In-progress: RX-7 Cusco racer/drifter/monster

[willimo]

I couldn't decide what I was going to work on over break, and since I got two weeks of no work before I head to Boston and really waste my break, I just started fartin' around with several kits at once. The RX-7 model really took off, though, so I put them all away and concentrated on this one.

It's loosely based on the A'PEX drift car that was featured in the December Sport Compact Car, though if you want pictures of it I'm sure you can find it on countless drifting sites or anything that covers the D1. I'm not huge on drift (though I think it's cool) so this is going to be more a racer or street monster, but whatever clothing this wolf dons it will look about the same as far as set up. In the abscense of A'PEX decals and the spirit of being my own, phantom car it's gonna use the Cusco decals from Studio 27. Work so far has been pretty limited to mocking up and thinkin' about how I'm gonna do this thing.... Scratchbuilt intercooler and turbo, BOV, and twin fans from a Revell Civic on the now visible top of the radiator get the engine bay looking suitably mad, and I've cut the interior tub and am going to scrathbuild a flat deck clear to the back through the trunk (some already done) where a battery, and fuel system (with surge tank, twin pumps, and fuel cooler) will reside. Further details will include an oil cooler or two remotely mounted, remote reservior struts, mostly racing interior and roll cage. The wheels are going to be the crazy Mazda Speed ones Fujimi makes. Color will be white (with sponsor decals, of course).

Progress so far:



Thanks. Any feedback (like pointers) appreciated since I'm going off the deep end with this. I'm considering doing a body kit on this, but probably not considering the front end is part of both the body and chassis so it would be a pain. I may do some simple body mods, but I'm still scared of that (if I had a spare body, I'd go crazy on it!) so any advice there would be a-ok.

[Kasso]

sounds like an ambitious project!! good luck.

BTW...did u receive my PM?

[jgmodelcars]

Sounds like you're off with a good plan! Here are some photos of My RX7 Drifter that I've been working on but paused because I broke the back window and rubbed through the paint anway....

To separate the front lip from the chassis isn't too hard, I just removed it with a piece of string then glued it on so It would still line up nicely. I also removed the back seats.

Link to progress:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...ht=rx7+drifter

[EMAXX]

Sonds like a good project. Keep us posted.

[86_SR5]

Sounds like you've got a cool project on your hands. I think the RX7 is wicked enough not to need a body kit, maybe just a front lip of some sort would go nicely.

[slk320]

Wow, the engine bay is already looking mean with that polished pipes hanging out there... let m eknow if you need any engine detailing items or help. I would suggest a couple of large polished noitrous tanks in the back panel, one racing seat only for the interior...

[hypertek]

do sleepy eyes if you can, That will add character to the front end.

[hypertek]

oh yah, build an under defuser, that would be sweet!!

[willimo]

Nitrous tanks... nah, though I momentarily thought about a little one to spray the intercooler. That's a neat idea, I think, the nitrous intercooler cooler thing. It'll probably get one seat, though really this will be a privately owned car, and isn't half the fun of an insane street monster scaring the pants off your girlfriend? I'd like to do the sleepy eyes, actually, but I don't have any thing to make the lenses from so I probably won't. The interior on this thing is killing me already, so I don't think I'll be doing much body work. Diffuser will most likely be there, though.

[SonyMobile]

Awsome project, im gonna have to keep a close eye on this one, you've got my interest now! I like the back deck thing, the panel from the back seat to the trunk, the battery/fuel system should look sweet, any thoughts on a roll cage or anything?

[fujimituner235]

is that gonna be a v-mount intercooler?

[86_SR5]

It looks like one fujimituner, but I've never seen a v-mount on an FD

[willimo]

I'm not sure what you mean by v-mount, though I've heard people talk about it before. What I do know is that the FC's radiator is already at about 45 degree to vertical, I suppose to present more cooling surface to the oncoming air stream and to possibly pick some air out of the high pressure area under the front lip. The intercooler, like the A'PEX D1 car is above the radiator, and maybe 15 degrees off of horizontal. If I vent the hood, the air flow will go in the nose, through the radiator, over the intercooler and out the hood. I hope that answers your question, and I wouldn't mind if you explained to me what a v-mount intercooler is.

[SonyMobile]

V mount is when the intercooler is mounted horizontaly in the engine bay and the radiator is mounted on an angle underneathe the car, so that the top of the intercooler and the top of the radiator meet at an angle, the openining in the bumper allows air to flow into the "V" and is then equally distributed through the rad and the intercooler

Front Of car
air comes in V mount intercooler Intercooler
-------------------------> >
Radiator

not a very good diagram, but it was also in the last issue of super street (not the newest one)

Hopefully I helped out a bit

[nis.k.a.]

Originally Posted by 86_SR5

It looks like one fujimituner, but I've never seen a v-mount on an FD

I'm sure you have. The ever popular D1 white APEX-i RX-7 that Imamura drives utilizes v-mounts.

In fact Willimo.....the car you're loosely building this after has V-mounts. If you have the Dec. 03 issue handy be sure to read the captions on page 50. The one problem is that if keep the Tamiya RX-7's radiator the way it is "out of box" it kinda defeats the purpose of mounting it the way you do because airflow goes through the radiator first. Not good with a 400hp FD. To have V-mount you would have to cut the radiator out and angle it the other way.