Only the driver notices a stiff chassis, I don't see what the problem is here.
Was the guy you bought it from a racer or did he just find it in some field somewhere and repurpose it as a chicken coop while making craigslist ads entitled GO FAST JAPANESE CAR WITH RACE NUMBERS PRICE IS FIRM L@@K I KNOW WHAT I GOT?
Possible derogatory nicknames:
I couldn't be more jealous. I want a rallycross FC so badly.
This thing was an SCCA Club Rally car 1988-2004, then a LeMons car for 1(?) event, then it sat for years. The guy I bought it from had previously rallied it, and bought it back from people connected to the LeMons team in its' current state.
I kind of like "Rusty Brappington" but it'll need a mustache and a monocle to pull that off.
I'm 95% sure that Nui Srisook was the original builder of the car, he's on book of faces. If you have any questions regarding it, or the wiring. He was the builder of my DSM which suffered a similar fate regarding wiring.
Here's a selection of photos of what was his old car, that I believe you're now the semi-proud-fully-tortured owner of.
bonus as that one has my dsm in the back /\
It's Made of Cheese
Stuff that is no longer on the car:
Swiss cheese passenger floor:
The first of many patches (I need to clean better before welding):
Not pretty but it'll get the job done. There appears to be a ton of seam sealer used in this car, I kept encountering it while welding. I'm doing lap joints for all the floor patches and will weld the underside as well- the 16ga I'm patching with also seems to be thicker than the original floor material.
Looks like Dave Shindle was co-driving here (I mean, is there anyone he hasn't co-driven with at this point??). And of course you know how to touch base with him....he may have more history on the car as well.
EDIT: though, of course that can't be the same car since it's a 1st gen and yours is a 2nd gen, lol...
Definitely not the same car.
EvanB wrote: Definitely not the same car.
What he said 
Rust repair is ongoing but I haven't documented much. Maybe picking up a parts car soon, that seems like the best way to get doors, wiring, etc. for a reasonable price.
Doors you say? I have a set in the basement that could be had for a fair price.
Theres a yard local to me full of rx7s. Like probably close to 75. Its north Carolina, so probably fairly rust free. I can get the number if you want. I can also hold on to it on my property for up to a month til you can get it.
I'll be in touch with both of you if my $300 "ran when parked" FC purchase falls through.
BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZTTTTTT
I've been doing a lot of cutting and welding.
Passenger Floor:
Passenger Strut Tower:
Driver Floor:
Then the driver's A-pillar cage foot. Note to anyone building a cage- if you weld something in a location where it will be nearly impossible to remove later, please at least paint it so the cheapass who buys your old broken race car doesn't have to cut it out and redo it 
This was the "easier" side since the floor underneath it didn't need to be replaced, but turned out to be difficult with a steering column, pedals, and wiring all in the way. I also did this one first for practice- the navigator is less directly responsible for a rollover than the driver, so they get the better cage foot 
New cage foot welded in:
Next is the other A-pillar cage foot, then seat mounts, then I should be mostly done welding!
aaaaaaaaaaaaaand the parts car disappeared before I could get to it.
You have mail.
Received- thanks!
Let me know if you want eyes on the ground.
Rust Repairs Complete!
Navigator cage foot before:
Floor under foot replaced:
New foot on new floor:
Now for seat mounts, and then just a E36 M3-ton of other stuff! 
I'm glad to see you are fixing it. Old rally cars need to live again!
Made a parts run this morning and started rebuilding the diff this afternoon. The plates were stacked "wrong" so I might not need to shim it to get my breakaway to where I'd like it to be- but I broke one of the stupid countersunk screws that holds the center section together so I haven't tested yet. 
Whoa! This thread is relevant to my interests! I used to be obsessed with rallying, and ive recently had that obsession reawakened... im in southern NY as well, wouldnt mind heading to some rallys and checking this out! I shall be living vicariously through you as theres no way I could rally myself... yet...
You should volunteer at ESPR!
just looked that up, i might have to try that! I've always wanted to do stage rallying, seems like volunteering would be the best way to get involved at this point.
To be clear, you mean empire state performance rally, right? Also, can i volunteer for certain days? not sure i could do sunday, but saturday maybe.
Yep, Empire State Performance Rally- I think you might be able to do a single day volunteer thing, but you'd have to ask.
Get Low (Seat Mounts)
So, if you recall, the original seat mounts looked like this:
The approved method of mounting seats is to run .125" wall tube from the sill to the tunnel, and bolt your seat brackets to that. Since the RX7 is severely lacking in the headroom department, my plan is to use bottom mount seats and bolt them directly to the tubes- accessing the bolts may be tricky, but I should be able to figure out a solution to that.
First order of business is plates on the sill and tunnel for the tubes to tie in to:
Then, weld the tube in between, remembering to drill holes for seat mounting and bolt access:
One down, three to go. This is a rear mount, so I had to drill holes in the floor for bolt access- these will either be plugged or welded shut again if I feel like making it really difficult to remove the bolts.
Having now seen this car in person, I can confirm Chris has his work cut out for him. But he is young and enthusiastic, so I am confident he'll get it done and some day I may be sitting in the passenger seat shouting at him in some sort of code.
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