles)? Now at least I have a good baseline to reference to after doing modifications. Any thoughts are welcome.
Congratulations!!!! Those are very good numbers for a stock car! The reason your car is running good numbers is that A) you are making good power for a 100% stock motor as your 102 MPH indicates and B) a 1.84 60 foot time is very, very good for street tires!!! Specially considering this is the first time you have taken the car out there! Now you need to start modifying!!!
As far as I know I have the best ET ever in a stock 3rd gen at 13.36 at 105 mph. The majority of people are running 13.7 to 14.2. Unless you're an extremely good driver you're not going to hit 12's by simply adding tires. 13.49" et in bone stock '94 touring, and proud of it.
The biggest factor will be driver by a long shot. From what I have seen myself or Brooks, now that he has a lot of practice could probably beat cars with your level of mods in a stock car. It seems to make up to a half second or more in the times I see. If your asking what could an optimal driver with your car run, i.e.: what is your car actually capable of I would take an educated guess and say a mid to lower 12. Maybe 12.3 or so. If your going for your first drag race I think you'll hit upper 12's to lower 13's. Either the room just got smaller or my head got bigger. Hmmmm.

Wheel Color Paint

The center caps of my wheels were beginning to show through the black plastic that they really are so I decided to pop them out and repaint them. This, of course, involves removing the wheels and then popping them out first. Not a big deal. Well, I found some touch up paint that matches the color exactly.
Dupli-Color is the brand. Import Touch up #77-01579 code 176 made for Platinum Silver Toyotas (M)
Clear-coat for 1989-1994 vehicles. The UPC is #26916-71579. I got it at AutoZone for like three bucks -- a whole lot cheaper than replacing the caps!!!!!!!

Gear Shift Technique

I find that besides the too high boost below 4000 rpm, there just isn't enough torque coming out of the "offending" corner. The break point on a third generation is perhaps just above 4000 rpm. I try like the dickens to use little enough brake to not have to downshift, but if after trying I still fall below 4000 I shift from 4th to 3rd. The problem with downshifting is that you tend to brake more than you would if you were not shifting. While this isn't necessary its tough to avoid.

Stud Extractor

If anyone is in search of a stud extractor check out Snap On. Part number LA45. It was the best $40.00 I ever spent.

Hood Glove

From: marshall <marshall@roebuckmazda.com>
The hood glove that you need is Mazda part number 0000-88-0593-1H.
The Mazda suggested retail price is $19.95 and we sell it for $15.96

Racing Beat springs and 18" wheels work together OK

3M Plastic Emblem Adhesive or 3M double sided tape works well for trim

Hood release cable is a good place to go through the fire wall

Drag race tire pressure is around 18 psi

RX-7 Book Source

There are a number of RX7 books that are out of print etc.
One place that specializes in out of print automobile books is
T. E. Warth Esq. Automotive Books
Lumberyard Shops
Marine On St. Croix, MN 55047
FAX: (612)433-5012
phone: (612)433-5744

How to Modify Your RX-7 Book (currently out of print)

Bar Code is 75478 63839
ISBN # is 0-89586-383-9
Publisher is HP Books, P O Box 5367, Tucson, AZ 85703

Metal Polishing Technique

I always use "Mothers Mag and Aluminum Polish" that is sold in most of auto shops. The tip is to use newspapers as the polish clothes. It works really well especially on polished aluminum.

FAQs and Other Web Sites

There are a number of "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs) available for RX7 models. They are available from the respective maintainers. Here are the locations:
3rd Gen. FAQ is at http://www.k-rad.com/tsbfaqpage.html
A 2nd Generation (1986 - 1991) specific Web Site is at:
http://www.teamfc3s.org
Some more general RX7 pages are available at the following URLs:
http://www.gate.net/~mrmazda Felix Miata's FAQ
http://www.mazda.co.jp/History/ Mazda's History
http://www.onr.com/user/rgault/rx-sub.htm Roger Gault (Subwoofer installation in 2nd gen storage bin)
http://www.armory.com/~ftg96/RX-7 Carson
http://rx-7.simplenet.com Dave Girvan

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