A few new projects

[gmonsen]

I have a number of small projects I am working on over the winter that all involve some fabbing. Here are some pictures.

Here's the new aluminum grille surround I had made...


And, here's the screening behind it to hide the radiator and plumbing...



Here are some strakes or spears I'm playing with to add to the side vents. They'd be tapered and polished more...





Here's a new emblem I'm making. It will replace all the other emblems. The front one will be in the middle of the grille and the rear one will be centered over the keyhole for the hatch lock. I am making one that will have a red "7" with an aluminum surround and a cream white inside...



And I'm making a few up out of all metal. Here's a test. The final ones will be well made and polished, but I'm trying to see what it would look like...



And, I'm making a new intake plenum for the 20b. But, its just started. (It needs a LOT more air.)

[Prodigy]

I have always Loved the way you have Modded your NA 20b, its so classy and understated... great Job with the aluminum grille surround, looks fantastic, and the emblem looks good too (seen the thread a few days ago on the other forum)

I think instead of building a new Intake, you should go the Route of ITB's, cause it would add to the sexiness of your engine bay, plus add a bit more power...

buts that's what I would do, either way your car will look great (based on its track record so far)....


J.

[gmonsen]

Thanks for the kind comment. I'm looking at doing ITB's over the winter, but want to go through this step, because I want to see how far I can go as simply as possible first. If this produces a certain amount of power, I might stop.

Gordon

[lh6601]

You definitely think outside the box with your mods. Looks great and should add some class and sophistication to that old bird.
Its sad that I just called an FD an old bird.

[gmonsen]

Here are a few newer photos of my "old bird"...

Gordon

[Prodigy]

That is almost my perfect rendition of a FD that could be used a DD.... this is the only FD that I would say emits "Class" where most make it kinda ricer (including mine) yours is just pure simplicity and sophistication in one.... It looks really great... one of the Few FD's a person could take to a Red carpet event...

Man I'm jealous...


J.

[gmonsen]

You know, I have spent a serious amount of time and money -- as I constantly keep repeating -- just making the car what it could have been. Its meant to be an upscale evolution of the 7 had Mazda continued with the body a la Porsche and evolved it.

I am more in love with the car than when I bought my first one and think this is now close to what I've been trying to do. The thing is that it doesn't really show well at all. In pictures of the exterior or interior, people can see a few things that are different, like the aluminum grille and rear valance and some people notice the wheels. The Spirit R brakes (new thanks to K Hiraishi) look good, but no one recognizes them as being anything other than stock. Some of the newer things, like the emblems may be noticeable as well.

The interior shots show a really nice interior, but there's no way anyone can tell that its not stock (or mostly stock) from pictures. Of course, it is more or less the stock design, just made out of the best materials. The seats, being modified, padded, and leather covered RZ seats, look fairly stock as well, although they are closer to the Recaros Porsche puts in the GT3. The padded and perforated leather headliner and visors can only be seen from inside. Bunch of other stuff, like everything being leather and metal and no plastic or vinyl. But, again, you can't see it.

Even the motor is understated and a bit different, being naturally aspirated and not going for maximum power by any means, but a very pure rotary power and power suited to the chassis.

Gordon

[Prodigy]

Its like a small British sports car from the 1960's... it may be small, kinda slow compared to others, and sometimes a shore to upkeep, but the feeling and joy from driving it is like nothing else ever conceived....

It is a very very understated car, I am hoping one day to have the pleasure, of just seeing it in person, and maybe if my words are smooth and your gas tank is full, going for a short little drive to fully appreciate and understand all the thought and effort (plus time and money) put into your build... Your approach for this car is quite uncommon for cars such as the FD, or even NSX, Supra's, GTR's in my opinion... It would be a great Grand Touring car, where most of the above mentioned, the owners would hate to drive them for more then 2 hours consecutively....

Yours is one where a drive through the mountains can be enjoyed, by not having to stop at every rest stop to give ones body/back a break, and check fluids etc..

Truly one magnificent and smooth purring beast...

J.

[lh6601]

Beautiful car.

[gmonsen]

Here are a bunch more pictures of some of the things I find more interesting. Hopefully, some of these are new.

Gordon

Here are a few photos of the brakes. They are brand new Spirit R brakes, which are slightly larger than the stock brakes at 314mm diameter. The pistons are different than stock and each rotor is individually dynamically balanced. The rears are slightly larger and have different pistons as well. I liked them, because they were larger and better, but still Mazda. I like the Brembo-like red calipers with silver white Mazda.


This interior photo shows the new seat redo with the perforated leather and more padding for my old ass. You can't believe how comfortable these are, especially since they started as the RZ racing shells (the CF on the back is covered with the same black leather that covers every interior surface except the cream white perforated headliner). The console was "metalized" (shot with silver dust and copper ad nickel plated) and then painted black. The ashtray was chromed. (Maybe a bit much.) The short shift gear shift knob is a Voodoo aluminum knob that I had Joe powder coat black with the shift pattern etched and filled in white.


A little closer shot. All the surfaces -- other than the metalized plastic on the dash, console, and doors -- is black leather, but, all in all, it looks pretty stock, even though not one piece you see is original. Every piece was redone.


I kind of like this rear under valance I had made out of aluminum. It replaces the stock black plastic one that always melts where the cutout is for the exhaust tip. My exhaust exits downwards before the valance, so there's no cutout for a tip or any tip for that matter. Fits exactly as the stock unit.



And, of course, I really like the front grille surround I had made out of aluminum as well, which I'm still finishing off with the new screen and emblem.


I love this photo taken behind the driver's seat. It all looks completely stock, but, again, it isn't. Everything is black leather (the same leather hides BMW uses), including the bins.


And I had them repeat the bin ribbing pattern in a few other places, like the subwoofer box in the rear.


This closeup of the ashtray is interesting, because, while you can see that the ashtray is chrome, you don't notice that the entire console is metal as well, but painted black. The area surrounding the console is black leather and the seats are red leather.

Here's the console area after being plated and painted.


Here's the back of one of the door pieces, showing the copper plating a bit.


One of the things I've always hated is not just plastic in the interior, but plastic vanes in the air conditioning and heating vents. So, I had them taken apart, and actually individually chromed and then reassembled. You don't notice them very much, but you do notice them when you're driving. The black plastic vents themselves are, of course, also metal plated and painted black.

[Prodigy]

So let me make sure I understand this correctly.. you took the factory plastic surround (gauge, shifter etc...) had it plated, then shot with some more metal coatings to give it some texture, then painted black to make it look even better then stock...

Had the same plating/painting done to every vent (after disassembling then) and got the fins chromed to add that little touch of class....

then had every piece of remaining plastic in the car covered in a BMW quality leather, and had some added some "ribbing" in certain areas to match/add a bit more texture, pattern to the interior...

My favorite part is still the rear valence and front grille surround out of aluminum.... with it emulating the surface under it, it will either lighten the car (like in the posted pics) or it can darken it to a whole new level... adding a bit of personality and flare to the car itself (imagine how it would look parked over a handicapped stall, reflecting that blue)


You know how I feel about your work you have done to this car...

looks great... I would "rep" you, but this forum does not have the option...


J.

[gmonsen]

Thanks, Prodigy. I'm pretty sure I have the honor of spending the most money for the least noticeable changes, but, yes, that is what I did.

Thanks, again. If we ever run into each other, you should take a drive. Its enlightening and fun.

Gordon

[Prodigy]

Yeah but there is a certain humbleness that comes with building such a project as this... that's one reason I like/respect this car and your work on it so much. You were not making it to be a cry to attention, where as quite a few FD's are... you knew the look of the stock was alright, you just wanted it that little bit more refined, higher quality, since Mazda had to make the budgets and cut the quality on quite a few things, you are just making the Interior to what it deserved to be in the first place... IMO

Its a classy car... where mine may look alright, but the interior will not feel nearly as solid as yours, nor will any passengers have the same appreciation, that they do in yours... Mine looks somewhat neglected (going to get it running awesome first, then Iron out the small things I don't like)

In the words of Jeremy Clarkson, yours would be something like the Spyker C8, where its a car that you "wear" not so much as drive, it brings with it a certain expiation, or ambiance. Where as my car (although currently not running) would be more in the Gumpert Apallo camp, where it sacrifices creature comforts for a more "track based" performance... although I'm guessing yours would still run circles around my car, that is until I learn how to drive...


Either way, you have done a magnificent job... you up classed the FD from a 90's jap import with nice design and poor execution to a nice design and superb execution...

Now just throw some ITB's on it and call it "done"


My name is Jon.

[diabolical1]

absolutely outstanding. i really like your approach to modifying.

[gmonsen]

Thanks, Diabolical, as well. Here's another bit that I really like, but you don't see: an Atomic Rex manual rack.

I did the looped line manual steering conversion on my first FD and tasted the “feel” that manual steering provided. I never tried the Mavel manual conversion. When Atomic Rex came out with their new billet aluminum CNC-machined manual rack, I bought the first one shipped here. Its a fair bit of money, but cheap for what it provides.

Not only is there great feel, but it is also quicker at 2.4 turns lock-to-lock. It is also much more precise due to the different (better) machining of the rack and gear, as well as the much more substantial solid aluminum mounting blocks to the subframe. This makes a tremendous change in the way the car feels, the way it turns in, the way it handles overall. [However, I am close to buying Atomic Rex’s Electronic Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) kit that provides assistance at parking speeds, since it’s a bit much on occasion.]

Here’s the Atomic Rex manual rack next to the stock rack. Talk about hidden bling:


Here is a picture showing the mounting blocks to affix the rack to the subframe:


And, here’s the rack installed in the subframe: