The hectic pacing of the project has slowed down going into the third and fourth weeks. Much of the heavy lifting has been accomplished and the focus has turned to the intermediary steps and other details. The engine and rear end were mocked up onto the car so measurements for the new driveshaft could be […]

With the rear subframe dismounted from the car to fit the new 8.8 components, Marcus took the time to weld on reinforcement plates. These were included with the Samberg kit but required additional refinement for a more perfect install. The original plan was to use rubber/polyethylene differential mount bushings, but in the end they were […]

I had the mounting components from Samberg powdercoated in Red, taking inspiration from Ducati trellis frames. If I’m going to have the entire front subframe changed out, I want it to be recognizable with a bit of flash appeal. Marcus also redid and straightened the Wilwood clutch master cylinder pushrod, which Hinson modified to be […]

The swap is steaming along and Marcus has made a lot of headway within the first week. I asked him to take pictures for me as he went, so I could update about the project here. So here’s a rundown of the work completed thus far… Pulling off the powerplant frame (PPF) and rear differential. I’m […]

Due to the magnitude of the swap, I decided I would leave the car to a shop. I take pride in doing most of my own work. I have a far greater degree of control and attention to detail when I’m doing everything myself. However, I simply do not have the bandwidth right now in […]

When I went to go check on the gauge cluster surround’s progress, the continuing trend thus far prevailed once again – it needed yet another repaint. The small paint inconsistencies from prior had been remedied, but this time there was a new problem. Since the panel had been repainted so many times, the old paint […]

The Dash Project was essentially a segue into a comprehensive interior overhaul. Since I had to remove the majority of the trim whilst working on the dash, I decided to go one step further and strip down each of the individual trim pieces. I felt that the black plastics were getting bland and decided to […]

For the first time in 3 months, I returned the car back to the ground today. While I’m lucky to be in California where a “real” Winter does not exist, I still want to drive the car before the rain starts. The plan was to lower the car off the jack stands last weekend, except […]

If the lack of recent updates didn’t already betray it – progress has been slow. Delays seem all too normal and wait times continue to grow. After about a month at the body shop, I was able to pick up my new front bumper. And by new, I mean a used pre-’99 bumper I was […]

A welcomed inevitability… While I was ordering the Rein Hard exhaust, I indulged in my curiosity and peeked around Yahoo Japan’s auctions. Conveniently, I spotted a set of Spirit-R Recaros with tilting seat rails. Until now, I held off on these seats for as long as possible, primarily due to their exorbitant price tags. These […]

Revamping the interior and figuring out the front bumper’s situation has been a slow, deliberate process. While most of the work that needed to be accomplished got sent out to various shops simultaneously, a couple components are taking longer than others. So the waiting continues… There wasn’t much I could do last weekend. It pains […]

Like with many other components for the RX-7, short shifters are a dying breed. Aside from eBay, the majority of offerings are out of production and no longer available from their respective manufacturers. C’s is one maker I’m especially keen on, but given that the company itself is now out of business, it’s safe to […]