RX7 Hillclimber Build Thread

Kevin had a nice weekend. The hill was "slow" overall though thanks to the intense heat and deteriorating asphalt.

In other news, I need a new muffler setup, which will be using RacingBeat mufflers this time. Any tips on welding a 2-1 collector to make my life easier?

In reply to DaveEstey:

Buy one. They well and truly suck to make if you are a perfectionist.

burns stainless or vibrant performance come to mind.

/easy button

Yeah I'm going to hit the easy button along with 2 racingbeat mufflers. A hillclimb buddy wants to do a track day so I need it quiet(ish) and install an inline pressure switch and brake lights.

I dreaded putting on my fire suit every single time. It was in the 90s with crushing humidity. By time I got to the top of the hill I looked like I had gone swimming.

SCCA raced in Houston TX back in the day. EVERY race from May - Sept was heat in 90's (or more) with crushing humidity. Most of 'em in April and Oct were similar. AND, the heater had to be on high to keep the car from overheating (rules allowed no radiator mods). Try that in a 3 layer suit w/underwear for 1/2 to 3 hours at a time.....fun ain't it!?! Drink your water....I lost 8 lbs. during a 3 hour enduro in August.

I did a thing. No more camping in a tent for me. The car gets to stay dry too I guess.

You did a very, very good thing.

Next up is modifying the trailer a little. LED lighting inside, shelving and tire rack.

Wow, this is getting downright fancy! I've enjoyed watching the build and can't wait to see more! Will the trailer get its own thread?

Nah I'll combo it. The RX7 development is a little slow as I'm just racing it and enjoying it for the first time in 3 years and collecting data for off-season work.

Trailer time! The big difference between an expensive trailer and a less expensive trailer is fit and finish. Time for sweat equity.

One coat on

I'm using Killz bathroom paint since it covers most any stain and takes humidity like a champ. I'll do a glossy coat over the top of this once it's all sealed.

I'm looking into floor coatings now. Lots of options, but I'm not sure what I like and don't like.

Insulation, AC and a fold down bed! Come on you know you want too.....

http://www.tnttt.com/viewforum.php?f=42&sid=da5969bcc5cb67e9723000484f439104

Hahahaha. I'm going inflatable mattress. I'll put some shelving/tire rack in the front, but it will likely never have AC since I'll need a generator for that. Everything is going to be 12v DC for now - in fact I already ordered 45 feet of LEDs for lighting.

In reply to DaveEstey: A basic folding bed with a real mattress will be SO much better, I have hate for airbeds....

I'd love to, but the car needs to fit inside while I'm sleeping too. No side glass makes for a wet butt far too often.

I'd strongly suggest a camping hammock. The only reason I was stuck sleeping in a tent (like a peasant) at Okemo was because there aren't really any trees there. If you mount eyelets on either side of the trailer, you could certainly sleep right above the hood of the car, and have plenty of room to spare. Once I got the 'hang' (ha!) of laying in a hammock diagonally, I got some of the best sleep I've ever had.

I have a few spare hammocks, if you want to give it a try at Ascutney 2.

I'll consider it. I got a 24' long trailer so there's ample room for both the RX7 and me

24' and you can't fit a bed?! I guess I value sleep too much

I can easily fit a queen size air bed and tools. But having a mattress would be too much to move around and deal with

I'll bring one along. You'll want some eyelets you can hang it from, and expect it to hang down at around 30 degrees with you in it (so you can estimate the right height, based on how wide the trailer is.

It's 8' wide inside

Got my LEDs today - 15 meters of them.

Here's one string running at 2 amps in my pitch black shop.

Should be ample light with three strings running off a lawn mower battery.

There's sunlight coming through the roof vent, but this is two strands of LEDs

I got some high gloss white for the walls, which will brighten things more, as well as gloss slate porch paint for the floor.