Whizbang's RX-2
 

So I got wind of this car from my friend James a while back, but I finally decided to pick it up!

Its a 12/1971 Rx-2 coupe! Last time it ran, according to the owner, was about 79 or 80. I would be the third owner of the car. Now, it has been sitting outside for 34 years so the paint is beyond faded, some rust where water got in and sat (but nothing too major), and dent and dings. BUT the car is dead straight, never hit, and the doors shut perfect. Also got to sort some bits from the back half of an RX2 sitting on the site that was cut in half a long time ago. (good for a rear bumper and taillights!)

I dont recognize the wheels on the car at all either.

Game plan is to take it down, get it on a rotisserie and give it a good working over. Eyeing up some RE speed bits that can work with some left over FB stuff I have. Etc etc. We shall see. Lots of body to do in the meantime! Maybe a 3 year project.

Pics below!

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that rust is going to be a bit of work and it's likely deeper than you think. the glass looks like it's held in by threads or rotted iron.

good luck, you will need it. :) anything is salvageable with some effort.

i expect it to be work but considering i got it for 400 (and being from Ohio, i see rust differently)

lol true, i'm glad i live on the west coast where cars can last almost a century outdoors.

i did pass on a cosmo RX5 that was in similar condition/price. too much work for me for the ugliest rotary car ever made.

idaho cars are generally pretty solid. seems like the seals dried out (they are like powder) and the rare water we do get got down in there and just sat.

hell the run made the laminate in the windshield bubble between the glass layers.

Sweet! Can't wait to see this project progress as well.

Nice project, but agreed on the windshield channel and rear glass. After doing a few repairs on the RX3, that steel is beer can thin and flimsy. Anything is repairable, but that will def take you some time. Keep at it though, we need more old school!

Oh Rx2 fun. :cheers2:

and she is home! no keys and seized to rotor caliper required some attention but when smoothly otherwise. Got a clean set of rear tails and a bumper along with it from some spares he had! (score). Paint code is "B6". any ideas what that translate to in the color charts?

and now! to vacuum.


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Started swapping the FC subframe into the RX-2. all the old, worn out, garage of a suspension and steering. Made the front brackets are they are welded in. Took forever to get them right using the dial caliper so they should be as close as possible.

Need more cutting discs to clearance the rear. then i can box that and make the rear mounts.

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Are the RX2 frame rails the same width as the FCs?

negative.

i had to make mounts that are outboard of the frame. the Rx2 is far narrower. This WILL require some kinda over fender shenanigans. This is also cause some issues with the coilovers. A stock FC coilcover probably wont work since it will cause all of the camber ever, since the hubs are much farther.

So with that, I have a guy who builds custom coilovers (he did my rally ones) so ill have that made for the application.

but considering there is nothing for the rx2 for suspension, the brakes ubersuck and the steering is hilariously poor, i am more than willing to make this work.

I thought I had heard they were narrower. I can certainly understand the need for better suspension and steering though, not to mention real brakes.

This should be interesting. :lurk5:

here is an easy resto tip : everyone is talking about your rusty window channels ; have them metal sprayed ( its zinc) i had mine done and it came out great

does anyone with an Rx3 want to do me favor? can you measure the distance between hole centers of the strut top mount? in a triangular pattern starting from the single one closest to the engine then moving counter clock wise. just let me know which side of the car it was done from.

curious if i can rotate and modify camber plates for Rx2 use.

I can probably take those measurements this weekend. However, our RX3 has modified strut mounts and camber plates so it may be useless for you.

WE3Rx7, worst case if i can fit what your using, then it would be of benefit!

the subframe is in place. Going to reinforce the mounts and strengthen the frame. Im actually quite pleased!!!

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I didn't forget about your measurements - I got held up working on the RX8 and moving cars around the last few weekends.

As mentioned before... our RX3 has a completely modified strut mount, so I'm not sure if measurements will help:

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That's what our setup looks like. If you're interested in this type of modification, I can get you any measurement from it you need. It basically involves just cutting out the OEM tops and welding in a new thick plate and then drill where you need the holes....

15x8 roll around wheels. since im moving, i have to put things into a pause...

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WE3RX7,

Yea that doesn't seem to work for me. I found some options out of AU i might go with.

neat! Giving up on the rx7 though? Also if you want to bring those hubs inward more I think you can use 626 ball joints or some other early 90s fwd machine. They aren't as long as the FC ones.

not giving up on anything! i have three on-going pain in the asses!

ill have to look into that. Sounds like it could help resolve a little bit of my excessive camber issue as well.

seems to be a 323 from say 1990 that might work. ill have to see if the spacing is the same for the two hole mounting.

Yeah because the 323 guys use our ball joints to gain some more negative camber.

frame notched for the steering to clear from rack to column. so far so good. Now i need to fill the tank and weld everything up so its supported.

Here is progress from today and last night. Most of what i wanted for reinforcement is done. Just need more finishing welding, then some metal for the frame rails underneath that i had to cut for clearance. Ill probably get OCD and file the welds so everything that i can reach will look nice and rounded. I also got a manual rack and It seems like i can use the stock steering with the FC intermediate shaft. I just had to clock the steering a bit to clear.

The pics below are not fully assembled just because i was still messing with fitment. The steering is like 1 degree from going right in. I might just clock a little more and be good.

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The steering knuckle I assume is laying a bit outward in the pic, it looks tight? Should be pretty cool when it's all done though.

yea the subframe is hanging out. when it all assembled it fits well, but getting it fitting is a pain. Im going to trim a little more and reweld so i can get some more clearance on the back side of the intermediate shaft.

looks good mang, too bad you arent in ohio so i can see these projects in person...

thanks Brian. Wait til you see the color thats picked out.

This color!

http://www.eastwood.com/media/catalo...e95/p38399.jpg

Great find!
 

Great job so far! Digg the color big time!!!

Busy weekend working on the claptrap. Started boxing the frame i had to clearance for the FC subframe. I learned I hate welding upside down. Like, a lot.

Started stitching up the engine bay, which proved a pain. Lots of rust to contend with. Steering clearanced in the frame rail, but a little rust to remove forward of the cut. so i need to work on that still.

Then found one of my FB overskin templates, so i modified the Rx2 top to be an Rx7 for obvious reasons. Need to find the other one to the do the driver's side. I also might go ahead and smooth over the welds so it looks nicer. But OCD.


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Since you had to build 'outriggers' to mount the FC subframe on the RX-2, I wonder how close to 'bolting in' it would be on my Cosmo. I think the Cosmo might actually be too wide.

Hmmmmmmmmm

give me the the dimensions inside to insde and outside to outside and Ill be able to give you an idea.

I need to get my hands on coilovers to get this car rolling around. The FB spring on FC strut hits the Rx-2 spring tunnel.

I'll do some measuring tonight after work!

Looks like 27" from center to center of the front rails.

That sound right?

scored a set of shitty ebay coilover things from the pull a part which will allow me to get the car rolling around until i can afford coilovers for it!

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