Welcome to My RX-7 Page

This Web site features information and pictures of my 1994 Brillant Black Touring Edition RX-7. On these pages you will learn more about my latest addiction, the 3rd generation Rx-7. I plan to include general information about the Rx-7, as well as updates of modifications I have planned for my car (more pics to come!). This site will always be under construction in some form or another but I will attempt to keep it update frequently.

My Car

I bought my Black 94 Touring RX-7 in Houston, TX in January of 2002. I remember the first time I saw a third gen back in 1993 and thought "Wow, what the heck is that?" It was love at first site. Unfortunately I was a college student at the time and there was no way I could afford such a high-performance sports car.

When I bought the car is was basically stock with the only modifcation being a 3" stainless steel downpipe which elimiates the stock pre-cat, a known problem area for the engine. Basically, the pre-cats often fail and trap heat in an already hot engine. Rotary engines run much hotter than a piston engine and a hot roatry engine is an unhappy rotary engine. The engine and both turbos had been rebuilt by the previous owner most likely because of an overheated, and consequently blown, engine. When I bought the car the engine and turbos only had 6500 miles on them. While the engine was out the previous owner wisely replace all of the rubber hoses which get brittle and crack over time due to the excessive engine temps. Too bad the owner didn't know to replace the stock rubber hoses with silicon hoses that can withstand much higher temperatures. One of these days I'm going to have to dig into the infamous "rats nest" of hoses and replace them with silicon but that's a project for down the road.

The only thing I've added to the car so far is a boost gauge so that I can monitor the health of my turbos. I've ordered an aluminum Air Seperator Tank (AST) to replace the stock plastic tank which is prone to crack as it gets older and leak coolant and will be installing it once it arrives. The brake rotors are also warped so I took the opportunity to upgrade the brakes as well. I've orderd a Bonez Stage (I) brake kit which includes slotted rotors, stage (I) pads, and stainless steel brake lines. I plan to paint the calipers in the near future as well as a nice finishing touch.

I plan to do a few other mods in the future as well and will update this page as they happen. Maybe I should start playing the lottery so that I can stike it rich and afford all the things I'd like to do with my car.

Wankel, Rotors, and Other Unsolved Mysteries

Wankel? Rotary engine? Have no idea what I'm talking about? You're not alone! Most people are not familiar with the mysterious rotary engine.

The rotary engine was first developed by Dr. Felix Wankel and has evolved into the powerplant for all RX-7s. The rotary engine is similar to the conventional piston engine in your car but works in an entirely innovative way. Like the piston engine, the rotary goes through the stages of intake, compression, combustion and exhaust but does it wall without the use of pistons!

"What? No pistons? You're kidding me right?"

Nope, the rotary engine gets it name from it's use of two (and rarely three) rotors that oscillate in seperate housings. The rotary engine is more effecient than a piston engine because the rotors spin continuously in a sinle direction versus the up and down direction of a piston engine. It takes a lot more engery to reverse directions like the piston engine does. Another cool part of the rotary design is that all four stages of the compustion process are happening all at the same time with each rotor! For an idea of what this strange sounding engine looks like see the photo near the top right of this page.

Want to Know More?

If you'd like a much more detailed expination of how the rotary engine works and how it differs from a piston engine check out the How Stuff Works website at the following link: http://www.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine.htm

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Last Year of Production
I'm sad to report that the 2002 model year will be the last for the 3rd Gen RX-7. The last model year for the US was in 1995 but production continued in Japan. Will there be a 4th generation Rx-7? I sure hope so!

The RX-7 Forum

The RX-7 forum can be found at the link below and is a great place to learn more about this awesome car, chat with fellow enthusiasts, and even buy/sell RX-7 products. If you own any generation of Rx-7, or just want to learn more about the best sports car to ever come out of Japan, you should join the forum today!