It took me two years to get back into the rotary scene.
I had just come back from spending a year overseas and hadn’t owned a car since my last RX-7 took an unexpected trip to JDM heaven after an unlucky accident. I felt it was time to get back into my passion of Japanese cars and builds, so I bought my current FD3S in early 2016.
That’s where my journey starts.
I came across an abused RX-7 from Sydney’s western suburbs. At the time, it had all the gaudy hallmarks of an Australian ‘sex spec’ build including 19-inch chrome rims, red-wall tyres, and countless cheap eBay accessories. I wanted this build to be my best yet, so I started a painstaking journey of buying the highest quality parts.
Once I had the engine completely rebuilt I decided I needed to turn my attention to the exterior. I’m not a fan of bulky body kits because they can take away from the original body lines of the car, so I searched for external parts would complement the build rather than overdo it.
The carbon fibre diffuser and the Top Secret edition gold RAYS Volk TE37s in a 18×9.5-inch +12 fitment at each corner gives the FD a refined and timeless look.
My car was at a healthy 370hp running a T04E turbo kit, but I wanted more. I wanted numbers that went to another level and put me into a league of my own. I fitted a Turblown turbo kit based around a BorgWarner EFR 8374 and overhauled the fuel system for E85.
Ben from Rotary Motorsport tuned the RX-7 to 500hp, with boost coming on at 2,000rpm and delivering the full 25psi by 3,500rpm.
This is a huge step into creating the ultimate RX-7 build, but I’m not done yet.
James Pelecanos
Instagram: xx77.fd
Photos by Vladimir Knust
Instagram: knust.media
Facebook: KnustPhotos
James would like to give a special thanks to Ben from Rotary Motorsport, Elliot from Turblown Engineering, and his fiancé Sarah for agreeing to let them drive such an impractical car.
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