The Spirit Of PanSpeed: FD3CB's JDM inspired street car build
 

Welcome everybody! I decided to stop being lazy and start a build thread of my FD over the past couple years of having it. First I should go ahead and introduce myself and share my little amount of history so far with the rotary.

My name is Ben and I'm from a small redneck town in southern Ohio, where there is nothing to do and no car scene. I enlisted active duty in the Navy in '08 and have been stationed in southern California since then, which happens to have a prospering car scene I might add. My love for the FD started when I was about 12 after I saw the first Fast and Furious movie (like many others).

Fast forward to 2010 when I was 22 years old and a wimpy little E-3 in the Navy. I honestly had no idea how a rotary engine worked but all I knew was that it was fast and the car looked sexy so I started looking for one. After a month of searching I finally came home with my first FD, a '94 Brilliant Black Touring.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8d1f25df6c.jpg

Looking back at it all I feel like I signed my soul away to the rotary gods but it didn't matter at the time because I was so happy and in love with the car lol. It became my daily driver and I was researching all about the rotary platform on this forum, learning as much as I could. Time passed and two years later the only modifications I could afford for the car were RE-Amemiya headlights and AW-7 wheels with Falken Azenis tires.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...13f502e962.jpg

Then one day in September of 2012 on the way home from work, something terrible happened. An elderly man in his corvette decided to make a left hand turn and T-bone me as I was driving through an intersection. Luckily I was fine, the car though wasn't.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c98c7b45b1.jpg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d3240baa47.jpg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b1989db872.jpg

Im going to cut to the chase on this because I feel like Im getting too side tracked with this. I got the car repaired and sold it because it was just too much of a hassle for me to deal with it at the time, the motor just busted a coolant seal and I was having some financial issues.

After doing a deployment to Korea, being out of the "game" for almost a year and getting my finances straight I decided one day that I wanted to get back into an FD. So in March of 2014, after looking around for 2 months I found this SUPER CLEAN one at a decent price.

A '94 Chaste White Touring with original motor that had 45K miles.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...1b4892e0cc.jpg


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b640d19c95.jpg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...e844eacbf6.jpg

The previous owner did a great job maintaining this car. Modifications included the 99 spec bumper, lip, wing, tail lights, Shine side skirts, Tanabe Medallion catback, high flow cat, downpipe, jerry rigged K&N intakes and some cheap medium stock mount intercooler. Also, the previous owner told me he had an M2 ECU installed which was made for the mods currently done to the car and the boost was set to 7psi for the longevity of twins. I thought it was odd but I didn't mind since the car seemed to be perfectly healthy. For the first few months I didn't plan to mod the car but I decided it was time to give it a more modern look. The first thing I decided to do was give it a new set of wheels, tires and coilovers.

I went with some Gramlights 57D's in white, 18x9.5 +22 on all around. I also got a great deal on a set of 245/40/18 Yokohama S Drive's for the wheels. Sorry I don't have pictures of the tires lol.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8c5a8b2a54.jpg

After getting the wheels and tires, I placed the order on some Stance Super Sport+ coils...the ones from Rishi who has the helper spring installed. I was super stoked about these.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0726f7d032.jpg


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b1d3b96316.jpg

Here is how she currently looks.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...273978557.jpeg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fa4a5cff2.jpeg


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a778a0959.jpeg

Legit

Sharp looking FD, I've noticed military guys (along with engineers) tend to gravitate towards owning RX-7s.

Are you sure on the tire sizes? 245/35-18 would be more typical. Looks like you don't much much additional room in the front..... with a 255 would you be rubbing do you think?

The next thing I wanted to do was get some gauges because just like most of us, I want to know how my car is doing. I already knew exactly what I wanted it and how I wanted them mounted. I searched for a Flyrx7 gauge pod but was having a hard time finding one for sale. Luckily someone gave me a lead as to how to get in touch with the guy who actually makes them. I emailed him and he was able to help me out. He presented me with all the pod options that he made and I was able to get what I needed. I first bought a 60mm triple pod but changed my mind, sold it and went through him a second time to get a 60mm quad pod. If your in the market for a gauge pod I highly recommend the FlyRx7 pod. Its a great quality pod, durable and fits the dash speaker hole perfectly.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...24cc0c3a32.jpg

As for gauges I went with the DEFI Advance CR series in 60mm that requires the control unit. Im not going to explain what these gauges can do with the control unit (other than changing the gauge lights) but they're really nice, and I like nice things lol. I also went and got a Greddy oil filter block adapter for the oil pressure and temperature sensors to go into.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c96b8a31cf.jpg

Quick video of the gauge start up and shut off.

Thanks! Your black FD looks phenomenal by the way :icon_tup::icon_tup: As for the tires, yes I do have 245/40's right now and I kind of hate it because I get rubbing in the front when I make mild to sharp turns. I thought the 40 sidewall would be okay but I learned my lesson and will be going with a 245/35 with the next set of tires. I only went with these tires because I got them at a discount price.

I forgot to mention that I bought and installed the Innovate LC-2 Wideband along with the Defi's. Anyways I felt like showing this picture of the gauges...that stock wheel is killing me.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...7551f7299c.png

Once the gauges were installed I left the car alone for a few months while I contemplated what the next thing to do was. Fast forward to Feb/March 2015. During the months I didn't do anything to the car, I spent hours upon hours reading articles on Narita Dogfight or Speedhunters learning about the small rotary shops and all their time attack FD's. One car that really caught my attention was Daisuke Aoki's FD from Ready Go Next. You might recognize this car since it use to belong to the RE Amemiya shop and Aoki-san use to work for RE-Amemiya.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9ef077c473.jpg


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d6359bd4e9.jpg

Anyways, I was really digging this car and so I decided to try to pursue a build similar to Aoki-san's FD. Before I went and spent my tax return on body parts I found a full titanium Greddy Power Extreme exhaust that I had been searching a long time for. Luckily another forum member in Canada had this piece and took decent care of it. I was so excited for this upgrade since I just wanted my car to be loud haha. The Tanabe Medallion was too quiet for me.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...1ee94e8cca.jpg

Comparison between the Tanabe and the Greddy Ti
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b541f08211.jpg

Got the Tanabe all cleaned up and sold.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8973874f5d.jpg

Rear view with the old Tanabe.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d35f4cdd4.jpeg

Rear view with the new Greddy Ti.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a923e6683c.jpg

Car looks great, gauges look good with the quad pod, where did you put the wideband gauge?

I ended up putting it right where the drivers side pillar meets the dash.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...437dbc1d89.jpg

About time brother. I got dibs on the side skirts and lip though.

Absolutely stunning car mate!! :nod:

The white on white looks awesome those rims suit the car 200% good job man:icon_tup:

Haha I don't know when it will be coming off yet, but Im currently trying to get all the aero pieces together and once they're installed and the car is ready for paint that will be when I throw them up for sale.

(Looks up in the sky and see's the vultures doing circles waiting for the bumper and lip) :lol:

Thanks man I appreciate the kind words! I will probably end up getting new wheels once the aero pieces are installed. I've had them on for awhile now and just want something new and different to look at. We will see how it turns out though. :icon_tup:

Enter PanSpeed
 

May 2015 roles around, and I've noticed (mainly on social media) how everyone is busting out of the woodwork with an FD fully outfitted in RE-Amemiya parts. Now I should go ahead and say that I'll always be a fanboy of RE-A but I decided that it was time to go for a different look. A look that people weren't used to seeing. It was about this time I had started reading small articles here and there on the internet about PanSpeed. (FYI, its not like I had just found out about PanSpeed. I've obviously heard about them just like everyone else but never paid much attention to them lol). Anyways after learning more about this small family operated rotary-only shop located in the Saitama Prefecture of Japan, I found myself trying to watch all the Youtube video's I could of PanSpeed's cars. And trying to find abundant information on PanSpeed is hard because they either don't get the attention they deserve or they just don't want the attention.

The more pictures and videos of PanSpeed I saw the more it started to grow on me. I finally told myself that this was what I wanted to go for.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9636980759.jpg


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...52b56101ec.jpg


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ffaf322431.jpg

Now there was one thing I was a little nervous about. I was always a regular on RHDJapan.com or JapanParts.com and saw them listing partial pieces of the PanSpeed GT kit. None of them sold the bumper though which was the first thing I wanted to get. So I sent an email to the guys at RHDJapan and JapanParts asking if they were able to get me the bumper. Without hesitating RHDJapan responded to my email telling me they had added the PanSpeed bumper to their site. So at the end of May I placed my order for the PanSpeed front bumper and after waiting for almost two months it arrived. I cant even describe how exciting it was to have this bumper show up.


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...563f806956.jpg

Sick man!! Bumper is SHARP!!

Subscribed !! Keep it up :D

If you dont mind me asking, what dash kit did you need to buy to put in a double din radio?

Thanks! Im trying to keep a steady flow of parts coming in to keep this moving along. Though my wife (and wallet) have already told me once to slow down :icon_no2:
Honestly the previous owner already had it installed. I very rarely ever turn it on though when Im driving the car, I have to turn it up way loud to hear it over the titanium exhaust haha. But Im not sure if you've seen this thread, it might help answer your question.
https://www.rx7club.com/interior-ext...-units-816215/

June 2015
 

Shortly after getting my bumper, I noticed a pretty bad coolant leak coming from the car. Come to find out the neck on the OEM radiator had finally gave out.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3dd0fdf0c7.jpg

And it was the perfect reason to spend some money and upgrade:D

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...084157b935.jpg

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...2d4f12e192.jpg

I should go ahead and mention that this whole time I made it my main priority to try and get my Panspeed kit together as soon as possible, but I end up picking up random odds and ends that I come across here and there. Im a simple man, when I see a good deal on RX7 parts I buy them :icon16: lol

So with that said I end up picking this Efini Y pipe for a good deal thinking that this is going to come in handy later on. Im a diesel mech for the Navy and we have almost everything you can think of in our shop including a parts washer and a sand blasting cabinet and so of course you can probably guess what I did with the Y pipe.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fa340db2f5.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c7b365cb56.jpg

Ill eventually end up going with a polished look in the engine bay, but in the meantime this pipe will just sit in a box until Im ready for it.

that y pipe cleaned up well.

True story. -----> E-5 in the Air Force

reminds me of my white fd when i first got it.. looking really nice my friend !

[QUOTE=staples323;12008971]Haha same here, E-5 but in the Navy

I appreciate the kind words man, thank you!

August-October 2015
 

Since the car got the new Koyo radiator installed it ran like a champ. So during most of this period, I was mainly saving money to collect parts.

Random midpipe I found from a local guy on Craigslist, thought that I might need this in the future :nod:
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3340280cff.jpg

Got my Panspeed front fenders with the "Bachikarufin" or vent fin. And the rear over fenders as well.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3feab440d6.jpg

I should point out that for awhile now I've been looking for the old style Panspeed rear over fenders and it seems damn near impossible to get a pair of these. They look more aggressive than the newer style and the way they are shaped would match the front fender arches better. Anyways, I found another member on here who had them brand new and put them up for sale, they never sold so he decided to keep them. I was able to get in contact with him on social media and offered to buy them but he was intent on keeping them. I have even taken desperation measures and asked my neighbor's Japanese wife to call Panspeed in Japan to ask if they would make one special set of them and they weren't interested in doing that. Long story short I bought the newer style since its more of my second choice if I cant score a pair of the discontinued ones in the future.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...7adf27ffe9.jpg

The search will continue though....

November 2015 - Present
 

More parts collected. I got tired of staring at the ugly stock steering wheel and decided it was time to put something in the cockpit that was more visually appealing. Knowing already that I wanted a fixed hub, I went ahead and placed that order for a Works Bell standard hub. I was really happy with this hub kit, it came with all the little jumper wires to eliminate the airbag light and keep your cruise control funtions (even though I was eliminating mine). Unlike some cheap $10 crap made in China where they give you a low quality hub and a measly little extension wire to hookup your horn.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...901cfad6ed.jpg


Anyways I had been wanting to get a steering wheel for a long time now and felt that it finally needed to happen. I looked at steering wheels for a couple days and couldn't decide whether I wanted a Nardi Deep Corn or a Personal Grinta. Then I randomly started looking up pictures of Porsche 911's and that's when I found the steering wheel I wanted. I found a distributor for Personal wheels, placed the order and had to wait 4 weeks for it to arrive from Italy.

Personal Fitti E3 (350mm)
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...218e2494ab.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...a797934907.jpg

I didn't waste anytime putting that bad boy in haha. Anyways, I was very happy with the way it looked and how it felt.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c74da9b2ff.jpg

After changing out the steering wheel, I saw this package deal pop up here on the forum and decided to jump on it.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...125c4619ba.jpg

Next things to get will be the side skirts and hood to finish off the body kit :)