Hey all. First of all, it's been a while since I've been on here. I gave the internets the axe to save some money since I have an awesome data plan for the phone. Second, of all the forums I've been on, this one is by far the friendliest. Not a single thread I have read has had any amount of bashing in it. Good on ya!
I'm Chris, my intro thread is around somewhere. Currently 27, drive truck, take Muay Thai, etc.
Now, on to the toy. In November 2005 I was finally in the market for another car after owning a 1988 Chevy Celebrity (offroad capable) and an 88 Civic DX hatch (misfire due to bad O2 sensor, horrible rear quarter repair) No pics, this was before the days of inexpensive digital cameras. Curious? Google is your friend and will help in your quest. I was looking for a car whose sole purpose was to be modified. I wanted an S13, but only found shody examples. After driving home with the mother we drove by an autobody shop and she pointed out a car on the lot. I thought it was an S13 hatch but a second glance said no. She says we should go have a peak anyway. Funny related story, while working on the Celebrity to get it roadworthy two guys at the same shop I was using were taking a pair of FB chassis RX7 and putting them together to make one running car. I thought they were ugly. I now wish I owned more. She's so sexy.
So we swing around and take a gander, I have a chat with the owner who says it was bought at auction for his daughter and had the drivers fender and door replaced. Otherwise looked pretty mint. This is where I say that I am not posting a full fledged build. Mostly because most of my pictures are on my desktop HD which is dead and also because the last 6 years area bit of a blur. If you wish to see every detail I've cared to note, check out the cardomain page: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/232206...da-rx-7/page-9
He takes me for a spin, and I fall in love. I go back a week later, she's still there and I have cash burning a hole in my pocket. I take the car for a drive myself and fall in love some more. She's mine. The cost of the car included storage over the winter, which being a light rear driver in good shape in Canada, I took advantage of.
First year of ownership. Unmolested.
Here she is on Racing Beat springs and sway bars, Tokico HPs with some obviously used CSA rims as well as some brake and engine upgrades.
In August 2010 the lil 12A finally spat out an apex seal which meant it was time for a rebuild. I took the opportunity to build something to make my girl hustle, so I sent the block as well as a spare 13B off to Rotary Dynamics in Mississauga, ON. After tear down it needed a bunch of things since both blocks were pretty shot. But stuff happened, money was spent and I got myself something I was quite happy with. It's now a Frankenstein 13B made up of REW housings, GSL-SE 13B rotors and e-shaft and the 12A plates with an RX-4 intake manifold to mate my heavily modded stock carb up to it.
2011 rolls around and I see another silver FB online for $800. I figure, one race car, one street car. Reasonable idea, right? I have a look and wow this thing is crap. Frame rails have giant holes, standard first gen rear inner fender rust, seized engine. Mint interior, but I didn't want it. So I instead took that money and spent it on upgrading the brakes even further with an RE-Speed big brake kit. It uses 88-92 RX-7 Turbo II brake components with a bunch of brackets and adapters to make passengers faces meet the dashboard. It also changes the bolt pattern from 4x110 ( ATV's and early Mazda's only) to a much more available 5x114.3 which meant the current charcoal Rota RB's wouldn't cut it. Thus the search for new wheels began, and just as I was getting ready to buy some silver 16x8 +15 RPF1's I stumbled upon VRWheels.com and saw a set of used BBS RS. They were the same price as the RPF1's and the classic look suited the 7 a lot better and the staggered fit was more in line with what I wanted. 16x7.5 +14 front, 16x8.5 +14 rear. I paid, and when they showed up I realized "used" was the perfect description. However these, much like the car, were bought so I could work on them. The beauty of a 3 piece wheel, much like a car, is how much you can make it your own.
Finally pulled them apart and after approximately 30-40 hours of hand sanding, buffing and polishing the lips finally looked like they should. Perfect... no, but a helluva lot better than when I got them. If my engine bay was any indication, you know I like red. I love how it draws the eye. I often wonder if I went too far with it in the bay, but once I get her pulled apart and shaved/tucked a bit I'm sure I'll love it. So the rims had to have the same effect. I wanted something that anyone that had eyes would take a second look at, even if they ***** it. I'm not a showoff, but I don't mind getting noticed for the right reason. My car is my baby, it's everything I've worked for for the last 6 years. LOOK AT IT!!!!
Low res iPhone pic. Never had the Canon handy when I was driving her. I bought an 06 Mazdaspeed6 to replace the dying Slowfire, and sadly with a job change could not afford to keep both on the road.
Also had my good friend Sam over at RE-Speed fab up a full stainless engine back exhaust for me.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q88cRoL9IQc"]RX-7 Custom RE-SPEED 321 and 304 stainless Exhaust - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP9gKMFufnU&feature=relmfu"]RX-7 with custom stainless RE-SPEED exhaust - YouTube[/ame]
Videos don't do justice to his work. The sound is phenomenal and beyond what I expected and his welds are just beautiful.
I will be putting her back on the road for October. The wiper motor quit (second time) so it will only be nice days that she gets driven. I'll try to get some better shots up.
Thanks for looking/reading!
Chris
I'm Chris, my intro thread is around somewhere. Currently 27, drive truck, take Muay Thai, etc.
Now, on to the toy. In November 2005 I was finally in the market for another car after owning a 1988 Chevy Celebrity (offroad capable) and an 88 Civic DX hatch (misfire due to bad O2 sensor, horrible rear quarter repair) No pics, this was before the days of inexpensive digital cameras. Curious? Google is your friend and will help in your quest. I was looking for a car whose sole purpose was to be modified. I wanted an S13, but only found shody examples. After driving home with the mother we drove by an autobody shop and she pointed out a car on the lot. I thought it was an S13 hatch but a second glance said no. She says we should go have a peak anyway. Funny related story, while working on the Celebrity to get it roadworthy two guys at the same shop I was using were taking a pair of FB chassis RX7 and putting them together to make one running car. I thought they were ugly. I now wish I owned more. She's so sexy.
So we swing around and take a gander, I have a chat with the owner who says it was bought at auction for his daughter and had the drivers fender and door replaced. Otherwise looked pretty mint. This is where I say that I am not posting a full fledged build. Mostly because most of my pictures are on my desktop HD which is dead and also because the last 6 years area bit of a blur. If you wish to see every detail I've cared to note, check out the cardomain page: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/232206...da-rx-7/page-9
He takes me for a spin, and I fall in love. I go back a week later, she's still there and I have cash burning a hole in my pocket. I take the car for a drive myself and fall in love some more. She's mine. The cost of the car included storage over the winter, which being a light rear driver in good shape in Canada, I took advantage of.
First year of ownership. Unmolested.
Here she is on Racing Beat springs and sway bars, Tokico HPs with some obviously used CSA rims as well as some brake and engine upgrades.
In August 2010 the lil 12A finally spat out an apex seal which meant it was time for a rebuild. I took the opportunity to build something to make my girl hustle, so I sent the block as well as a spare 13B off to Rotary Dynamics in Mississauga, ON. After tear down it needed a bunch of things since both blocks were pretty shot. But stuff happened, money was spent and I got myself something I was quite happy with. It's now a Frankenstein 13B made up of REW housings, GSL-SE 13B rotors and e-shaft and the 12A plates with an RX-4 intake manifold to mate my heavily modded stock carb up to it.
2011 rolls around and I see another silver FB online for $800. I figure, one race car, one street car. Reasonable idea, right? I have a look and wow this thing is crap. Frame rails have giant holes, standard first gen rear inner fender rust, seized engine. Mint interior, but I didn't want it. So I instead took that money and spent it on upgrading the brakes even further with an RE-Speed big brake kit. It uses 88-92 RX-7 Turbo II brake components with a bunch of brackets and adapters to make passengers faces meet the dashboard. It also changes the bolt pattern from 4x110 ( ATV's and early Mazda's only) to a much more available 5x114.3 which meant the current charcoal Rota RB's wouldn't cut it. Thus the search for new wheels began, and just as I was getting ready to buy some silver 16x8 +15 RPF1's I stumbled upon VRWheels.com and saw a set of used BBS RS. They were the same price as the RPF1's and the classic look suited the 7 a lot better and the staggered fit was more in line with what I wanted. 16x7.5 +14 front, 16x8.5 +14 rear. I paid, and when they showed up I realized "used" was the perfect description. However these, much like the car, were bought so I could work on them. The beauty of a 3 piece wheel, much like a car, is how much you can make it your own.
Finally pulled them apart and after approximately 30-40 hours of hand sanding, buffing and polishing the lips finally looked like they should. Perfect... no, but a helluva lot better than when I got them. If my engine bay was any indication, you know I like red. I love how it draws the eye. I often wonder if I went too far with it in the bay, but once I get her pulled apart and shaved/tucked a bit I'm sure I'll love it. So the rims had to have the same effect. I wanted something that anyone that had eyes would take a second look at, even if they ***** it. I'm not a showoff, but I don't mind getting noticed for the right reason. My car is my baby, it's everything I've worked for for the last 6 years. LOOK AT IT!!!!
Low res iPhone pic. Never had the Canon handy when I was driving her. I bought an 06 Mazdaspeed6 to replace the dying Slowfire, and sadly with a job change could not afford to keep both on the road.
Also had my good friend Sam over at RE-Speed fab up a full stainless engine back exhaust for me.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q88cRoL9IQc"]RX-7 Custom RE-SPEED 321 and 304 stainless Exhaust - YouTube[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP9gKMFufnU&feature=relmfu"]RX-7 with custom stainless RE-SPEED exhaust - YouTube[/ame]
Videos don't do justice to his work. The sound is phenomenal and beyond what I expected and his welds are just beautiful.
I will be putting her back on the road for October. The wiper motor quit (second time) so it will only be nice days that she gets driven. I'll try to get some better shots up.
Thanks for looking/reading!
Chris
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