First Order of Business

This RX-7 had an interesting history. The original owner used it as a show car, it was even featured in Import Tuner back in 2009. Which would explain why the large spoiler and sideskirts were installed, and also why he only drove around 8,000 miles. The second owner then used it as a daily driver of sorts, and accumulated the bulk of the miles.

I opted to buy the car with a few goodies removed. The PFS intake, PFS intercooler, and Apex’i Power Commander were all returned to stock counterparts. I don’t plan on tampering with the engine and power at all. By now I’ve learned that the inconveniences and illegality of go-fast parts do not justify their use. I also wanted the dash-mounted Defi AFR and exhaust temperature gauges removed and replaced with the stock speaker grille. I’m just not a fan of a busy interior with an unnecessary amount of dials everywhere. Granted, the pair of A-pillar boost and water temperature gauges remain, but I think I can live with them. If not, I already bought a new OEM A-pillar that can go on. Other than that, the car is mostly stock. It does have a few suspension upgrades like M2 sway bar mounts and the like. I’ll have to get the car up in the air later and verify.

My overall intentions and plans are to keep the whole package sedate, as I believe cleanliness and subtlety are key. For a street car, modifications should serve to undertone and accentuate the car’s originality, not overwhelm it. It’s easy to get carried away with modifications, and that’s when a conflict of interests can arise. Not everyone may agree with you. Case in point is with this car, I certainly don’t find its body mods to be fashionable (at least not in today’s era).

Here are more pictures.

I wasted no time in getting the priorities taken care of. The following morning after I received the car, I got it smogged and then registered at the DMV. Truthfully, I was very nervous about the smog because I discovered that this car has no EGR system, since it was manufactured to be sold outside of California. The engine is smooth and the catalytic converter seemed to be doing its job well (via a sniffer test a la my nose), so I decided to just do it live. I bought a bottle of HEET for good measure, and then went in headfirst. After puckering my ass for the duration of the test, it passed without issue. The NOx readings were slightly high, but still safely under the limit. Big thumbs up to passing legally.

On the third day, I drove over to William’s Auto Body in San Mateo and dropped the car off. The body work will be the most decisive factor. I took a gamble with the sideskirts and spoiler, hoping that they would be just taped on or attached in another minimally invasive way. Unfortunately, I lost out. The sideskirts were epoxied on, and the middle holes on the spoiler were epoxied as well. This means that essentially the entire car will need to be repainted/recleared. The rear bumper also had paint bubbling from where the emblems were previously shaved.

The assessment on the car’s body condition is otherwise good, except for the scratch on the driver’s side door… which I was told could be buffed out, but it turned out to be past the clearcoat in depth. I was able to find around 6-7 small to slight dents total. I intend to have everything fixed. The body work is surely no easy task, which is why I did not skimp out on my choice of shop. I learned of William’s reputation back when I had my first car.

This car is already adding up to be by far the most expensive of any that I have owned. I really hope all this early-stage investing will pay off for the finished product. Eyes on the prize…