ITA/IT7 RX-7 as a Newbie car?

J

Jimbo

New member
After getting introspective and deciding that racing up front is not as important as just racing, I need some opinions: Is a ITA/IT7 prepped RX-7 a good option for a newbie? I'm looking for reliability and cost containment. Are there expensive common problems associated with the car? I'm not looking to fight my way to the top of the podium, so how good of a mechanic do I need to be to keep it on the track week after week? Is there a better choice? For what it's worth, I'm in NE Ohio, so we'd be looking at Nelson Ledges, Beaverun, and Mid-Ohio.

Thanks,
 
Not a bad choice, Jimbo. Lots of good cars available.

Front brakes/wheel bearings can be a bit of a pain as certainly is a proper exhaust for those cars. Everything else is fairly reliable. Over the long term, transmissions need some tender care.

Welcome aboard!
 
Jimbo, good choice because of the economics of the car, the CenDiv has a IT7 class & they have a IT7 seven race series at Mid Ohio. There are a bunch of 7's guys from Mich & Ohio that have been real quite on this site lately. I raced a Mid Ohio double Regional once in 2002. Nice interesting track.

Have Fun
wink.gif

David
CenDiv
Milwaukee Region
Spec-7 # 14
 
I was guided to buy an RX7 as my first race car due to the fact it's cheap, it runs, and will continue to run. Why you ask? I know you would.
smile.gif
Since us RX7 folks don't get to play with our engine, you also get to save mucho bucks on not playing with your engine. Think of these Honda guys who are spending $7000 on theirs. Ouch! The rotary engine is also a little more forgiving if you miss a shift and zing it a couple times. Some piston engines will let you do that once and that's all she wrote.

One thing to know though is be sure you know how to care for and feed these rotary engines. This was something I was lacking on and because of it went through an engine. The engine needs oil in the fuel. Who knew! And to save them brakes, on your cool down lap, COOL DOWN! Don't even touch them! Then when you park, wait 5 minutes and push the car forward a couple feet to let a different part of the pads bake the rotors for awhile. Repeat in another 5.

Oh, and another thing that's good to know. When I needed another engine, I got one from a yard for $450. I put it in, it ran, I raced. That's all the prep it needed. That's got to be one of the easiest engine swaps of all time.

Plus if you race a 7, you get to meet those people who come up to you at the pump on the way to the track and say "rotary, what's a rotary?".

Oh, and don't flood it.

Rock and roll!

Ben.
 
Jimbo:
I run an ITA Rx7 and love it. This will be my third year racing it +one year of track days. Nothing but oil, gas, brakes, front rotors, and front bearings. I would have to agree that the only 'expensive' items are the brake rotors and an exhaust, every thing else seems to be on par with any other vehicle.

As far as keeping it on track week after week, as long as you stay on the pavement you simply have to go over the car and make sure everything is still torqued down.

I also am in NE Ohio, near Youngstown, and will be running Nelson Ledges this year. Drop me an email if you have questions.

[email protected]
 
I think it is a great choice. i wanted rear wheel drive and a class with full fields. lots of people have developed the car so there are lots of folks to ask questions. the stock rear suspension is evil when lowered but the tri link transforms the car. the best i have done is 7th out of 25 in ITA but i don't have all that much talent. the motor is pretty tough. in one of my schools i screwd up on a practice start and reved it to 10,300 rpm and raced the motor for 3 more years. I am learning a lot with the car and have resisted the temptation to spend money one fancy shocks and some other high dollar mods. all and all great car to learn how to race in.
dick
 
They Suck!!!!! Don't waste your time and money!!!!!

Just kidding. I agree with everyone. Best bang for the buck as a first race car.
 
Your first sentence is important, and reading that, I too will recommnend the car. And, unlike the frontrunners, these cars are cheap.

Keep an eye on the front bearings, and remember, they're old cars, and you'll be abusing it. Go over things often.

------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
Would an ITA/IT7 RX-7 work on the street? Since the motor is nearly stock all it is missing would be the emmision equipment.I'm looking for a street/auto x car for the first summer that I have my license and then run track days/regionals with it the next year. Is this a car that could get me to a track, race, and drive home?

[This message has been edited by Monkeywrench (edited February 28, 2004).]
 
Hmmm. All responses were positive, most offered good tips and words of encouragement. Guess that answers both my posted question and my curiousity about the people running the car/classes. Looks like the ball is in my court now.

Scott, thanks for the offer. I may email you with some questions, or maybe find out when you'll be at the Ledges and come over and say "Hi". I'm in Akron.

Jimbo
 
Hmmm. All responses were positive, most offered good tips and words of encouragement. Guess that answers both my posted question and my curiousity about the people running the car/classes. Looks like the ball is in my court now.

Scott, thanks for the offer. I may email you with some questions, or maybe find out when you'll be at the Ledges and come over and say "Hi". I'm in Akron.

Jimbo
 
Originally posted by Monkeywrench:
Would an ITA/IT7 RX-7 work on the street? Since the motor is nearly stock all it is missing would be the emmision equipment.I'm looking for a street/auto x car for the first summer that I have my license and then run track days/regionals with it the next year. Is this a car that could get me to a track, race, and drive home?

[This message has been edited by Monkeywrench (edited February 28, 2004).]
Click to expand...

YES, but once it is really set up for the track, lowered with all the right bushings and so on, it will drive like a truck at anything less than racing speeds, rattle like an old Chevy, and be annoying to anyone within 50 (?200!)feet if you have the exhaust set up to make any power.

I did that for a summer, and it was fun. Not a lot of storage, no AC, and it was a royal pain when an axle went, when the motor blew, and when the wheel was ripped off, all hundreds of miles from home..... Other than that, it was great. Best summer of my life...what does that tell you about your first year racing!

(Enjoy it, it only happens once!)



------------------
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
Jimbo:
I plan on being at Nelson 4/16-18 for the MVR drivers school, they will probably have a Fun Day on Friday that I will attend, to shake the cob webs off the car and to get my annual inspection.
 
i had hoped to get a IT7, or a Spec7 for school... bust missed out on a couple locally. they are great, reliable cars. easy to work on, ect.

i will be at the ledges with my blue x1/9 next month. what kind of "fun" day are you talking about on friday?

hoop

------------------
hoop
greensboro, nc
 
I'll throw in my support for the Gen1 RX-7, too. The Nuts started out with an ITA/IT7 RX-7 and an ITS Celica GT-S. We like the RX-7 so much that we're selling the Celica and we've bought another RX-7. SEDiv also has the IT7 class and we are friends with some of the competitors, which is one reason for going that direction in the first place, and adding to it later. We really don't have enough experience with the cars or racing to say anything definitive, but so far we've only had to do normal maintenance: filters, fluids, tires, and brakes. Keep an eye on the brake rotors. When little cracks start to form, go ahead and replace them. At least that's what we've been told; it hasn't happened to ours yet, but extra rotors came in the spares packages, anyway. :-)
 
I started out racing in a IT RX7 that I helped build. We started cheap with a free shell, junkyard motor, tranny, and GSL rear (all out of the same $400 parts car), slotted towers, cut stock springs with stock shocks, self-fabricated panhard and tri-link. The car was able to keep up with other 7's and ran competitively at the front of the IT pack with Bryan Cohn driving it. So... the 7's can be a very cheap ride if you want to get track time.

When I parted ways with the team I was racing with, I had the opportunity to buy or build any of the possible front running cars. I choose to buy another 1st Gen RX because the cars are reliable, take abuse fairly well, and are generally easy to work on. Besides, I needed a heck of a lot more track time to even dream of running up front.

A good thing to do is keep your eye out for running parts cars and also build good relationships with the street car RX7 nuts. They're great parts sources and usually are so wowed by the fact that you race an RX that they'll sometimes throw motors, tranny's, fender etc at you. Make sure you duck though
wink.gif


------------------
Scott
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it


[This message has been edited by Speed Raycer (edited March 23, 2004).]
 
iambhooper:
They usually have a non SCCA sanctioned Test-n-Tune day before most events. It is a great opportunity to get some track time in.

Check out http://www.fastone.com/Nelson99/nelson04schd.htm

I am still planning on attending. I hope to run the car on the track, get my annual, and e gads instruct. Watch the corner workers, don't be stupid, watch your mirrors, and watch the corner workers.
 
I'll throw in my 2 bucks in support of getting an ITA RX-7. The car is ultra reliable but it is also probably one of the most difficult cars and does take a lot of talent to go fast but once you've mastered it, you'll be able to go real fast in anything else. The girlie man Honda does not need talent. Just needs $$$$ to go fast.
Ray (aka-girlie Honda man)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top