discodorito

iTrader: (18)

Picked up my fd in April 2014 thought it was about time i started my build thread so here it is!
Bought it in Kingston, ON (Canada) as a non-running RHD car, complete with engine and drivetrain for $4250 Canadian dollar (approx $3280usd) -- and yes that price included the bumper and spoiler. Previous owner said the engine was running on 1 rotor and it was a coolant seal gone bad, but later down the line i found out it might have been something much worse.

Engine & Exhaust:
HKS RS intake
R1 dual oil coolers
HKS ssqv connected with ghetto clear plumbing hose
No name custom rusty 3.5" exhaust
stock catalytic converter

Suspension
Tein HR coilovers with mangled bushings

Interior - very rough, was stripped but not put back together
Momo race wheel
Autometer manual boostgauge
R1 seats

Exterior
99 Spec Bumper w/ trimmed 92 rebar
99 spec spoiler
R32 GTR wheels with snow tires
New (poor quality) paint - E8H GalaxyBlue Silica (a BRZ color)

Some pictures from when i picked up the car, and when i brought it home (Pickering,ON):






Anyhow, with a build plan for the engine in mind I pulled it with my 2 friends (pictured) with some old socket sets and a new to me engine hoist that I purchased from a standardbred racehorse farm. Feeling accomplished, I dropped the engine and car off to Dave Diedrick from Mazdees -- the local rotary guru, who claims to have been building and racing these cars since the late 70s. This is where things began to take a turn for the worst







At this time, i ended up doing some reliability mods:
-brand new gaskets from Ray at Malloy
-Goopy 2 piece 2mm apex seals
-Mazda OEM for the rest of engine internal seals
-machined and balanced stock flywheel
-stage 1 Exedy clutch
-Himni poly motor mounts
-RX7store AST,
-koyo N-flow rad
-knightsports SuperU mic intercooler,
-Banzai purple pulley set,
-PFS 3.5" custom mid pipe & catback exhaust
-FEED downpipe
-KG parts secondary fuel rail, aeromotive FPR, 1680cc secondaries + 1850 primaries
-Apexi PFC with OLED commander
-Coolant flush, new diff and redline synthetic trans fluid

I ended up paying approximately $7200 for the porting, rebuild, and install of my motor, which in my novice opinion is far too much to be paying for a stock twin turbo build, but none of this mattered, because my fd was finally running and driving and I couldn't be happier.








This is where the heartbreak happens... My fd was stored indoors from when i picked up the car in October 2015, until I put it back on the road in April 2016. I dropped the car off to the local mastermind tuner Marco (thewird) after the recommended 1000km of road break in under no boost. I get phone call days later from Marco telling me that my engine has just spun a bearing... The next day i got the car back to the builder in order to assess the damage.

He determined the failure was caused by clogged oil coolers, which lead to oil starvation, and when the car reached 7600rpm on the dyno the rear main stationary bearing spun...things went boom

discodorito

iTrader: (18)

None of the damage was covered and the end result was me bringing my now engineless roller fd back home with a pile of damaged goods. Heat scored plates, destroyed oil pump, housings with strange carbon marks, the list goes on but ill let the pictures do the talking:

discodorito

iTrader: (18)

And on that note i decided to strip everything...entire interior and all firewall and engine bay components gone -- with the exception of the steering rack, transmission, and a few hard to remove components. Car was then sent to have the engine bay media blasted, spot welds filled and painted in marbilizer tinted with galaxy blue silica clear. Additionally, all of the clear coat was redone, border racing sideskirts and rear mud guards were painted to match, and any paint imperfections on the body repaired.

The car is currently in storage until April 2017, at which point I will resume the build. Housings have been refinished by Goopy, and the plates and rotors are currently at a machine shop being lapped, balanced, and new bearings installed. The plan is to rebuild the motor myself, and to hoard as many parts as i can over the winter. Although there have been many setbacks and financial disasters I will not give up the fd money pit dream

silverTRD

iTrader: (36)

Run, get out while you can! Jk, way to stick with it dude. She's on her way back to recovery 😀

discodorito

iTrader: (18)

Thanks silverTRD , I think I'm in it for the long haul LOL.