Goodfella's Rotary Garage 1995 BB FD, my take on the Ultimate Street Machine
04-27-16, 06:48 AM
#330
Original Gangster/Rotary!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (213)
All questions shall be answered in due time, even the religious ones Charles 
Just to switch things up a little (and **** off my wife, ha) my exhaust system was swapped out the other day at IRP by master mechanic Buddy Lee
From:
1.0 hotside on my ball bearing PT6466
3.5 inch A-Spec downpipe (which weighs nothing btw, should have put it on a scale)
3 inch Magnaflow resonated MP, believe Banzai Racing
3 inch RE-Amemiya Titanium Dolphin Tail
To:
same
same, now with new and moar DEI titanium heat wrap
3.5 inch R-Magic Titanium resonated midpipe
3.25 inch R-Magic Titanium Catback with big boy 4.5 inch tip
I took the time to completely wrap all the piping in DEI titanium heat wrap--- before the DP just had maybe half done. Now complete DP and all piping on mid and rear section, mufflers exposed.
I've had the R-Magic setup for sale for many moons but due to the high price it hasn't moved. I paid over $2500 to import it via Yahoo Auctions Japan by way of Cali and my main man Heath over at Sakebomb Garage back in like 2011ish.
I then paid to have it opened up and repacked with muffling fuzz. I provided some crazy stuff meant for 3000 degree kilns that my tunna buddy Renna has been using with success on his stock twins. That was another $1000 of money ill-spent. You can see why it was for sale for such a high price perhaps
I'm told it's the R-Magic 'Circuit-Spec' system and isn't actually for sale on their website. Full Titanium, down to the hangers and flanges. Both pieces weigh 15 pounds combined, before installing I literally stood in the middle of the IRP shop waving each piece around over my head, one in each hand---- And I haven't been to the gym in quiet some time
(trying to fit into these Status Ring seats, but dammit if my hips are just too damn big)
I should've weighed the downpipe, but if it's more than 6 pounds I'd be surprised. Handling it when heat wrapping was pretty effortless. 21 pounds for an entire turbo back exhaust system may be some kinda record
I plan to weigh the two pieces that came off for comparison. The RE-A Ti is certainly light but has a very large canister on it which adds some pounds.
So, impressions?
Midrange and spool seem a little slower with top end stronger. Not huge, but it's noticeable. Much louder, and it does indeed drone a fair amount. I have a distinct memory of driving down to the shop the other night, windows up and sunroof closed and talking on my hands free. Passenger seat removed, R-Magic race car parts wrapped in blankets and towels sitting next to me.
Car was super quiet at that point cruising at 80 mph, and I was thinking to myself---- "Dude, you're almost 40 years old. Why oh why are you about to make your street car sound like race car?" followed by, "Gotta hear that rotary scream homeboy!
Anyway, I just ordered an Apex'i Active Tailpipe Silencer in their 115mm flavor, thank goodness the R-Magic homies were kind enough to provide a small hole in the muffler tip to allow that to be an option for me
So on to the pics, and one of the underside of my dearly departed VR R1 to see the exhaust system in all it's glory at the end:
Just to switch things up a little (and **** off my wife, ha) my exhaust system was swapped out the other day at IRP by master mechanic Buddy Lee
From:
1.0 hotside on my ball bearing PT6466
3.5 inch A-Spec downpipe (which weighs nothing btw, should have put it on a scale)
3 inch Magnaflow resonated MP, believe Banzai Racing
3 inch RE-Amemiya Titanium Dolphin Tail
To:
same
same, now with new and moar DEI titanium heat wrap
3.5 inch R-Magic Titanium resonated midpipe
3.25 inch R-Magic Titanium Catback with big boy 4.5 inch tip
I took the time to completely wrap all the piping in DEI titanium heat wrap--- before the DP just had maybe half done. Now complete DP and all piping on mid and rear section, mufflers exposed.
I've had the R-Magic setup for sale for many moons but due to the high price it hasn't moved. I paid over $2500 to import it via Yahoo Auctions Japan by way of Cali and my main man Heath over at Sakebomb Garage back in like 2011ish.
I then paid to have it opened up and repacked with muffling fuzz. I provided some crazy stuff meant for 3000 degree kilns that my tunna buddy Renna has been using with success on his stock twins. That was another $1000 of money ill-spent. You can see why it was for sale for such a high price perhaps
I'm told it's the R-Magic 'Circuit-Spec' system and isn't actually for sale on their website. Full Titanium, down to the hangers and flanges. Both pieces weigh 15 pounds combined, before installing I literally stood in the middle of the IRP shop waving each piece around over my head, one in each hand---- And I haven't been to the gym in quiet some time
(trying to fit into these Status Ring seats, but dammit if my hips are just too damn big)I should've weighed the downpipe, but if it's more than 6 pounds I'd be surprised. Handling it when heat wrapping was pretty effortless. 21 pounds for an entire turbo back exhaust system may be some kinda record
I plan to weigh the two pieces that came off for comparison. The RE-A Ti is certainly light but has a very large canister on it which adds some pounds.
So, impressions?
Midrange and spool seem a little slower with top end stronger. Not huge, but it's noticeable. Much louder, and it does indeed drone a fair amount. I have a distinct memory of driving down to the shop the other night, windows up and sunroof closed and talking on my hands free. Passenger seat removed, R-Magic race car parts wrapped in blankets and towels sitting next to me.
Car was super quiet at that point cruising at 80 mph, and I was thinking to myself---- "Dude, you're almost 40 years old. Why oh why are you about to make your street car sound like race car?" followed by, "Gotta hear that rotary scream homeboy!
Anyway, I just ordered an Apex'i Active Tailpipe Silencer in their 115mm flavor, thank goodness the R-Magic homies were kind enough to provide a small hole in the muffler tip to allow that to be an option for me
So on to the pics, and one of the underside of my dearly departed VR R1 to see the exhaust system in all it's glory at the end:
04-27-16, 10:07 PM
#335
Original Gangster/Rotary!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (213)
Fine, fine, here's a teaser shot from a semi-pro photoshoot from our very own ZoomZoom 
(note that later in the day after the photo shoot I installed sorely-needed 5mm spacers on the front)
(note that later in the day after the photo shoot I installed sorely-needed 5mm spacers on the front)
04-28-16, 06:22 AM
#337
Original Gangster/Rotary!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (213)
Photogs always be hatin' yo 
In the meantime, I went Mazda shopping and was considering trading in the FD, so enjoy these shots..... there also is probably a wing in the near future, so please feel free to try and stop me now
spacer on the front brings much needed flushness to my game, and in third shot you can just spy some S-R Recaro goodness.
Pretty happy with the way the car's shaping up, my brother and I went out for dinner last night and did some 2nd/3rd gear pulls at 13 psi and the car feels very strong with the new exhaust system (also VERY loud, when the two of us have ringing ears that's saying something )...... need to get on a dyno soon, 400 at 13 psi would be great and 500+ at 20 psi would be even better 
In the meantime, I went Mazda shopping and was considering trading in the FD, so enjoy these shots..... there also is probably a wing in the near future, so please feel free to try and stop me now
spacer on the front brings much needed flushness to my game, and in third shot you can just spy some S-R Recaro goodness.
Pretty happy with the way the car's shaping up, my brother and I went out for dinner last night and did some 2nd/3rd gear pulls at 13 psi and the car feels very strong with the new exhaust system (also VERY loud, when the two of us have ringing ears that's saying something
)...... need to get on a dyno soon, 400 at 13 psi would be great and 500+ at 20 psi would be even better
Last edited by GoodfellaFD3S; 04-28-16 at 06:31 AM.
05-01-16, 07:08 AM
#343
Original Gangster/Rotary!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (213)
Surprisingly it doesn't make a mess. I'll get a little oil residue around the dash 10 threads on the male bung (yeah baby!) but that's it. May be the Baconstyle Big Boy Oil Pan
Dual EGTs yo. The front to back is never really all that close, and I'm sick of looking at them and frowning. Think it may just be manifold design/sensor placement.
At the suggestion of my wise tunner, the fix was to keep the damn glovebox closed and not worry about it
The AP kit rocks the house on the road course, so it may be making an 'upsized' appearance on my new track car, we shall see we shall seeeeeee
Thanks Simon, I'm headed your way my brotha. I took your advice and chose Fort Myers over Miami btw
Extra money? My wife says 'baby,' I say '20B race car!'
Thanks Phil, good reconnecting with you mang
I'm looking into houses in Florida, and they're all either in gated communities or on golf courses. Do Not Want. Need open space with deaf elderly people who won't mind dual dumped wastegates on local roads
Pretty much. Brosio is henceforth the official mouthpiece for the the build of this RX-7.
Thanks Ganesh, appreciate it my friend. Those Zeals I got from you back in the day are still running strong on my brother's SSM "1 of 266" FD btw
You know, it's funny..... at the local exotic car meets, I swear that damn pulley gets the most attention in the bay when I pop my good--- over EVERYTHING else, which is kinda ridiculous but there you have it
05-11-16, 10:14 PM
#345
Original Gangster/Rotary!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (213)
Thanks very much Zach, really stoked I can inspire you to build these 3/4/5 rotor cars you've got goin' on
Street tuning with Dr. Renna had shown a few odd issues..... gotta love how these cars always entertain you with their 'lovable' quirks
The water injection LED was doing odd things, blinking while WOT instead of staying lit. More concerning was an odd 'lumpiness' in the midrange around 4000 to 4500 rpm. Car pulled cleanly to redline. Felt 'fast-ish' at 13 psi, but not crazy fast. Although that's not a lot of boost for the PT6466, even so we started to poke around.
These kinda 'pseudo-problems,' as in, 'is something really wrong?' are always the best.
Discovered that while the trailing plugs looked spot-on, the leading plugs (especially the rear) were a bit wet with fuel and showing signs of incomplete combustion.
Distress call to SBG and a pair of fresh new leading coils showed up. Installed them and POW, subtle difference but the car definitely starts with more 'oomph,' idles better and certainly is quite a bit faster. Tweaked the boost just a bit and the difference between 13 and 14.5 can certainly be felt from seat o' the pants!
Not sure what caused the issue, I had previously changed the plugs and installed a nice new bracket for the coils so had everything apart. I may have been a bit rough in removing the harness connectors from the coils but nothing crazy. Sending the pair of suspect coils back to Heath and SBG for testing.
Looking back, the water injections was (and is) working fine: consuming fluid at a good rate, intake temps dropping, no issues. I think the lumpiness was caused by suboptimal leading combustion with the trailings picking up the slack. The AEM ramps up the fluid rate based on boost, I had it set to start at 8 and max out at 15 psi. I think once I was on full boost and airflow started to really increase with rpm, the (gentle?) breakup was mitigated and this is why I was only seeing this slight issue in the middle rpm.
So, in other news the Apex'i ATS doesn't quite fit in the rear, the R-Magic is a tad too large so that sucker will be for sale soon.
Have some nice G2 red caliper paint and reman'ed OEM rear calipers waiting for some goodness.
Heading down south to Maryland to pick up some freshly Pimpified seats from the Studly Edwards Bro's at ESH Upholstery. They just sent me teaser pics and it definitely gets the blood going
Plan is to have them do up a pair of super nice low mile OEM seats in a vibrant red alcantara with dark grey stitching, with new OEM seat guides, freshly powder coated brackets to attach the bottoms to the back, and all the fixin's. As a bonus, they're working on the same red seat covers for my single Spirit-R driver's seat with matching dark grey stitching and embroidered 'Recaro' emblems. Now I can swap out seats depending on how much lovin' my tush needs
On to the eye candy!
Super ORG oil filler cap courtesy of Mr. Mike Mauro, esq:
Goodfella's office, chillin' at the red light just getting his Brap on
5mm spacers in the front go a long way towards lookin' good, now for some negative camber.....
P.S. in the background is the red awning for Petite Soo Chow, the absolute BEST authentic chinese food in northern NJ (Cliffside Park). Anyone in the area needs to get multiple orders of their soup dumplings
Liking the new rear end look, coming soon: some kinda wing back there
Street tuning with Dr. Renna had shown a few odd issues..... gotta love how these cars always entertain you with their 'lovable' quirks
The water injection LED was doing odd things, blinking while WOT instead of staying lit. More concerning was an odd 'lumpiness' in the midrange around 4000 to 4500 rpm. Car pulled cleanly to redline. Felt 'fast-ish' at 13 psi, but not crazy fast. Although that's not a lot of boost for the PT6466, even so we started to poke around.
These kinda 'pseudo-problems,' as in, 'is something really wrong?' are always the best.
Discovered that while the trailing plugs looked spot-on, the leading plugs (especially the rear) were a bit wet with fuel and showing signs of incomplete combustion.
Distress call to SBG and a pair of fresh new leading coils showed up. Installed them and POW, subtle difference but the car definitely starts with more 'oomph,' idles better and certainly is quite a bit faster. Tweaked the boost just a bit and the difference between 13 and 14.5 can certainly be felt from seat o' the pants!
Not sure what caused the issue, I had previously changed the plugs and installed a nice new bracket for the coils so had everything apart. I may have been a bit rough in removing the harness connectors from the coils but nothing crazy. Sending the pair of suspect coils back to Heath and SBG for testing.
Looking back, the water injections was (and is) working fine: consuming fluid at a good rate, intake temps dropping, no issues. I think the lumpiness was caused by suboptimal leading combustion with the trailings picking up the slack. The AEM ramps up the fluid rate based on boost, I had it set to start at 8 and max out at 15 psi. I think once I was on full boost and airflow started to really increase with rpm, the (gentle?) breakup was mitigated and this is why I was only seeing this slight issue in the middle rpm.
So, in other news the Apex'i ATS doesn't quite fit in the rear, the R-Magic is a tad too large so that sucker will be for sale soon.
Have some nice G2 red caliper paint and reman'ed OEM rear calipers waiting for some goodness.
Heading down south to Maryland to pick up some freshly Pimpified seats from the Studly Edwards Bro's at ESH Upholstery. They just sent me teaser pics and it definitely gets the blood going
Plan is to have them do up a pair of super nice low mile OEM seats in a vibrant red alcantara with dark grey stitching, with new OEM seat guides, freshly powder coated brackets to attach the bottoms to the back, and all the fixin's. As a bonus, they're working on the same red seat covers for my single Spirit-R driver's seat with matching dark grey stitching and embroidered 'Recaro' emblems. Now I can swap out seats depending on how much lovin' my tush needs
On to the eye candy!
Super ORG oil filler cap courtesy of Mr. Mike Mauro, esq:
Goodfella's office, chillin' at the red light just getting his Brap on
5mm spacers in the front go a long way towards lookin' good, now for some negative camber.....
P.S. in the background is the red awning for Petite Soo Chow, the absolute BEST authentic chinese food in northern NJ (Cliffside Park). Anyone in the area needs to get multiple orders of their soup dumplings
Liking the new rear end look, coming soon: some kinda wing back there
Last edited by GoodfellaFD3S; 05-12-16 at 08:00 AM.
05-15-16, 07:34 AM
#347
Original Gangster/Rotary!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (213)
This update gives me just about the most excitement I've had in sharing news with the community---quite the statement given my experiences and travels with these cars since 1998.
My brother Ryan (himself an SSM 93 owner) and I spent the day yesterday down in Silver Spring, Maryland trying like hell to find the answer to the question:
How do you improve upon Mazda's OEM seats (both USDM and JDM) while retaining comfort and maximizing aesthetic appeal?
(.......or something like that, ha)
Austin and Alex Edwards at ESH Upholstering are quiet simply a perfect example of something this country needs much more of: Young ambitious hard-working business owners who are fast becoming masters of their craft and consistently produce a top-notch product at a very reasonable price.
More info on their biz here: https://www.facebook.com/Eshupholstering/
Austin is an old friend who has always supported the Chris Carlisi Memorial Meet every year, going above and beyond to help with the logistics of running the event. Alex likewise has always been there, supporting with quiet strength..... uh, this isn't an eHarmony ad is it? Let's get back on track
We had been talking about different options for 'Endgame' seats for my BB '95 car. This all might not have happened if not for his good taste guiding me down the right path, and perseverance in sharing his vision for what would ultimately look the best....because I hit him up with just about every question and option possible for the material and stitching options on these seats
We settled on the following:
The results are simply stunning in person, and really elevate the interior of the FD to big-league status. I can't thank the Edwards brothers enough..... As I, um, advance in age I get more demanding, discriminating, and probably grumpy too. They met my expectations and then some. Not something I expect in 2016 in America, and a damn pleasant surprise to say the least.
These guys were a pleasure to deal with. Their customer service, attention to detail, pricing, and the most important part---- the quality of the finished product, were just A+
On to the pictures, in the event you're wondering about pricing you can contact them here:
RX7Club.com - View Profile: ESH Upholstering
My brother Ryan (himself an SSM 93 owner) and I spent the day yesterday down in Silver Spring, Maryland trying like hell to find the answer to the question:
How do you improve upon Mazda's OEM seats (both USDM and JDM) while retaining comfort and maximizing aesthetic appeal?
(.......or something like that, ha)
Austin and Alex Edwards at ESH Upholstering are quiet simply a perfect example of something this country needs much more of: Young ambitious hard-working business owners who are fast becoming masters of their craft and consistently produce a top-notch product at a very reasonable price.
More info on their biz here: https://www.facebook.com/Eshupholstering/
Austin is an old friend who has always supported the Chris Carlisi Memorial Meet every year, going above and beyond to help with the logistics of running the event. Alex likewise has always been there, supporting with quiet strength..... uh, this isn't an eHarmony ad is it? Let's get back on track
We had been talking about different options for 'Endgame' seats for my BB '95 car. This all might not have happened if not for his good taste guiding me down the right path, and perseverance in sharing his vision for what would ultimately look the best....because I hit him up with just about every question and option possible for the material and stitching options on these seats
We settled on the following:
- JDM Mazda Spirit-R driver's seat
- With tilt rails and flawless carbon/kevlar back courtesy of my buddy Jehan/Forty Ounce
- Recovered in genuine red alcantara with graphite french top stitching
- Graphite embroidered 'Recaro' logo both front and rear
- New center cushions, 'comfy-spec' edition
- New OEM seat belt receivers for both seats, last in the country as per Ray Crowe
- New OEM seat belt guides for both seats
- All new hardware throughout, including new OEM to mount the seats to the frame
- Matching side bolster cover to protect areas prone to wear
- USDM Mazda passenger's seat
- With clean low mileage rails
- Recovered in genuine red alcantara with graphite french top stitching
- Pocket on backside for speeding tickets etc
- Newly powdercoated side joiner bracket
- Reinstalled Sakebomb Garage fire extinguisher mount (nice benefit of retaining the OEM passenger seat IMO)
The results are simply stunning in person, and really elevate the interior of the FD to big-league status. I can't thank the Edwards brothers enough..... As I, um, advance in age I get more demanding, discriminating, and probably grumpy too. They met my expectations and then some. Not something I expect in 2016 in America, and a damn pleasant surprise to say the least.
These guys were a pleasure to deal with. Their customer service, attention to detail, pricing, and the most important part---- the quality of the finished product, were just A+
On to the pictures, in the event you're wondering about pricing you can contact them here:
RX7Club.com - View Profile: ESH Upholstering
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tv4184 (12-13-18)
05-16-16, 12:06 AM
#349
Looks great!
Hope to check the car out in person sometime! I have yet to see it in person... maybe one day when I'm back on the east coast, assuming you haven't moved on down south
(PS: Rich your signature is way too big now... also it's out-dated with your old brakes)
Hope to check the car out in person sometime! I have yet to see it in person... maybe one day when I'm back on the east coast, assuming you haven't moved on down south
(PS: Rich your signature is way too big now... also it's out-dated with your old brakes)
05-16-16, 06:25 AM
#350
We are looking to remedy the situation with updated photos. It was pouring rain Saturday when we had plans to get together for the shots. We are planning something special and hope to make it happen in the next week or two before he leaves for greener pastures down south.
Let's cross our fingers that the weather and our schedules all cooperate for this to happen.
Let's cross our fingers that the weather and our schedules all cooperate for this to happen.