How about posting a recent picture then, I too need my fix of this car!

 

Had to check in for this

 

Not much of an update, but a photographer is selling my likeness on anything from a mug to a cell phone case to a duvet cover:

 

Hey man, what happened to your flickr links? I love coming back here to drool over the car.

 

 

We need more updates! This build is major inspiration.

 

Sincerely glad to hear you're able to draw some inspiration from somewhere in here

Nothing new to update. Hoping 2020 is the year I get back at it

 

Rotary Amuse 2021 is go

Here's where we left off





and my last lap on track with the RX-7 ended with a clownshoe on it's roof during my WARM UP time trial lap (yes, this instructor ended up on his roof during a warm up lap - he was okay and rebuilt his car better than before)


More updates to come. I mean, it's been almost five years, what's the rush now?!

 

Have always wonder what happened to your build, glad you are still at it and can't wait to see more update. Any plan to relink the old photos?

 

Waited three years for this. welcome back haha

 

Unfortunately I have lost all Photobucket and flickr links, and lost all content once they went to a pay to play model. I went back a few years ago and deleted all broken photo links, so this "photoblog" has been converted to a journal historically. I will upload pictures directly to RX7Club with future updates


Here's the latest and greatest on status updates

Put in some prep work getting it ready for drop off and overhaul. Unfortunately, didn't get the chance to wash it or even dust it. I did some work on the interior, took the car cover off and never got around to covering it back up. Actually never even got the chance to wash it after the last track day. Somehow I found myself with my own "barn find" state RX-7 and it hasn't even left my possession

Took inventory of what I have been hording over the past few years. I don't think it would benefit you all with an exhaustive list of what I have planned at this point versus showing you the results on the backend. Suffice it to say, I have gone a little crazy



Finished stripping the passenger side sound deadening. I can't say I am 100% happy without my carpeting, but the weightloss is huge. And yes, cleaning up and repainting the results is on my to do list - track cars can be beauty queens too


Temporary seat set up while I wait for a lighter safer option from Japan. I loved how much this seat barely fit in the interior, and how much I barely fit after a year taking off going to the gym. Going to be even more fun trying to fit into a seat built for a person smaller than me... Motivation!


20 year-old me thought a carbon fiber overlay was a cool idea. Old man me is over it. Going through and fixing the missteps I have made along the way is a large part of where I want to end 2021 with. Luckily there are still some great sources to get brand new OEM or reimagined OEM+ aftermarket parts for our cars






Track mode disengaged with the wing and sharp carbon fiber bits at the front removed


Shop shoes - can't get over how comical stock wheels look in place of the Volks with settings for +22's and 285's all around



This will be the "before" state of the engine until after I get it back in a little while

 

The man, the myth, the legend Barry Primus came out last Thursday and gave me a hand loading up the FD and brand new 13b into his trailer, and we towed it down to IR Performance




Loaded up my daily driver trunk, backseat, and shotgun








and now we wait...

 

I saw the post from IRP when this car was dropped off, and immediately recognized the RA sticker on the back. Very cool seeing this car is going to be back on the road. This car was a huge inspiration to me when I started to get back into rotaries after a few year hiatus. It was certainly one of the builds that made me want to make the jump from the 2nd gens I had owned to the 3rd gen section of the forum.

 

Nice! Always a good feeling when you start working on them again after a break. What are the plans for the new motor? Going by the boxes I'm assuming you're going for an EFR!

 

That's awesome to hear! Not sure how much motivation I could have added with a stable like yours, but glad I could help!

Absolutely a great feeling getting back at it, but it has become quite a (welcome) distraction! Getting my son up and walking, my daughter ready for kindergarten, my house painted, garage refinished while it's relatively empty less one jackstands paperweight, and everything else, I am aligning more than just the rotary reborn project.

As for the heart of the build, starting with a brand new 13b. Tearing it down, building it up with Dr. Huk on:

• Stage 4 race ports
• Rotor scalloping
• Rotor side clearancing
• Rotor lightening
• Assembly balancing
• I-Rotary apex seals
• Coolant passage modification
• Oil passage modification
• Turblown engine stud kit
• Pineapple Racing solid dowel pins - drilled upper and solid lower
• Vapor honing to pretty things up
• IR Performance oil pan brace
• Ihor magic

***sorry, I know I said I didn't want to do an exhaustive list, but this is just the tip of the iceberg - aaaaand this is RX-7Club, where you guys like these kinds of details!

TBT to 09.2016 when I picked up the 0-mile keg at IRP's old shop. I rushed to get it even though I knew I'd be sitting on it in a "get it before they're gone" mentality. Turns out, Mazda's still pumping these things out regularly. My initial plan was to build this new one up then eventually my current one as a backup. How realistic that plan will be after how the new one's going to come out, I'm not sure?







Mounted and parked for a little while




2016 IRP Shop tour








One of my inspirations this side of Tsukuba - Mr. Hahn's beauty! (thanks again for your feedback on real world experience on the EFR creep headache )

 

I had initially thought I'd go BNR twins as an upgrade from the twin Hitachis I have been running forever, but a discussion led me down the path of EFR with similar responsiveness and nothing but upside on power. After tracking my FD at 330whp, and having since taken a good amount of weight out, anything more than that is going to take some getting used to anyways.

Long story short, this build will not be a dyno queen where I don't have a set power number in mind. Reliability and safety on the turbo kit are number one priority, responsiveness and usable powerband with predictability are number two, then peak torque and horsepower are number three. That all being said, I will be preemptively porting the wastegate to keep boost in check.

I went with a Turblown IWG EFR 8374 kit from back in 2016 with some added inconel bits. EFR kits are a dime a dozen these days (think RX6s back in the early 2000's, then GT35Rs, and R500s). I swear every FD at IRP when I dropped my car off had at least a 7670. I know, the majority of you all have seen this exact kit, and it probably didn't deserve glamor shots... but come on, look at the art and beauty in it!

This is my turbo kit. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

 

Are you still running stock brakes at your power level? If so, ever feel like they haven't been enough?

 

Here's the brake set up I've been running for a few years now:

• FrozenRotors by Diversified Cryogenics Cryo-treated Rotors F/R
• Hawk HP Plus Brake Pads F/R
• Hard Brakes 0.02" Titanium Brake Shims F/R
• Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid
• KVR Performance Stainless Steel Brake Lines

With fresh brake fluid it has been a solid setup with consistent pedal and bite over 20 minute sessions from speeds above 140mph. A track like WGI will probably require something a little heartier with much higher speeds than my home field Palmer Motorsports Park, or even NHMS road course coming out of the nascar oval.

I have an HT-10 / DTC-60 offset set up on stand by, but think some added stopping power is on the to do list to go with the extra power after I get the mechanics and suspension ironed out




*Note on braking from my mistake a few years ago, know your rabbit (skill / power / weight / line) out on track and DON'T MISS YOUR OWN BRAKE POINTS!!!

Chasing a Formula Atlantic with much deeper brake points; fun, but I got lucky in a moment of stupidity

 

Good to hear. Thinking about getting a tune on water-meth with a bump in HP, but didn't want to do it if it also meant having to upgrade brakes. Trying to keep consumables as low as possible.

For you and anyone in the future who comes across this, my setup was/is:

• Centric standard rotors -> StopTech Slotted
• Hawk DTC-60s -> Hawk Blacks
• Stock brake Shims F/R
• Motul RBF600 Brake Fluid
• Stainless Steel Brake Lines

I never felt like I was getting enough out of the DTC60s, so I dropped down to the Blacks. Big fan of them. Home track for me is Eagles Canyon Raceway (2.7 mile). I can get up to about 120mph on the back straight with my 300rwhp setup and the brakes handle it like a champ.

 

Oh man, you've got this Brian! If you have tried DTC-60's and got the feel down enough to notice a move to Blacks, you don't need my help my friend

Eagles Canyon Raceway looks like a lot of fun, with a bit of everything over the 2.7 miles.

Let's see your FD!

 

hahah yea, I'm just trying to do my research before pulling the trigger on any updates. There are not a whole lot of dedicated FD track drivers to get/share information with (especially locally).

 

Still in a holding pattern at IR Performance, waiting for my turn to be up on the lift. They're pumping out builds and just released a much anticipated track monster that is my mechanical twin (no spoilers from me - I am sure his updates will be out soon). I just need to stay patient - easier said than done.

I went down two months ago to drop off some parts, touch base with Paul, and check out the build

The 13b has been taken apart ready for porting and the rotaries and eccentric shaft have been sent down to Mike at Rotary Science for machining.


This is what a brand new engine from Mazda looks like taken apart. The motor showed some superficial oxidation from it's time sitting. Should be cleaned up in the bath and with some vapor honing.















My car is now in a car cover and I wrapped some of the exposed carbon fiber out of the blanket in painter's tape to prevent any sun damage






Now I wait and trust the process

 

My hoarding tendencies haven't stopped even while my car is away


Much anticipated lighter safer (tighter) seat - Super Aramid Xero RS























This is always a great conversation starter "what's up with the mail order Bride from Japan in the back of the garage?!"




Tight fit. I haven't tried it on yet with the full nomex, but I have a feeling I could stand to lose an inch from my waist. Time to add back some lightness

 

I have been on a Playskool My First Coilover Set (Tein Super Streets) for years and have had surprisingly great results having spent three times what they're worth over the years on suspension racks dialing them in. I have been putting off an update for a while. The DFV FPSpec looked like a good option, but the price point put them in a level that I just couldn't justify spending for what they look like on paper

In a full jump the shark move, I put in a special order from the Netherlands - RS Pro 3's
















I wanted 14 /12 Hypercos but the set was shipped with standard 11.6 / 8.9 Eibachs, but I received front and rear quick disconnects instead... Give Some / Take Some Win / Win? Must have been lost in translation

I am going to try these springs and see how it feels before possibly bumping it up to 14 / 12 or 14 / 14






Next to my Series 8 transmission - what to do with you?!

 

Going with an upgraded higher capacity GReddy differential cover. I figured while we're in there, we might as well add some acceleration and additional torque per gear - upgrading to a 4.777 ring and pinion out of an RX-8

Going to get a temp sensor in there to see if an external cooler is warranted