Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.
Wrenching LeMons, Part 1

Click the image above for more shots of Project Lemons.
After toiling away at Modacar in Livermore, CA yesterday, we can officially say that Autoblog's Project LeMons is underway. We were able to rip out the entire interior (sans dash), pull the rear hatch off, scrape out some sound deadening material, fit the rear end and begin to piece together a six-point roll cage for our FC RX-7. And we're only slightly worse for the wear.
The next big step is to begin fabricating parts for the roll bar, including a main hoop that was originally intended for an EK Civic. Casey, our man wielding the welder, was able to get one of the plates installed, while our photog friend Brad cut some of the tubing to spec and snapped off several shots, all while while Jay and I got intimate with the diff.
We're still debating themes and a team name, but we're keeping our cards close to our chest until a decision is firmed up. We will say that it might carry the torch for a black coupe from the decade of excess, with the possibility of sporting a Camino'd bed and some sort of P.A. system.
There'll be more updates to follow in the next few weeks, so watch this space and check out the gallery below, courtesy of Brad over at Shutterflick.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
SPG 7:10PM (8/29/2007)
Nice, best of luck.
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Ricky 7:13PM (8/29/2007)
Why not Pope out the vehicle (clear cacoon and all), with a spokesman on the P.A. blasting out turn by turn updates?
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Damon Lavrinc 7:17PM (8/29/2007)
Or we could live-blog it from in there!
Although, I'm thinking AOL's legal department might take issue with that. There's got to be something about an errant stupidity clause in our contract somewhere.
Quiky 9:33PM (8/29/2007)
Good luck Autoblog.. will smash your fenders with our #21 525 in september!
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catgirlshyla 10:33PM (8/29/2007)
finalgear.com, is that you?
Damon Lavrinc 11:42PM (8/29/2007)
Saw you're post the other day. We're looking forward to trading paint with you in October.
Punisher Bass 1:40AM (8/30/2007)
We (Final Gear) are only in the september race, not the october one. So sadly there won't be any paint trading going on.
Phillip 10:16PM (8/29/2007)
No beer in the creation of a hoon-racing-mobile?
El Camino bed it!
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R? 10:19PM (8/29/2007)
I always thinked than a night in the garage "working" on a lemon can't be done without beer, and I didn't see a single one in your gallery...
I dont understand!!!!!
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Mr. Wiggles 11:20AM (8/30/2007)
The Tercelators went through a whole lot of Pacifico during our build for the July race. But maybe that's why we were so slow on the track...
Paul 11:57PM (8/29/2007)
You should make it like a Japanese version of Knight Rider and have that weird red strobe bar in the front. Call it the Knight Rotor? And have a loudspeaker that plays the theme song? And a giant photo of David Hasselhoff's face on the roof?
Best of luck to you guys.
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Damon Lavrinc 12:25AM (8/30/2007)
Wow. Paul, you hit too many nails directly on the head.
Paul 11:58PM (8/29/2007)
P.S. I meant to say a Japanese version of the K.I.T.T.
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JimboNC 12:30AM (8/30/2007)
Gee, that looks like the car I just bought. The harder I haggled the more the dealer took out.
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Brad 2:28AM (8/30/2007)
Paul where you ease dropping on or Tuesday night conversation about night rider? Your words match it to a T.
Tuesday night was a blast! The air chisel was my friend..
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evlmnky 10:03AM (8/30/2007)
Awesome choice by going w/ the FC :D
It looks like the one sitting in my garage, a stripped FC is a happy FC lol
Can I get some parts?! hahahaha :P
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Mike 10:39AM (8/30/2007)
I really dont think that is a 88 (series 4) rx7. It looks more like a 89-90 (series 5). It has the newer intake manifold, series 5 gagues and 8k rpm redline. Are you sure that it is an 88?
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evlmnky 10:58AM (8/30/2007)
It still has the S4 tail lights. No one w/ an S5, in their right mind, would downgrade to S4 tail lights. The most likely updated to the S5 intake manifold
Mike 11:50AM (8/30/2007)
Didnt notice the taillights. You are right there. But what about the instrument cluster. It seems more logical that they would have switched the taillight then both the intake manifold and gague cluster doesnt it? Unless I am wrong about the gagues. You can see them in the first picture here and they clearly show the round gagues and an 8k redline. Both were S5 features. I cant make out the logicon to see if it was an S4 or S5.
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Chris 12:15PM (8/30/2007)
Yeah, we finalgear nutjobs decided to go hardcore and run the full 24 @ flatrock. I Do enjoy a good rotary. Just 2 pieces of advice... spring for a downpipe to get rid of what will likely be a dying cat, and use HQ Dead Dino. The apex seals need a good amount of ash to lubricate properly.
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