Project FD RX-7

[Steve85]

So basically it's going to be a red version of the perfect black one posted above but with even better looking wheels? What's not to love?

[Goodspeed]

So basically it's going to be a red version of the perfect black one posted above but with even better looking wheels? What's not to love?

That's the plan I'm definitely glad I decided to go for the '99 spec look and other touches that I'm mulling over that I think will really look great in the end.  

I'd like to go visit this upholstery shop in MD at some point this year to go over some options.  They've done a fair amount of work for east coast FD guys who ship them interior bits, so they know a thing or two about these cars.  I think some new leather, some perforated sections and some red contrast stitching here and there would do wonders for livening things up a bit while not going over the top - but I love this so much:



Somebody in the car's past really monkeyed with the center console and broke some tabs holding the (now) JDM pocket & elbow rest, so I have a new center console and shifter surround panel on the way.  I may try to find the JDM coin trays seen above to replace the security & exhaust overheat warning lights, but the latter is kind of hilarious and always strikes up a conversation it seems to we'll see.  New OEM gauge chrome rings & clear covers and a new coolant overflow bottle to match the new washer reservoir in the same shipment as well.  

Last box that came in is a Sakebomb Garage dual-25 row oil cooler kit with a Mocal thermostat.  The stock, single 16-row unit in the driver's side duct is fairly mashed up after 24 years and caused me a fair amount of concern for the health of the system.  This kit should help the car take hot summer days in stride, especially with the larger ducts of the '99 front end.  Some pics from their site - my first time handling this kind of equipment but the quality in hand seems top notch





I'll definitely be doing some research on installing some sort of mesh material in the bumper to help protect these from debris, if anyone has any recommendations on what to use I'm all ears

[WRXtranceformed]

I'll definitely be doing some research on installing some sort of mesh material in the bumper to help protect these from debris, if anyone has any recommendations on what to use I'm all ears

I don't have any pics but I used heavier mesh for a screen door (not the kind with super fine holes, hur hur, they were a little bigger) bent around the edges of the intercooler in my old WRX and it worked really well to keep the bees and rocks out and bending the fins.  In my ricer wisdom I even spray painted an STI logo into it    You would just have to figure out how to secure it to that radiator or the bumper but I don't see why that couldn't work for you too... spray paint it black, cheap solution

[Goodspeed]

I'll definitely be doing some research on installing some sort of mesh material in the bumper to help protect these from debris, if anyone has any recommendations on what to use I'm all ears

I don't have any pics but I used heavier mesh for a screen door (not the kind with super fine holes, hur hur, they were a little bigger) bent around the edges of the intercooler in my old WRX and it worked really well to keep the bees and rocks out and bending the fins.  In my ricer wisdom I even spray painted an STI logo into it    You would just have to figure out how to secure it to that radiator or the bumper but I don't see why that couldn't work for you too... spray paint it black, cheap solution

Good deal, thanks Lee - I'll look for some of that stuff and see what options the body shop has when the car eventually makes it there

Step by step, things are continuing to come together for project FD.  The car is in deep stasis currently, still wanting to pee some oil and gas here and there - relieving the fuel pressure and some judicious cardboard usage largely took care of that.  I wasn't quite prepared for how much these cars, when aged, like to have their fluids on the outside, but when it gets totally torn down all will be made well.

Meanwhile, in the last few weeks, I decided to put the “mod” half of the restomod process on pause while I pursued a heavy infusion of restoration parts.  Outside of the new exterior trim I snagged early on, and until recently, going this deep into the restoration side of the build wasn’t in the cards - the car is overall in great shape for 24 years and 80k+ miles - definitely good enough to build on and enjoy for years to come.  But, I couldn’t stop looking at pictures - such as original press photos - of mint FD’s and their cherry interiors in particular…there’s just something “extra special” I feel in this day and age about capturing that time-capsule feel.  

(yep, a black & white press photo...)



Mazda USA’s own ’95-build 2002 Spirit R tribute car with about 1800 miles on the clock was another large inspiration in this regard, just as it served as another push to go with the ’99 exterior treatment:



Mmm






Oh, ah...yes...so.

There were a few minor issues that I’ve noted earlier that necessitated some new interior parts to be purchased, but I decided I had to full-ass it and go for the lot.  Starting with the interior, I want to begin the process of restoring the car from top to bottom, using as many OEM parts as possible.  So, the plan is to have virtually every interior part that is still available dealer-new find its way into the interior.  I have to thank a local guy, and Mazda parts god to everyone on RX7Club for being able to make this happen - Ray Crowe (who has a totally badass 3-rotor car in his stable). This will take a few posts to cover as parts continue to come in, but for now:





New gauge hood & fascia assembly.  You may recall where I noted that my hood is cracked near the base of the windshield, and I have a CF replacement.  Well, I decided that an aftermarket solution wasn’t going to do, and it had to be OEM or nothing - ride or die!  Part of the reason I went CF, as you may again recall, is that this part isn’t available in a strict 1994 finish any longer.  This is technically a 1993 part, so yes, you could say I’m backdating my interior - but some sleuthing revealed that these new pieces from Mazda have a much better finish than what was applied in ’93, so really it’s kind of a “21st century” refresh.  I prefer the smooth panels regardless.

New gauge covers and trim rings



New AC/stereo surround panel, temperature/heater knobs and dials







New shift panel, and center console





Used, but very nice set of ’94 seat belts - no longer available new.  The plan is to send them off to SafetyRestore in MA to have them rebuilt and re-webbed with brand new black belt material.



Used, but nice pair of black door cards - no longer available new.  I will be carefully taking these apart, cleaning them, and experimenting with restoring them - currently researching SEM flexible coatings for vinyl for a fresh, matte finish.  The original pair on the car are also in great shape, so if these can come out looking better, on they’ll go. Re-upholstery is also an option with new vinyl if I can find a texture that matches OEM, currently researching.



Used set of interior door trim plastics with no(!) broken tabs - no longer available new.  There are several resources out there for having these restored with a like-new rubberized/matte finish so I'll probably be sending these off to someone who's done this dozens of times if I don't attempt it myself!





Several more new OEM parts on the way/to be ordered - stay tuned for more freshness 

However…I couldn’t pause the mod train cold turkey, so one last item slipped in under the radar.  Truth be told, this piece was probably the impetus for deviating from the strict-stock look that I had in mind when I first bought the car.  As soon as I saw this piece, I knew I had to have it, and I think it’ll go very well under the hood with the more modern/aggressive ’99 exterior plans.  Enter the AutoExe Carbon Ram Air Intake system, fresh from Japan:















How it’ll look installed:



This is, hands down, the sexiest aftermarket part I’ve ever seen for any car.  Not only that, but I struggle to think of something else I’ve held recently that feels & looks as high quality as this piece.  It’s totally badass and will serve as the crown jewel of the engine bay for sure!  More to come.

[ScottyB]

this thread is like soul food that never makes you too full.

i love that intake. are there venturis on the other side of that intake plate or is the piping just flush with the surface of the plate?

[JPolen01]

It's all so beautiful. The carbon fiber on the intake looks flawless.

[Ryan T]

I fap'd..a lot.

[SlimKlim]

this thread is like soul food that never makes you too full.

+1,000,000 (again). Shine on you crazy diamond.

[.RJ]

Good grief. Keep going.

[Jake]

This makes me feel better about whatever I spent or continue to spend on the racecar. Thank you for being equally crazy but in a different way.

I'm pumped to see how this turns out!

[Goodspeed]

Thanks guys, I'm glad I can help inspire everything from a dignified nod to a solid fap  

this thread is like soul food that never makes you too full.

i love that intake.  are there venturis on the other side of that intake plate or is the piping just flush with the surface of the plate?

The piping is of varied length on the other side (facing the filter element) and they're pretty flared and smoothed out for flow. 

This makes me feel better about whatever I spent or continue to spend on the racecar. Thank you for being equally crazy but in a different way.

I'm pumped to see how this turns out!

No problem my dude 

[Goodspeed]

A few more restoration parts showed up - is there a better feeling than car parts being delivered? - so I snapped a few more pics.  I love geeking out over and photographing all the details of car parts, so keeping this thread up to speed is really...soothing.  



First up is a piece that I'm really glad I got my hands on, a new combination switch.  I think this was one of the last ones available new, and truth be told, I ordered this only because the grips and lettering on the original turn/wiper stalks were smoothed and heavily faded after 20+ years, and a whole new assembly was the only way to freshen them up, so hey alright.  My OCD would've incessantly bugged the hell out of me if everything else was new and the stalks were old...lulz.





I'm hoping to top this off with a new '04/'05 Mazdaspeed Miata steering wheel & airbag, which others have done.  The stitching also matches the JDM Spirit-R red-stitch shift boot, e-brake boot & knob which is a plus:



Some new seat base and door sill trim for both sides:





New headlight covers:





The rubber top mounts and spring seats arrived for the Konis/RS-R springs:





And finally, new exterior door handle assemblies:





I'll be replacing the OEM plastic pull handles, which can break and snap off when aged (or when people pull to pop the door and continue to use the handle/hinge for leverage to pull the door open), with a set of Rotary13B1 aluminum pull handles.  They also make a matching aluminum set of interior door cups which, in plastic OEM form also crack, that will be installed in the interior.  Both are still in the mail so here's some pics from their site:




That just about wraps it up for the interior, though I'm also researching LED replacement bulbs for the gauges & controls.  A few more items on the way to refresh some engine bits and wiring, stay tuned!

[ScottyB]

My OCD

please never change.  this is like ASMR for my eyes and the "cool shit" part of my brain. you're doing important work here.

[SlimKlim]

So are all these interior bits and pieces gonna be installed by a shop or are you gonna DIY this when the weather warms up.

If it's the latter, let me know, I'll totally come polish screws for you or something.

[.RJ]

My OCD

please never change.  this is like ASMR for my eyes and the "cool shit" part of my brain.  you're doing important work here.

shine on you crazy diamond

[Goodspeed]

Good work will keep being done, especially if I keep expanding the end result at the end of the tunnel just when I think I'm done buying parts   . Thanks guys!

So are all these interior bits and pieces gonna be installed by a shop or are you gonna DIY this when the weather warms up. 

If it's the latter, let me know, I'll totally come polish screws for you or something.

So now is as good a time as any to hint at where the car will hopefully be going for the bulk of the restomodding.  The interior will be the last to be addressed so I may very well do all this here, but we'll see what shakes out.  Things are still in the planning phases so nothing is set in stone, but I'm really, really excited for this part.

Many of you, well...more-so the old timers, may know one of our very own aluMMni, Ryan Farrell.  Ryan was part of the MM wrecking crew back in the ~'05-'09 days, rocking a white FB RX-7 back when I had my 3rd-gen Supra and generally talking everyone's ear off about how neat rotaries are in-between hitting the rev-limit buzzer in his quasi-jalopy of a car.  He's a great dude and has shown up to recent MM shows in his silver FD, so keep an eye out in the future if he makes it down from NJ.





Anyways, Ryan would often share pictures and videos at meetings of his older brother Rich's exploits with his red '93 R1 FD back in the day.  I never met him back then, but understood that he was somewhat of a well-known figure in the FD community stateside for being extremely knowledgeable about these cars (and sharing the wealth of his knowledge with the members of RX7Club with 10's of thousands of posts), and having a hand in building some really top-shelf examples over the years.

Fast forward to more recent times - I finally joined RX7Club in 2015 after lurking the boards for several years prior, and got a fuller picture of just how serious Rich is about making these cars tick better and better.  I learned that Rich helped start one of the top RX-7 shops in the country that's still going strong today (it was his night job to help port and build motors and other facets of their builds before he moved for his "real" job) and followed his build threads of cars that starred at the Deals Gap Rotary Rally and in magazines. He's had his hands on these cars since the 90's and it shows...IMO, Rich has built some of the nicest FD's in the world, whether they be his own or customer cars (he currently owns 4 of them, from a 1100-mile stock car to a 20B 3 rotor).  Here's some of his work, starting with his old '93 R1







"Supernaut" 's on RX7Club LHD Spirit-R replica







And one of his current cars, a '95:









As luck would have it, I had been messaging with Ryan a bit about plans for the car, but actually reached out to a random RX7Club member in the NE who had posted a review about a shop he visited for some rotary work.  It turns out this member is actually a friend of both Ryan and Rich, and put me in touch with Rich directly.  Lo and behold, Rich doesn't really advertise, but he does work on FD's personally in his spare time, one at a time.  

After talking with him and Ryan, and seeing where I wanted to go with the car, he offered his services to help restore and build the car.  He seems like he'd take the shirt off his back for a fellow enthusiast and his attention to detail is through the roof, so it's my hope that we can continue to scheme plans and ultimately get the car in his hands to put his touch on it.  Fingers crossed!

[davej]

Damn, for a second there I thought you found where Toretto and the gang had opened up shop.

It sounds like you made a great connection and someone who may be on the same plane of OCD as you! I hope it works out for him to take on you car.

[.RJ]

Damn, for a second there I thought you found where Toretto and the gang had opened up shop.

This aint a junkyard.

[Ryan T]

I love it, except for one thing. All these new OEM parts an restoring back to its original beauty...and you’re going to put a ‘04/‘05 Miata steering wheel in it? Just seems....wrong. Why not keep the whole interior OEM? I understand the intake, but a steering wheel is much more noticeable.

[Senor_Taylor]

I had the same thought, Ryan. I figure there is a method to this madness, so I let it go.

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