front end collision-i want to repair it
12-19-07, 11:06 AM
#26
Wrkn Toyota, Rootn Wankel
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I agree... that's something I want to do to take care of my RX7's tweaked front end... The previous owner ran it into a ditch so the front end wouldn't sit properly...
And after a bad slide due to driver error I don't have to worry about the front end not sitting properly anymore. ( I need to get some practice hazardous driving in
before my baby gets hurt anymore! 
)Anyways I am deciding whether or not I am just going to chop it all off from the firewall foreward and just swap it with a donor car's front end...
This most likely isn't worth the trouble for your car though... I'd say try and see how far back the frame is tweaked and find a good place to just cut it off and weld a donor piece on?
12-19-07, 12:59 PM
#27
"i intend on cutting straight down just aft of the right strut tower(as close to it as i can for measurement purposes) and then i will drill the welds on the core support on the left side and leave the left strut tower alone as there is no damage there. it would be like taking an "L" shaped section from each car. the 83 parts car will do nicely. do you think that i have a good plan or should i go another route?"
I am not sure which car you are referring to here. Unless the lower frame rail is damaged aft of the shock tower, I would not cut any further back than somewhere between the crossmember mounting bolts, as you don't want to lose the location of the crossmember. I always trim the car i am repairing to exactly the point of repair, grind the rails until the cut is perfectly square, then cut the clip off the donor car a bit long, and start trimming and fitting, a little bit at a time. Unless you have done this a lot, it will take you at least a full day just slowly trimming, grinding and fitting. I would remove the front of your car by drilling out the spot welds along the front of the shock tower, and you can drill all the way through. For the donor car, drill the spot welds from the top side, but being careful to only take the top layer, so you have something to weld to. You can buy a special drill bit that makes this easier.
You can butt weld the upper and lower frame rails, but the inner structure of the lower rail can be easily overlapped as in the photo I showed. The inner fender has to overlap inside the shock tower, and you just have to figure out a neat way to work the overlap at top and bottom.
Wherever you cut the upper and lower rails, make a sketch and show the measurements from the fender bolt holes in the upper rail and from the crossmember bolts or various tooling holes in the top of the lower rail. One method is to cut through the center of one of these holes, and grind back the clip until you can just drop a bolt through the hole when the two pieces are fitted. Notice in the attached photos I used the hole just forward of the rear mounting bolt for the crossmember. After the welds were ground smooth, seam sealer applied and painted, it is pretty hard to see this has been repaired.
Your plan for the left side sounds OK. Plan to take you time in drilling out the spot welds so you only go through the top layer on your car when removing the damaged core support. The round tube can be butt welded, might be easier if you could find a short piece of pipe or tube that just fits inside for a splice.
I am not sure which car you are referring to here. Unless the lower frame rail is damaged aft of the shock tower, I would not cut any further back than somewhere between the crossmember mounting bolts, as you don't want to lose the location of the crossmember. I always trim the car i am repairing to exactly the point of repair, grind the rails until the cut is perfectly square, then cut the clip off the donor car a bit long, and start trimming and fitting, a little bit at a time. Unless you have done this a lot, it will take you at least a full day just slowly trimming, grinding and fitting. I would remove the front of your car by drilling out the spot welds along the front of the shock tower, and you can drill all the way through. For the donor car, drill the spot welds from the top side, but being careful to only take the top layer, so you have something to weld to. You can buy a special drill bit that makes this easier.
You can butt weld the upper and lower frame rails, but the inner structure of the lower rail can be easily overlapped as in the photo I showed. The inner fender has to overlap inside the shock tower, and you just have to figure out a neat way to work the overlap at top and bottom.
Wherever you cut the upper and lower rails, make a sketch and show the measurements from the fender bolt holes in the upper rail and from the crossmember bolts or various tooling holes in the top of the lower rail. One method is to cut through the center of one of these holes, and grind back the clip until you can just drop a bolt through the hole when the two pieces are fitted. Notice in the attached photos I used the hole just forward of the rear mounting bolt for the crossmember. After the welds were ground smooth, seam sealer applied and painted, it is pretty hard to see this has been repaired.
Your plan for the left side sounds OK. Plan to take you time in drilling out the spot welds so you only go through the top layer on your car when removing the damaged core support. The round tube can be butt welded, might be easier if you could find a short piece of pipe or tube that just fits inside for a splice.
12-19-07, 02:19 PM
#28
Excellent work, more pics please. I've been sitting on a GSL that has slightly lighter damage in the same spot as the thread starter, along with a spare front frame. I've held off on doing the repair due to lack of direction. Your posts will certainly help get it done one day.
12-19-07, 08:50 PM
#29
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front end collision damage
Dear mazdaverx713b, Crit has pointed out to me that I have front end damage to my 84. Your pics and the pics of the many responders to your thread have helped me understand how the 84s and 85s have been assembled.
I do not know if this would be of any help to you. go to google and type in: RX7, collision. A web page will come up giving you the Mazda microfiche engine and body parts catalog. You can download if you wish. It seems to have been put out by a Fox.ba. My understanding is that there are more up-to-date collision catalogs but I have not been able to find one lately. The Mazdaspeed site does not seem to have a copy of the 84-85 body catalog.
As others have indicated; your writeup is excellent. Your 85 is beautiful.
One question I have off the topic is. You have an 83 and an 85. Do you think it might be possible to remove the 85 gauge group and insert the 83 gauge group into the 85. I have a 84 white-colored gauge group. I would prefer a normal-colored 83 gauge group instead. You indicate your 83 and 85 are somehat a shell and so you might be able to get a good view of both gauge groups at this time.
Lastly, I encourage you also. This is a big job way beyond me. Good Luck.
I do not know if this would be of any help to you. go to google and type in: RX7, collision. A web page will come up giving you the Mazda microfiche engine and body parts catalog. You can download if you wish. It seems to have been put out by a Fox.ba. My understanding is that there are more up-to-date collision catalogs but I have not been able to find one lately. The Mazdaspeed site does not seem to have a copy of the 84-85 body catalog.
As others have indicated; your writeup is excellent. Your 85 is beautiful.
One question I have off the topic is. You have an 83 and an 85. Do you think it might be possible to remove the 85 gauge group and insert the 83 gauge group into the 85. I have a 84 white-colored gauge group. I would prefer a normal-colored 83 gauge group instead. You indicate your 83 and 85 are somehat a shell and so you might be able to get a good view of both gauge groups at this time.
Lastly, I encourage you also. This is a big job way beyond me. Good Luck.
12-19-07, 10:53 PM
#30
thank you for your words of encouragement. i don not thik the gauge cluster from the 83 will work in the 85 because the clusters are shaped differently and are nowhere close in shape.
i will however have to check out that google page. stillettoman and others, including yourself are being a HUGE help, so thank you all!
stillettoman, i do intend on cutting the lower half and drilling the spod welds on the upper half ahead of the strut tower. i dont know why i said aft this morning. the more pics the better! it really helps put the project into perspective when i see the pictures. getting the measurements correct and getting the front end aligned properly are the biggest hurdles that i will have to overcome. with the help from the guys here i think i will be more confident in doing the job. i just want it done right and i know that its not too big of a job for me to tackle.
i will however have to check out that google page. stillettoman and others, including yourself are being a HUGE help, so thank you all!
stillettoman, i do intend on cutting the lower half and drilling the spod welds on the upper half ahead of the strut tower. i dont know why i said aft this morning. the more pics the better! it really helps put the project into perspective when i see the pictures. getting the measurements correct and getting the front end aligned properly are the biggest hurdles that i will have to overcome. with the help from the guys here i think i will be more confident in doing the job. i just want it done right and i know that its not too big of a job for me to tackle.
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