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View Full Version : My New '94 RX-7 - Oh, the Drama!



YoshiFD3S
01-10-2009, 07:46 PM
First off, I just wanted to pay a special thanks to my brother David, over at Lethal. He spent countless hours on my car in such a short amount of time, to try and get it running by the time I came home for Leave during New Years.

I'd also like to thank Kyle, who without his awesome welding skills, my car also wouldn't be what it is today.

My brother is so meticulous and his attention to detail is one of a kind. You won't find a mechanic anywhere who is more concerned about your own car than my brother. I'm proud to have him as my brother.

For the initial setup, I was going to be going with a 13B-RE, the Cosmo 2-rotor motor. The intake manifold piping diameter is roughly 10mm larger than the standard 13B-REW manifold.

As my Dyno pic from Lethal will show, the 13B-RE is capable of producing more power at RPM's past 6,500....However, the 13B-REW that is currently in the car, produced significantly more torque and horsepower at LOWER RPM's...which for a rotary, is a definite plus.

13B-REW ports
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/littleportsonREW.jpg

13B-RE ports
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/bigportsonREW.jpg

In Progress:
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/FDonLiftFR1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/FDonLiftBk1.jpg

Pay no attention to that GT40 on that Z28 /w 345's on the back. ^_^
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc313/Z_U_L8R/mikesFDgt40camaro.jpg

Dirty Turbonetics 62-1 turbo! >_<
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/mikesturbodirty.jpg

Nice and clean!!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/mikesturboclean.jpg

Custom-fabricated fuel-rail. Go Kyle gooooo!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/fuelrail1.jpg

The 13B-RE sitting nicely in the engine bay after custom motor mounts, courtesy of Kyle, and cutting into the sub-frame, to fit the oil-pan.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/corssmember1.jpg
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/mikesFDREprogress12-18-08.jpg

Finished Product: 13B-RE
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1824small-1.jpg

On the Dyno @ Lethal, awaiting tuning from Roy.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1834small.jpg


BUT THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trouble struck.

After being tuned by Roy, as the car was sitting there idling....it died....and wouldn't start back up.

The next day at the shop, after testing air, fuel, and spark...a simple compression test showed low compression on the rear rotor.

It didn't help that the diaphragm of my Turbosmart 45mm waste-gate had a tear in it...causing unsafe levels of boost during the initial dyno tuning, before I had came home. By the time we had replaced the diaphragm and put her back on the dyno, it was too late. :[

....SON OF A........lol...I never even got to drive it with the RE in it. :[

SO!!!!! It was off to JHOT Imports, out of Augusta...to pick up a fresh, low-mileage 13B-REW motor. The standard FD motor. No one in town had a 13B-RE in stock.

Yaaaaaaaaay.... -_-;;
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1871small.jpg

Thank goodness for Verizon's GPS...the Mapquest directions SUCKED, and don't even get me started on how useless then iPhone GPS is!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1872small.jpg

"What's that, Hamilton? Is that a cop behind us??? Uh ohhhh...."
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1870small.jpg

79 in a 65....ALOT better than a 92 in a 65, which was how fast he was actually going.... OOPS! ^_^;; Sorry Kyle!!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1863small.jpg

On the way back from JHOT with our precious cargo!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1876small.jpg

My girlfriend was such a little trooper! Coolest girlfriend, ever!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1901small.jpg

While we were gone, my brother was hard at work, removing the 13B-RE.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1902small-1.jpg

GOOOOOOOOD BYE "rats-nest". ~81 total vacuum lines come standard on the 13B-REW, in order to make the stock twin-sequential turbo system work.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/ratsnest2.jpg

So here she is! After spending the first half of my Leave period at the shop, and a few pissed off girlfriend moments later....
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1951small.jpg

All done and ready for a final tune by Roy.

The 13B-REW versus the 13B-RE, utilizing the "Average Guy" roller weight setting on Lethal's Dyno.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/LethalDyno-13B-REVS13B-REW.jpg

Observe the significant horsepower and torque differences. The RE puts out slightly higher horsepower at higher RPM's, however the REW starts its powerband and torque curve much sooner thanks to larger exhaust ports, resulting in a faster turbo spool.

We decided to try seeing what kind of #'s the car would put out on a standard Dynojet Dyno. So we hit up Dynolab in Marietta and here's the difference.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1979small.jpg

So if you look back at the Dyno comparison from Lethal..You'll see about a 50hp difference. If you're looking for those bigger #'s, and you're tired of being butt-hurt by Lethal mean dyno....ask them to put the dyno on the "Nice Guy" setting. It'll put out #'s equal to that of a standard free-spinning Dynojet dyno.

Okay, so I got a little camera friendly with my new toy! Sorry I don't have any Photoshoot quality pics, like all you rich bastards. I don't make THAT much money in the Navy! ;D

SOOOO....Happy Birthday, Christmas, Hannukkah, Congrats on Making E-5 to MEEEEEE!!!! LOL
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1813small.jpg

My girlfriend was happy to finally sit in it, too. haha!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1816small-1.jpg

Team Lethal. REPRESENT!!!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1957small.jpg

LOVIN' my '99 Front w/ H4 Bulbs!
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1961small.jpg

And my '99 Tails..JDM tite! lol
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1836small.jpg

Sex.
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e356/YoshiFD3S/IMG_1807small.jpg


So all in all....The car runs BEAUTIFULLY. The 11psi is VERY conservative and will help keep it as "reliable" as possible...if that's even a word you can say in the same sentence as "rotary". lol

It's currently sitting in my mom's garage in Roswell, but it'll be up at the shop at least a few times, I'm sure. Advertising. :P

So again, I just wanna say thanks to my brother David, and all the guys at Lethal for helping me get my dream car up and running!

When I re-enlist in < 2 years, I think I'll go ahead and go through with my 2JZ project. Till then, I'll just be cleaning it up a little bit. Touch up the paint, a little body work, a few interior pieces...and definitely throw on my WORKS Emotion XD9's on her as soon as I ship her to San Diego, in April-ish of this year! 235's aren't NEAR wide enough to keep this beast under control! XD

I was even able to get the vanity license plate I wanted for it, too.

"1337 FD"

1337 is actually my NEC ("MOS Code") within the Navy! Go figure! ^_^


Thanks for your time, fellas!

ATL_EG
01-10-2009, 07:51 PM
absolutely sick man :goodjob:

Deke
01-10-2009, 07:52 PM
Congrats! Those cars are so sexy.

G.C
01-10-2009, 07:55 PM
Very nice.

tdurr
01-10-2009, 07:55 PM
ballin.

green91
01-10-2009, 07:57 PM
FDs are a timeless chassis! nice work on the car.

sirkus
01-10-2009, 08:13 PM
Damn nice Mike! I like the white more than that green one.

MachNU
01-10-2009, 08:22 PM
That is a very very nice car! i love the lip kit on it!

JessAlba452
01-10-2009, 08:27 PM
One heck of a sick FD :D

fininfarina
01-10-2009, 08:38 PM
I love the front look
very nice

FRYLOCK
01-10-2009, 08:42 PM
i like the girl A+

ackrite1
01-10-2009, 09:04 PM
wish you the best of luck with your project, dude.

DVSRX-7
01-10-2009, 09:52 PM
fuckin sick

ATLGt
01-10-2009, 10:39 PM
Love the 99 spec front. I can't wait to get my registared and legally drive it.

uproot
01-10-2009, 11:11 PM
very nice rx7 :goodjob: props to you man

Blitanicle99
01-10-2009, 11:14 PM
No way man, looks great!

mp5o
01-10-2009, 11:17 PM
More pics and info on the camaro? Looks bad ass..

The Creeper
01-10-2009, 11:30 PM
Looking good mike...

87 Turbo II
01-11-2009, 12:13 AM
Sucks that the RE blew. Maybe the REW housings with the RE irons would make a good rebuilt motor come the time for one. (RE having the larger intake porting and the REW having the larger exhaust porting). AWESOME car though.

YoshiFD3S
01-11-2009, 01:09 AM
I'm just hoping the REW lasts until I re-enlist in < 2 years.

If it doesn't, I'm just gonna throw another one in, and keep it as streetable as possible.

Once I re-enlist, I'm going 2JZ balls-out.

I had traded my 2JZ Swap Kit to Lethal, to help the shop out, and so they gave me a deal on the motor(s) n' stuff.

All in all, the car feels VERY VERY smooth. Excellent power curve, and a surprising amount of torque for a rotary. Powerband is from 4k+.

I LOVE it.

I can't WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIT to be driving this thing around San Diegoooooooo!!!

Oh btw, I'm drunk! XD

bahahahaha!!!

^_^

LaoboiLB
01-11-2009, 01:14 AM
really clean and alot of work hard

99' LuDe
01-11-2009, 02:24 AM
the day honda makes a car with enough left over room in the engine bay the fit the intercooler too will be amazing, until then were just gonna rock it with no pwr steering or AC ;)

Z U L8R
01-11-2009, 06:27 PM
thx Mikey, glad everything worked out.

that bish is pretty quick, and she is definately sexy, oh and your car is good looking too muwhahahahha

your bro,
Dave @ Lethal Injection Motorsports
770-343-9969

nismo1987
01-11-2009, 06:35 PM
Looks good mane hope all goes well

YoshiFD3S
01-11-2009, 09:27 PM
Thanks guys!

Now if I could just squeeze out over 200 miles on a 16 gallon tank of gas out of this thing!

haha

XD

JHIT89
01-11-2009, 11:09 PM
i looooove the work you done this is my favorite mazda

enjoy the car its beautiful