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Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:55 pm
by KiwiDave
That clever Google found this forum for me. If you go to the FBs for sale section and look at Series 3 FB Red TWR, then you are looking at my new RX7 and the last time I owned one (a Series 5) was some ten years ago back in NZ. My first was a RX3 back in 1980 followed by a succession of 2's, 3's ,4's and 7's.
In between, I played around with a few GT corollas (AE86 and TE55) and an ex UK Golf GTI before heading over here in 2004.
I got well into TWR Jaguars for a while but still kept one eye out for a series 3 and have finally taken the leap back into the rotary whirlpool. How times have changed.. I went to Halfords to buy a timing light and the guy asked me if it was some kind of stopwatch for drag racing :o
Anyways, it's off to Hayward Rotary tomorrow to sort the carb and the rotor chatter (no, I didn't find a timing light) and then to find some suitable roads for performance assessment.
Am looking forward to meeting some of you of anyone is West London located. And can you tell me where to start a thread relating to how do I fix this and that, the usual FB stuff like electrics, power windows, steering boxes etc, you know the stuff.
Yours in Rotorsport
Dave.

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:46 pm
by ian65
Hi Dave
a very warm welcome mate to the fb forum.... glad you've bought the red TWR... we all like that car on here.... there is a thread on it by Fizz, its previous owner.
Start a thread off in the 'RX7 rides and projects' section and the guys will offer much hindrance!
James ( Silverarrow) is another Kiwi in West London and has a cool 12a turbo series 2 that he's adding some subtle mods to... no doubt he'll be along to say hello soon.

Glad to have you on-board!

cheers,
Ian
.

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:52 pm
by Lucky
Wotcher, welcome and all that! Don't expect sense from anyone in Halfrauds lol. When I asked why they didn't list replacement wipers for a Toyota MR2 the guy there told me it's cos they only stock for common models of car :? Like, MR2's, uncommon? When did this happen?

Anyhoo, not been in here long meself but it's a lovely friendly li'l forum and the long-termers know literally everything about everything W(p . It's humbling :)

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:15 pm
by MelloYello
Hi KiwiDave

Welcome, you have found a great forum here. Lots of questions can be answered.
Good to have another London based rotor, there are a few about now.
Hope to meet up soon. 0-0

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2011 10:26 am
by chc
Hi Dave - welcome to the forum :D , isn't it gr8 getting back into an RX7 after many years of straying in the wilderness of modern technology and fancy gismoses. No matter what we lust after we always seem to be drawn back to the rotary g-l - god bless Mazda I say.
Think you'll find a few differences with the UK spec'd cars - like 'rust monkeys' :cry: and no A/C :o - tell me, did the our Australasian relatives suffer with rust too?

Cliff

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 9:59 pm
by KiwiDave
chc wrote:Hi Dave - welcome to the forum :D , isn't it gr8 getting back into an RX7 after many years of straying in the wilderness of modern technology and fancy gismoses. No matter what we lust after we always seem to be drawn back to the rotary g-l - god bless Mazda I say.
Think you'll find a few differences with the UK spec'd cars - like 'rust monkeys' :cry: and no A/C :o - tell me, did the our Australasian relatives suffer with rust too?

Cliff
The old timworm doesn't generally affect cars so much back in NZ. They don't use the same evil grit combination on the roads during winter (for the areas that suffer snowfall). No acid rain either.
And regarding UK spec 7's, it is a real surprise to find A/C buttons fitted as standard to non A/C cars. NZ FB's didn't get A/C either but had the standard fan switch installed. Saw the A/C switch in mine and was most disappointed when I lifted the bonnet. :?:

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:04 pm
by ian65
I think at the end of the run, Mazda were just using up whatever parts they had left... nearly all 'C' reg cars in the UK had the aircon equipped blower switch but of course, no UK market cars had air-con fitted. You aren't the first to be disappointed Dave when you lifted the bonnet and discovered there wasn't any aircon!

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:06 pm
by Lucky
According to a reply on my thread on RX-7 Club (in the States) Yank cars had the spurious A/C button too. According to the dude, Mazda fitted the same controls to all the cars but the buyer specced the aircon (or not) at point of sale so a lot of more budget-specced cars had the button but no aircon to go with it. Whether this is true or not, I dunno but can't see why he'd make that up.

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:55 pm
by chc
Have to admit my 1st RX7 (The Yellow Peril) was a Japanese Import and that had the A/C fitted as standard and boy was it useful here - must admit if I ever came across the unit I'd buy and fit it!
I am a little surprised to hear the NZ cars weren't fitted as standard either - I recall that all of the eastern Australian 7's I saw in the 80's had A/C standard (that was where I 1st saw the metallic Green with Brown interior coordination - I liked it)

Re: Hello from another Kiwi

Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2011 11:00 pm
by ian65
chc wrote:that was where I 1st saw the metallic Green with Brown interior coordination - I liked it
must have been like driving around in a chocolate lime!!!