JSemerica's 93 Montego 45k Mile Refresh
JSemerica's 93 Montego 45k Mile Refresh
I've been enjoying my first FD RX-7 for almost a year now and since the summers are crazy hot here and we're supposed to hit 100s before May, I've put her in the garage for awhile and wanted to really see what I've got to work with. But first a bit about the car..
Purchased last summer with about 43k original miles, from the original owner, it was about as perfect as I could have asked for. I wanted Montego Blue, I wanted the tan leather, I wanted a factory spoiler and this car had it all. It was completely original with the exception of a new cat. There were a couple of issues I knew of before buying it. There was an audible boost leak while test driving it and after feeling around, found that the intercooler piping had worked itself loose. There was a slow oil leak, the engine bay was pretty filthy, the seats had wear, paint was pretty good but definitely not perfect, there had been a spot of respray on the front bumper that was starting to come off, but all in all not too bad. Approx 15k later and she's all mine...
I would like to turn this into my idea of the best street FD, and while I'm not totally sure what that means yet, it will definitely involve upgraded sequential turbos.
Purchased last summer with about 43k original miles, from the original owner, it was about as perfect as I could have asked for. I wanted Montego Blue, I wanted the tan leather, I wanted a factory spoiler and this car had it all. It was completely original with the exception of a new cat. There were a couple of issues I knew of before buying it. There was an audible boost leak while test driving it and after feeling around, found that the intercooler piping had worked itself loose. There was a slow oil leak, the engine bay was pretty filthy, the seats had wear, paint was pretty good but definitely not perfect, there had been a spot of respray on the front bumper that was starting to come off, but all in all not too bad. Approx 15k later and she's all mine...
I would like to turn this into my idea of the best street FD, and while I'm not totally sure what that means yet, it will definitely involve upgraded sequential turbos.
Last edited by jsemerica; Apr 30, 2015 at 02:17 AM.
Fyi the newer Borgwarner Efr turbos are making the complicated stock twins look obsolete. If you wanna be in the 300+whp range, the Efr 7670 has spool characteristics close to the twins with power potential reaching well into the 400+ range.
Last edited by t-von; Apr 30, 2015 at 01:13 PM.
I know, I know, but having the twins is somewhat unique these days and I don't race this car or plan on getting big numbers. Maybe after everything breaks, that'll be plan C.
Looking good Josey. You've certainly improved your ride since those pics were taken.
Nice to have another NEW enthusiast in the Valley. I went through many of the same choices you're currently facing when I first purchased my FD back in 2000. IMO, the best mods to cool down these hot beasts are V-mount IC, dual oil coolers, sealing up all of the places where air can escape around your undertray and radiator, and going more aggressive on your water to antifreeze ratio (currently running about 70 percent distilled water to 30 percent EG). Have gone as aggressive as 90/10 years ago, but backed the ratio off due to warnings from engine builders like Steve Kan who warned me of rust when getting too aggressive with distilled water/EG ratios.
As Trey pointed out, a single turbo setup can certainly help with heat management as well, but as you and others point out, the "feel" or "character" of the car is changed somewhat when you move away from "twins" to a single scroll setup. That's a choice that you'll ultimately need to make, depending on the direction you decide to pursue. Finally, as we've also discussed, water injection is a huge plus for detonation protection, once properly tuned.
Enjoy!
Nice to have another NEW enthusiast in the Valley. I went through many of the same choices you're currently facing when I first purchased my FD back in 2000. IMO, the best mods to cool down these hot beasts are V-mount IC, dual oil coolers, sealing up all of the places where air can escape around your undertray and radiator, and going more aggressive on your water to antifreeze ratio (currently running about 70 percent distilled water to 30 percent EG). Have gone as aggressive as 90/10 years ago, but backed the ratio off due to warnings from engine builders like Steve Kan who warned me of rust when getting too aggressive with distilled water/EG ratios.
As Trey pointed out, a single turbo setup can certainly help with heat management as well, but as you and others point out, the "feel" or "character" of the car is changed somewhat when you move away from "twins" to a single scroll setup. That's a choice that you'll ultimately need to make, depending on the direction you decide to pursue. Finally, as we've also discussed, water injection is a huge plus for detonation protection, once properly tuned.
Enjoy!
that paint looks pretty good, all things considered. that first shot in the sun make me remember why I like MB so much
paint is the one downfall of mine, saving up the dough for a real good 6k+ job...
paint is the one downfall of mine, saving up the dough for a real good 6k+ job...
Looking good Josey. You've certainly improved your ride since those pics were taken.
Nice to have another NEW enthusiast in the Valley. I went through many of the same choices you're currently facing when I first purchased my FD back in 2000. IMO, the best mods to cool down these hot beasts are V-mount IC, dual oil coolers, sealing up all of the places where air can escape around your undertray and radiator, and going more aggressive on your water to antifreeze ratio (currently running about 70 percent distilled water to 30 percent EG). Have gone as aggressive as 90/10 years ago, but backed the ratio off due to warnings from engine builders like Steve Kan who warned me of rust when getting too aggressive with distilled water/EG ratios.
As Trey pointed out, a single turbo setup can certainly help with heat management as well, but as you and others point out, the "feel" or "character" of the car is changed somewhat when you move away from "twins" to a single scroll setup. That's a choice that you'll ultimately need to make, depending on the direction you decide to pursue. Finally, as we've also discussed, water injection is a huge plus for detonation protection, once properly tuned.
Enjoy!
Nice to have another NEW enthusiast in the Valley. I went through many of the same choices you're currently facing when I first purchased my FD back in 2000. IMO, the best mods to cool down these hot beasts are V-mount IC, dual oil coolers, sealing up all of the places where air can escape around your undertray and radiator, and going more aggressive on your water to antifreeze ratio (currently running about 70 percent distilled water to 30 percent EG). Have gone as aggressive as 90/10 years ago, but backed the ratio off due to warnings from engine builders like Steve Kan who warned me of rust when getting too aggressive with distilled water/EG ratios.
As Trey pointed out, a single turbo setup can certainly help with heat management as well, but as you and others point out, the "feel" or "character" of the car is changed somewhat when you move away from "twins" to a single scroll setup. That's a choice that you'll ultimately need to make, depending on the direction you decide to pursue. Finally, as we've also discussed, water injection is a huge plus for detonation protection, once properly tuned.
Enjoy!
Thanks, other people seem to like the color a bit more than I do, but I still like it.
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Nope, flushing well will do it. Might consider adding a couple of extra grounding straps from the engine to frame or chassis. I've "heard" that improved grounding can reduce the effects of galvanic corrosion.
Cleaned things up and going through a full maintenance...
Spark plugs and wires
NEO synthetic oil in trans and diff
New throttlebody gasket
Pettit Aluminum AST
HKS Hi Power - This will be switched out for something better in the future
SBG Brake Lines
Pettit Downpipe with titanium wrap, I actually wrapped the entire pipe, just didn't get a picture of it. Wasn't too impressed with this piece but fitment was good enough.
And got it professionally detailed. They actually removed that horrible dealership sticker that had been on it since it was new, no problem.
Spark plugs and wires
NEO synthetic oil in trans and diff
New throttlebody gasket
Pettit Aluminum AST
HKS Hi Power - This will be switched out for something better in the future
SBG Brake Lines
Pettit Downpipe with titanium wrap, I actually wrapped the entire pipe, just didn't get a picture of it. Wasn't too impressed with this piece but fitment was good enough.
And got it professionally detailed. They actually removed that horrible dealership sticker that had been on it since it was new, no problem.
Last edited by jsemerica; Apr 30, 2015 at 10:44 PM.
Gracias
Upgrading the cooling is a big priority for this car. It's been in Phoenix since '98 and you can only image how hot this thing gets in the summer when it's 115+. You have to use your imagination because there's no oil temp gauge and the stock water gauge is worthless! Like they say, ignorance is bliss and I'm sure the previous owner was very blissful.
Sakebomb Garage dual oil coolers. These are the 25-row coolers with rubber? lines. The quality, fitment, instructions, support from these guys is awesome and I try to give them all my money. They don't include the AN wrench anymore with these kits though so make sure you get one.
Upgrading the cooling is a big priority for this car. It's been in Phoenix since '98 and you can only image how hot this thing gets in the summer when it's 115+. You have to use your imagination because there's no oil temp gauge and the stock water gauge is worthless! Like they say, ignorance is bliss and I'm sure the previous owner was very blissful.
Sakebomb Garage dual oil coolers. These are the 25-row coolers with rubber? lines. The quality, fitment, instructions, support from these guys is awesome and I try to give them all my money. They don't include the AN wrench anymore with these kits though so make sure you get one.
Taking off the bumper...If you ever find yourself in this position and live in a state with cacti, do not let it fall on the floor! No amount of sweeping can seem to fix this.
I found that some wiring behind the drivers-side headlight had worn through. Not sure what caused it but hopefully the new tape holds.
There are two ways to do the install, the "easy" way of cutting off the old oil hardline that runs from the oil filter pedestal, or the "not as easy" way of removing the AC and PS. I chose to just cut off the stock line but if I were to do it again I would probably do it the other way. It's a lot easier to remove it and attach the bracket for the mocal thermostat as well.
Oil filter pedestal banjo bolt removed:
Stock oil cooler with built in thermostat:
I forgot to take a picture with the bumper on, but these things fill the entire '93 bumper openings. I didn't use any ducts and would like to fabricate something in the future but there is barely a fingers width between the bumper and cooler so maybe just some foam might work. Not sure if it'll make a difference or not, there's only about 50% of the cooler that's exposed to the incoming air.
I found that some wiring behind the drivers-side headlight had worn through. Not sure what caused it but hopefully the new tape holds.
There are two ways to do the install, the "easy" way of cutting off the old oil hardline that runs from the oil filter pedestal, or the "not as easy" way of removing the AC and PS. I chose to just cut off the stock line but if I were to do it again I would probably do it the other way. It's a lot easier to remove it and attach the bracket for the mocal thermostat as well.
Oil filter pedestal banjo bolt removed:
Stock oil cooler with built in thermostat:
I forgot to take a picture with the bumper on, but these things fill the entire '93 bumper openings. I didn't use any ducts and would like to fabricate something in the future but there is barely a fingers width between the bumper and cooler so maybe just some foam might work. Not sure if it'll make a difference or not, there's only about 50% of the cooler that's exposed to the incoming air.
Nice find! I'll be moving to Arizona in the summer and I'll be dealing with the heat along with you. Something else I would suggest to help keep her cool, if you haven't already, is a thermoswitch from an FC rx7. It's plug and play and kicks the fans on high 10*C sooner.
Purchased new radiators, Ron Davis for the RX8 and Fluidyne for the seven. Quality and fitment on the Ron Davis couldn't have been better, I wish they would make one for the FD available. The fluidyne fitment was a bit disappointing, more on that later...
Then there were signs that all was not well with my cooling system...
I swear to god, the PO never flushed the coolant or solely used tap water, this **** is nasty! I flushed it out the best I could and installed the new rad. Still could probably use more flushing...
When fitting the fans to the new radiator, the first thing I noticed were that the fan holes didn't line up. When they did line up there was a gap between them. This was because the drivers side fan mount wasn't level with the other screw holes, so I had to get a bit creative and make that mount hole recessed with some more foam.
Hard to tell, but that right mount is taller than the others.
Installed with new Racing Beat silicone hoses.
This radiator also seems to push up on the intercooler and intake making it harder to reinstall. I'd like to remove the radiator again and bend the top two mounts in order to make it sit closer to the AC condensor. Not sure the best way to go about doing that, maybe just heating it up a bit before trying to slightly bend it?
Then there were signs that all was not well with my cooling system...
I swear to god, the PO never flushed the coolant or solely used tap water, this **** is nasty! I flushed it out the best I could and installed the new rad. Still could probably use more flushing...
When fitting the fans to the new radiator, the first thing I noticed were that the fan holes didn't line up. When they did line up there was a gap between them. This was because the drivers side fan mount wasn't level with the other screw holes, so I had to get a bit creative and make that mount hole recessed with some more foam.
Hard to tell, but that right mount is taller than the others.
Installed with new Racing Beat silicone hoses.
This radiator also seems to push up on the intercooler and intake making it harder to reinstall. I'd like to remove the radiator again and bend the top two mounts in order to make it sit closer to the AC condensor. Not sure the best way to go about doing that, maybe just heating it up a bit before trying to slightly bend it?
Last edited by jsemerica; May 6, 2015 at 12:40 AM.
Another thing on my list to be fixed ASAP, the dampers were shot. You can see where the wheel was rubbing, it was like this on all four corners. I do have to admit though, Arizona cars are undoubtedly the best cars. These suspension bolts gave me no problems whatsoever, it was like working on a brand new car. Oh and the Ohlins are no less than amazing.
Just look at those amazing all-season tires
Just look at those amazing all-season tires
Last edited by jsemerica; May 8, 2015 at 11:10 PM.
I've only been driving it on the street and some canyon roads so far but they seem to be a really good fit for the chassis. The springs are stiff at 11kg, but there's very little harshness to it. These are for street and track so there is compromise on both ends of the scale. If I were going with a softer touring type of street car, I'd go with something else but for a do it all type of setup these things are amazing.
It's first Sevenstock, 2014..
Prosport triple gauge pod. This is definitely a nice stock looking setup, although there are some fitment issues with mine at least. My thinking is that at least they're making them, solid C+. I'll be putting in boost, water temp, and oil temp gauges.
Sakebomb Garage Oil filter pedestal. A pricey piece but the quality is awesome and you won't have to worry about leaks as with the sandwhich types. Plus it's only two bolts to install.
It's first Sevenstock, 2014..
Prosport triple gauge pod. This is definitely a nice stock looking setup, although there are some fitment issues with mine at least. My thinking is that at least they're making them, solid C+. I'll be putting in boost, water temp, and oil temp gauges.
Sakebomb Garage Oil filter pedestal. A pricey piece but the quality is awesome and you won't have to worry about leaks as with the sandwhich types. Plus it's only two bolts to install.
Time to really go through the car a bit deeper. Received an IRP water pump and took the old one out.
I was like Bret Michaels I was so deep in silicone, thanks to boostcontroller.com. This stuff is super thick and wouldn't kink, I didn't use any hose ties because the 3.5mm hose was really tight on there, just used some soapy water to get it on. I also testing the solenoids, aws, and acv with a battery tender and mittyvac.
Will also be upgrading my fuel system while I'm at it. I would like to be able to run BNR turbos in the future so it may seem a bit overkill at the moment. The stock primaries will be cleaned (Thanks Skeese!) and will be using the FFE step up kit with ID2000s (Thanks The Goat!).
Not sure if I should keep the FPD, I imagine the aftermarket FPR will also dampen, but it's after the secondary rail and Mazda put theirs on the primary. I may just keep it and get a new one to be safe.
Also got a new aftermarket o2 sensor, I would image this is the original.
I was like Bret Michaels I was so deep in silicone, thanks to boostcontroller.com. This stuff is super thick and wouldn't kink, I didn't use any hose ties because the 3.5mm hose was really tight on there, just used some soapy water to get it on. I also testing the solenoids, aws, and acv with a battery tender and mittyvac.
Will also be upgrading my fuel system while I'm at it. I would like to be able to run BNR turbos in the future so it may seem a bit overkill at the moment. The stock primaries will be cleaned (Thanks Skeese!) and will be using the FFE step up kit with ID2000s (Thanks The Goat!).
Not sure if I should keep the FPD, I imagine the aftermarket FPR will also dampen, but it's after the secondary rail and Mazda put theirs on the primary. I may just keep it and get a new one to be safe.
Also got a new aftermarket o2 sensor, I would image this is the original.
Center console cover from redlinegoods, went with the just the tan stitching on their normal leather and I think it looks fantastic. Really a bit of subtle class that helps the tan interior a bit.
Would definitely recommend having two people for this job but I did it myself and think it turned out pretty well, I just wasn't able to make fine adjustments as I would have liked to.
Would definitely recommend having two people for this job but I did it myself and think it turned out pretty well, I just wasn't able to make fine adjustments as I would have liked to.
