1st gen restoration

[Cycaduk]

Evening all,
I am re-building a rather rotten 1st generation RX-7 (registered in 1984). Its already had about 40kg of steel welded in where the tin-foil rusted through. Engine and gearbox seem fine, although the engine smokes until it has warmed up.

Does anyone know of a good source (read cheap for good) of brake components?

My car has 195 width tyres is this normal? What size ought they to be? the sticker on the car gives pressures for 205 width tyres.

[MikeLMR]

205/60R13 's were the standard size I think. As for cheap brake parts your best bet is buying them from the states, although shipping and taxes is a b1tch.

P.S Welcome to the forum

Regards,
Mike

[RX-7_SEUK]

I recently re-built the brakes on mine and got the bits from the states. Bit of a pain in the butt however well worth it!

[djguru]

I too recently rebuilt the brakes - I got most of my parts from Victoria British, order your catalogue here...

http://www.victoriabritish.com/Mazda_cat_page.htm

As the other guys have said, tax and shipping is a bit of a killer.
I did however buy the front discs here for some reason, scarily priced at around (IIRC) £125 per disc.
Check the calipers well before you go ordering new or reconditioned ones; the fronts at least are are easily (well, after the endless swearing at the first one!) cleaned up & rebuilt, and even swapping in/out bearings from old disc to new is ok. You'll need to use compressed air to blast the piston out of the caliper if it's stuck. Mine was well and truly welded in by the remains of the disintigrated rubber dust boot. The seal kit can be had at Mazda UK (I got mine from Bourne Rd mail order) or at VB as above. Aagh, the memories!

Are you doing a complete bare-shell re-build, or just welding in the obvious areas (wheel arches, sills, front screen etc?)

Dave

[Cycaduk]

Many thanks for the rteplies.
I already got some bits from Victoria -british. Great value, and their catalogue is more use in some ways than the Haynes manual for the suspension components.
but as you know the shipping and tax is high (but not as bad as shipping the other way.

The rebuild is not quite bare-shell, but most of the wear components are being replaced.

Did the american 1st gen models come with vented discs at the rear?:rolleyes:

[MikeLMR]

the vented rear dics vary by model on the us cars. whereas in the UK the brakes vary by the year as Mazda only sold one spec of rx7 in the UK

Mike

P.S if you want vented rears order GSL-SE parts or if you want the non vented order the GSL ones (both '84-'85) Seeing as you have an '84 UK spec car your suspension and brakes should be the same as the GSL-SE in the states (although the engine is NOT the same)