RE Matsuda

I found this website of this guy in Japan with an RX-3, and one page shows his car's specs. I noticed he was running an unusual suspension set-up with TRD shocks but I can't read the rest, Altavista can't translate it...

http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/ultimate_car/my.html

From the few words that I can read, in the front he is using TRD rear shocks for the 1st generation MR2 (AW11), which makes sense because I remember mrmasda was using rear MR2 shocks in front as recommended by Ground Control. I just want to see if anyone can translate the rest so I can find out some more info on this set-up. TRD short strokes would be very nice, so if anyone has some better translation software, it would be greatly appreciated.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

this is what i get from right clicking on page and choosing "translate to english."

http://translate.google.com/translat...known&oe=ASCII

RE Matsuda

Yeah I don't understand why it can translate some Japanese pages and others it can't understand. Same thing with the Japanese text support, it will be able to display the Japanese characters, and it won't be able to on others (like this one).

Well anyways if you guys want to check out some cool pics of RX-3's featured in some Japanese magazines, go here: http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/ult...arhistory.html

In this shot you can see he's using SA22C front coil-overs and camber plates by redrilling the strut towers:



The one in the J's Tipo has a front strut tower bar, I was wondering why no one made them for older RX's. I'm probably going either adapt one from a 510 since they both have the three bolt strut tops or if I converted to 1st gen front struts I could probably use the Cusco bar that RX7.com sells, its adjustable so I may be able to shorten it enough for it to fit without cutting.

Just throwing some ideas out, I always get inspired by the Japanese old school guys, since aftermarket parts are almost non-existent, they've become masters of mix-matching parts for other cars and making them work.

re10

A lot of the Jappa stuff is hard to work out at the best of times, things are never explained as you think they should!!!

I am thinking of doing the Jappa racer replica 3. Have all the right parts, just not sure... there are many people out there who consider it a criminal act to uglfy an RX3????

RE Matsuda

You mean like the Katayama RX-3 with the big flares and everything? Damn, I'd definitely do it if I could find the parts, I don't think they look ugly at all. You could say its a criminal act to put bling bling 17's and 18's on an RX-3 as well (no offense to the Aus/NZ guys). I'd say do it.

re10

I have some nice hocky stick mirrors (twin stalk type that was on the very last savanna's and some of the RX4's), Katayama flares, a rear adjustable wing (from the 72 RX3 performance catelogue, GT rotor taillights, all the weird Jap badges, RX3 bonnet vents and even the round gauge centre console... so that is a good start!!!

The 3 is a 72 coupe, and has a 2-link rear, 4:4 LSD, adjustable front towers, koni's, 4 wheel disc's, and a hot 10a PP.....! Being fired up this w/end! Wish me luck!

RE Matsuda

10a PP? Now that's truly hardcore. Where did you come to find all those rare parts? If you have any pics I'd be interested to see some of that stuff.

Personally I love the 70's Japanese racer style; fender mirrors, bolt-on flares, no bumpers, no headlights on the intake side, wide negative offset wheels, front mount oil-coolers, hood vents, front lip spoilers, ducktail rear spoilers, etc. No one is really in to that except the guys in Japan, so I plan on taking my 2 in that direction just for a change, although the RX-3 is much more ideal car for it.

re10

I have a friend in Japan who has helped track down stuff (auction sites are great), plus if you know what to look for, there seems to be a fair amount of factory racing gear around New Zealand... just that people don't know what it is, or are happy to see it go to a good home!!

I also came across the competition parts manual / instruction book for 72 RX3's that helped alot.

I have lots of photo's - but can't seem to upload them here, keeps causing some sort of error message - PM me with an email address and I can send you all sorts of pic's!

All I have put on the 3 so far is the RE10 grill badge, once sorted and on the track wil look at bolting on some of the other bits and pieces. Will need wider wheels before the 'real' flares are looked at - still not sure about how Jappa I should go

Some pic's of my car are here at Vintage Rotaries:

http://www.vintagerotaries.com/FORUM...hp?user_id=145

RE Matsuda

Does your friend use Yahoo Auctions Japan? There's also some very nice rare stuff on there, cheap prices too a lot of the time, only problem is shipping and having a friend there to bid on the stuff for you. I especially like all the rare 4x110 wheels they have, I saw some 10j SSR MKI's on there the other day, I think they'd suit the Katayama flares quite nicely.

Have you found the front Katayama front spoiler anywhere? It would be cool to make a replica, maybe not with the yellow/green paint scheme though. Could you email me a pic of the flares please? locke17@hotmail.com I might try and adapt some Z or TE27 bolt-on flares for mine, but I gotta get some negative offset 14x8's first.

re10

you have mail

kiyoshi

Maybe you've already got the translation but just in case... I understand them but I don't know exactly what those parts are called in US.

For the suspension it says

Front:
Handmade height adjustable strut by modifying SA strut
8k liner coil spring
TRD Four position adjustable short stroke for AW11
Modified mount position for piro upper and lower arms

Rear:
Racing Leaf spring
TRD Eight position adjustable gas short stroke for AE86
LSD final 4.1

Matt22

iTrader: (10)

dope, sweet info guys, but heres a question,
I coldn't afford the trd shocks, so would kyb and other
makes of shocks work? what do you think. lates matt22

Matt22

iTrader: (10)

oh by the way on the ae86 shocks were they
from the back or the front.

and the ones from the aw11 were from the back, right

RE Matsuda

Thanks for the pics re10, and thanks for the translation kiyoshi, can you read Japanese or did you find a better translator? Too bad he doesn't show any pictures of the upper and lower arms, I'd be very interested to see that.

Matt22, I'm not sure if the AW11 shocks he's using in the front are made for the MR2 rear, I assumed that because I remember mrmasda saying that rear MR2 shocks fit in the RX-2 (and I'm assuming RX-3) front strut housing. The AE86 shocks are most likely made for the rear, since both the AE86 and the RX-3 don't have rear struts. KYB/Tokico/GAB shocks should all work as well.

Matt22

iTrader: (10)

so what is the difference bwtween shocks and struts?
are struts jsut a solid tube basically, and shocks hae mounting hardware attached. ok, well i will have to ask my ae86 buddy to see if waht he has laying around. also, also what is a short stroke strut, is that more for lowered cars, or does it jsut offer less travel. thanks matt22

RE Matsuda

Actually its the reverse- struts have a shock and spring all in one assembly, shocks are just the tube like in the back of RX-3's and AE86's. Short stroke shocks allow you to lower the car more than a regular length shock without running into a stroke deficiency problem. Basically they are designed to work best when you want to lower your car more than 2 inches, and they compliment coil-overs better than regular length shocks.

One of my friends has an AE86 as well and I've been wanting to take some measurements on it to see if there's any suspension swapability possible. Do you think you could check if the bolts on the strut towers are the same pattern? I know they have 3 bolts like the older RX's, and if they're the same dimensions then you might be able to just swap in the whole front strut, or even the brakes/spindles as well. Only problem being the steering and tie rods. But if they are swappable, then you'd have quite a number of aftermarket shock/ spring/ coil-over/ camberplate options, pretty much every Japanese suspension manufacturer makes parts for the AE86.

kiyoshi

NP. I can read Japanese.

Matt22

iTrader: (10)

I will give him a call, and see if i can arrange something.
he might actually have some old suspension stuff around . But your right if the ae86 stuff could work. Options would be endless. Tha bad thoughis the really good ae86 stuff is still pretty expensive.

re10

Bump

Did you ever sort this out????