Another cheap rx8...

BTW, this car still makes some raspy ass exhaust noises when flat out and between 2k and 3k rpm.  Not sure why.  I added a resonator and that made it less loud, but still E36 M3ty sounding. 

I've been enjoying watching this come together. There's an 04 with no engine or trans for sale by me, same color as yours and it's even a slicktop. Your build thread is really not helping me stick to my current "No new projects" lol

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

I've been enjoying watching this come together. There's an 04 with no engine or trans for sale by me, same color as yours and it's even a slicktop. Your build thread is really not helping me stick to my current "No new projects" lol

Do it!  The way is paved and I can answer questions!  Figuring everything out was the hard part.  None of the fab is overly difficult except maybe the exhaust. 

Even the wiring is pretty straightforward.   However, I'll probably redo a lot of it at some point just to tidy it up.

I will post this here because I never had it confirmed.  If you want ABS, tach, power steering, and speedometer to work, keep the rx8 computer installed.  Add the rx8 oil pressure sensor to the new engine, the coolant temp switch to the new engine, and jigger a way to get the crank angle sensor installed.  It will throw many "rx8" check engine codes, but everything will work.

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

I had been super curious about the ABS, as I had imagined using the front/rear subframes for a swap, and wondered if ABS would swap over. Sounds like it would be pretty involved..

The abs is basically stand alone on certain versions of the rx8.  It needs wheel speed sensors and the cars ecu still in it.  That's about it.

Are you talking about swapping rx8 subframes into another car?  If so, you should be able to get it to work.  Unfortunately,  I can't tell you *exactly* what it would take, cause I ain't dun it, bro.  Lolz.

In other words, it's probably possible.  I know that some people use the rx8 abs on NC miatas for road racing duty.  Not sure exactly why.

wvumtnbkr said:

Really long time and no post.  I'll try to update over the next few days with pics.

 

Lots of small things sorted:

Gm throttle pedal installed and in same position that the rx8 pedal was.

 

Got a wildwood clutch master installed.  Took some fiddling.

 

Installed some heater lines over the top of the manifold in order to keep them out of the way.

 

Figured out the radiator hoses.

 

Got the passenger side brake line I mentioned above out of the way of getting crushed between the engine and firewall.

 

Still need to do exhaust, finish up clamps and mounts and whatnot for the water hoses.

 

Still need to make a new bracket for the abs unit.

 

Then....  wiring.  Ugh.

 

Challenge in May 2023?  Maybe.  Hopefully.  We will see.

I'm registered.

List of things to make the car daily enjoyable...

Tighten belt (shim pulley back)

Try running car without belt to check for raspy noise

Fix steering

Fix front clunk

Battery drain

Clock spring

Alignment

Rear diff mounts

Front subframe replacement

Air conditioning

Clean interior

Clean exterior

Really only the 1st 4/5 items need done.  Hopefully easy wins.  If not, parking lot, right?  Lolz.

Edit...  some of yall WISH this was your list of items to get done by the challenge.  I'm feeling pretty good about it!

wvumtnbkr said:

Finish wiring

Make exhaust

Fill engine with coolant

Connect 8 inch fuel line

Make rad hose bracket

Make battery and pcm mounts more permantenter.

Tape measure alignment

Make 11s

Go drive.

 

That's the list.

Budget additions:

180$ for a battery

 120$ for exhaust tubing

45$ for wires

$75 for exhaust v bands

 

I think that makes it just over 3200$ all in.  I sold the engine, starter, alternator, some miscellaneous wires/hoses/ac compressor, and Trans (and lost the documentation I had) for 1550$.  So I'm actually under 2000k for all of this.  Nice! 

Sold stuff for more than I paid for the car!

Now I need to go back and check everything.  There is a slight chance that this car is under the challenge budget.

Okay, the car is technically under budget,  but I just don't have the energy or time to get my portfolio ready.  Also, I'm missing a ton of receipts so I would just use parts costs from rockauto.  Not sure how kosher that is.

However, got the front enderbrace fixed today.

Got the power steering fixed.  It was a plug that wasn't quite seated.

Found a parasitic draw...  it is the ac compressor even though the wires are connected.

Washed the car!  Cleaned out leaves and stuff out of MANY cracks.

I even did a headlight restoration!

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Looking great. And well done getting it all up and running under budget.

Indy - Guy said:

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Looking great. And well done getting it all up and running under budget.

Thanks!  Real money (including tires and some other parts that I made fail by being stupid) and not selling parts is still like 3400$.  

I don't plan to make any changes this year that would effect budget, so I plan to be documented and have a presentation next year!

Drove it to Church with the family this morning.  Needs AC!  Ooph.  Black leather in the SC morning sun makes for sweaty backs!

Car is driving well.  Just needs some minor tweaks at this point!  Yay!

Took it to the challenge.  Didn't run it in the 2k class for my first year.

Competed.  Sucked at autox.  Largely due to being hungover from not taking care of myself from the plb.  Also, tires weren't great for actual competition AND there is some grinding of something under heavy cornering.  Finished mid pack.

Beat the E36 M3 out of it in the drag race stuff doing about 8 runs back to back to back.  Wheel hop like a mofo!  Couldn't launch aggressively.  Still pulled a 2.1 60 foot.  Did multiple 14.8 and 14.9s at 95 and 96 mph.  (I Google it...  stock rx8 was 14.8 @ 93 mph)

I did need to replace a bolt in the shifter after I bent one from smashing the Trans into the bottom of the car from the AGGRESSIVE wheel hop.  Took about 45 mins.  

Other than that, the car held up to everything I threw at it.  

Next year, better, narrower, stickier tires.  No wheel hop.  Good alignment.  And I've got a plan for the concourse.  Put together my build story and plan.  I think I have a chance at gtn$ if I do it right.  Either way, fun will be had!

I just want to say that I enjoyed most of the challenge.  Friday was my favorite day.  I worked on several cars and helped solve several problems.  That was glorious.

Not that I had the shortest time from running driving car to competing, but it has only been about a month since being able to drive it to competing with virtually no issues.  That was great for me.  I didn't need to trailer it!

Shout out to Travis and Patrick for competing and finishing with cars that drove for the first team like 1 week ago.  Crazy!

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Even though I was felt like E36 M3 Thursday the highlight of my day was seeing your face at the hotel.  You looked like a puppy that just got adopted at the pound.  Welcome to the Challenge and may you have many more.

P.s. the rasp got less and less as I beat on the car.

I want this car to be reliable enough to throw the keys to somebody else to beat on it.

I did throw the keys to a few people to drive it around town and they said they were impressed by its driveability.  NICE!

Stampie said:

In reply to wvumtnbkr :

Even though I was felt like E36 M3 Thursday the highlight of my day was seeing your face at the hotel.  You looked like a puppy that just got adopted at the pound.  Welcome to the Challenge and may you have many more.

Thanks! It was AWESOME!

New list for the car...

I figured out the grinding noise while aggressively cornering....  tie rods hitting wheels.  Gotta clearance that.

Move steering rack back up a bit.

Fix clock spring for steering wheel...  still.

Replace rear diff bushings to hopefully cure the crazy wheel hop.

Install the ac hoses.  

That's what I gotta do to make the car nice to drive and do motorsports stuff.

For challenge next year, I need sticky 225s and a better autocross alignment.

Upddayte!

I installed a stock subframe in place of the one I had hacked up and modified.

I had a buddy make some beautiful adapters for the steering rack that move the rack 3/4" instead of over 1.5" (at least) with how I had it before.

Easy 1 handed non life threatening steering engaged!

I did accidentally drain the fluid out of the brake master while bleeding them and I'm still chasing that.

I bought a couple of $8 ac hose fittings and a hose crimper.  Installed the lines.  Ac kinda works.  It takes about 10 to 15 minutes to cool off the inside of the car down to a non sweaty level.

I think the cheap ass compressor I bought is not working that well ($55 from amazon).  I'm gonna buy the proper sanden one and just swap them back for the challenge.

Still need to:

Alignment

swap diff bushings

Find cure for raspy exhaust

Fix steering wheel clock spring

Solve the battery drain

I'll keep cracking away at it slowly.

So bumpsteer is fixorated?

Dusterbd13-michael said:

So bumpsteer is fixorated?

On my short spirited drive, it felt great!  Gotta go get on a twisty road and really feel it out!  However, it doesn't pull left or right when hitting bumps and it seems to have a consistent turn of the wheel for a constant arc.  Before it seemed like I had to turn in and then back out to make a constant radius.

Those parts look nice! Glad to hear its improved the steering feel.

Okay...  so, I cleaned out the garage half and put the rx8 in the garage.  This was so I could do a proper alignment with my Paco hub stands.

Starting out, I guessed very poorly on my initial settings.  I had zero camber in the front, 2 degrees in the rear.  1/8 toe in at the rear and 5/8 toe OUT at the front!

I now have 2 degrees camber all around.  0 toe in front and left the rear at 1/8 in.

Then, I tore the rearsubframe out of the car to change the diff bushings.  The old ones were floppy and cracked.  Had LOTS of wheelhop.  Hoping this helps!

I painted the "subframe connectors cause they was rusty a bit.

Next, I plan to change the exhaust.  I'm going to just run a single pipe out the drivers side and see if the raspiness is gone.

The list is getting shorter!  (Until I add new things to the list).

I cut the exhaust off right before the muffler tonight.

I *think* it resolved the raspiness.  Now, I need to put the wheels on it and drive it around to see if it's too loud.  Based on sitting in the garage and revving it, I don't think so.  Not quiet, for sure, but not obnoxious either.

I'm excited to try it out on Wednesday!   A little roarty is good with me in the "fun" car!

I don't think you have a choice...

...it needs a turbo to mellow the exhaust note.

BlueInGreen - Jon said:

I don't think you have a choice...

...it needs a turbo to mellow the exhaust note.

That is the plan!  Not sure it's going to happen before this year's challenge.

Rotary muffler for the win!

I found a cheap $120 shipped turbo of the approximate right size.  Some people are running around 12 to 15 psi on stock bottom ends making around 500 hp.

I can get the turbo, and the exhaust in challenge budget.  Not sure I can get a wastegate or blowoff valve in budget.  The ecu can be retuned.   There is already 1 tune in the budget for the NA.  If I go turbo, it won't have the na tune so that's already budgeted.

So, I'm thinking this year it will be NA.  Then, I'll go above budget and run it with a turbski.

You should install a hitch so you can tow your speedboats around with it.  Such cool factor!