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…
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Billy Johnson
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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…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 4 – Stoptech Stainless Steel Brake Lines and Castrol SRF Fluid.
We addressed a surprisingly long pedal from boiling the brake fluid during spirited driving with stainless steel brake lines from Stoptech and new Castrol SRF fluid. Now that the steering…
Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 10 – MGW Short Shifter
We greatly improve the feel and control of our S197 Mustang’s Getrag MT82 transmission with a short shift kit from MGW. The Getrag MT-82 is well-known for not being the…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 3 – SuperPro Front Swaybar and Steering Rack Bushings
We fix a bad clunk and steering issue with a stiffer SuperPro front swaybar and steering rack bushings. When Project FD RX7 Restomod was purchased, it had a pretty bad…
Project NSX: Part 14 – Michelin Cup 2 Connect Tires and Forgeline GA1R Wheels
After years of extensive testing and measuring, I finally fit 305-width Michelin Cup 2 (240)s under the rear of an NSX, mounted on a set of custom Forgeline GA1R wheels.…
Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 2 – Titan 7 TD-6 Wheels and Continental Force Tire
Choosing wheels and tires is such an important decision that greatly affects the potential of a car. We improve the performance and visual presence of our FD Mazda RX-7 with…
Project Viper: Part 16 – Forgeline VX1-6 Wheels and Michelin Super Sport Tires
Fresh performance tires are crucial for keeping Vipers safe and predictable. We upgrade our Viper with Forgeline’s Monoblock VX1-6 wheels wrapped in new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. As we…
Project NSX: Part 13 – Track Testing Yokohama A052 Tires and Swift Springs
When it comes to performance on track, tires are one of the most important factors of a car. We install what is arguably the fastest 200-treadwear “Street” tire on the…
Project FD RX-7 Restomod: Part 1 – Introduction
The 3rd generation (FD) Mazda RX-7 is one of the best driver’s cars to ever come out of Japan. Unfortunately, its turbocharged rotary engine has a bad reputation for being…
Project Viper: Part 15 – Fixing the Factory Brake Bias
Non-ABS equipped Gen-2 Vipers have terrible brake bias. We install new rear calipers with larger pistons to improve the brake bias and stopping performance of our Viper. We also upgrade…
Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 9 – Apex Wheels and Nitto Tires
Choosing wheels and tires are some of the most important decisions you can make for a car. For this project’s theme of using the best bang-for-your-buck components possible, there really…
Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 8 – Aero with Steeda and Ford
For the S197 Mustang platform, proven aero does not have to be expensive. We install a wind tunnel-tested Steeda wing and a BOSS 302 splitter to improve the downforce of…
Project Viper: Part 14 – Maintenance: Swaybar Bushings, Ball Joints and Boots
Time takes its toll on rubber. We replace the old and hardened swaybar bushings, ball joints, and boots on our low-mileage 1997 Viper. As we mentioned in Part 12, it’s…
Project NSX: Part 12 – NRG Steering Wheel and Quick Release Install
We upgrade one of the most important tools a driver uses: The steering wheel. We install a suede steering wheel, adapter, and quick-release from NRG. NRG has been around for…
Project NSX: Part 11 – Installing NSX-R Style Loop Carpet From NSXcarpet.com
We refreshed the interior of our NSX with NSX-R style looped carpet from NSXcarpets.com It’s pretty crazy to think that the carpet in our NSX is nearly 30 years old. …
Project NSX: Part 10 – AeroWerkZ Paint Correction and Stek PPF Install
To protect our freshly painted NSX, we visited the experts at AeroWerkZ for a full paint correction and wrapped the entire car in Stek’s “DYNOshield” Paint Protection Film (PPF). AeroWerkZ…
Project Viper: Part 13 – Lowering the car with KW Coilovers
2nd Generation Vipers desperately need to be lowered. We accomplished this with a set of coilovers from KW Suspension. The Viper’s stock suspension is actually quite good. The ride quality…
Project Viper: Part 12 – Replacing the Fluids
It’s always important to routinely replace the fluids in a car, even if it has low mileage. We went through our 1997 Dodge Viper with less than 10K miles on…
Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 7 – Springs, Shocks and Bars
Staying true to the ‘budget’ track car theme, we skipped expensive coilovers and upgraded our S197 Mustang with track-capable springs, shocks, and swaybars from Steeda. In Part 6, we tackled…