h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I got the RX-7 running again about 3 weeks ago, just in time for the Camaro to die. I've been driving the RX-7 ever since and the Camaro has been lounging in my friend RJ's yard. He's driven it twice when his wife needed his car (if anybody has a good, cheap car in the Oklahoma City area, RJ needs one). The last time he drove it he didn't think he was going to make it home. The transmission is as close to dead as it can get and still run. The engine has to be revved to over 3000 rpm and held for several seconds for the transmission to build enough pressure to shift into gear. Of course the engine is shot to the point it really doesn't like being revved at all.

The RX-7 isn't running as good as it should. There's a ticking/rattling worrisome noise coming from the engine when I engage the clutch or when I load it heavily. I either left a piece out and there's some endplay in the eccentric shaft (not good) or it's knocking (not good). Tomorrow I get to tear into it and see what I can find. The engine is also not producing any power over 5000 rpm, and surges at low rpm. I did re-install the '85 intake after finding out the '79 intake doesn't properly cover one of the ports. Too much modification to try and put it on right now, so I left it off.

I'm collecting information for putting the Cad motor in the Camaro. There's not a whole lot of information on this swap, most of what I'm doing is just getting ideas and studying up on rebuilding a TH400 transmission for it. I'm seriously thinking of purchasing a Currie Ford-style 9" rear-end to put under it. No c-clip axle retainers to worry about, plenty of strength, limited-slip, oh-yeah!