I don't suppose aftermarket race proven panhards sets would qualify over there, would they? If they would, ISC racing and GForce Engineering both make panhard set ups for 1st gens.

I know it's not a tri-link, but they are built specifically for the car. For a tri-link, Competition Engineering comes to mind and I'm sure there are many others that make them for the aftermarket. Most of the others would be generic kits that would be cut to fit.

Time for more pics btw.

 

Trochoid.. Mos Skoshi

kenn

 

Yea I'd like to see some more pics of that FC subframe. As for the tri link, i just got my tri link and panhard bar from G Force Engineering last week and he does good work, very solid looking pieces. While i'm not completely sure what is involved in convincing the authorities over there that it is safe, I would imagine that the quality of the parts would certainly help. Nice looking car btw, I can't wait to start unveiling pictures of the 13bt powered 83 I'm building....

 

pix???

 

why is there a 5.0 in the background of that pic? lemme guess you guys put rotaries in mustangs over there? if so, ironnnnyyy

 

unfortunatly the wife has banned me form using the digicam to take photos....somehting about a dark green paint over spray on the caseing so I took these with my cell phone, sorry about the quality..

the first shot is of the subframe mounted, the detail is not very clear, but its really quite simple. after dropping the fb subframe out, remove the 4 subframe bolts position slide the fc subframe forward (in realationship to car) until its edge sits 1" past where the stock front bolts were at. center subframe from left to right and mark location on suframe where the bolts hit. drop the subframe out and now you have a choice, either drill the fc subframe where marked, or drill the frame where the fc's holes lined up. Either can be done, its just a matter of preferance I chose to drill the FB's frame to match the subframe so that it would not be as visible (important note for people in japan) in my case I chose to drill the frame, and then re-inforce the box by dropping new sleeves through the frame ( this stops you from crushing the frame when you tighten the bolts)

the second photo shows where you have to hammer the lip of the frame (near the back of the crossmember) for clearance. this looks messy, but it is because I used body caulking to hide the hammer marks etc, then heavily undercoated it. You will also notice that I put the bolts back in that originally held the steering linkage. these bolts help to reinforce the box frame by not allowing it to deform when you bolt in the subframe.

 

next is a couple of shots of the swaybar. I was lucky in the fact that the swaybar bolts into the stock location on the front, as seen in the pics. the rear where it meets the swing arms though can only be done by making an adjustable link. if you have an adjustable front sway bar this is very easy, if not then you are on your own. in my case I have an old mazda speed sway bar for the FB, and for the FC.

By useing the FB bar, with the top of the adejustable link for the FB and the bottom of the adjustable link for the FC and it fits. you can do it with all of the FB parts, but the bottom link will need modification as it is to shallow (short) the FB's lower arm is stamped steel, the FC's is aluminum as a result the aluminum is thicker for strength, and the lower mounts bolt is to short. you will just have ot play with differnt combos like i did till you get it to work.

 

finally some shots of the interior unfinished. I chose to swap the whole dash for reasons outlined ealier in the thread. notice the roll cage is welded in with bracing..... I kind of screwed up and might have to cut it out to finish the dash or at least the front legs... Oh well it is what happens when you get in a hurry...

kenn

 

Ken,
I vote wat's. They love them here in the U S. Moved back to the states last april and here is what I've been working on.

http://www.rcmracing.org/RX3%20project.htm

Just getting it running right now, then restore it next year. Going to start storing parts for a big turbo swap, REW, T66, 8.8 rear, turboII trans.



By the way, Nice car you got there!!!

chuck

 

OK so I got my driveshaft back from the states, Thanks Trochoid, installed it and the driveshaft balance weight flew off so Scott rounded up the weights they normally use at the shop he found, and after some trial and error and a lot of duct tape it came out that I needed 4.5 grams of weight where they had welded on the weight originally. no biggie, welded it on and voila smooth no vibrations at 50, 80, 120 160, 170 WTF major vibrations at 180+ klicks

so I took it back to my shop, and one of my buddies noticed that it looked like my rear wheel was off center, yep sure enough I have a bent axle must be from the F%&$ed up roads on this base, the roads here look like a humvee training course or something. so I am sourceing a new axle on yahoo and guess what I found....

an 83 fb parts car for sale... its only a 4 hour drive away, and I might get it with a 200.00 dollar bid (please, pretty please with sugar? ) that would give me a spare windshield, as well as axle and low and behold... it has a full set of 8 spoke watanabe's Yeah, I love bent axles, look what they force you to buy course my wife does not know of this yet..... but its cheaper than the moser axles from bwaits, and its hear and now......

so anyways,

here is the proposed setup for the engine, for those of you tuning in late, I have a s-5 13bt that was recently rebuilt with all new parts (including housings) and the following:

IHI RHC-7 P19 trim (think 62-1 with a P trim wheel)
550 primaries,
1000 secondaries
FMIC
SARD FPR
cosmo fuel pump
power FC ecu
NGK wideband
and am waiting on a datalogit

I am shooting for 300~400 but will settle for anything above 300 RWHP I just do not want to have a lag monster

I am currently fabbing a mild steel manifold with 18.5 equal length primarys... trying to mount the turbo forward, while still keeping the air pump etc.

enough for now.

kenn

 

nice find on that car for 200$

Can't wait till you have it all done ...

 

There may be a loop hole for the trilink if you're installation is like the G-force kit. His kit retains the two upper links, but disables them with super soft bushings. This makes the mod appear like you have only added a traction bar. http://www.gforceengineering.net/products.htm

Also, if inspection is only once every two years swapping stock links back in wouldn't be that much trouble.

 

that might be doable, but do you have to get rid of the stock watts link to do it? if so a panhard bar would deffinitly get me busted by the automotive version of the moral majority....

anyways I have a slightly bigger problem, that I need advice on from yall's...

So I took my car to the track for the first time since I started my project, everything went great on the slow speed warm ups, then as the tires got hot, and I started to speed up at the large turn right before the straight, it hit.......ahgg fuel starvation.... my sump pocket in the tank was not holding the fuel well enough.

mind you this is with the stock turbo still, and

so after a lot of frustration and not being able hold wot going into the staight, (got this nastly stumble, loss of speed and had to downshift to recover, I gave up for the day, and started planning.

possible options summit 4 gallon fuel cell, with some sort of FOAM in the bottom. supposedly stops ariation..... would this stop the sloshing enough???? the whole unit is like 12x10x8 inches which I think if I fed it with a stock 2ng gen pump, and then put one of my cosmo fuel pumps in the fuel cell to feed the engine, I should be alright

any thoughts? it just really drove me freaking crazy, because the car was handling so well with the fc crossmember swap (no slop in the steering, no dead spot, no wander) it was like nirvana

kenn

 

Stock watts should work fine with the three link. The roll axis would point down further than with a panhard rod, giving more roll oversteer. Probably not that big a deal.

A surge tank and a low pressure surge tank supply pump would work to eliminate the posibility of air getting into the fuel supply. Do you already have a GSL-SE tank?

 

I have the japanese version of it.... I modified it internally to use an intank pump form a cosmo, when i did i cut a whole in the top, and then welded in the top portion of an 2nd gen tank that had the fuel pump, sender etc. I also welded in the baffle cup from the fc, but I think I may have goofed on the placement a bit. If I could find another tank over here, I would just redo it with a better baffle, but they are impossible to find....

would that foam stuff that summit sells work in a stock gas tank? If so I could put some in around the fuel baffle/cup? that I welded in and it might slow down the sloshing enough to prevent fuel starvation. just a thought.... any ideas or comments?

kenn

 

The watts doesn't fit with the tri link there. they interfere with each other. The panhard bar can be used without the tri link, but if you go tri link you must use the panhard bar as well....

That foam stuff might be worth a shot, although I'm surprised you had troubles with the FC in tank style fuel setup, I haven't tested mine yet, but i've heard nothing but good things from others on here who have done it....

 

the FC in tank fuel setup's problem is probably my doing, its kind of hard to explain typing it, but I think if the foam does not work, I might need to just start over on the gas tank, or buy a small fuel cell to use as a sump which ever is cheaper.......

I kind of wish i could use the tri link with the watts, its just the panhard would be so obvious of a mod, that i know it will not pass inspection.

kenn

 

I thought a tri-link is a replacement of a panhard bar? What would happen if you just install a tri-link without a panhard bar? Also can a panhard bar be made to just be bolted instead of welded on? Thanks

 

[QUOTE=82transam]The watts doesn't fit with the tri link there. they interfere with each other. The panhard bar can be used without the tri link, but if you go tri link you must use the panhard bar as well....[QUOTE]
Excellent point! The uppermost link of the stock watts does run right across where the trilink would need to be.

 

The tri link replaces the two upper control arms. The panhard bar replaces the watts link and provides the lateral support for the rear axle. Pics of my install of the G force engineering version of both those parts can be seen in my thread, for those who haven't checked out my project yet...
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/project-83-s-restoration-t2-swap-update-624258/
The panhard bar is on page one, the tri link page 2.

 

Simplest solution, keep more fuel in the tank. As an off note, you made sure the return line feeds back to the bottom of the sump.

Congrats on getting on the track, it's been a long road.

 

well after having the problems with the fuel slosh, I ws looking into fuel cells on summit and an fittings and blah blah blah blah blah..... 4~500 dollars worth of blah to fix the problem I was having.

the problem goes like this, when I cut and welded the gas tank to put in the TII fuel pump, sump etc, I made a couple of errors (in retrospect) so I was thinking about cutting my tank open and redoing it....

But my tank was extremely rusty (outside) and I was worried about compromising its integrity if I cut it open again and then re-welded it. So I called up the trusty dealership to see if there was even the remotest possibility of getting a new tank....Fat chance I thought, well they had one, and I am now the proud owner of and I am quoting my parts guru here, "the last unit at the Hiroshima wahrehouse" he was as surprised as I was they actually had one new in the box gas tank.

I hav eproabaly used up the last of my good luck on this one but who knows...

kenn

 

This time, knowing what I know, and how I screwed up on the gas tank, I have decided to photograph the entire process of building the correct tank from a GSL-SE and useing the parts needed from a TII gas tank. I will also disect the stock tank in such a way that we can all see the inside and where the stock baffles rest etc.

will start posting progress photos on tuesday, or wednesday.

kenn

 

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidddddddd dddddeeeeeeeeee body! Black beauty! Keep the SSRs.