Project NSX: Part 22 – DBW Intake Manifold
Now that our Drive-By-Wire pedal and Motec ECU are installed, we turned our attention to simplifying and adapting an 80mm Ford Mustang DBW throttle body to the original intake manifold.…
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Billy Johnson
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Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 26 – BorgWarner EFR Turbo System and TurboSmart WG
We are going to back-to-back test Borg Warner’s EFR 8374 and EFR 9180 turbos on our Bridge and Semi Peripheral Ported 13B REW engine. The twinscroll turbo will be mounted…
Project NSX: Part 21 – Foundry 3 K-Coil Swap
With forced induction on the horizon, we upgrade the spark energy for our C30A engine with the Foundry 3 K-Coil Swap Kit. The Foundry 3 K-Coil Swap Kit is a…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 25 – JP3 Motorsports RX8 A/C Upgrade
We upgrade the stock FD RX-7’s subpar A/C system with JP3 Motorsport’s A/C line kit that adapts the newer, more efficient, and more effective RX-8 A/C compressor and condenser to…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 24 – Engine and Transmission Install
After 2 years, we finally install our built 13B REW engine and Nissan CD009 transmission with the Fisch Racing Tech transmission adapter system. This has been a long time coming…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 23 – Heatshield Products HP StickyShield
Rotaries produce a ton of heat. We keep cabin temperatures down by covering our transmission tunnel with Sticky™ Shield from Heatshield Products. Thermal management is a major challenge for rotary…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 22 – DC Power Alternator, Raceonly Pulleys, FFE Hall Trigger Kit
We upgrade the electrical system of our car with a high output alternator from DC Power, improved the look of our engine bay with a set of Raceonly Pulleys, and…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 21 – Suspension Refresh with SuperPro USA polyurethane bushings.
We freshened up our FD’s30-year old, worn out suspension bushings with SuperPro USA polyurethane bushings and replaced the clunking old pillow ball bushings in the rear suspension. We also vapor…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 20 – Competition Clutch Triple Disc Organic Clutch
We chose the Competition Clutch Triple Disc Organic Clutch now that our FD RX-7 will be equipped with the CD009 Transmission swap. In any car build, it is important to…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 19 – Assembling the 13B REW
Our 13B REW is finally ready for assembly, now that our rotors are lightened, irons are bridge ported and semi peripheral ported, and we WPC Treated and CTP Cryo treated…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 18 – Choosing a Transmission Upgrade
We upgraded our FD RX-7’s transmission with the durable, 1,000whp+ and high-rpm capable CD009/CD00A transmission from the Nissan 350Z. To make this a seamless installation, we are using the Fisch…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 17 – McLeod RST 13B Rotary Clutch Update
McLeod Racing now offers a complete line of twin-disc clutch options and pull-push throwout bearing conversion kits for the 1993+ Mazda “FD” RX-7 with the stock 1×23 spline transmission. In…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 16 – Installing the Ronin Ford 8.8 IRS Mount Kit using DSS Axles
We busted out the TIG welder and installed the Ronin Speedworks Ford 8.8” IRS Mounting Kit. Then we shipped off the subframe to get powder coated before installing the show…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 15 – Building the Ford 8.8 Differential with a Detroit Truetrac LSD and WPC
We take a junkyard Ford Explorer 8.8” differential and transform it by installing a Detroit Truetrac limited slip differential, hand deburr the ring and pinion gears, WPC treat the gears…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 14 – When to Upgrade the Differential
The FD RX-7 has many drivetrain limitations that start to fail as power approaches double the factory output. Upgrading to a Ford Explorer 8.8” differential actually makes a lot of…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 13 – Porting the 13B REW
Increasing airflow and power can be achieved through different types of porting on a rotary engine. Each type has their own benefits and drawbacks, but there is a lot of…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 12 – Rotor Lightening, WPC and CTP Cryo Treatment
To kick off our engine build, we CNC-lightened the rotors of our 13B REW before shipping them off to be cryogenically frozen by CTP Cryogenics to improve strength and durability…
Project NSX: Part 20 – Antigravity Lithium Battery and CTEK Charger
When it comes to weight reduction, it’s difficult to beat the cost-to-benefit ratio of a lithium battery. We replaced our NSX’s heavy AGM battery with Antigravity’s drop-in Group-35/Q85 lithium battery…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 11 – Engine Disassembly
We decided to tear down a 2,000-mile brand-new Mazda crate engine to turn it into one of the most highly-modified 13B REW engines on the planet. We started by removing…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 10 – Engine Fire Update
Owning an RX-7 is like riding a motorcycle. It’s not a matter of “IF” (the car catches fire) but rather “WHEN, and how bad?”. A small engine fire changed the…
Project NSX: Part 19 – Designing a Crank Position Sensor and Knock Control
We design a custom tone ring and hall-effect sensor mount for our Motec M150 to more accurately record the crankshaft position and control ignition timing at high RPM. We also…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 9 – Air Pump Removal and FFE Idler Pulley
To make a simpler and more reliable off-road (track-only) engine setup, we removed the factory Air Pump and Air Control Valve, then installed the Full Function Engineering Idler Pulley Full…
Project NSX: Part 18 – DBW Conversion with Motec
We upgrade the ECU in our 30-year-old NSX to the advanced Motec M150, and ditch the throttle cable in favor of a Drive-By-Wire setup to take full advantage of new…
Project NSX: Part 17 – ECU Master PMU16
We replace the NSX’s aging factory main relay and fan control modules with the ECU Master PMU16 Power Management Unit. This also gives us the ability to not only control…
Project NSX: Part 16 – Dry Ice Blasting Restoration
We restore the undercarriage and engine bay of our NSX with Dry Ice Blasting. Now we just might be addicted to Dry Ice Blasting. Once you go ice, nothing is…
Project NSX Part 15 – Upgrading the Interior with Sweidit
We worked with Sweidit to modernize the interior of our NSX with Alcantara and Nappa Leather, replaced plastic trim panels with carbon fiber, and upgrade the head unit and amplifier.…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 8 – Trans and Diff Mount
To handle our plans for increased power, we ditch the weak and heavy OEM “Power Plant Frame” (PPF) in favor of a traditional transmission mount from Banzai Racing and differential…
Off-Road Explorer ST with ALPHAequipt Grenade Wheels & General Tire’s Grabber ATX
We take Ford’s hot-rodded SUV, the Explorer ST, and prepare it for off-road and snow life with the help of ALPHAequipt Grenade wheels and General Tire’s Grabber A/TX. The Explorer…
ALPHAequipt Silverado Command Wheels & Falken WildPeak A/T3W Tires
In the middle of winter, it is very important to have the right tires for the job and conditions. To improve our off-road performance, capabilities, and safety; we are equipping…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 7 -McLeod RST, the Ultimate Streetable Twin Disc?
For Project Restomod RX-7 we are taking a somewhat different approach to modding a car. We are striving to refine and elevate the FD RX-7 in every way to better…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 6 – Antigravity and MeleDesign Firm Battery Relocation
There are many reasons why relocating the battery should be one of the first modifications done to an RX-7. First off, electronics hate heat and there aren’t many engine bays…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 5 – Dry Ice Blasting Restoration
If you love your car and especially if you work on it, Dry Ice Blasting restoration is a MUST. Dry Ice Blasting is outright incredible. It is a cleaning process…