What did you do to your FB today?
11-06-14, 07:21 PM
#5354
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i wouldn't worry too much, as it looks like there is still a bunch or room, Peepers has some poke, in the rear and its fine, because the car isn't that low.
there is an easy fix (sort of) in the front, camber plates. the stock alignment has positive camber, and going to -1 negative camber moves the top of the tire in quite a bit. plus it will tuck inside the fender on a bump, if needed.
actually you may be able to get enough negative camber with stock bits, there was some rotary rocket article where they did it with springs and something else
going from +1 to negative 1, won't affect tire wear, unless you drive hard, then -1 won't wear the outside edge.
grip does increase in the front as well, so you go from mild understeer to mild over steer
11-06-14, 07:29 PM
#5355
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This sounds awesome! I have always thought shaved door handles on an FB would really clean up the door. I would personally delete the side moldings and shave the marker lights as well so there's not a single hole, gap or space on the side of the car besides the door ends. Would be an extremely clean look. It would be good to go all the way and shave the trunk lock while you're at it too I suppose, for continuity. And an RX8 dash in the SA would be the biggest juxtaposition between the classic lines and interior of the SA to the updated digital gauge cluster of the 8. Completely digitizing an SA/FB with LED lights, RX8 dash cluster, updated interior parts and seats, power locks and other things like that would be really a cool combo. Old school with new school parts - couldn't get any better than that.
As I read that I just pictured -> walking towards the car -> pushing the open button on the FOB -> sitting down on some RX8 seats -> closing the door -> strapping on the seatbelt (no tickets) -> pushing the clutch -> pressing the start button until the rotary roar was heard -> and a big ol' SMILE
while driving away. Sounds like it would be an awesome DD for sure!
As I read that I just pictured -> walking towards the car -> pushing the open button on the FOB -> sitting down on some RX8 seats -> closing the door -> strapping on the seatbelt (no tickets) -> pushing the clutch -> pressing the start button until the rotary roar was heard -> and a big ol' SMILE
while driving away. Sounds like it would be an awesome DD for sure!walk up; car is open, for me, hop in, fasten seatbelt, push start, and away we go.
my exterior consultant and i were comparing the Rx8 dash to the SA dash, and the Rx8 is a clean modern design, but the SA makes it look like a mess. the Rx8 has all these random shapes. so TBD on that, but very few Rx8 pieces i predict.
11-06-14, 10:00 PM
#5357
those wheels look better than i was expecting!
i wouldn't worry too much, as it looks like there is still a bunch or room, Peepers has some poke, in the rear and its fine, because the car isn't that low.
there is an easy fix (sort of) in the front, camber plates. the stock alignment has positive camber, and going to -1 negative camber moves the top of the tire in quite a bit. plus it will tuck inside the fender on a bump, if needed.
actually you may be able to get enough negative camber with stock bits, there was some rotary rocket article where they did it with springs and something else
going from +1 to negative 1, won't affect tire wear, unless you drive hard, then -1 won't wear the outside edge.
grip does increase in the front as well, so you go from mild understeer to mild over steer
i wouldn't worry too much, as it looks like there is still a bunch or room, Peepers has some poke, in the rear and its fine, because the car isn't that low.
there is an easy fix (sort of) in the front, camber plates. the stock alignment has positive camber, and going to -1 negative camber moves the top of the tire in quite a bit. plus it will tuck inside the fender on a bump, if needed.
actually you may be able to get enough negative camber with stock bits, there was some rotary rocket article where they did it with springs and something else
going from +1 to negative 1, won't affect tire wear, unless you drive hard, then -1 won't wear the outside edge.
grip does increase in the front as well, so you go from mild understeer to mild over steer
view from the top of the front fender:
11-07-14, 07:39 AM
#5358
I haven't checked in and actually READ this thread in some time and WOW there's some cool stuff in here!!
I could tell that was a special car and I enjoyed the thread. That is a very mature statement to make. 
I hope my boys become that mature some day (fingers crossed! 
) I'm looking forward to the new build with the automatic conversion.
I would love to see something like that!!! Not knowing and admittedly, not having done any research, I wonder how difficult it would be to put an RX-8 dash in an SA... 
Not planning on doing it with mine, but damn that idea sounds intriguing! Would love to see that well done...
WHATTHE??!?!?? DD? My stock SA ROCK in a sea of modifications, is making mods to his stock SA? I'm so confused right now... 
Seriously, I've always admired your work and these new wheels are looking awesome. Another job well done, of course!
I just feel that I dropped the ball on the last one. Spent too much money and time on it than I could afford, both monetarily and in the time commitment, to where it became too much of a burden. The ultimate decision to sell it was mine and mine alone, and I'm glad I did. I learned a lot from that car that I'll apply to any fun cars from now on. I'm taking both the good and the bad and moving on with it to build a better car this time - for less money.
I hope my boys become that mature some day (fingers crossed! ) I'm looking forward to the new build with the automatic conversion.i'm sort of sketching out my next project, i wanna do an SA thats a good DD. i want to keep all the coolness from the SA, but with an Rx8 engine/trans and some other neat bits. like maybe a new fangled card key, so you just walk up, and it unlocks, and then you hop in and just hit "start"
Not planning on doing it with mine, but damn that idea sounds intriguing! Would love to see that well done... Seriously, I've always admired your work and these new wheels are looking awesome. Another job well done, of course!
11-07-14, 09:27 AM
#5360
Waffles - hmmm good
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DD you need the RB adjustable LCAs. I put them on mine this year and have -1 camber dialed in and it makes
a big difference.
j9fd3s I have the auto lock kit from BD installed, so I just walk up, click the remote and the doors are unlocked.
Saves my key cylinders which were starting to get very loose and dodgy a few years back. Sometimes when
I'm at a meet I sit there a click the locks on and off and watch to see who notices and what the reactions are. Lots
of fun!
Ok I'm easily entertained. I admit it.
a big difference.
j9fd3s I have the auto lock kit from BD installed, so I just walk up, click the remote and the doors are unlocked.
Saves my key cylinders which were starting to get very loose and dodgy a few years back. Sometimes when
I'm at a meet I sit there a click the locks on and off and watch to see who notices and what the reactions are. Lots
of fun!
Ok I'm easily entertained. I admit it.
You're trying to me divorced, aren't you?
11-07-14, 04:55 PM
#5363
She still has a necklace to pick out as her end of the deal, though.
11-07-14, 07:44 PM
#5364
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we used a set of ReSpeed plates on my SA, with stock springs, not sure what we did, but it wasn't complex
11-07-14, 07:46 PM
#5365
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DD you need the RB adjustable LCAs. I put them on mine this year and have -1 camber dialed in and it makes
a big difference.
j9fd3s I have the auto lock kit from BD installed, so I just walk up, click the remote and the doors are unlocked.
Saves my key cylinders which were starting to get very loose and dodgy a few years back. Sometimes when
I'm at a meet I sit there a click the locks on and off and watch to see who notices and what the reactions are. Lots
of fun!
Ok I'm easily entertained. I admit it.
a big difference.
j9fd3s I have the auto lock kit from BD installed, so I just walk up, click the remote and the doors are unlocked.
Saves my key cylinders which were starting to get very loose and dodgy a few years back. Sometimes when
I'm at a meet I sit there a click the locks on and off and watch to see who notices and what the reactions are. Lots
of fun!
Ok I'm easily entertained. I admit it.
11-09-14, 02:59 PM
#5369
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They are American Racing AR95 Estrella 15x7 with 205/55/15 tires. They are very common (too common). I'd love to get a set of panasports like I saw on a beautiful 240Z at the show.
11-10-14, 10:39 AM
#5372
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picture isn't great, but basically its just a spring perch that is 120mm instead of 60mm.
11-10-14, 11:17 AM
#5373
Looked up the GC camber plates; not unreasonably priced as such things go, but apparently they require re-machining of the strut shaft tops. Wouldn't know where to go to get that done in a trustworthy way.
& I *just* got the car aligned right for the first time in years, too.
& I *just* got the car aligned right for the first time in years, too.
11-10-14, 11:58 AM
#5374
On Saturday I was well motivated to get the electric heat installed as I knew that this week would be cold and miserable and no heat or defrost probably would not cut it. As mentioned previously in this thread the ceramic heater elements would replace the AC evaporator in the factory housing. Everything bolted back together and I flipped the switch and yes, I have heat! Unfortunately one of the four elements could not be turned off as the FET switch had failed on for some reason. With the fan off it smells hot very quickly so I was able to detect it and did not have an incident. I also took the opportunity to pull the ECU out of the car since I was not using it and it does have a small drain on the battery when the car is operating. On Sunday I pulled the Evaporator box back out and looked over my circuitry. I guess I will replace the failed part and then add some protection components which I left out originally because I didn't think they would be necessary.
11-10-14, 01:17 PM
#5375
Rotary Enthusiast
finally got the right spacers for front tires. 20mm got those installed
installed aluminum radiator, custom mounts.
started cutting the engine bay to make a battery tray on the passenger side firewall. yeah, ot's tight
installed aluminum radiator, custom mounts.
started cutting the engine bay to make a battery tray on the passenger side firewall. yeah, ot's tight