Slant nose conversions - pop up headlight Q

[mr.bch]

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot in the archieves on this....

I have a turbo-bodied slantnose and the headlights are the worst. The kit is great and straight and of steel, but whatever is going on up there for the headlights is a joke.

I fully R&R'd them and it appears that even brand new, the linkage for the pop-ups was marginal at best. I replaced what appears to be, metric bronze flange bushings with slightly larger US bushings and shoulder screws. Maybe they were just really worn. That tightened everything up a lot, but they still shake when going over bumps (veeerrrry annoying).

So the point of this thread is... what have other people done to live with this issue? Any chance that there are 'better' pop ups and 'worse' pop ups, like the ones I have? Everything I have ever read is about how anything not OEM is of poor quality. ANyone swap in some OEM units??

[KevinP73]

The aftermarket pop up kits all used the Mazda RX7 headlite motors. They were NEVER engineered very well and wear out very quickly. The OEM mechanicals can be copied using 944 headlite parts. It's a ton of work but what choice do you have if you want decent head lights.

[SteveStromberg]

I built Slant noses back in the late 80's with Jerry Hunter we made the popup links and arms from jigs that were made from factory headlights. I did mod them to use Mazda motors. Ps look under the fenders If you have One peice fender top Hey you have one we built.Steve

[mr.bch]

Don't know what the difference of a one piece fender top is, but can you tell by this pic I took to remember how the wiring goes back together?

[kepperly]

mr.bch I just resonded to another Email asking about the relay,
which is a Nippondenso (now Denso) unit from an RX-7. Don't
go to Mazda for the part though. Find a Denso part distributor.
The part # is 056700-5950 and should be under $30.00 ea.
Mazda wants over a $100.00. Steve my fenders are open
with just a splash sheild on the bottom. I'm still trying to find
who did mine, so I can send him an E will reccommend is to keep those rubber boots over the relays
or when they go bad you have no lights to get home.

Keith 87 slant nose cabriolet turbo look Carrera

[MAS]

I owned an 82 RX7 for years, and never once had any problems with the pop-up headlight mechanisms or motors.

Also, during my RX7 days, I knew lots of other RX7 owners, and the reliability of the pop up headlights was never a problem (not that we didn't have other problems).

It seems odd that these parts would be a problem on slant-nose conversions.

-MAS

[mr.bch]

The Mazda motor works well enough. I would like to see the original Mazda units to compare. The problem is that the leverage from the linkage is wrong. I think that it needs to be redone so that it provides an over-center motion. Instead, the motor spools out and lifts the lid and then has to support it in the full up position, thus the pivots get all sloppy and worn in no time at all. Then you have headlights that shake and quiver with every bump.

When they are worn out, you can lift the lids 1/4 inch upwards with your hand when they are in the up position. When you do 100mph+, the air supports them in the full up position just fine. But, I can't drive everywhere at 100 mph, sooner or later I have to slow down.


Steve, my fenders also have the louvres in them with an expanded metal splash great on them mounted from the underside.

[KevinP73]

Sorry to say there is not much you can do to improve the performance or durability of the mazda system. Your's are surely not factory fenders but at least you have the steel units. You'd really be screwed if they were the 'glass units.