403rx7

I'll keep this short and to the point as much as I can... content is king

This is my first RX-7, first rotary car in general. I've owned most cars you can think of, MK4 Supra, TT Soarer, Silvias, 180sx, Talon TSi, SRT-4, 350Z, STI, IS300, FR-S, etc etc list goes on. Finally figured out which car I want to do a real build on so here it is.

All of these photos and more can be found on my IG @403RX7 ... I post them there first usually

Big thanks to the guys at Vex Performance in Calgary, AB (Canada) - they have put in tons of work on this project and due to my work schedule - take care of most of the big ticket items, wiring and tuning. Special thanks to Jimmy who has helped plan, collect and assemble much of the car to this point.
Vex Performance - www.vexperformance.com and@VexPerformance
Jimmy B - @JZS_161

I was not planning to do a build thread... but the work these guys have been putting in is worth sharing. There are also some build threads on here that gave me some good information, ideas and links to parts I wouldn't have known about otherwise, so hopefully this can assist someone else.

History on RX-7:
Purchased: September 2016 from the 2nd Owner
2nd Owner owned it for 9 years, only put 8,000km on it
Original Canadian 1993 SSM - FD RX-7
Current KM's - 91,000 (56,000 Miles)
Touring Edition
Manual
Black Leather Interior w/ Bose

History on previous owners modifications (all are 9+ years old) -
98% of all the previous modifications are being removed in place of current technology.
-Unknown Single Turbo Kit
-Haltech E6K
-Pettit CC3 Intercooler
-OEM Clutch
-Misc Electronics
-AVS Wheels
-Unknown Exhaust
-Knightsport Coilovers

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
List of Current Modifications for the Build (95% of all these are supplied by Jimmy @ Vex Performance in Calgary, AB)
-Will keep this list updated as build progresses

Engine Modifications:

• Radium Engineering Surge Tank (Dual Pump Currently - Triple Capable)
• Radium Engineering MPR
• Radium Engineering FPD-XR
• Walbro Pumps for Radium Surge Tank
• Rywire Mil-Spec Tucked Engine Harness
• Rywire Mil-Spec Grounding Kit
• Haltech Elite 1500
• Haltech GM 3 Bar MAP Sensor
• Haltech Fuel Temp Sensor
• Haltech 1/8NPT Air Temp Sensor
• Haltech WBC1 Single Channel Wideband O2
• Haltech TCA2 - Dual Channel Thermocouple Kit
• Haltech CAN-Hub 6 Port w/ Cables
• Sakebomb Garage IG1NA Ignition System
• Full Function Engineering - Fuel Rail Kit
• Full Function Engineering - FD Trigger Kit HE(2)
• Full Function Engineering - 0-1000kpa PT's
• Injector Dynamics ID1050x Primary Injectors
• Injector Dynamics ID2000 Secondary Injectors
• Aquamist HFS3 Water Meth System
• Howerton Twin Tank Enclosure for Aquamist
• KoyoRad N-Flo Radiator
• Borg Warner S300SX-E 69MM
• DEI T4 Turbo Blanket
• TIAL Blow off Valve
• TURBOGUARD 4" (Black) Inlet Screen
• GLEASEMAN Twin Scroll 13B Manifold w/ Twin EGT
• GLEASEMAN Machine Turbo to VBAND + Add EGBP Bung
• GLEASEMAN Inconel Turbo Hardware
• GLEASEMAN 4" VBAND Downpipe w/ (2) O2 Bungs
• OS GIKEN TS2B Twin Plate Clutch
• OS GIKEN Movement Alteration Kit
• Mazda OEM Auto Trans Counterweight
• Walbro 275lph Pump (In Tank)
• TIAL Wastegate
• Ceramic Coating for Intake Parts & Turbo
• Radium Engineering Flex Fuel Sensor
• Radium Engineering Dual Catch Can Setup

Suspension/Brakes/Chassis Modifications:

• ENDLESS RF-650 Brake Fluid x4
• New OEM Mazda Brake Master Cylinder
• SPL Titanium Toe Rods
• Marks Engineering Pillowball Mounts

Interior:

• MAZDA OEM Hatch Support Struts

• WorksBell Japan Steering Hub (Regular Length)

• Nardi ORIDO STYLE Steering Wheel

• RE-Amemiya Shifter

• Dressupbolts.com Ti Steering Wheel Bolts

• Aluminum Door Inserts

• Audison Prima AP4.9bit AMP/Processor

• Audison Prima 10" Sub w/ Enclosure

• BLAM RELAX Components 165 w/ Tweeters

• METRA Primary Wire 9Conductor 18-AWD

• OPTIMA Dry Cell Batter

• TAYLOR Battery Box

• Custom Fabricated A-Pillars for Tweeters

• Custom Rear Seat Mounting Plates

• BTI CAN-BUS Touch Screen Guage

Wheels/Tires:

• AVS - 17x9 / 17x9.5 (Came with the car)

Exterior & Engine Bay Modifications:

• MAZDA OEM Front Wheel Well Fender Liner [R]
• MAZDA OEM Front Wheel Well Fender Liner [L]
• MAZDA OEM Bolts/Clips for Fender Liners
• PRO-JAY Engine Oil Cap
• LED Light Package for Interior + Plate Bulbs (White)
• LRB-Speed Radiator Cooling Panel
• LRB-Speed Front Undertray/Skid Plate

Photos of the car after I purchased it - brought it home and did a rough cleaning. Was under a tarp in a garage for 7+ years.





























Photos to come in following posts detailing the collecting of the parts and the current install progress.

Johnny Kommavongsa

iTrader: (13)

nice pictures and garage. Based on the pics and the garage, i have a feeling i'm going to really like what you do to the car.

7_rocket

iTrader: (6)

NIce nice! Looks similar to mine

ZE Power MX6

iTrader: (157)

Sweet car, sweet garage.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

Looks like you have a real solid plan. How is the motor in the car? Is it original or has it been gone through?

+1 on the beautiful garage. I've got a huge garage cleanup/redo in my future!

Dale

403rx7

Thanks guys, seems like I should have made a build thread for the garage lol.

403rx7

So to elaborate on the history of the car - I bought it Sept 2016, and drove it home (1 hour drive)... it remained parked until October 2017 when I finally drove it out of the garage to load it on a tow truck and send it to Vex Performance in Calgary.

The car ran and drove... but it didnt perform the way I wanted it to. So I've owned the car for about 1.5 year now and only driven it for about 2 hours total. It was hard to leave it parked all last summer but I just don't want to drive the car and be unhappy with it, I want to drive it and enjoy it how it should be enjoyed.

So the list of parts above are parts I've collected for this last year, and are in the process of being installed. Here are some more photos from before I dropped it off with Jimmy at Vex.

403rx7

I missed this comment -

The motor was rebuilt by RX-7 Specialties in Calgary, AB - it is a mild street port, not pinned, with 3mm seals.

(Not my ideal build) - but itll do for now. The previous owner did it about 8000km ago.

403rx7

First steps were to collect all the documentation and start ordering OEM parts to refresh some needed points.

I went to Mazda and had them print me out the cataloge, then I laminated them and began highlighting everything I was planning on ordering.

One of those points was the crusty old fender liners with some small holes in them... had to go.

Gave me a chance to check out under the car and identify what the previous owners had done.













The new fender liner: (one of)





Install of new liners



Installed



Some of the new hardware - all new bolts and clips. Worth every dollar.

403rx7

Previous owner ruined the OEM shifter.

Picked up a RE-Amemiya shifter for now.







Cleaning it up before install

403rx7

Picked up a WorksBell hub






Here is everything mounted up

Nardi Orido Style Wheel - 1 of <500
Had this for 7 years... probably will never sell it.

Dressupbolts. Titanium Hardware (need to change it to rounded flush mounts)

403rx7

Let me introduce you to the previous owner's welding jobs on the car...

Downpipe + Wastegate Recirculation junction:



Turbo & Downpipe




Downpipe + O2 Bung



Downpipe and Wastegate Area - ... notice the wrapping is 90% missing. About 2feet of it was just hanging there.



The old downpipe-back exhaust




------------------------------------------------
and.... now onto the new items
GLEASEMAN FD Manifold with Dual EGT Bungs
GLEASEMAN 4" Downpipe
GLEASEMAN Inconel Turbo Hardware
GLEASEMAN EGBP Sensor Bung and he machined turbo to VBAND to match the downpipe.

This is the Borg Warner S369XE Turbo ... Vex Performance sent it over to Glease to get fitted up.

(Some of these photos are his - with permission to post given by John)



This engine is John's not mine - he uses it for mockup - this is the S369 at his place - being test fit.







When we received it at Vex - typical unreal quality from Glease






Here is the man himself - with my turbo kit and one of those 4" downpipes is mine as well. Keep up the good work John!

403rx7

Some photos of parts collected

Rywire Milspec 13b Harness + Grounding Kit



Radium Engineering Fuel Surge Tank
(Triple Pump - but we're running dual Walbro's)



Some of the interior audio components.... sub will be quick-release and removable for any track days

• Audison Prima AP4.9bit AMP/Processor

• Audison Prima 10" Sub w/ Enclosure

• BLAM RELAX Components 165 w/ Tweeters

• METRA Primary Wire 9Conductor 18-AWD

13b1 Aluminum door handles



Door Speaker Pods



Here are the old ones..... look at the speaker mounting from the previous owner... laughable.



How they look now....



OS Giken TS2B Twin Plate Clutch + Flywheel Combo

403rx7

Then it was time to ship the car to Vex Performance in Calgary, AB for the professional touch..





Where they began the tear down....









The old turbo kit...



The old engine harness.... all cut up and completely trashed.



Another full box of misc wiring...

403rx7

Motor out..... plan was to re-seal everything on exterior of motor, check for leaks and not open the casing up. Previous owner rebuilt it 8-10,000km ago so we are going to just run it like it is and keep our fingers crossed for now. Motor build is mild street port, 3mm seals. No studs.

Plan for this next winter is redo with OEM 2mm seals, fully studded.

Or billet 2 rotor.... we'll see



Turbo mock up....





Blank canvas in the back bin area....



Jimmy @ Vex starting to mock things up...







Fuel system coming together.... relay/fuse box mocked up, wiring started...

403rx7

Continuing on with rear seat area and fuel system...

Damn these guys do good work..



Some custom rear bin plates for mounting water/meth and battery box...





Will be drilled out and bolted down, not welded.









All the plates and mounts removed for painting and wrapping....



Back to the fuel system for a second.... some bulkhead fittings..

PTFE lines front to back... no cut corners.

403rx7

They redid the crusty old OMP lines....



And here is the new lines and new routing....

You can also see the FFE rail and ID1050x's for primary's..





Sakebomb Garage Ignition system installed...



Sending intake manifold, intercooler pipes and misc parts to be ceramic coated..



OS Giken clutch & Flywheel being installed

403rx7

Radium FPR and FlexFuel sensor...



Removing rear wiper assembly...



Annnnd getting closer to present day... motor going back in the car...






Turbo installed to check fitment...







The guys at Vex go above and beyond.. they sandblast and paint all these small parts on their own accord .... it just goes to show that they truly care about the full package of the build, not just installing fancy parts.



So here's a quick recap.... check the amount of wiring they have removed so far! Lots to go but the before/after shots are coming along nicely

403rx7

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

Wow! This is looking amazing! Lots of great parts and looks to be a killer shop doing the work.

I met John Glease at DGRR last year, real sharp guy, class act, and loves making amazing parts. He's a real asset to our community.

Keep those updates coming!

Dale

403rx7

Ceylon

iTrader: (3)

Some quality work going on here, great build so far .

Johnny Kommavongsa

iTrader: (13)

just a question but why did you decide to mount the WG of the turbine housing?

403rx7

Mikelivi91

iTrader: (1)

Awesome build! Excited to see the rest of the progress