Shmacklepap's backyard fire ressurection + single turbo build
 

I figured it’s finally time to make a build thread. I probably should have started it years ago when I had first joined the forum and bought my FD back in early 2006.
I found the car on craigslist with heavy fire damage. The fire was caused from the infamous leaky fuel pulsation damper. The fire roasted absolutely everything in the engine bay, not much was salvageable other than the wiper motor. Here's some pics of when I first picked it up Feb. '06

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Pulled the motor and everything else out, prepped and painted the engine bay

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Found a used motor on craigslist for $700 unknown condition/mileage but decided to take the risk . Ended up having decent compression and has been in the car running healthy for over 4 years now.

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First running setup 2009 (off the top of my head):
- Greddy pulley Kit
- Custom intake hardpipes with K&N filters
- 3” Downpipe + 3” Midpipe + 3” Tanabe Touring Medallion Catback
- Petit Racing Aluminum AST
- Poor mans Non Sequential
- Emissions Removed (Block Off Plates)
- A/C Removed
- Double Throttle Removed
- Ported throttle body
- Vented Oil catch Can
- Hose Techniques Silicone Vacuum lines + Couplers
- Sard Fuel Pressure Regulator
- Greddy Elbow
- Greddy Type RS BOV
- Fast Reacting AIT Sensor
- Neo Synthetic Transmission and Diff Fluid
- Exedy Stage I Clutch (Organic Disc)
- M2 Performance Flywheel
- Automatic Counterweight
- SS Clutch Line
- Re-finished all interior plastics
- PLX Wideband
- Prosport Boost Gauge, Oil Temp, Oil Pressure
- FlyRx7 Triple Gauge Pod
- Greddy Profec B Spec II
- Greddy Turbo Timer
- Power FC and Commander
- Gotham Racing PFC holder
- Hawk HPS Pads
- Slotted Rotors
- Painted black Calipers + polished Mazda lettering
- SS Brake Lines
- GAB Adjustable Struts
- Eibach Lowering Springs
- Powerflex Differential Bushings
- 20% ceramic window tint


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Current setup 2012:
Added parts
- Defined Autoworks V-mount kit
- Relocated WestCo Battery to passenger rear bin
- HKS Twin Power mounted to cruise control bracket
- Datalogit
- Aeromotive 340
- Tial 50mm BOV
- Atomic Rex Pillow Ball Bushings
- AST Delete
- 2002 Mazdaspeed Miata Nardi Steering Wheel
- JasonS Tan Floor Mats
- Interior LEDs
- Product Innovations Shift Knob
- Rotary Extreme Hood Struts
- Shineauto Mazdaspeed replica front lip
- Sakebomb fire extinguisher passenger seat mount
- Pineapple Racing "big turbo" idler pulley
- IRP Motor mounts
- Garfinkle oil pan brace

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I have pics of nearly every part I've ever installed, modified and restored, feel free to PM me questions or pics about anything.

Currently, my friends at EMSPowered are building an equal runner, twin scroll manifold for a 6766 turbo.

I'll be updating this thread often within the next couple of months showing progress and changes on the car.

Good work Billy! Im too lazy to do a build thread and never did one on the FC.

BIG thanks to a ton of help and parts from you, of course :icon_tup: You were technically the one who first got it started and drove it :lol:
Nows the time to make one for the FD!

nice work!

Thanks Benny! Thank you Gordan! A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into this car over 7 years. Your FD was one of the few that's inspired me to pay attention to the small details

A little bit of plastic interior restoration is one of the best and cheapest aesthetically pleasing mods you can do

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Damn. The fuel pulsation dampener wasn't even on my to do list but now it's my top priority. Great revival.

Can you do a how to on how you refinished your interior pieces?? Please..

haha i forgot your car was a fire wreck.

nice build

Here's the thread that I followed when I did mine,

https://www.rx7club.com/interior-ext...ishing-810859/

How-To on removing the gauge hood/cluster. Not as easy as it looks, I ended up cracking my gauge-hood when trying to remove it, but to get the A/C control panel it must be removed. https://www.rx7club.com/attachments/...val-remove-jpg

Both "Goof-Off" or nail polish remover works great for removing the original finish. Then about 5-6 light coats of Duplicolor Black Bumper coating. It drys to the touch in just a few minutes, but takes at least 24hrs to fully cure.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...P1030858-1.jpg

Just got my Rywire engine harness in the mail today. Ordered on the 20th, and received it the 29th. Each plug is coded on the wiring what it's for, should make install that much easier. Can't wait to take out that old brittle 20+ year old harness

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I'm interested to hear your review of the harness after you install it. I'm curious how close they got the lines, how the terminals fit etc. I'd also like to know how well have your interior plastics held up?

Nice work so far.

I will definitely be posting my review and opinions about it as soon as I get the chance to install it.

The car is currently still having fabrication work done, I'll post pics of how the panels have held up over the years as soon as I get it back :icon_tup:

i am also curious about that harness. i just made my own haltech harness (started as their flying lead kit) with all new mazda connectors. it turned out pretty nice, but not as nice as that rywire harness. he looks like he does a great job on those.

also, no firewall grommet?

Rywire harness fits awesome on the motor. Only thing sucks is no firewall like you said but I just used my old one. Been thinking about asking to send it bak to get a quick release plug thrown on.

Well done

Turbo II is a great guy & willing to help out whenever!

Nice work so far, hope we can all cruise sometime in ATX soon.

side note: Those 5-spoke star wheels are freaking OG lol...think I used to have some similar ULTRA wheels with less wide spokes on my 240sx that came on the shell before I got it running.

Quality is top notch, I can't believe how quickly I received it from the day I ordered it. I ended up using an old firewall grommet from an old parts harness.


Lino's been a great friend as long as I've known him and owned this car, and I believe I met you in Houston during TX2K12. I'll be down for a cruise as soon as I get the car back together :icon_tup:

I couldn't stand them lol They were smaller than stock 16 x 7.5 Borbet Type-A's. I could only tolerate them without the centercaps Attachment 666502

Picked up a few more parts over the past few weeks

Xcessive LIM
(2) 38mm Tial MVS Wastegates
GM 3-Bar Map Sensor + Sakebomb harness/mount
Shine Auto Feed skirts and lip spoiler (Did a GB with Turbo II FC to save on shipping)

Manifold flange just came in to start the manifold fabrication

5/8" thick SS Manifold Flange with 2 1/8" ID
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Should be less than a few weeks until I get the car back

That was one crispy bay. Great work in the build up. As time has progressed, its easy to see the bug biting more, as it does with most of us.

Keep up the great work :)

Thanks! I've been following your build for a very long time, its been a huge motivational push to build my car tastefully and clean.


Update:

I traded in the 38mm MVS wastegates for 44mm MVRs to eliminate any chances for low boost options whenever I decide to switch to E85.

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Completed manifold by Marc Evans: 2-1/8" ID Schedule 40, Equal length, dual wastegate, top mount, twin scroll T4. 4" downpipe, modified/relocated intercooler end tank inlet and compressor housing

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I still need to get rid of all of the stock twin solenoids, vacuum lines etc. But this is how the manifold sits on the motor with the 6766, some inspiration from silverfdturbo6port


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800th post!

Photobucket account was full, last couple pictures

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Twin open dump gates, post up a vid for us to hear it!

Happy to see another 6766 build! Looks good!

I've been incredibly slow making progress, but its getting there. Our 6766 builds are starting to look very similar! :)

Some updates from this month:

Stainless -3 wastegate vacuum lines


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make sure you run some heat sleeving over those lines that are running near the manifold. trust me.

Definitely :icon_tup: The rear wastegate lines will have heat sleeving over them. As well as the manifold, downpipe and dump tubes

Nice :icon_tup: looks like car has come along way..since the fire... great job

It looks like you're doing some quality work with the lines. Much respect for how you restored that engine bay after the fire. Did you have a lot of rotary experience prior or has this build been a huge learning experience for you?

Where did you get the exhaust flange?

Thanks for all the kind comments!

This was my first project car, first rotary ever so it's been a huge learning experience overall. With the help of RX7club and the FSM as guidance, I learned how it went back together. I sourced the missing OEM puzzle pieces from the classified section very slowly, so my FD is made up of probably close to 2 dozen other FDs. I also had a lot of guidance through my RX7 guru friend, TurboIIFC, and help with labor from my father. There are a lot of things that I want to go back and redo since I started the project in 2006, but I'm content with how its come along over the years with zero regrets.

To be honest, I'm not sure where or what company made the flange. I'll ask and let you know as soon as I find out.

I just realized this was a fire survivor, when you cleaned the bay did you respray or is that all just elbow grease?

Excellent build as well!

Awesome thanks. :icon_tup:

A lot of clean up and did a respray with a small compressor, so I could only get a few good consistent sprays until I had to wait for it to kick back on :lol: Turned out pretty nice though. Thanks!

PM'd you RXtacy.

DEI and heat protecting products came in this past weekend, only had time to wrap the 4" downpipe.

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Wow I didn't mean to leave this thread abandoned for so long.

A few updates from early November...

Car is alive! Running base map on the PFC, started up and idled perfect on its first try after sitting for nearly 8 months. I've been itching to drive it, so currently have the red "softest" wastegate springs in, with the boost controller off allowing boost to reach 2.5lbs peak. Few neighborhood test drives, re-torqued everything. Fuel cut on the PFC set at 5psi just for safety. Knock has not been higher than 5, A/F ratio has been perfect, with max duty cycle of 55%. OMP is disconnected and I haven't decided if I'll be keeping it, so I've been premixing 1.0oz per gallon of gas.

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Heat sleeves over the rear wastegate vacuum lines
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Had my shine spoiler and sideskirts from summer painted and installed, then took it out on a nice hill country cruise
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Picked up FFE secondary rail with ID2000s, and OMP block off kit for a good deal on black friday. Hoping to install sometime in January.

Congrats!!! Everything looks awesome!

Awesome man !

Once again I've left this thread abandoned for much too long.

I pulled the engine and transmission early March to take care of an oil pan leak, some much needed clean up, maintenance and installing new parts. The Rywire harness was a DREAM to install. Every plug was labeled for what it was and was the perfect length, I couldn't be happier.

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Mock-up on the engine stand.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y25...psf7cqc77o.jpg

Going back in

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I've been driving the car often, couple times a week since my last post in December. Did a hill country cruise and went out to TX2K in March, met some other cool RX7 people, including the Mayday guys. A couple pictures from both:

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I ordered an Adaptronic unit from Elliot a last week, so that along with the ID2000s will be next weekends project when it comes in.

Wow, great stuff man. Love how you brought her back to life from the fire damage. Looking at the before and after photo of the engine bay is priceless, hard to think its the same car.

If I'm not mistaken those wheels are the Enkei NT03s? I never really gave them much thought until seeing them in your photos, they suit the car well...I imagine they look even better in person

Thank you! It's been a love/hate relationship the whole time, but mostly love thankfully. Yes you're correct, they're NT03s. I wasn't too sure how I was going to like them on the car when I first got them. I bought them second hand for a price too good to pass up, luckily they fit and look great!

Let me know if you need any more help with the ecu! Car looks good!

Yes sir, I will let you know! I'll be installing it this weekend, looking forward to it. Thanks again Elliot! :)

Installed the FFE secondary rail, ID2000s and Adaptronic on Sunday. Car started right up and idled perfectly! Went to go for a little test drive with some logging and immediately noticed something strange... I had a bouncing rev between idle and 2k rpm when giving slight throttle when trying to reverse. The car is fine once you get going above 3krpm, but anything less, the car will want to buck violently. I'll go over my logs this evening and see if I see anything strange. I'll post them on here too if anyone has any insight on what could be the case.

I saw the email between you and Andy where he gave you an updated base map and had you recalibrate your tps( since it was off). Was it the TPS calibration or the MAP prediction table that was your problem? I would like to know so I can double check what I sent you in the base map to prevent this in the future...

Love this build, car looks great, very tasteful :icon_tup:.

me too...love this build....your going to love the new computer!

Looks awesome bro. How does that turbo spool for you? Looks massive. Can't wait to get mine all together. I ordered an Adaptronic and ID injectors as well. Keep up the great work!

I may have missed it, but did you get rid of the fuel pulsator? Geez, it looks like you did some real work on that car. I love the wheels too. Probably the best wheels for it, imo. Good job, man.

I meant to get back to you later that day Elliot, but got caught up in some other business.

The new map that Andy supplied me, along with calibrating the TPS did the trick. I can't say which settings made the difference since I calibrated the TPS before I started the car with the new map. The car idled, drove and cruised perfect. No hesitations, no bucking. In fact the car drove better than I've ever felt with the PFC setup.

My TPS settings before calibration were WAY off. I'm guessing that was the cause of the drivability issue I was having.

Here's a before and after screen shot of my settings.
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In other words, at WOT the ECU was reading only 60% throttle. Very easy to calibrate.

Here are the changes Elliot made to the Predicted Map table (Before and After)

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I still have to get back to Andy and let him know how helpful he's been. Its awesome having the support from the Owner himself.

Thank you sir! I haven't invested much time or money into the exterior of the car, but I'm very content with how it sits currently.

I fell in love with the Adaptronic the second I downloaded Wari, seeing how user friendly everything is. Can't wait to setup my wideband along with a PLX multi-output gauge!

It's the only single turbo RX7 I've ever driven, so I can't compare to other setups. I'm seeing positive boost at 2100rpm, and 5lbs at maybe 2900rpm. I have the second softest springs in the Tial wastegates with the EBC turned completely off. I would say its less laggy than my non-sequential twins. You're gonna love the Adaptronic ECU. I've been following your build thread throughout this year, looks like you're heading in the right path to a bulletproof setup :nod: Can't wait to see the finished build!

I got rid of the fuel pulsation damper before I got the car running on my first setup since it was the culprit to the engine fire in the first place. The car has literally been through hell and back. Countless hours of blood, sweat and tears went into this car over the years that have already been paid back in the joy of driving it. I'm really happy with the wheels, especially since I got them for such a great deal on craigslist :lol: Thank you for the kind words!