Took Frankn7 out for a ride today

[slngsht]

First ride after the head/cam install.



It was in the 70s today http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/hurray.gif



YouTube Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi8V5v7A6cY) <edited><editID>slngsht</editID><editDate>2007-01-06 16:07:06</editDate></edited>

[slngsht]

Notice the nice red Jag near the end. It looked fantastic in person

[rv-4mike]

Nice! Although the engine sounds a little out of place for a 7.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif For us newbies, what have you got in there?



Hoping to take my first 7 ride tomorrow with Roll A 7 in his Caterham tomorrow morning. Really looking forward to it. Curious as to how it will compare with my friends FFR Cobra.

[slngsht]

Engine is a LS1 from an '02 Camaro SS, with the 6 speed tranny.



I agree that's not the sound you expect to hear when a seven blows by http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/shocked.gif

[locostv8]

Sounds bout right to me.

[solder_guy]

Great video! I think I've watched 10x. Nice to see the wheels turn in the U-turn! I don't think I've ever gone triple digits .. ever!



Rob Mitchell

[scannon]

What headlights are you running on the Frankn7? Can you point me to some pictures from the front and side?



Thanks,



Skip

[slngsht]

Skip, they are PIAA Quadro 4000 headlights. Not DOT approved :(



They have a combination of low beam, high beam, turn signal and parking lights.



In these pics, I still have the old ugly grill there, and the brackets are still my old fender brackets - chopped off.



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/CIMG1058.JPG

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/CIMG1059.JPG

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/CIMG1060.JPG

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/CIMG1061.JPG



http://www.truckcustomizers.com/images/prods/PIA/K4PIA268.1.jpg





http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/20061010_212338_CIMG1052.JPG[/QUOTE]

[powderbrake]

Woooooooonderfuuuuuul!



<font size="4"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">There is no replacement for displacement</font></font>

[scannon]

Mazda,



Are these the ones you have:



http://www.autobarn.net/piqukitfor03.html



Are you happy with the quality of the system and does it put out adequate light for fast night driving?



I think this would be the perfect replacement for those large chrome headlights on my SV.



Skip

[slngsht]

Mazda,



Are these the ones you have:



http://www.autobarn.net/piqukitfor03.html



Are you happy with the quality of the system and does it put out adequate light for fast night driving?



I think this would be the perfect replacement for those large chrome headlights on my SV.



Skip



Those are the ones, but I bought them for $279 from a truck place. I still have to fiddle with adjusting them. They put out alot of light. The high beam light up objects WAY in the distance. I've had my friend come in opposite direction, as well as drive in front of me to make sure the low beams are not annoying.



I just don't have another car with HID to compare them to.



Quality of hardware is good.

[slomove]

Skip, they are PIAA Quadro 4000 headlights. Not DOT approved :(&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Looks really good and I am not sure if the missing DOT approval could cause problems unless you have to go to a state inspection (I don't). I would be surprised if many of the lamps from the various imported Se7en kits have such approval.



Gert

[slngsht]

Skip, here is the place I bought from, in case you decide to try them:

>http://www.truckcustomizers.com/search.php?newSearch=Y&searchText=piaa+quatro (http://www.truckcustomizers.com/search.php?newSearch=Y&searchText=piaa+quatro)



$297. Shipping is free.

[slngsht]

Gert, I agree. I figured if I get pulled over and they give me a hard time, I'll slap on my old DOT approved motorcycle round lights.



Maryland does not have regular inspections, so I don't have to worry about it.

[scannon]

Gert, I agree. I figured if I get pulled over and they give me a hard time, I'll slap on my old DOT approved motorcycle round lights.



Maryland does not have regular inspections, so I don't have to worry about it.





I only have to worry about it once, when I get the Highway Patrol inspection of road worthyness. They will look for the DOT symbol and measure the height of the headlights as well as whether they all work. Once that is over I can install the PIAAs and be done with it.



Thanks for the info and link.



Skip

[Al Navarro]

I know you mean 100 kph!



For people who haven't tried to keep up with this car on a blat (and that was with the old engine), 7-7-7 will be a very interesting weekend.



Which actually brings up something I've been thinking about that I will elaborate on in the Tail of the Dragon thread...

[reece146]

Thanks for posting this!



I'm contemplating a SBC based build and all the flak from the purists had gotten me a little down to be honest. To hear them "prattle on" you'd be spinning out on dry pavement every time you apply the throttle.



It does look like you got on the edge of squirrelly a few times though. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif

[slngsht]

Thanks for posting this!



I'm contemplating a SBC based build and all the flak from the purists had gotten me a little down to be honest. To hear them "prattle on" you'd be spinning out on dry pavement every time you apply the throttle.



It does look like you got on the edge of squirrelly a few times though. http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif



It's all good. If you go the V8 route, try staying with an all aluminum engine if budget allows it. I'm running a LS1, which is really the baseline of that engine family. If $$$ allow it, the LSx series can be pushed to 600 hp with no additional weight gain (LS7 is at 505 hp completely emissions legal from GM)



the 4 cylinder variants are no pushovers either. I believe most of them are in the mid to high 11's and low 12's in the quarter mile. someone can correct me if I'm wrong. Some of the tricked out 4 bangers, and turbo's are VERY fast. Someone posted one here that was running low 10s. But if that's what you're after, I think V8 is a more practical option because you can still have a very reliable, long lasting engine.

[sb427f-car]

Oh...I will be ridding in that some point in the future...looks like fun!!!

[Kitcat]

Isn't it a little nose-heavy? If so, what is the impact on handling? What is total weight of the vehicle?

[slngsht]

the engine is all aluminum. It's 430 lbs, which is about 70-90 lbs heavier than a typical 4 cylinder. The tranny is kind of a pig... it's a T56. It can be upgraded to a TKO500 to save about 40 lbs there. To give you an idea, a Rotus with a totally stripped 13b rotory is 1525 lbs. Same car with my LS1 setup is at 1670.

Also, the front of the block is still behind the diameter of the wheel, so I don't think it's any more nose heavy than before, but I haven't done any weight balancing.

[WestTexasS2K]

slnsht could you post some pics of the engine compartment with the v8 installed. I always thought the LSI and TKO tranny would be a nice combination.

[slngsht]

slnsht could you post some pics of the engine compartment with the v8 installed. I always thought the LSI and TKO tranny would be a nice combination.



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/ls1.jpg

[slngsht]

more pics:



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/2006-01-08_190354_CIMG0203_Medium.JPG



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/2006-01-08_190539_CIMG0212_Medium.JPG



This picture shows the cross member under the transmission. It had to be cut. Apparently most of the later cars don't even have this cross member. It was reshaped and welded back in place.

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/2006-01-08_190710_CIMG0218_Medium.JPG



The side members had to also be modified to fit the tranny. they were carved, and re-enforced in place.

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/2006-01-08_191131_CIMG0217_Medium.JPG

[Darth V8r]

What did you do with the exhaust routing?



What transmission were you replacing? The Mazda drivetrain didn't come with a T5 did it? RX-7s used something else IIRC.

[slngsht]

my car had a olds 3.5 v8 with a tranny from a TR6 (I believe). The "R" in Rotus is not for Rotory engines.



Chris Custer, the founder of Rotus, was a toyota dealer, and the R was a little inside joke on the mis-pronounciation of "L" as "R" by japaneese speakers.



Not very PC, but pretty funny.

[Al Navarro]

Having driven behind Frankense7en iin my 200 HP Superlight at speed , I can say that it is CRAZY FAST. Although that might have something to do with its driver! http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif

[slngsht]

Having driven behind Frankense7en iin my 200 HP Superlight at speed , I can say that it is CRAZY FAST. Although that might have something to do with its driver! http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif



The problem is always the loose nut behind the wheel http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif

[slngsht]

What did you do with the exhaust routing?



Didn't answer this one... Currently I'm using the stock Camaro exhaust manifolds. With the high flow heads, there is about 40 more horses to be unleashed if I go to long tube headers, but I don't have the cash at the moment (nor the time to make them) - they have to be custom.



Off the manifold, it's a simple gentle 90 degrees, through the sheet metal, then another 90 degrees towards the back.

[kreb]

Nice job Mazda! A car like that can be blisteringly fast, but most folks won't be able to extract it's potential, and it could easily end up big splat on some blunt object.



Just listing engine weight in itself is somewhat deceiving, because you need the drivetrain to support that sort of torque. The 6-speed tranny for that engine is a tank, for instance, and you'll need a very stout rear end, but those are the big ticket items. What does it net out at?

[slngsht]

Nice job Mazda! A car like that can be blisteringly fast, but most folks won't be able to extract it's potential, and it could easily end up big splat on some blunt object.



Just listing engine weight in itself is somewhat deceiving, because you need the drivetrain to support that sort of torque. The 6-speed tranny for that engine is a tank, for instance, and you'll need a very stout rear end, but those are the big ticket items. What does it net out at?



Thanks.



Yes, the T56 is a pig. IF money were no object, instead of the LS1/T56, I would have gone with a 402 cu.in. LS2 and the TKO500 tranny. I recall that the T56 weighs 140 lbs. TKO500 is 112 lbs.



As for the stout rear, as of 2 days ago, I was still running the original Toyota axle from an '81 Supra (the mighty 110 hp version http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif ). Due to lack of traction (open diff, R-compound 225 R 15 tires), the rear held up fine.



The car is in the shop getting a different rear now - GM 10 bolt from '02 Camaro SS, with torsen diff. This rear is FAR from stout (it fails frequently on modded Camaros, heck - even stock ones), but I figure since my car weighs half as much, I may be fine with it. If it does fail, there is a direct replacement for it: Moser 12 bolt. The camaro rear set me back $350. The moser unit is $2K. I figure it's worth a try.



With the camaro rear, I'll be able to use the spare set of wheels I have for my vette, so traction should not be a problem now. I'll be using 305 R 18 tires in the back, 275 17's in the front (simply because I have these already. I can go smaller since I'll be using a popular 5 bolt pattern now). I figure the larger wheels and brakes alone will add 50 lbs to the car. The wheels are approximately 19 lbs each (I don't remember the exact figure. I can also get magnesium wheels relatively cheaply for the vette, which I think are 17 lbs). This is probably too much tire for an autox setup, but although I run autocrosses with it, I think of it as just a fun car, so ultimate autox performance is only one consideration.



I will have the weight of both the Toyota unit and the GM unit for comparison.



Just after the engine conversion, I weighed the car. With me and various other bits in it, it weighed 1900 lbs. I went home immediately afterwards, carried everything that was in the car to the bathroom scale, and including me, it added up to 200 lbs. I figure there was about 30 lbs of fuel at the time I did this.



Since then, I replaced the huge (16 gallon) steel fuel tank with a much lighter aluminum one, and got rid of the front fenders... Those should add up to 40 lbs or so in savings.



The lightest rotus I know of belongs to OldYellow on this forum. He runs a completely stripped 13b rotory in his. His car is an autox car only, but I think he still has headlights, wipers, and turn signals. His car weighs 1550 lbs (or maybe 1520). So the Rotus is not very light to begin with (it is BIG compared to a Caterham).



My goal after this round of mods is sub 3 second 0-60 times. I did 3.8 on my old setup, and never went past 1/2 throttle. Maybe, just maybe, she'll get some respect from those pesky bike engined cars http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif

[reece146]

You know, in 4x4 circles the Toyota axles have a better reputation than the 10 bolt stuff for durability behind 'Merkan V8s.



If the Supra axle is the same as the axles used in the Toyota mini-trucks from the mid-late 1980s it may be worth hanging on to regear and add a TAD after your 10 bolt goes boom.



Your car being light compared to a piggish F-body that may be a long time though.

[kreb]

Thanks for the feedback! I suspect that you'll have trouble breaking the new axle, even with the wide tires unless you're gonna take it to the drags.



Sounds like you're being honest about weight. With sevenesque guys, weight is kinda like horsepower or penis length - often lied about. I once watched a certain well-known car weigh in 300 lbs. over what it's owner had previously claimed.



I'd love to hear corner weighting results too.

[Al Navarro]

As if Mazda's car wasn't quick enough before this round of upgrades. He'll make all us "narrow bodied" car owners pony up for the little Yamaha V-8 soon enough!



FWIW, the only mods I'm doing before 7-7-7 are fixing little things (WTG sender still flakey, retrim Jill Judd hood so that Wolo light bar shows, replace a few snaps that haven't been holding so well. maybe spring for a tonneau.) The semi big ticket item that's on the books is a trailer!

[kreb]

Mazda: Are you going to be at the next run 'n gun? Super Stalkers have taken top dawg the last two times, but it'd be mighty entertaining with you, the Viking and the Ultralite's in there!

[slngsht]

You know, in 4x4 circles the Toyota axles have a better reputation than the 10 bolt stuff for durability behind 'Merkan V8s.



If the Supra axle is the same as the axles used in the Toyota mini-trucks from the mid-late 1980s it may be worth hanging on to regear and add a TAD after your 10 bolt goes boom.



Your car being light compared to a piggish F-body that may be a long time though.



My nephew is WAY into Toyota trucks and offroading (he reads these threads every once in a whilehttp://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif )



The toyota axles in those trucks are 8" axles. This is a 7.5" axle. And I agree, those are more stout. I bought a ford 9" (the king of axles IMO) from LocostV8, but ultimately to get Torsen diff, aluminum calipers, the bolt pattern that I wanted, and the width that I wanted, the camaro rear offered all those out of the box, so it was hard to resist.

[slngsht]

Mazda: Are you going to be at the next run 'n gun? Super Stalkers have taken top dawg the last two times, but it'd be mighty entertaining with you, the Viking and the Ultralite's in there!



Someday I'd love to go to the run 'n gun. I know Jerry (powderbrake) is always reminding me http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif



It's tough to make the time commitment to do that right now. I also have to upgrade my roll bar. The list never ends.

[WestTexasS2K]

Yeah bring that beast to Run and Gun. I am anxious to see that monster in action on the track. If you wait till everything is perfect you will never make it to the event. Get it safe and reliable and let it rip.

[slngsht]

Yeah bring that beast to Run and Gun. I am anxious to see that monster in action on the track. If you wait till everything is perfect you will never make it to the event. Get it safe and reliable and let it rip.



I need to make a poster of this and hang it in the garage http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/lol.gif

[slngsht]

Well, the rear is in place... Driveshaft is next (hopefully in the next couple of days). I just ordered all the materials for fabbing up the A-arms, pushrods, etc... for the front. Hopefully I didn't miss anything.



This pic is with 305's in the back. I didn't have lug nuts handy, so the wheels isn't straight. The axle is about 2" wider than I had hoped, but I guess that leaves room for 335's in the future http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/20070408_195839_305.JPG

[slngsht]

Dash mockup shots... for a few of you who had seen my dash and LCD display before...



My old LCD was hardly visible during the day. This one rocks (although it's bigger and heavier). It can easily be seen even at high noon in direct sunlight. Plus, it's slightly larger, so I should be able to display gauges and GPS side by side now http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/smile5.gif





Here are a few mockup shots:



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/dash1.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/dash2.jpg



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/dash3.jpg



http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/dash4.jpg

[slngsht]

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS1.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS2.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS3.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS4.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS5.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS6.jpg

http://www.usa7s.com/forum/uploads/slngsht/Dash/NS7.jpg

[solder_guy]

Looks good. Are you going to get a new roll bar too?



You should retitle the topic here to : New Dash. New Skin.



Rob M

[Al Navarro]

Mazda- I for one, am going to miss the old wooden dash. And the old "battle scarred" panels. Both added to the "sleeper" nature of your car. Next thing, you'll shoot for winning the car show and not just the auto-x! http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif

[slngsht]

I can always run to home depot and get a few cans of green spray paint http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrin5.gif

[slngsht]

Looks good. Are you going to get a new roll bar too?



You should retitle the topic here to : <strong>New Rotus</strong>

Rob M





Corrected it for ya http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/thumbsup.gif



http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/biggrinjester.gif

[R1 Seven]

Mazda,



She is starting to shape up nicely...keep up the good work.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;http://www.usa7s.com/aspnetforum/images/emoticons/coolgleamA.gif

[slngsht]

Thanks Jeff!



Tubes for the Aarms came in today. I gotta get crancking... time is a-wastin