Thornbush Farms RX7 Links and Infohome

General Info

Bay Area RX7 Club - local club, good site

1st Gen FAQ - one of the best FAQs

Wankel Rotary Combustion Engines - huge site, good history, info, including new RX8 to be shown Oct99

1st Gen Message Board - Thankfully free of "how low can i go?" questions. Good amount of GSL-SE talk.

MazSpeed - Local rx7 enthusiast, good site.

Suppliers

Mazdatrix - Essential parts supplier, advice, news

TireRack- Git yer Kumhos here!

The Parts Trader - Private sellers

General Information

Future Classic?

Grassroots Motorsports mag has an article in the May/June 1999 issue on collector cars of the future. All four top-ten lists included the 1st gen rx7. Two of the lists named the GSL-SE specifically as the single most desirable model. Some quotes "This was the best rx7 model other than the twin-turbo", "A car that has held its price for the last few years (rx-7 GSL-SE) despite getting older indicates hope of possible collectibility", "Having 13B power in the more desirable and lighter first generation body made this car much more desirable."

Springs

Features

• 13B engine - 1300 cc, 135 HP, special six port design, electronic fuel injection
• 5 sp standard- no auto available
• 14x5.5 inch wheels standard
• Vented 9.8-inch front disc brakes, 10.1-inch solid rear discs
• Limited slip differential
• Separate oil cooler mounted under radiator
• Two sunroofs standard- body color and smoked glass
• Power steering optional- mine doesn't have it

Dimensions 1st gen RX7

Length: 170.1 in.
Width: 65.7 in.
Height 49.6 in.
Wheelbase 95.3 in.
Track, f/r 55.9/55.1 in.

Weight

Empty Wt - c. 2512 lbs

Engine without intake, exhaust, oil pan, oil pump, water pump, and flywheel. The weight for the freight company was 152 lbs including the cardboard box and wooden pallette.

Engine (long block) about 260 lbs.

Engine (stock)

Displacement: 1308 cc/80 cu in
Compression: 9.4:1
Horsepower: 135 @ 6,000
Torque: 133 @ 2,750
Induction: Bosch L Jetronic FI

Capacities

Fuel tank: 16.4 gal
Engine oil: 6.1 qts
Transmission oil: 2.1 qts
Coolant: 10 qts

Wheels/Tires

Stock wheel: 14x5.5
Stock tire 205/60R14
The bolt circle is 4x4.5"

Spark Plugs

Nippon Densos. W27EDR14's are for 84-85 13B's. $3.19 each.

Performance

From Feb. 1984 Motor Trend article on GSL-SE:

0 - 60 accel: 7.96 sec.
1/4 mile accel: 16.06 sec @ 85.1 mph
60 - 0 braking: 135 ft

Sticker : $15,095

Shops

Trans rebuild on an '85 GSL-SE for c. $500 in 1993. Call Rick at Rotary Performance 925-484-2324.

Links

http://www.rx-7.org/ - excellent club site

http://www.mindspring.net/~crawford2/PERF.HTML RX7 performance modifications

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/3734/ RX7 info

http://www.thepartstrader.com/ parts ads

http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring=mazrotary&list webring list

Rick at Rotary Performance 925-484-2324.

Engine Change Guidelines

Certification Standards, Make sure the engine and emission control configuration on exhaust - controlled vehicles are certified to the year of the vehicle or newer, and to the same or a more stringent new vehicle certification standard. http://www.smogcheck.org/000008.htm

How do you get at the rear wiper motor?

Is there as special method to take it off while on the glass, or do you just pry at the damn thing?

All you have to do, if you are trying to remove the rear wiper cover, is to use a screw driver to gently pry the cover off. There are just some cut out things in the metal plate of the wiper motor that hold the cover in place, and it should just pop off. If you want to remove the whole wiper assembly, you have to remove the wiper arm by lifting the cap and the end of the arm, and unscrewing the nut. From there, to remove the motor, there should two or three screws that are fairly easy to get at, and voila, you're done.

Suspension

Spec 7 Series:

SHOCKS - Tokico High Performance Gas, non-adjustable.
SWAY-BARS - TMC Front 1 1/8", Rear ¾" In the rear you may use the TMC bar, the stock bar or no bar at all.
SPRINGS - TMC "Street/Race" springs.

Exhausts

Mazdatrix:

Just Muffler

(5hp) 16432............MUFFLER POWER PULSE...83-85 ALL.............$ 237.00

Dual System

16-MZTX-4230.....EXHAUST SYSTEM DUAL...84-85 13B 6-PORT......$ 748.00

For 79-92 RX7's (non-turbos) the most cost effective, easiest installation, and most horsepower gain thru the full RPM range is the TWIN PRE-SILENCER SYSTEM. IT FITS! The tone is excellent and life is still not determined because none that we know of have burned out yet.

Single (Racing Beat)

16421............EXHAUST SYSTEM SNGLE..84-85 13B SE..........$ 620.00
(requires connector pipe that goes from the rear of the pre-silencer (where the catalytic converter / heat exchanger was) to the muffler input pipe)

Stock converter to Rear Muffler Connecting Pipe : 84-85 13B GSLSE 40-200B-N304
40-200B-N304.....EXH CONNECTING PIPE...84-85 13B GSLSE.......$ 131.60

Autocross setups

1981 Rx-7 Darrin Towers 1981 RX7 GSL In CSP

I run BFG R1(215-50-13) on 13x7 AllyCat Max Wheels from RWS. I run Racing Beat Springs front and rear, with Carrara shocks in front and Tokico shocks in back. I use a Ground Control 1-1/8" sway bar in front and removed the rear sway bar. The rear bar is not needed after stiffing up the springs. If you leave it on the car just picks up the inside rear wheel and smokes the tire on the exit of th+e corner. Ground Control Camber Plates allow up to - 1-7/8 deg. of camber, more can be achieved if coil over springs are used. On Tight courses I like about 1/16 deg. of toe out but on long open courses 0 Toe is better because the car under steers less on the exit of long sweepers and doesn't over steer as easy going in to corners.