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that looks outstanding! Just the type of wheels that would have been used in the '60s and '70s.

....well, had all the rear end heim joints replaced with teflon bushings....a chap made up the new rods for me.... What a difference.... no more banging and thumping from the rear end...and the car doesn't bounce around when hitting bumps....an amazing difference!!!

Now to tackle the transmission....still trying to determine what has to be changed using a newer Mazda RX7 5 speed, relative to the older 12A engine'd 4 speed. Some say fly wheel and starter, some say nothing....???

Gordon,
If you are still using the 1982 12A you really should not need to change much. I think the only thing that is different is the the shifter will be about 4" further back than the 4 speed.
JEB

...I was told it was an '80 or '82 .... it is a 12A with the raised H's on the rotor covers.... although it has a distributor, not injected, i don't know if it was retro fitted.... Mazda couldn't help me even with the engine number?

Unfortunately, Teflon is not a good material for bushings other than a liner. It will distort over time, it doesnt have good mechanical stability in a high load situation. Nylon or UHMW are much better. Although the Teflon has some give and will be more comfortable it will distort quickly. Urethane, Nylon, UHMW, or high durometer rubber are good choices. Nylon will be very hard too. I used one rubber bush and three heims on each side. Made the ride better and allowed proper articuation.

Some of the older rotaries had a top mount starter. There is still a flat spot on the top of the rear iron of the newer engines to use a top mount starter. There older cars require a different flywheel to work with the top mount starter.

Other than that the rx2, rx3,rx4, rx5 and all the rx7s use a similar engine to transmission bolt pattern. You can swap any tranny with any engine. Now, some of the trannys are different length (old school 4 speeds and 5 speeds are different I believe). There are also and two shifter positions. There are a couple different flywheels and you will want to keep the flywheel with the engine. Turbo and Rx8 flywheels are bigger and require a different starter, or an aftermarket flywheel.

I would just check to see if your 4 speed and 5 speed are the same length, so you do not need to have another drive shaft made; and then make sure the you can live with the new shifter position. The old "rib cage" trannys are really strong although they have weaker syncros. The old trannys are around if you end up needing one.

JEB (a bit of a rotary geek)

....have put quite a few more miles on it the last month or so....(and a lot of fuel).... am getting used to the Rotary and still can't believe how much power comes out of an 1100 cc engine.....
I'm so going to get into trouble....

Dang, Gordon, I shipped that frame the 9th of May. Isn't it there yet? Please advise, our operators are standing by.

....sorry Jack....thought I emailed you....yes, picked it up ages ago.... just finished my contract at work and now have some time...got it trimmed up today and almost ready for glass....

This is about 3/4" shorter then the original Lotus 7 glass I made the pattern from....

(What size/thread are the 6 screws for the stauntions, seem to have misplaced them....)

I added fasteners for a 'future top'....now that was not the simple thing I thought it would be.....thought I could rivet them, but the rivets don't fit into the fastener end....ended up with little self threading machine screws...seems to have worked just fine...

That is a great looking Seven. Before you put the glass in add more snaps to the top of the windshield frame. The large spacing will allow the wind "low pressure area" to pull the top up between the snaps.
Dave W

....i thought that should do it on spacing, but will add a reinforcing strip to the front of the top to keep it flat (I think a snap between each of those might look a bit too much)....anyway, will be some time before I make a top....going to do just a little half one first....

Played around with a rattle can yesterday....

Gordon
I have five snaps across the top and two on the side and it is not enough, I should have put seven across the top, so putting 8, would not be that much over kill. I think Skinny G use a metal strip across the front of his top. Might want to check it out. I also had the best luck in holding the bikini top in place with turnbuckles in the back, Vs belts or rubber bungie cords.
Dave W

....have the windshield frame drilled and tapped for the side stantions....added two small brackets for mirrors....now to have the glass cut and installed....

...Chose a glass place from my iPhone and when the young owner asked what the windshield frame was for, I told him ....Lotus 7 Replica.... he, it seems loves all things Lotus and said ... '$85.00 and a ride'.... lucked out on that one....
And the side windshield posts I dropped off for powder coating, the chap said 'your in luck....doing silver this afternoon'... so am on my way this morning to pick them up....

some days things can just go your way......

....after a quick week's vacation in Halifax, Nova Scotia, my first stop yesterday was at the glass guy's....he had cut the glass last week and after an hour's struggle finding window frame molding...(just went with flat 1/16" rubber folded around the 1/4" glass...and lots of silicon spray and sanding) got the windshield mounted...

...oh, and it is twice as windy driving as before....don't want wind wings or visors, so will just live with it....