Thanks, Bruce

The RX-7's only move since the smog test last July was when it moved out of the garage to make room for the XKR. I've completed the list of mods in order to put a "for sale" ad up. Still hoping that my old racing friend would be able to pony up some ridiculously low funds that I would be willing to sell this car for. He would still be the perfect person for this car.

Now, why would YOU be interested in an other hot car with your speed monster on order?

 

I fell in love with that last generation the moment I laid eyes on it back in '93? Beautiful body, and even the suspension is pure art. I drove a couple but was concerned about long-term durability for track use at the time. I would not likely drive yours much either, just preserve it. That's what I'll be doing with the Supra this year as well, with the Viper taking over the distant trip and track use, and sharing fair weather weekend toy duty.

You might note some general styling similarities among the cars I love dating even back to the XKE. The RX7 fits that mold perfectly!

Bruce

 

Well, at top whack, the 75 was doing about 5,500 RPM in 6th. I wouldn't want to go at that level of revs all day, though the car should be able to take it - but in reality, unless you pick a quiet time, there's too much traffic to sustain those speeds for more than a few minutes. Much of the 'bahn network is two lanes, so if anyone else is overtaking, you have to back off, queue & wait.

 

Indeed you are correct. The last few times I had driven on the bahn the traffic was far too heavy for any sustained high speed driving. The instance I mentioned in my above post was now at least 20 years ago and I could practically drive all out all day long.

The funniest part was how my wife reacted to high speed driving. Every single day was the same. We get on the bahn in the morning while I am warming up the car, doing 70MPH, then 80....90....100...110... about which time she started the siren routine:

"you are going toooo fast..."

120....130.....

"scream... you are NOT LISTENING TO ME... you are going too $#@!*( FAST"

"Honey, it is legal and I am a qualified race driver so..."

140....150...top speed.

"&#^%@ + someone wailing in the background...."

So, I back down to 130MPH, which time she would let out a sigh of relief and declares:

"Now see, this IS a good speed."

This happened EVERY SINGLE morning

 

Yes, the goold old engine reliability. When ever you double the power of an engine, things can/will happen. The RX-7s were pretty reliable with their stock power levels. In SCCA racing, turbo charging was not allowed so we resorted to bridge, or peripheral porting our racing engines and using light weight rotors and carbon apex seals for high RPM driving. The only weak part was the carbon seal; they could chip or break requiring the engine rebuilts. But, usually there was no other damage and the rebuild cost me about $1500 in parts + my own labor. On the average, one rebuilt per racing season of 15 race weekends. Contrast that to the rebuilding costs of a P 911 race engine ($40K+) and we were more than competitive against the 911-based racing cars

Now, with souped up turbo street cars, like mine, same thing. It is almost always the apex seal that breaks BUT, this time the damage is liable to be much more as the broken seal pieces will take out both dowstream turbos, as well. The rotary engine just needed more development for more durable apex seals, better anti-knock protection (when you heard a rotary engine knock, it was too late) and much improved fuel economy.

You are right. The suspension was a piece of art and boy, did it work...

You ARE TALKING ME OUT of selling that car!!!!!

 

Haha, and discussing the apex seal issue is talking me out of buying it!!!! Maybe it's not a big job to fix, but I was never into wrenching.

It's never easy to part with a loved one, but sometimes you have to, and that time seems to be now for you. Hopefully your friend will want it, and I think you want him to have it, but if not maybe keep me in mind...my mechanic is a friend and he's the type that can fix anything, and is fearless about trying. I recently installed a 2 post lift for him so he can work on them at my home. Gotta think it would look great parked between these other beauties...





And if you'll indulge me Albert, to all those who say you'll ruin a special car taking it on the track once in a while, here's that '94 Supra last fall at the cottage before paint detailing with 90,000 miles on it and dozens and dozens of aggressive track days. Original paint, and not a ding on it. Only ever replaced brakes and tires, and I tracked the XKR a half a dozen times with no damage as well.

 

Yes, my other half declined my offer of a trip to Germany, after previous experience in my XK8 at 'only' 150, but she insisted I take a co-pilot in case of health issues (I was on chemo at the time). So my trusty fellow-F1-fan Terv accompanied me - and he was calling the speeds, with some glee, as you can hear on the video I put in an earlier post.

 

Bruce

I can assure you that replacing the apex seal is a BIG thing in a street RX-7. In my GT class racing cars, I could take the engine out in 30 minutes flat, rebuild them in two hours and put it back in 45 minutes. Piece of cake.

When I blew the apex seals and the turbos in my street RX-7 due to weak fuel pump, it took me days to remove the engine and days to put it back. The accessories are a nightmare! I did it only once to say that I did it but, would NEVER do it again in my street cars. I am not that keen for working on cars anymore either.

You have a beautiful stable there. I did warn you about running them on the track and it was not an empty threat. I crashed two street cars on the tracks as you know it. Also, when I ran them, I ran them under racing conditions where some people would be running slicks on their cars. Slicks have the nasty habit of picking up all surface gravel and embed them into their soft, pliable rubber when they came off the track. The next time when they go out and the tire warms and the speeds increase they shoot those gravels to anything anywhere close behind them as if they were bullets. If you look at the front end of race cars, they look gravel-blasted. That is what I was warning you about.

Obviously you stayed away from those situations well and kept your cars pristine. I congratulate you on that.

I do promise to keep you in mind for my RX-7.

 

This is a riot! Ha haha I've always liked RX7 too. Beautiful sports cars...

 

I'm getting closer to picking up a 2010 XKR, possibly this weekend. My 2002 XKR convertible, while still looking virtually new, is passing 140,000 miles and seems to have more stops to the mechanic than I'd like. I would never part with it, but the idea of having a coupe that I could take a few times a year to the track, and could substitute a few days a week for the convertible is twisting my arm. That body is just gorgeous. On the occasions that I do go to the track, I drag out my old Pantera which hates to be driven on the street but thrives at the track. However, it's an old car without power steering, a gearbox that is nearly impossible to shift without 2 hands and both eyes looking down at the Ferrari style gate (while hitting so many bumps and grinds between gears that I drive it in 3rd gear only while on the track), and no traction whatsoever if there is any moisture on the ground (I learned the hard way at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma).

But, like the XKR coupe, what a body, timeless, sexy, contemporary even 44 years after its birth. Too bad I almost never drive it since I got my first XKR.

 

On a side note.............
I remember the Pantera well when it was selling new under Lincoln/Mercury dealerships. I had a 2 month old 71 Mercury Capri 2000 and saw many of the Panteras in the shop.

 

I, too had the German built Capri (we called it the poor man's BMW 2002), but they were only brought into the U.S. for '73 and '74, I think. I had a 1973 with the small chrome bumpers. The 1974 had the big, plastic 5mph crash resistant bumpers. I remember seeing the Panteras in the showroom at O'Connor Lincoln/Mercury in Los Angeles when I took my '69 Cougar Eliminator and then my '73 Capri in for service. It's quite interesting how many great cars Ford imported from Europe and then buried at Lincoln/Mercury dealerships with no marketing attempts. The Pantera, the Capri, the Merkur Scorpio and XR4ti (I had two Scorpios as well, still the most beautiful interior of any car I've ever seen)...

 

71 was the first year for the Capri while the 2000(also offered a 1600 for the first year) was the fastest of the series even though it was a 4 cylinder. I also purchased a 2004 V6 in 04 but the heavier car made it sluggish compared to the 71. I also remember my friend who worked in Sales at the time telling me how the Lincoln/Mercury techs were clueless on how to work on the Panteras. They had overheating problems at the time that they did not have a fix for until the later model years. The XR4ti used a turbo version of the Capri engine. I also liked the plush interior of the Scorpios, but they were really thirsty cars.

 

ALBERT!! SHOW US A PIC OF ALL 3 OF YOUR JAGS TOGETHER!!! . You got a XF, XJ, and a XK!!! Awesome my friend!!!

Loth

 

Loth

Stay tuned. It's coming.

I have been thinking about pictures showing all 3. Give me a day, or two, for the area to dry up and for me to figure out the settings. My wide open yard would be perfect would it not be for the soaked grounds. I'd hate to have my 3 Jags stuck in deep mud....

 

Albert, that's hysterical. I got a great laugh this morning just from that.

You know, i hope some day in the near future to make a trip to California, most likely LA. I am going to put an effort in meeting you in person

 

Executive,

That would be great. Looking forward to meeting you, as well.

 

Another ex-Capri owner here; mine was a UK-built '73 Mk1 facelift GT3000, with the 3-litre Essex V6. Nose heavy, tail light, but was the most 'sporty' yet reliable car I could afford.