Author Topic: Groll's Baby!!!!  (Read 8180 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Groll's Baby!!!!
« on: June 20, 2011, 09:41:26 AM »
Well as many of you know I own a 1987 Red GXL NA.  This car is my baby and I have talked about it many times.  No one has actually seen the car over the years, including myself.  This baby of mine go back a long ways.  I purchased it in Aug 1997, It was the first car i purchased on my own and the first Stick shift I owned. 

Over the summer working for American Rentals I saw it for sale on the side of the road.  I watched it sit there all summer long as i saved up the money to allow me to purchase it.  When I had enough saved up I called the number and went to look at the car in person.  I found out the engine was a rotary, and fell in love.  I loved the styling, I loved the fact that it was not a piston engine, but I really had no clue what a rotary was other then it was different.  I wanted it and i didn't care, that little red sports car was going to be mine. 

At the time i beleive it had around 95,000 on the odometer.  It was a beautiful summer august day when i met the gentleman again for the second time.  This time we discussed price and upon settling on the price we drove to Felpuasch in Grand Ledge.  At the time my bank had a branch located inside the grocery store there.  I pulled out the money and he signed over the title.  About that time, we heard sirens go racing by north on M-100. 

That day had more significance to me then just a car, about the same time i was purchasing my car from him, a good friend of mine and my wife was in a very very serious car accident and she did not survive.  I know JJ would have loved seeing my little red sports car.  She would have loved riding in it too.  I did not learn of her accident until later in the evening.  On the way to a friends house, the clutch actually went out.  This was the beginning of the storied history of my Baby.

This car has always been around, though not always on the road.  It has been a ton of fun too.  I taught my wife how to drive a stick shift in it.  Not sure why i did that, now she drives the rx-7s like she stole them.  I will upload pics of the car and its progress.  This car is about to undergo the biggest transformation in its life and has been 14yrs in the making.  Stop by as i update the forum on the process of my Baby which i had named "The Rex!"
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline pjr

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 117
  • Karma: 4
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2011, 08:12:20 PM »

Wow. Sounds like a tribute vehicle in the making. Looking forward to updates.


Offline ITSWILL

  • Rotary God!!
  • ******
  • Posts: I am a geek!!
  • Karma: 9
  • Gender: Male
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2012, 07:40:08 AM »
It's almost a year later but there should be much more to come very soon...
86 Base LS1 w/100 shot
88 TII 20B T70 turbo

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2012, 07:58:16 AM »
If there is anyone that wants to help, we will be installing the engine into it tomorrow.  The more hands the faster this effort will be accomplished.  Itswill will be providing the garage space.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline ITSWILL

  • Rotary God!!
  • ******
  • Posts: I am a geek!!
  • Karma: 9
  • Gender: Male
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2012, 09:20:20 PM »
Some pics form today. First we dragged his car over to my house.  Andrew was very excited!!!.  So far we got the engine stripped down and cleaned up a bit.











86 Base LS1 w/100 shot
88 TII 20B T70 turbo

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2012, 09:57:41 PM »
Thanks for providing the garage space and extra hands to help me get this car running again.  I am hoping tomorrow to hear it come to life, assuming all goes well.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2012, 09:12:24 PM »
The engine is not in the car yet,but we made great progressgetting it cleaned up and sorting through the rest of the parts, getting the best stuff installed.  Tueday the plan is to clean up the engine bay.  The rats nest has been removed and things have been simplified.  This is some much needed progress.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline ITSWILL

  • Rotary God!!
  • ******
  • Posts: I am a geek!!
  • Karma: 9
  • Gender: Male
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #7 on: June 18, 2012, 11:55:11 AM »


86 Base LS1 w/100 shot
88 TII 20B T70 turbo

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #8 on: June 18, 2012, 12:03:02 PM »
It's hard to beleive that is the same engine in both pics.  That thing cleaned up so well.  It is making me drool just looking aat it right now.  I can't wait till we can try to get it running.  Tonight i will pick up the pilot bearing that i put on order.  I am hoping it is the right part that arrives, becuase the picture was distorted and overly enlarged to look right at advanced auto parts.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline toplessFC3Sman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 405
  • Karma: 8
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2012, 01:00:12 PM »
Oh yea, the first picture of it in the bed of a truck makes it look about paper-weight grade, but it cleans up well.  When does it move into its new home?

Offline ITSWILL

  • Rotary God!!
  • ******
  • Posts: I am a geek!!
  • Karma: 9
  • Gender: Male
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2012, 02:45:49 PM »
once the engine bay is clean!
86 Base LS1 w/100 shot
88 TII 20B T70 turbo

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #11 on: June 20, 2012, 06:39:45 AM »
Last night we cleaned up the engine bay some.  Also will and andrew started buffing the car, and bringing back some amazing looking life to the faded red paint.  The pilot bearing ordered turned out to be the wrong part.  I got another one on order and hoping it will arrive tomorrow.  Then hopefully friday we can install the engine and turn it over and see if we get enough compression to run.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2012, 08:16:11 AM »
I have yet to post the pictures, but we have gotten the car to run breifly.  It is not starting all of the time as it should.  We have been checking sensors messing with the crank angle sensor and trying to hunt down the culprit to this entire issue.  We will get it solved, hopefully it wont take to much more.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!

Offline ITSWILL

  • Rotary God!!
  • ******
  • Posts: I am a geek!!
  • Karma: 9
  • Gender: Male
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2012, 07:28:48 PM »
So Andrew came home and started it a few times and then it flooded.  Afterwards I had an epiphany and realized that we didn't connect the vacuum hose to the map sensor (duh).  Anyway it's wicked flooded so we will wait until tomorrow to mess with it some more. 
86 Base LS1 w/100 shot
88 TII 20B T70 turbo

Offline ~Groll69~

  • Administrator
  • Rotary God!!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1235
  • Karma: 1
  • Gender: Male
    • Elegant Lady Bridal and Tuxedo
Re: Groll's Baby!!!!
« Reply #14 on: June 27, 2012, 12:40:51 PM »
I beleive the engine has to low of compression to be able to start reguarly and reliably.  Everything else checks out as it should.  Now onto the longer aspect of doing a rebuild.  I beleive i already have all of the parts that i need to rebuild an NA engine, minus two side seals.  I will have to inventory what i have and start from there.
"Long Live Rotary"

An RX-7 is like having a slut as a gf! She will love you, but she will also screw around with the guy at the parts store, most of the local cops, your insurance agent, your apex seals, your bank account and your credit card!!!