Tying into the dash retrofit, I am able to remove the passenger side airbag and effectively the remaining components of the system. Knowing I was moving forward in this direction, I sold off the Alcantara Nardi steering wheel. I later sold away my entire ’99 front end, excluding the combo lights.
With the car bumper-less, I unplugged and took off the 3 airbag sensors that bolted to the front of the car and the computer module in the cabin behind the dash. This cleared up wiring on the passenger side engine bay and from under both fenders. At the same time, I also deleted the horns. The Rothsport quick release has no provisions for a horn, and I honestly don’t want it for this car. Interestingly enough, the signal wiring for the horn is actually intertwined with the airbag’s… so, regardless, taking out the airbag sensors and wiring like I did would have rendered the horns nonfunctional – unless they were spliced back in.
With the airbag sensors and horns removed, a couple pounds in weight was actually shed.
The weight is undoubtedly a minutiae, I’m more pleased with the reduced clutter.
The airbags and horns were the last to-do’s on my relatively long list of components to delete. I finally have this car down to the necessities that I only desire, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The RX-7’s age and provenance should be capitalized, no, lionized to herald the days of purer, simpler sports cars. A key attraction of mine to the RX-7 is its overall lack of unnecessary, burdensome sophistications (but of course, there is always room for more of less). I am disillusioned by the technology packed products of today – no qualified sports car should be able to practically drive itself.
On more objective terms, I personally was not the most trusting of the airbags for reasons I will elaborate: airbags were essentially in the midst of their widespread adoption during the early 90’s – when the RX-7 was released. Having newer technology in the form of an explosive device sitting inches from your face does not exactly command confidence. I wouldn’t want a car without airbags from today’s times… but for a car made 20 years ago, I WOULD rather go without them.