Terry's MAZDA rx3 Restoration & rare parts store

My official 1973 RX3 Sedan Restoration Project Site. This project is a W.I.P (work in progress) and the car will be sold after final completion!

NOTE: Due to unforseen circumstances and other project deadlines, completion date has been extended to 2011.

• This car was featured in the 2009 New Zealand Rotary Nationals Show as a W.I.P project.

• I'm sure you'll be impressed with recent photos of the restoration process I'm putting it through? Check out the Photo-Gallery page Gallery

• A complete history of this project is presented here for your own eyes to see the car as it is put through all stages of the automotive restoration procedure - Yes, WARTS & ALL!
  Afterall, nothing worse than not seeing or knowing what's actually underneath that nice looking spray job? Not here.. you'll see the whole thing from start to finish!

• Feel free to 'Blog' me & check out my 'Rare Car Parts' store too.

History:

• 1973 Original Mazda NZ Assembled 10A Sedan. Shortly thereafter fitted with a 12A rotary engine.
  Car body colour; WHITE.

• Some time prior to my purchase between 1973-1988, the car was painted black.

• When I purchased it in 1988, I reconditioned the 12A Engine but only drove the vehicle a further 3500 Ks since (virtually brand new engine). 

• I repainted it metallic blue in December 1990 & retired the vehicle to my garage for 18-years, without re-registration (rego lapsed).

2007-2008:

• December 2007; - the car was inspected by an engineering certifier who deemed it to be in excellent structural condition, but required the following minor structural rework;
  - Upper firewall cowl plate rust removal.
  - 2 x "A pillar" rust repairs.
  - Right hand lower metal sill replacement.

• March 2008; car booked into 'Glen Eden Panelbeaters' for repairs under engineering recertification guidance.

• April 2008; car stripped bare & subjected to an 'acid bath strip' procedure, to dissolve all rust, afterwith the car body was etch sealed using Tergo-Epiphos metal etch primer.

• June 2008; Disk & drum brakes were reconditioned & the following items were subjected to 'Gold Pacifate' electroplating, by 'Terei Brothers LTD':
  - All disk & drum brakes.
  - All rear suspension leaf springs (special no-brittling process used)

• Repairs up to November 2008; car subjected to all engineering cert' work, plus the following extra repairs by 'Glen Eden Panelbeaters':
  - Right rear quarter panel metal section replaced.
  - All doors re-skinned lowers.
  - Boot floor chassis support repair.
  - Dents pulled from roof lower regions of the car.
  - 2-pac metal etch primer applied to all sections requiring metal work.

• Custom Teflon spacers made & fitted to leaf suspension springs.

Dec' 2008 - 2009:

• Internal cage + engine bay + boot sections, completely stripped back to bare metal and 'Bondo' rust prevention applied to al double skin seams, then sprayed with 'Lechler' 2-pac epoxy primer.

• Right-front guard lower regions re-skinned.

• Replaced the original 10A nosecone with another with a genuine metal savana lower valance. Paint stripped & 2-pac primer etch applied to shell.

• Inner front wheel walls & inner nosecone & inner front guards; ground back to bare metal and applied 'POR-15, BlackCote' permanent rust prevention paint & made sure that the paint ran into all double-skin seams & crevices.

• Front suspension struts re-cored with Munroe Gas shock absorber inserts.

• All front end rubber bushes, replaced with new nolathane types.

• Front sterring & suspension rack reconditioned with new ball joints & subjected to 'Gold Pacifate' electroplating, by 'Terei Brothers LTD'.

• Minor body filler applied to nominated outer panels in preparation for the painting process to follow.

• Jan 2009; Car entered into the 2009 NZ Rotary Nationals show as a rolling shell.

• Feb-June 2009; Front & Rear bumpers fully rechromed to show-car standard (ouch, very expensive).

• Dash Vinyl repairs under way.

Apr' 2009 - 2010:

• Purchased brand new deep-dish chrome mags.

• Purchased 2nd hand - original Savanna Steering wheel.

• Reminting plastic work around the center-dash-console.

• Panel skim finishing around outer panels, Still in progress...

2011+

• No further progress due to ill-heath.

Entered 2009; Fours & Rotary Nationals Show (below). Caught the attention of up to 30,000 spectators.