Video: RX-7 loses all four wheels

According to Jalopnik, this is a classic video, but I haven’t seen it, just like I haven’t seen a functional RX-7 in years. (And the RX-8 just reminds me how pretty the RX-7 was.)

1. [caseyd]

   one in storage, a 3rd gen; dark green/blue.
   no place for child seat.

2. [xzzy]

   The importance of using the proper size lugnuts, illustrated. Just because you crank down on them and they feel tight, doesn’t mean they are.

3. [Anonymous]

   You can do this by overtightening stock lugs on most cars. Back when I worked at 3Js tire & auto, in the dim depths of time, I had a cow-orker who used to turn the airwrench all the way up… he not only made it impossible to remove the lugs with a hand wrench and a 4′ cheater pipe, he stretched the lugs visibly and removed all their elasticity.

   One day a guy did a fiery screeching burnout as he left the station and both rear wheels came off, the lugs just snapped right off. It made awesome roostertails of sparks when the spinning drums hit the concrete… the wheels went shooting past him on both sides.

4. [Funologie]

   Wow..

   just wow

5. [dculberson]

   Definitely a beautiful car. Unfortunately so many of them have been chopped up and riced out that finding an unmolested one is both time consuming and expensive. (And rotary engines do not like time or miles.)

   I remember the story behind this video: apparently he had just bought lugs from a vendor at the track. They sold him the wrong thread pitch. Whoops!

6. [RedShirt77]

   My dealership used to undertighten my lug nuts. Meant that after 30 miles or so the wheels would start to loosen up and flop back and forth when breaking and in corners.

   I guess that is better then the wheels just flying off although the dropping off was a real possibility.

7. [woolie]

   There is a 3rd gen RX-7 on my block, light blue, absolutely beautiful machine. I wanted one very badly, ended up getting a Miata, but still wanted an RX-7….

8. [Rick Fletcher]

   I still see the RX-7 all over San Francisco. They were just everywhere here during the boom, and it appears many of those still are.