heres my RX-7 from downunder I want to see yours

[Rota_Motor]

hey people,

I followed a link from ausrotary to this forum.

anyway, my car, 1978 japanese delivered S1 RX-7 (SA22C steel bumpers 78-81) here is a pic, not much done, runs full exhaust, oldstyle 13B 4 port, and S2 (82-84) disc rear. also runs FC front seats.

alos can people from europe post some piocs, front and rear of similar steel bumpered RX-7s :) I believe they have different lights, and also I want to fit a MPH speedo just to be different downunder.

cheers
Ryan

[clive]

Hi Ryan and a huge welcome from all at Mazdarotaryclub.com.

Here you go, a couple of piccys of one of our members cars from an RX-8 launch the Club helped with

[clive]

.

[Rota_Motor]

thanks for the prompt reply and the warm welcome. :)

well it seems the S3 cars are the same over there, althouh side front guard indicator is in a different position, and we dont have the foglight??? under the rear bumper.

[DaveCollins]

Hi,

If you want any specific close up pics of any bits of the car (1985 Series 1 MK3 FB) let me know and I will take some and post up for you.

I also have some pics of SA22 UK cars which I will look at to see if any good shots of bumpers etc.

Regards

Dave

[Rota_Motor]

thanks dave, about the only bits on that FB I wouldnt mind seeing closer is the guage cluster, but I'm guessing the same as aust. except MPH speedo.

but if you have any pics of SA's that would be great, you see here in oz, all of that shape are SA22C chassis numbers, steel bumpers, and plastic bumpers right through from 78/79 to 85.

just takes a little getting used to what different models are referred to in different places.

it seems FC and FD everyone knows, but when you get earlier, with SA and FB, everyone gets confused, we in australia pretty much go by year, and refer to them as series, but other places go by different things, all confusing really.

[MikeLMR]

Hi Ryan MK1's (steel bumpered) RX7's are pretty rare in the UK ... heres some photos of my car anyhoo


http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=7057

http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=7058

http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=3509

Mike

[DaveCollins]

Ryan,

Following are a few scanned pics from my collection if they are any use.

1 of 5

[DaveCollins]

2 of 5 - This car has a spoiler fitted not sure what sort but kind of looks a bit like a TWR one. Anyone any ideas.

[DaveCollins]

3 of 5 - Page 1 of Mazda pre-sales brochure before RX-7 was launched in UK

[DaveCollins]

4 of 5 - 2nd page of pre-launch flyer - note expected price written on (appro £7.5K-£8K)

[DaveCollins]

5 of 5 - Interior of UK SA22 from July 1979 Mazda UK Brochure

[g11ary]

I wish I had better and more, I have only one of my farthers twr at the mo, will scan one or two more pics I have found and post later. Does anyone know if there are any serviving twr's in the uk.

[Rota_Motor]

thanks Dave,

those pics of the red car are just what I was after.
the green car in the brochure is a jap spec car I believe, note the all amber front indicators in bumper, which in australia, and UK by the look are amber/clear parklights.

and noticed a few minor differences, the side repeaters are like the green one for Mk1 and 84/85 aus models, whereas UK versions have them behinf the front wheel, also rear numberplate lamps on the red Mk1 in the photo are much further apart than the ones over here, I guess for different license plates.

and another thing with the red Mk1 you posted, which is what I was after, can also be seen in the pic posted by g11ary, the tail light pattern is reversed, we have the brake/tail wraps around the side of the car, whereas the UK models have the turn signal wrap around, now if I can attach a rear view of my car you wil see what I mean :)

sorry if this pic is a bit large, and/or unclear, but you may be able to see what I am talking about.

PS, is that a MPH speedo in that pic :) how fast does it read up to, I'm kinda addicted to seeing my speed in MPH, as my 1300 daily driver work car has a MPH speedo. (1300 is the same as your 1000 I beleive, but with a 1.3L engine)

[DaveCollins]

Ryan,

Must admit I had never noticed the light differences before. Looking through a few books I note that Jap/US spec cars seem to have same rear lights. UK cars do have indicator lights on outside as you observed. Also At the front I can find no Mazda photos of a car with extra fog lights(?) let into front bumper as in my red picture. They all just seem to have split amber/clear for side lights and indicator. Not sure if these were a dealer option or an after market mod on the car pictured.

Number plate lights are wider apart to accommodate UK size rear plate.

I have found a picture of a speedo from a U.S. 1979 RX-7 S below which appears the same as on UK cars as far as I can tell. Numerals go upto 120MPH but it is calibrated upto 130MPH. Reading a contemporary UK roadtest they managed a max of 115MPH.

Also following is a pic of UK spec FB instrument cluster which also has speedo going upto 130MPH.

Gary - As far as TWR cars still around in UK, must have been fate but I received my RX-7 Owners Club mag in post this morning and guess what - A 1980 TWR car with only 29,000 miles on clock is for sale. Must admit I have not seen one around for a few years.

Dave

[DaveCollins]

FB Instruments

[DaveCollins]

Following TWR Brochure also has some pics of areas of interest
1 of 4

[DaveCollins]

2 of 4

[DaveCollins]

3 of 4

[DaveCollins]

4 of 4

[g11ary]

Used to love that little car, could wind her up to about 140mph if my memories right was a quick little car. What was the diff engine wise? They used to wear gold wheel like the OZ racing super leggers. Curious, how much is it?

[MikeLMR]

was just about to ask that very same question Gary :) How much is the TWR up for ? has it got all the TWR bits or is it just the bodykit ?

[DaveCollins]

Hi,

There was no price on the advert. It just reads as follows:

RX-7 Mk1 rare TWR factory conversion. 1980. Only 29,000 miles, Dry stored and waxoyled.

It has a contact name and number so if you want these drop me a PM.

Dave

[rotorhead666]

Sorry,couldn't resist the urge any longer!

[Rota_Motor]

well this is very informative, it seems japan, america and australia got the wrap around brake lights, UK/europe got wrap around indicators, japan and america got all amber front bumper lights.
side repeaters on UK are in a different place, also our mk1 didnt get rear windscreen wiper.

I guess I'm on the lookout for euro spec tails for my car, and possibly jap/us spec fronts :) and I do like the MPH speedo, I have the japanese 180km/h in mine, but othr aust. cars have 210 km/h (around 115 and 130 I think that works out to)

I did notice those driving lights in the front of that car too, first time I have sen them too.

oohh forgot to add, what other mods are done to the TWR RX-7 as shown? Tom Walkinshaw I know, built some tough australian commodores, so what did he tweak on rX-7s :)

[mireck 12a]

About the dashboards, look here

http://rxseven.demon.nl/html/diversen_0.html

Gauge on top is 1979 and gauge belowe is 1981

Site is going to be updated with more of these, "little" differences between years.

hopes this helps,

Ow.. about the lights, JDM have the light the other way around, directionlights (sorry for my english ;) ) are located toward each other (left directionlight is on the RIGHT side of the lens en the right directionlight is on the LEFT side of the lens)
I know this because a crazy dealer from holland has a 1979 "Savanna" (yes the one with the mirrors on the fenders and with max speed at 180 Kmph)

[Rota_Motor]

mireck, also australian and USA cars have the taillights the same as the JDM models.

mine is actually a 1978 JDM car, possibly a savannah, but hasnt got any original badges, and has had the holes for the mirrors on the front filled.

also has the 180kph speedo, I have seen those differences between the 79 and 81 guages, but thought it was market related rather than year, as mine is the ealry style, and a friends australian delivered car has the later type.

[Phranque]

That car of yours is looking smarter and smarter ! Either that or your photography is getting better and better !!!

The engine compartment shot is great.

Keep up the excellent work!

[stu aull]

Hi Lads - I have a 1980 N. American Spec RX7 GS. I have added a couple of pictures (I hope!). From the pics I have seen in this thread, here are some differences. First, the US spec:
-S & GS models.
-S was a 4-speed, no body mouldings (like Ryans), steel wheels, vinyl seat covers. I don't think the RX7 was sold anywhere but N. America with a 4 speed version. even the stripped down "Custom" model (1of 4 models available) in the japan market had a 5-speed box.
-GS (mine in pics). This was the most popular model, optional sunroof and alloy wheels. I believe the alloy wheels were standard fitment in most other markets, whereas I don't think the sunroofs became available until the Mk.2 RX7s elsewhere(?)
-Note mine has the 2 small rubber "bumperettes" on the rear bumper, below the license plate. This distinquished the 80 from the 79 model, which was "plain" back there, as Ryans car is. Since most other markets didn't get the car till the 80 model year (late 79), I am surprised the bumperettes didn't get applied.
-Also, the 1980 speedometer in the US came with an 80mph speedo. Ridiculous, of course, so I (and many others) substituted the 120mph speedo off the 1979 model. Note the instrument and heater controls labels are all "word" labels, not "icons" (eg. gas guage, warning light strip at bottom of instrument panel). Interestingly, all the japanese market cars also had the english word-labels!!
-Now a question for Ryan: does your RX7 have the "overhead Lighting Console" rather than the US/Euro spec cars which simply have a small room light at the base of the interior mirror?? I ask because I bought such a Console from a scrapper in Sydney, Australia, off a 1980 AUS RX7. I believe the Japanese market cars had this interesting feature, too. It was a large plastic housing featuring the room light, a pivoting separate map light, and 2 switches to operate these.
-My car pictured has (in one picture) the somewhat unusual Gold version of the standard alloy wheel. Were you aware that in fact, there were FOUR different styles of alloy wheel available for the Mk.1? At least in the US. I have managed to obtain all types (but haven't figured out if or when I will actually mount them all on the car yet!).
-also I have obtained the larger european-spec door mirrors, which, in addition to being far more useful, look much better than the awful (no offense Ryan!) things that the Aus and US markets got stuck with. Mine are the manual versions that the 1980-only came with, not the also-nice (!) electric version of the Mk.2
-I note that the AUS RX7s feature the same taillight combination as the US car, with the brake lights to the out board and the yellow signal lense in the middle. Oddly, when I tried to obtain the european version, with the yellow signal lense on the outboard, in the UK, all the scrappers had only the US-style lenses!! The UK brochures (I have three versions) all clearly illustrate the Yellow-on-the-outside lense style, but I could only find these to buy on the European continent! What has the UK folks experience been??
Anyway. Hope I didn't get too carried away here!
-as a side note, I just purchased the pictured car in California in October (it is my second 1980) and have driven it half way to my home in Alaska. It currently resides with my parents in Alberta, Canada. It is a 2-owner car with 65, 000 miles on it. Completely original (except for the afore mentioned mirror swap) and in quite amazing condition for a 23 yr old car. I will complete the trip up to Alaska this spring. Quite the driving adventure!!
regards from snowy Alaska
Stu Aull

[stu aull]

Another image of my car-

[Rota_Motor]

stu, that is different, never seen a 4 speed RX-7 until you mentioned it.

your car looks just like mine will, except I have the clear/amber front lights, no sunroof, and no rotary engine badge on the rear, also doesnt have those black bits on the bumper :)

what are the other style of wheels you have?? the gold and silver standard type, the rotor shaped ones?? and what else?

I'm only going the aus spec mirrors, mainly as mine only had one poor aftermarket mirror only, and I picked up the pair of electric mirrors cheap :)

as far as I'm aware, australia only got one spec level throughout the first gen. except the lightweight 'sports' option, with no power windows or mirrors for the 84/85 model with bigger brakes etc. which was possibly to homologate the car for australian touring car racing? I think sunroof was an option for all rubber bumpered 1st gens in aust.

now to the question, yes, my car has got the roof lighting console, although mine is a little broken, has the map light and courtesy light with a switch for each.

stu, your car looks great, especially for an unrestored 80 model.

it looks like I need to find US front indicators and euro spec tail lights to complete my car ;) Ishould also mention, I believe my car is supposed to have the body mouldings, they have just been removed at some stage, as it still had the extreme front sections surrounding the side repeater in front of the front wheels.

sorry to give another essay, but these things happen :)

[stu aull]

Hello Ryan-
No worries about the "essay"! Enjoy the read!
I have posted an image of 3 of the 4 alloy wheel types. The fourth is the gold-painted version of the so-called "standard" alloy wheel, and these may be visible on one of the photos of my car that I posted yesterday. The "rotary" style wheel is not included, simply because it came out in '81 or '82 as a Mk.2 option.
So you have electric mirrors on your car? It is a bit difficult to tell on your pictures.
You know, if you are looking for the US-spec front bumper indicators, I am looking for the UK/AUS style. Perhaps we can help each other get these? I would prefer a new pair, myself. Since the lamp housing (as opposed to the lense) in the UK/AUS version contains 2 bulbs, I would want the housing, too. Are you looking for the lenses only? Complete unit? New? used? Complete assemblies are available new hear for about $50US each. There may be used sets about, too for likely 1/2 the price. What is the price of the complete AUS version? Obviously the harness connector will be different, since your car will be designed to operate 2 bulb/circuits on each lamp harness...
As to body mouldings, I don't know if your interested, but I have a spare complete New OEM set of body side mouldings for the Mk.1 When they were ALL available here (some of the mouldings are now discontinued), the pieces were about $500 US. I would sell this set for $250. I can email you a photo of the set directly if interested. My email is aull@alaska.net
I believe the "Rotary Engine" rear badge is also still available. Mazda here sells it, as does Mazdatrix, an aftermarket supplier in California. They list it on their website for $22.75 US. Neat little badge...
Finally, the instrument cluster. You would want the 79 model if the US spec is of interest. has the 120 (130? I don't recall which, and i don't want to dash out into the snow to peak in my slumbering RX7!)mph speedo. I have retrofitted the 79 cluster into both (yes, I have 2!) my 80s. Straight swap and quite easy. I would be happy to send you an email text file of how it is done. These instruments do occasionally show up on the internet, specifically ebay. I don't know if you watch this auction site, but the have a lot of Mazda stuff listed!
Cheers
Stu Aull

[Rota_Motor]

the electric mirrors are not fitted to my car, I just got them, mine has drivers side only aftermarket version :(

wow, we only got the type 1 alloys in australia I think, possibly even in the gold colour, but havent seen them around much.
havent seen those other two types before.

the badges and mouldings not really interested sorry, but I will get a price on complete front indicator/park light assemblies for you when I get a chance.

as for the wiring, I guess the US use a dual filament bulb? and if so, then it could continue on, my 1970 model 1300 came with both all clear with dual filament, and amber clear wioth two bulbs, but the wiring plugs are the same, so this may be the case with the RX-7 as well?

I could probably also get away with just the speedo, as I just want the MPH readings rather than KMH :)

expect an email, after I get some prices on front lamps, Rota_Motor@hotmail.com is my email BTW.

BTW, I would probably want complete lamp assemblies also, as it might look a little wrong one side lighting up for parklights and one for turn signals.

[Cycaduk]

Heres a piccie of the speedometer in a girls RX-7

[sideways_rob]

Here's how I drive my FB

http://www.ldasport.co.uk/rxdrift.gif

:bandit :cool :D