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I tend to echo what a lot of others have said here... the modifications to this car should be targeted at fixing engineering issues Mazda missed and make the car more livable and reliable.
Technology has evolved and yes, there are more advanced engine management systems out there to run more fuel and bigger turbos, but I tend to enjoy this car most in the 300-400hp range.
It’s already difficult enough finding road to run out to 8000rpm every drive.
Swap in IWG EFR8374, high flow cat + muffler or resonator to tone down the noise. The car will sound a lot less stressed and you will enjoy the it a lot more. 350-400whp is the sweet spot for this car IMO.
Yes true. You yourself gave the example.
Like gunfighters in the old westerns I grew up with, there’s always going to be someone faster.
And how do you decide what is “fastest” anyway?
Mild mods in my sig. It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s unique. That’s enough for me.
Yes true. You yourself gave the example.
Like gunfighters in the old westerns I grew up with, there’s always going to be someone faster.
And how do you decide what is “fastest” anyway?
Mild mods in my sig. It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s unique. That’s enough for me.
I mean...the fact that the only one around I've met who could take me would be guy in a $100,000 car with a $200,000+ performance package added on, I don't know that he really counts. To each their own though.
I was able to fit a 12"x 3" Dynamax flowthrough resonator in between the stock cat and my Kakimoto (at the time). Supposed to lower the sound level by 4db. In any event, it stopped the harmonious vibration in my skull at freeway cruising speeds. Also when I went back to sequential from parallel turbos, I nearly returned to stock quiet. In Vancouver the limit is 85db, but it seems Japan spec might be 95db. I tried a Tanabe Medallion but it did not get me down enough. I am back to parallel turbos with stock cat and muffler, which is doing the trick for now.
If anyone knows a method to test for a clogged stock cat, please let me know. You cant shine a light straight through and none of the local shops have a method (equipment) for testing. Things seem to be flowing alright now, but my cat has 150,000km on it, so not sure when it becomes a concern.
order an oem block from mazda, do not port it like an idiot, and a turblown EFR7670 kit. you will have torque for days, excellent drivability, easy 350whp
My advice is to get rid of the half bridge ported motor and start with a new Mazda 13brew motor, then build accordingly to your goals. A stock motor is fine under 400 hp. In my opinion unless you are extensively tracking the car, there is no reason for a bridge. The downsides far outweigh the very few advantages. Either re-route the wastegate discharge back into the downpipe or better yet get a modern EFR turbo kit. A proper setup will spool similar to twins turbos and provide more power and torque. Keeping creature comforts like air conditioning, power steering, and getting a good riding suspension such as Ohlins will greatly improve the enjoyment of driving the car regularly. I have a ton of customers that fall in love the the fd all over again after a proper modern setup. Contact me if you need any help.
I mean...the fact that the only one around I've met who could take me would be guy in a $100,000 car with a $200,000+ performance package added on, I don't know that he really counts. To each their own though.
Skeese
Totally agree with this Throw handling into themix and it's still an excellent platform. Half the reason I auto-x now is for the look on the owners of GT4s Shelby GT350Rs when an antique Mazda posts up better times.
It's just math... low to mid 300's whp and a 2700lb car with phenomenal suspension and 10+" wide tires.
The police made enough lawyers-with-porsches angry that legal action was taken. But by then tuner cars had substantially disappeared from Vancouver streets.
Turns out the police methods of "testing" were bogus (roadside testing in heavy traffic areas, etc.) But the effect of ordering a full "Vehicle Inspection" is considerable expense to the owner..
New cars straight off the lot were getting dinged.
Loved reading through all of the responses here! I picked up a used engine (60k mileage) that has had a rebuild at some point, full long block, that I'm very excited to prep and get into the car. My goal is to have a fun car that checks all the boxes an FD should, look timeless and provide an absolutely unique driving experience that no other car can match. I'll be posting a build thread soon. Glad there are so many good members still involved in this community!
The police made enough lawyers-with-porsches angry that legal action was taken. But by then tuner cars had substantially disappeared from Vancouver streets.
Turns out the police methods of "testing" were bogus (roadside testing in heavy traffic areas, etc.) But the effect of ordering a full "Vehicle Inspection" is considerable expense to the owner..
New cars straight off the lot were getting dinged.
There was something in the news about this. A few years ago, the city wanted to ban & ticket all loud exhaust in town. Turned out that most of the noise was being made by bikers revving the nuts off their straight piped Harleys downtown (big buildings, lots of echoes, more noise). It got forgotten about a few months later when winter hit and all bikes were put in storage.
Fairly easy to get 320 WHP with the stock twins. Back in the day I beat a brand new Ferrari 360 (priceless), and my RX7 with 320 WHP hung with my own well kept 2001 911 Turbo from a rolling start. Lots of fun at that HP level without destroying the drivability. In fact I'm re-creating that setup right now with a 29k mile RX7 that I converted auto to manual. Well, after that going for 370 WHP.
Last edited by dcarroll95; 11-04-20 at 06:51 PM.
Reason: add more cool info
You're speaking my language here as for me mild mods/ OEM + is where it's at. sounds like the op is just like many of us,.... getting older. i have work meisters 18"x9+35 which are heavier than stock wheels and i'm constantly second guessing them and returning to a stock 17". this might be overkill but just having the car back as close to the way mazda intended is very appealing to me.
my friend has an M&M wide body supercharged S2k plastic dipped and air bagged, he has every part available to man bolted on this car and its a real shame considering what it started out as. it's currently stored in a storage container .... a real waste.
Alright, need some advice from some of the FD gurus on here. My FD is a half bridge ported, single turbo'd, external wastegated monster. It's loud... I mean LOUD, idles high, but makes great power at the top, however I've struggled to enjoy it. It's too loud, the power is too "peaky" for having fun in town, and I hate that I'm constantly staring at the gauges because something could be wrong.
I've been a member of this forum since 2003. I got my first RX-7 (also my first car) 18 years ago and found this forum when I had questions that the shitty Haynes manual couldn't answer. I used to think POWER was always the answer and the only goal. Now I want a fun streetable car I can take to get coffee, take for an afternoon cruise, or take out to grab dinner on Friday night and I feel like my car isn't that. My power goals are much more modest than when I was 16, 320hp is plenty and I'm seriously considering ditching the current setup and going back to a stock or mild sly treet ported, stock or 99 spec sequential twin setup. Would love to hear peoples thoughts on this. I want the FD to be the hero car I always wanted it to be and not the loud laggy beast I bought.
Cheers,
Tony
If you’re looking for a new drop in setup is trade you for a mild streetport on 99 twins plus cash!
I am the original owner of a VR 93 Touring with 89K miles. I never wanted to lose the spirit and intent of Mazda, but have made a lot of improvements and modifications. Having escaped CA and now residing in UT, I have a bit more latitude in the depth of mods; stock port (Banzai rebuild), stock fuel system other than a larger fuel pump, BNR sequentials, SMIC, DP/MP, RS Akimoto Intake & Exhaust,TRUST GReddy intake elbow, HKS Twin Power, NGK Racing Spark Plug Heat Range 9 (R7420-9) x 4, and an S6 Adaptronic ECU.
374rwhp/344rwtq with substantial torque starting from 2000 RPM, Air Conditioning and Air pump (vented, but used for belt simplicity).
Last edited by emiliolittel; 12-15-20 at 02:42 PM.
I’m new to the FD world but not new to modding cars. Have always been a DSM guy. I Used to think big turbo big hp was everything.
but the older I got, the more I learned you can have a fast street car with a broad power band that is quite and easy to drive.
I primarily use my FD for autocross and weekend fun. I set out a plan on the goals I had for the car.
get it to the min weight for my class 2750lbs. Replace any metal brackets with aluminum that way I could add some weight back in the form of sound deading to keep the car quiet.
I set a power goal of 400hp/400tq and did that on a efr7670 on e85 stock motor.
made sure that the seats I picked were comfortable enough that I could do a 3-4hr road trip in them if needed.
The biggest thing was I made sure it had a proper standalone ecu with every sensor possible and safety’s setup.
When I got my FD it was bone stock.
Now with all the stuff I have done it’s night and day better in every aspect. power/handing/comfort/ reliability/technology
i kinda look at my FD as a restomod as it still is an old car but has the best tech in it.
write out a plan for the car and stick to it.
Like the rest of these folks I learned a long time ago that a race car is not much fun on the street (2 GT40"s for example, Panteras, Cobras,stuff like that), My FD looks stock but has great brakes, wheels, suspension (stock bushings), good exhaust w/ high flow cat, twins w/smog removed, intercooler, rad and fans, working AC and other stuff to make it reliable and fun, goal is 320-340 at the wheels.
TL/DR...
AC
Softer suspension (I suggest Ohlins with softer spring rates)
IWG EFR 8374 (quiet, spools very fast and has a very linear powerband all the way to redline)
VMIC, dual oil coolers, and a vented hood (although my setup runs a little too cool)
single plate clutch (no need for a twin plate anyway)
RB exhaust with a resonated midpipe or high flow cat
Higher end ECU
Water injection
I was a mechanic in the AF for 20 years, but I never got crazy on cars until I got the FD around my 8 year mark. Then all hell broke loose and over the years I modded the car past the point of being fun to drive, and I liked working on it just as much as driving it. I never went past a street port, and I don't think a street port is all that bad really, but I went back to stock ports mainly so when the time comes to replace the engine, I don't need to get it ported again and a full re-tune. But overall, eventually I had no AC, rough suspension, loud exhaust, horrible clutch. The clutch was the turning point though. I put an ORC twin plate in and I hated it, and as soon as I went back to an ACT single plate with a streetable disc, I realized I had a few things that I wanted to change and I called them my old man mods and started de-tuning.
I went from original STANCE coilovers with 12k front 10k rear to Ohlins DFV with Swift springs (9k front 8k rear), and the RB sway bars gave way too much oversteer, so I swapped those back to stock. I've had SuperPro bushings for years and they're great. Additionally, some nice, wide wheels with sticky tires. 18x11.5" all around with 285/30 can be done on stock fenders with a roll and the right offsets (l00katme has this setup), but my fenders are flared so it's a little easier. Kumho V720s are great and about half the price of others in the same sizes. It handles so well now.
I ditched the AC when I went with a VMIC in 2008, but I have AC installed again.
I changed out the GReddy Ti and resonated midpipe for a Bonez high flow cat and RB dual tip. The dual tip made a huge difference, and while the cat didn't change the sound much from the resonated midpipe, I'm thinking about changing it because it still smells like rotten eggs after a few years of use lol.
I went single turbo in 08 and it was way too small (.65 AR, YIKES). Then I went with an ASPEC 500R GT and realized that I actually wanted a fast spool instead of top end HP, because there is always someone faster so there's no sense in chasing that at the expense of enjoyment. In early 2012 I switched to an EWG EFR 7670, against the grain for a lot of people on this forum that thought they were all hype. Boy were they wrong. The 7670 is an absolute MONSTER down low. I'd build boost driving through parking lots. It would start around 2k and I had 24psi by around 3k if I remember right, 3300 at the latest. The only problem is it doesn't pull all the way to redline, and would plateau around 7-7500. It's on the very edge of efficiency for our engines, but I'd say it's the perfect turbo for autox. Also, it has a harmonic ringing sound right between throttle and coasting, so I was on and off it all the time to get it to stop ringing. And I've heard that ringing in my old roommate's FC also, with the same setup, and I've heard from others that have the same problem.
In late 2015 I noticed the oil seals in the 7670 had gone, so I decided to see what the 8374 was like and got it IWG this time. I also switched to a 3.5" downpipe to aid spool. It spools just a bit slower than the 7670, but it's still very fast and it pulls all the way to redline now (8-8500). I think this is the perfect turbo for our engines. I've lost count of how many people I've sold on EFR turbos in the past 8 years. I'm using a Turblown short runner cast manifold, btw. The 7670 manifold was custom made by a local friend and it had super short runners also. And I've used GReddy FMICs and now a custom IC for the VMIC with these two turbos. Just make sure you don't go too big on the IC that you get a lot of pressure drop.
On a conservative tune, I'm sitting at about 430HP at 18psi, and it's plenty for how I use it. I think it's a great balance for straight line speed, curvy roads, and pretty comfortable too. It's what I personally feel is a perfect setup now, and I'm absolutely in love with driving it, even more so than when it was completely stock with the twins.
And one more thing, I'd suggest getting a high end ECU instead of sticking with old tech. I have so much more peace of mind now with my Syvecs, although Haltech Elite, AEM Infiniti, and probably several other good choices (Link, Fueltech, and others I'm forgetting) would be great too.
TL/DR...
AC
Softer suspension (I suggest Ohlins with softer spring rates)
IWG EFR 8374 (quiet, spools very fast and has a very linear powerband all the way to redline)
VMIC, dual oil coolers, and a vented hood (although my setup runs a little too cool)
single plate clutch (no need for a twin plate anyway)
RB exhaust with a resonated midpipe or high flow cat
Higher end ECU
Water injection
I was a mechanic in the AF for 20 years, but I never got crazy on cars until I got the FD around my 8 year mark. Then all hell broke loose and over the years I modded the car past the point of being fun to drive, and I liked working on it just as much as driving it. I never went past a street port, and I don't think a street port is all that bad really, but I went back to stock ports mainly so when the time comes to replace the engine, I don't need to get it ported again and a full re-tune. But overall, eventually I had no AC, rough suspension, loud exhaust, horrible clutch. The clutch was the turning point though. I put an ORC twin plate in and I hated it, and as soon as I went back to an ACT single plate with a streetable disc, I realized I had a few things that I wanted to change and I called them my old man mods and started de-tuning.
I went from original STANCE coilovers with 12k front 10k rear to Ohlins DFV with Swift springs (9k front 8k rear), and the RB sway bars gave way too much oversteer, so I swapped those back to stock. I've had SuperPro bushings for years and they're great. Additionally, some nice, wide wheels with sticky tires. 18x11.5" all around with 285/30 can be done on stock fenders with a roll and the right offsets (l00katme has this setup), but my fenders are flared so it's a little easier. Kumho V720s are great and about half the price of others in the same sizes. It handles so well now.
I ditched the AC when I went with a VMIC in 2008, but I have AC installed again.
I changed out the GReddy Ti and resonated midpipe for a Bonez high flow cat and RB dual tip. The dual tip made a huge difference, and while the cat didn't change the sound much from the resonated midpipe, I'm thinking about changing it because it still smells like rotten eggs after a few years of use lol.
I went single turbo in 08 and it was way too small (.65 AR, YIKES). Then I went with an ASPEC 500R GT and realized that I actually wanted a fast spool instead of top end HP, because there is always someone faster so there's no sense in chasing that at the expense of enjoyment. In early 2012 I switched to an EWG EFR 7670, against the grain for a lot of people on this forum that thought they were all hype. Boy were they wrong. The 7670 is an absolute MONSTER down low. I'd build boost driving through parking lots. It would start around 2k and I had 24psi by around 3k if I remember right, 3300 at the latest. The only problem is it doesn't pull all the way to redline, and would plateau around 7-7500. It's on the very edge of efficiency for our engines, but I'd say it's the perfect turbo for autox. Also, it has a harmonic ringing sound right between throttle and coasting, so I was on and off it all the time to get it to stop ringing. And I've heard that ringing in my old roommate's FC also, with the same setup, and I've heard from others that have the same problem.
In late 2015 I noticed the oil seals in the 7670 had gone, so I decided to see what the 8374 was like and got it IWG this time. I also switched to a 3.5" downpipe to aid spool. It spools just a bit slower than the 7670, but it's still very fast and it pulls all the way to redline now (8-8500). I think this is the perfect turbo for our engines. I've lost count of how many people I've sold on EFR turbos in the past 8 years. I'm using a Turblown short runner cast manifold, btw. The 7670 manifold was custom made by a local friend and it had super short runners also. And I've used GReddy FMICs and now a custom IC for the VMIC with these two turbos. Just make sure you don't go too big on the IC that you get a lot of pressure drop.
On a conservative tune, I'm sitting at about 430HP at 18psi, and it's plenty for how I use it. I think it's a great balance for straight line speed, curvy roads, and pretty comfortable too. It's what I personally feel is a perfect setup now, and I'm absolutely in love with driving it, even more so than when it was completely stock with the twins.
And one more thing, I'd suggest getting a high end ECU instead of sticking with old tech. I have so much more peace of mind now with my Syvecs, although Haltech Elite, AEM Infiniti, and probably several other good choices (Link, Fueltech, and others I'm forgetting) would be great too.
Yep it sounds like my story all over again. I totally agree with this response. I transformed my Fd more into a race car back in the 90s and started to lose interest in driving it. In 2015 I started rebuilding it and the first thing I got rid of was that damn laggy *** big drag racing turbo. I also got rid of the front mount and crappy custom made fiberglass hood. I bought a 6262 twin scroll turbo with dual wastegates and a vmount. I also bought an act clutch kit and added a feed slave cylinder. Man the clutch h slave cylinder is so so great. I am currently working on putting the ac back in it and I have always run a single tip rb exhaust. The 6262 is a great turbo and spools fairly quickly but I do want an 8374 iwg turbo in the future $$$$. I have a cambo of poly and oem suspension parts to put in very soon. I also went with the ohlins coilovers but they are 12k. They don't feel to rough for me but then we have good roads here in FL. There is a line between street car and race car. I am glad I am building street car again. Every mod that I have made away from race car has made my fd more enjoyable to drive. My goal is to design my car like the engineers at Porsche engineered ths 911. A good sportscar that can be driven daily and can perform at the track. Dont give up on your car just make the correct adjustments.
I forgot to mention I am on a street port. I run a microtech computer. I am not really crazy about the microtech but it is reliable. My engine builder is also my tuner and this is the ECU he is similar with so that is why I am on microtech. Get ths ecu your tuner can tune well. A bad tune is death to the rotary engine. Brap on
Haha well, my old man mods had more to do with comfort. I still want it to be fast lol. I'm not chasing HP anymore, and while I'd probably be happy with 350 or more, I'm good with 430 too lol. I want something quick/fast, comfortable, and reliable, and I think that's what I have now.
Originally Posted by spintriangles
Yep it sounds like my story all over again. I totally agree with this response. I transformed my Fd more into a race car back in the 90s and started to lose interest in driving it. In 2015 I started rebuilding it and the first thing I got rid of was that damn laggy *** big drag racing turbo. I also got rid of the front mount and crappy custom made fiberglass hood. I bought a 6262 twin scroll turbo with dual wastegates and a vmount. I also bought an act clutch kit and added a feed slave cylinder. Man the clutch h slave cylinder is so so great. I am currently working on putting the ac back in it and I have always run a single tip rb exhaust. The 6262 is a great turbo and spools fairly quickly but I do want an 8374 iwg turbo in the future $$$$. I have a cambo of poly and oem suspension parts to put in very soon. I also went with the ohlins coilovers but they are 12k. They don't feel to rough for me but then we have good roads here in FL. There is a line between street car and race car. I am glad I am building street car again. Every mod that I have made away from race car has made my fd more enjoyable to drive. My goal is to design my car like the engineers at Porsche engineered ths 911. A good sportscar that can be driven daily and can perform at the track. Dont give up on your car just make the correct adjustments.
That's exactly what I wanted too, to build it into more of a touring car than a race car, something that I personally feel should be how it comes from the factory. It took me a bit, but I learned that I didn't want to wait until 4-5k for boost, only to be able to use it for 3-4k ish RPM. And it's amazing how much an easy clutch, comfortable suspension, and AC make a difference lol. We have some good roads out here, but so many of them are ****, so while they ride SO nice on the good roads, they're still not as bad on the shitty roads, and it handles well on the track too.
I think I've heard of the FEED slave cylinder, but what makes it special?
10-25-20, 03:23 PM
Tight squeeze
