I picked up an 09 RX-8 R3 back in April 2011 that I've been DD'ing and autocrossing since then.








I had around 200 runs or so in the RX-8 over the summer, but after melting the cat and an off track excursion at blackhawk farms I decided that I probably shouldn't be racing my only means of transportation. Picking up efficient FWD or AWD commuter car that would get me through northern Illinois winters seemed like a responsible idea, so I went and bought an FC.








The car is a 1987 T2 that I had sent up from Texas - it used to be Turbo II FC's car. The transport company managed to ultraflood the motor, kill the battery, and kill the starter. After about 4 hours of trying to resuscitate the car, we finally managed to get it to fire up by towing it around the parking lot behind my 8.

I've since replaced the battery, starter, and put in a set of corbeau FX1 seats. My goal is to have the car ready for autocross, HPDE's, and general fun on the weekends. I'm going to be building it up to SSM specs, but I want the car to be streetable enough that I don't have to trailer it. The car is currently doing 305 at 7psi. I'd like to be doing mid 300's on E85. The setup will be capable of much more than that, but I'm mostly just interested in having a relatively reliable car that will get me a lot seat time. Being competetive can come later.

Before I get to the "big stuff" list, I've been working on sorting out a few more minor issues with the car.

The driver's side popup headlight has been stuck. Decided to pull it apart to figure out what's going on.







I don't think that's where that arm is supposed to attach. Turns out it this was the cause







Not sure if I can find just this piece instead of replacing the entire headlight. I reinstalled the piece so that the broken end attaches at to the headlight assembly instead of the headlight cover. Hoping that if/when it comes lose again, it won't jam up in the same way it did this time.

Next thing, I went hunting for the power steering leak. The previous owner replaced the pump, but there's been a slow leak since I got the car. It looks like this is where it's coming from - when i put the car up on stands I could actually see it dripping. I'm assuming that I just need to replace the hose / hose clamps in that section. Honestly not sure how to get to it though.







Minor stuff (I hope) to-do list:

• Replace passenger door handle
• Replace a section of intercooler plumbing that's been rubbing against the PS pump
• Relocate battery inside the car: I've got a braille that's currently sitting in the stock location
• Remove a bunch of stuff that doesn't work right anyways: AC, sunroof motors, head unit and speakers
• Replace the mechanical fan with a slim e-fan
• Put on a set of RPF-1's with 275's. Rcomps just seem like a waste given my inexperience with the FC and inexperience overall. I'm thinking of going with the toyo R1Rs or some other sticky street tire. any recommendations would be appreciated. waiting on JTP to start selling his fenders so that I can actually fit these on.

Thankfully I've got Ryan from Shook Motorsports working with me or I'd be SOL on getting any of the following done:

• Replace the stock ignition coils / igniters with a set of 4 yukon coils
• Redoing the fuel system: ID1000 primaries, ID2000 secondaries, a set of bosch 044's, new FPR, and a surge tank
• Putting in a good condition trans (current one sounds like it's on its way out)
• Tuning the car for E85
• 4 PT roll bar
• Fabbing up a new undertray and ducting for the existing FMIC and radiator - trying to find a good vented hood to channel this all through.

Once that's all done, I'll get the car up on scales and have a good alignment done.

My intent is to eventually add a front splitter to the car, but I'm not sure that it's a good idea to add aero to a car that I don't have a good feel for.

I'd like to have the car resprayed before the summer as well. The paint is in decent shape but it's for sure faded.

As far as what the car has on it already:

• street ported S5 13BT
• T04E
• Walbro 255
• Sard FPR
• Haltech E11
• greddy FMIC
• koyo rad (i think it's the S5 replacement one)
• an obnoxiously loud apexi single exit exhaust and an even more obnoxiously loud wastegate that vents to atmosphere
• HKS EVC III
• KTS coilovers
• mazdaspeed motor and trans mounts

iirc it's got a an ACT clutch and 12lb flywheel in there as well

Just a few more months of this until I can start autocrossing again:

 

Fixed.

 

ive got one of those headlight arms if you need it...PM me

 

I also have one you can.

 

Good luck on your build! SSM's a tough class, especially since FD's are so dominant in it.

I would drive the car as is on the auto-x after fixing the leaks and what not, so you know exactly what you need to improve on.

 

Ya that's why I'm planning on holding off on r comps or any sort of aero for a while. Most of what I have planned for this year is for cooling/reliability and safety.

 

nice project, good luck on the build!

 

Helping Ryan with a 240z he's rebuilding before we start work on the fc. Pretty much tube framing everything in front of the rear strut towers after we found this:





Yo dog we heard you like to have frame rails so we put frame rails inside yo frame rails so yo fram rails can have frame rails.

 

Lmao!

 

Couldn't be worse than my friend's S30, we found out the prev. owner spliced in a whole 1/4 of a car (imagine splitting the entire car into 4 pieces) after it was in an accident. It was not a good job, and the bondo in most places were 3/4" thick.

 

got most of the minor things fixed - finding more along the way though. also decided that carpet and headliners are annoying to work around so i'm just going to class the car as xp. not going to be competitive in either anyways. wheels/tires came in, currently in the market for fenders to accommodate them.

 

Nice car. I love the rx-8. one of my favorite cars

 

Nice to have both cars. RX8 and an FC. I have two FC's just because the ways things panned out. One will be show and shine sunday drive type the other track

 

Nice I run my TII in SSM too. It's a fun class.

I have some really nice double adjustable coilovers for sale if your interested:
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-rx-7-1986-1992-parts-194/double-adjustable-tripoint-koni-race-coilovers-984323/

 

You'll love those RS3's

 

+1

I have a set on the front of my corolla and they're pretty damn amazing.

 

all because of a door handle

 

Lol. My sport became that way because of some stained carpeting Loving the progress

 

going to need something wider than corksports



]https://i.imgur.com/g5pdl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DhR6t.jpg

 

what's your offset?

this is me test fitting 17x10s with 275 hoosiers on the front of my car with stock fenders:

 

275/35 on 18x9.5 +15

not really liking any of the aftermarker fenders available. going to try cutting up the stock ones tomorrow night. if that doesn't go well, I'm thinking AWR fenders. haven't heard anything about the hotline ones yet.

 

how much camber are you running? I think josh18_2k is running 285/30/18s up front on 18x10s on the same fenders.... But I also know he has custom strut casings with more inside clearance.

 

everything went exactly as planned

 

...and that would be....

 

Sexy wheels><