One of the more difficult parts of my project is looming ever closer and I am lookig for advice. I am mounting the front and rear subframes from a FD RX-7 (3rd gen) onto my '69 510 body. From these subframes will hang all of the forged aluminum FD control arms, FD steering components, hubs, brakes, REW engine, Torsen diff., etc. It'll basically be a complete FD understructure (including PPF), under a 510 body. Anyway, once I have calculated the correct height for the body, I will be mounting the subframes so that the suspension is in the correct steady-state attitude. My question for the group, does anyone have any contacts in the Charlotte N.C. area with a frame shop, or racecar fabricator that can help me properly align everything before fabbing the attachment points? A large frame straightening jig, or flat chassis plate would really be the right way to go about doing this. TIA for any contacts that you think may be helpful.
Brad P.
FD subframe installation
Maxda defines their chassis by alpha codes. The RX-7's are usually refered to by their generation codes. The first generation cars, the smaller pointy ones, 1979-1985 were FB, the 2nd gen cars were the Porsche 944-looking 1986-1991 were FC's, and the latest version, the 3rd gen with the beautiful rounded body and the twin-turbo motor were FD's.
PPF stands for Power Plant Frame. this is a rigid trellis that bolts to the back of the transmission and to the front of the differential. It provides the torsional stiffness that the FD RX-7 and Miata are famous for, and that the 510 lacks (by todays standards). Since the PPF ties the front and rear af the drivetrain together, you may question how it will fit. Well, ironically, the wheelbase of the 510 and the FD RX-7 are within 0.10 inch of each other. It was this discovery that sparked this whole idea.
About the unit bodies. Yes, they are both uni-bodies. When I say subframe, I am refering to the piece that most 510 folks call a cross-member. In teh front, it's the piece that the lower suspension arms bolt to, and the engine sits on. In the rear, the swing-arms and diff attach to it. In the case of the FD RX-7, the rear subframe holds both the lower AND upper control arms, since it has a SLA (short/long-arm) double-wishbone suspension on all four corners. SO, where the 510 cross-members bolt to the body, I'll be attaching the subframes from the RX-7 (with a lot of adjustment).
PPF stands for Power Plant Frame. this is a rigid trellis that bolts to the back of the transmission and to the front of the differential. It provides the torsional stiffness that the FD RX-7 and Miata are famous for, and that the 510 lacks (by todays standards). Since the PPF ties the front and rear af the drivetrain together, you may question how it will fit. Well, ironically, the wheelbase of the 510 and the FD RX-7 are within 0.10 inch of each other. It was this discovery that sparked this whole idea.
About the unit bodies. Yes, they are both uni-bodies. When I say subframe, I am refering to the piece that most 510 folks call a cross-member. In teh front, it's the piece that the lower suspension arms bolt to, and the engine sits on. In the rear, the swing-arms and diff attach to it. In the case of the FD RX-7, the rear subframe holds both the lower AND upper control arms, since it has a SLA (short/long-arm) double-wishbone suspension on all four corners. SO, where the 510 cross-members bolt to the body, I'll be attaching the subframes from the RX-7 (with a lot of adjustment).
OK, I gotcha.
The PPF idea sounds pretty cool. I found a site once where a guy grafted the control arms from an FD (cool, now I can use cool model designations). I don't remember the website, strutless wonder seems to pop into my head, but this car was white, and the official "strutless wonder 510" is red. I think. It's late, my brain isn't working straight...
here's one:
http://www.dimequarterly.tierranet.com/ ... truts.html
http://kmhafer.datsun510.com/strutless_wonder.htm
That second one was it. It's not red. Hope it might help some.
The PPF idea sounds pretty cool. I found a site once where a guy grafted the control arms from an FD (cool, now I can use cool model designations). I don't remember the website, strutless wonder seems to pop into my head, but this car was white, and the official "strutless wonder 510" is red. I think. It's late, my brain isn't working straight...
here's one:
http://www.dimequarterly.tierranet.com/ ... truts.html
http://kmhafer.datsun510.com/strutless_wonder.htm
That second one was it. It's not red. Hope it might help some.
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