Kevin Landers - "Rotary Resurrection"
Year, model, mods, etc
1990 Mazda RX-7 "TII GTX"
-GT35R
-AP PowerFC
-HKS FMIC/BOV
-Greddy PE dual
-Street Port
-Rotary Resurrection Rebuild
-466rwhp @ 21psi
Questions to the owner:
Q: Congratulations for winning Ride of the Month! Tell us about how you acquired this car?
A: I had just sold my FD and wanted an FC to build up and make nice. I considered building another turbo convertible but couldnt find the right color combo, and stumbled upon an ad in the regional classifieds for this NA GTU coupe for $500 with a blown engine. I went and looked at it, and bought it because it was a straight body and interior to build off of.
Q: How did you first become interested in modified cars? Have you had any previously?
A: I have had modified cars since I could first afford it. I just always felt the need to improve on the factory setup of anything I owned. I put stereos into my first couple of cheap beaters, then I had a lowered cavalier, an s-10 lowrider, a celica showcar, another s-10 lowrider, and many rx-7s.
Q: Whats the biggest reason you chose a rotary powered car to modify?
A: I first bought an rx7 in 1999. The rotary itself did not attract me, in fact it made me nervous based upon what I had heard about them from other people and in magazines (expense of maintenance, sensitive nature). But the style of the car did, and the fact that it seemed fast and fun. One day I was on the interstate in my Celica (which at the time I thought was quick) and took an asswhipping from an FC (my car cut out at 125 and the FC kept pulling for a LONG time) so I decided I had to have one. That, and it was one of my favorite cars to drive on Gran Turismo, which I played heavily at the time. :-)
So I found one locally in the paper and fell in love with it when I saw/drove it. I loved the body styling and the dual exhaust, and the tail lights and smooth front nose were sexy as well. The car seemed to make power forever and ride on rails. Plus it was something none of my friends or people locally had, they all had hondas and nissans and this was something different.
I bought the car and loved it for a few years, before selling it to get money to start my business venture. Part of the reason I wanted to build my current FC is because it is the way I wanted to build that first one I had years ago, which was also a harbor blue coupe.
Q: Is this car your daily driver? Do you participate in any form of racing? (Drag, Auto-X, etc)
A: I work from home and only go out every couple or 3 days for parts or to ship stuff, so I dont really daily drive anywhere. When I do go out, I usually have to haul my 3 year old, plus some boxes or engines around ,so I have to drive my truck. But the car is 100% streetable and could serve as a DD if I had a regular day job.
I don't participate in any organized racing, since there is not a lot locally that is not 1/8 mile drag, and I am not into drag anyway. there are a few autox's about an hour away, but having a family, home, business, and several of my own rides to take my attention, I have no spare time to get out and play on my own.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your car?
A: The way it looks...it is one of the cleanest and smoothest designs on the road even today. The FC bodystyle is my favorite obtainable car (under 30k) of all time and I have gotten lucky enough to mold this one into my personal ideal FC.
Q: Do you have any future plans for the car, or any car?
A: Contrary to my wife's beliefs, I plan to keep this car for a long time. She makes fun of me because I build a car and then sell it when I no longer need to work on it or improve it. It still needs a new front carpet and floor mats, but now that I have gotten tuned and the car is even more driveable and smoother, I am very happy with all aspects of it.
Q: Any other hobbies besides cars?
A: Car stereo in general, and home theater setups, though I am far from one of those particular audiophile types. I also enjoy keeping tropical fish aquariums. Most of all I enjoy keeping my 3 year old son and watching him grow and learn.
Q: Anyone you'd like to thank?
A: Most recently, Steve Kan for the awesome tune (466rwhp @ 21psi!!!!) and Christopher Michaels (cibrspeed7 on the evil forum) for setting up the event.
Prior to that, Daniel Cantrell (semi local friend and rx7 guy) who went through my t2 transmission before I did the swap/install and replaced the synchros. Ray Crowe and Dan atkins for supplying parts at a discount. And the paint guy Dennis, who I only met once, brother in law of Michael Smith (halfshaft5 on the evil forum) who did awesome work at a reasonable price.
Also special thanks to phoenix7 for the wheels I bought out from under him, and eph c freak for selling them to me. 
They made the car.
Link to Kevin's AMAZING Build Thread:
http://www.rotarycarclub.com/showthread.php?t=2529
July 2008 Ride of the Month - Rotary Resurrection (Winner of FC Month)!
Linear Mode
