Mazda Forum - Mazda Enthusiast Forums - Joe Maddox Mazda Rx7 Lazarus Build

Mazda Forum - Mazda Enthusiast Forums (https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/)

- Mazda RX-7 (https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/mazda-rx-7-33/)

- - Joe Maddox Mazda Rx7 Lazarus Build (https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/mazda-rx-7-33/joe-maddox-mazda-rx7-lazarus-build-52138/)

Now to install the glass and interior!
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...ad9f390401.jpg
The old hood was destroyed in the crash but my 10th anniversary edition had a hood i am going to use for the time being.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...be6f1d5bf8.jpg
It still needed body work and paint so i got to it.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...27b5f6020d.jpg
Fixed the hood scoop
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...e192d11cab.jpg
Windows installed!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...75ecfc5c0e.jpg
I installed my old rhd dash to make sure all fit well and its like new! Im ready to install the original interior!
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...4500e7d53c.jpg
Almost like it never happened
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...47aba92518.jpg
Might put these on it or my 10ae
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...fa728d8ecc.jpg
Got em.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...b0606deab6.jpg
Mmmmm not a fan of them on the rhd, might work on the 10ae
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...6d49615adb.jpg
Cars ready for paint and interior 😎
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...4b5a9714e1.jpg
The rhd and gtus getting ready for paint 🎨

Great pictures. Keep up the posting on the projects! :D

I'd like to take a break from talking about body and paint for just a minute and discuss the heart and soul of this project. My last right hand drive was a full Turbo rotary. It was as built and as fun as one could get. So i'm not trying to repeat what I built last time but instead do something completely different.

Most of my inspiration for this build has been from initial d. I built my last right hand drive without even knowing the series. Realizing after I was being Ryosuke Takahashi on my Mary's peak mountain was a bit of fun and is a bit of why I am inspired to call lazarus the "final stage" white comet. At its heart will be a Aristo 2jz gte. It's soul will be possessed by Kei Miura's rocket bunny kit dressed up in a racing beat inspired design!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...df79e03b48.jpg
This is the goal
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...464754fbbc.jpg
I got the full rocket bunny kit!
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...85742b4c87.jpg
The infini final stage rocket bunny dream
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...971f7d0901.jpg
Now the reason i feel ok with the swap is i have the holy trinity and the gtus and 10ae i have are 13b rotary engines. So this is just for fun and the perfect car to do it to!

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...3b897ee79e.jpg

I bought this 2jz off ebay.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...a643fcc1da.jpg
Took a bit of time to get them to ship it and i had to pay extra to get it to a loading dock in portland but it made it finally
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...e4c630fdc9.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...b6dce71e8e.jpg
Got it unloaded
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...7ba77ecdaa.jpg
Found it had an immobilized ecu 😔
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...c204cc88dd.jpg
Bought a couple new r154 transmissions
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...7c2e8ca450.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...550010981b.jpg
Got a non immobilized ecu
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...da0a0f9ee3.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...6310e8e496.jpg
New excedy clutch, slave ect and it all cane together!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...9a702b5920.jpg
Now to put the beast in!

Nice build. It is going to be a runner for sure!

Ok where to start... this is where the build had a hiccup. When taking off the oil pan and replacing the front sump with a rear sump, removing the twin turbo for the single and getting it in I ran into some serious problems.

The first problem I encountered when taking off the oil Pan is I found chunks of metal.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...948586a6cd.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...031a896f90.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...389b668732.jpg

When I confronted the seller with the problem And showed them these pictures. The first thing they did was said that I blew up the motor by putting it in the car already and taking it to the track. So I filed a paypal claim and showed that the motor was still completely assembled in all of their shipping materials and had never been put in a car and a video of me taking off the oil pan and finding the shreds of metal. My claim was denied on the basis of the no returns policy they stated in their ad.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...37e8e706bf.jpg

So as you can imagine that was a little daunting and I had a pause in the build. I am hopeful that it is just going to be the turbos blew the bearing packs or something and it's not bottom end parts.

Originally the plan was is to run the twin turbos. I purchased the excessive engineering 2JZ swap kit for the FC RX7. They said that it would work for the twin turbos. However, I found out after trying to install it. In the right hand drive, it does not work for rhd's and only left hand drive models.

So I scrapped the twins and decided on a single set up.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...ecf11bf5fe.jpg

The problem is nobody makes a single Turbo set up for the right hand drive.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...45d290afc8.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...c15f470d72.jpg

Which brings us back to putting it in!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...f322b3d5b0.jpg

While it is an incredibly large motor compared to the 13b, it actually fit in very nicely. The only problem I encountered is once again. Excessive engineering sent me the wrong part and so I had to wait for the correct part to secure the trans.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...de6b02ff72.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...f59cda3675.jpg

The new part fit well. The problem I found is this kit is designed for the US style transmission. That has a shorter shifter position, while the JDM style has a tripod style that extended much further. The US style did not fit. The RX7 chassis and needed modified by excessive manufacturing. However the tripod fits perfectly and lines up exactly in the stock position. So their part barely fits with the tripod.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...945e14d2fd.jpg

I do believe this is a better option than having them. Well done extended rod to the u s version. I only say this because my next experience with excessive engineering was that they sent me the wrong drive shaft. I took it into my local specialist and had them swap out to a Turbo Differential flange and upgrade the ujoints.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...c071db6b94.jpg

Now that I got the motor secured I had to figure out the single Turbo conversion situation. In the end a no name random single Turbo manifold I found on eBay had the right angles I was looking for. When it showed up in the mail I was very surprised to find out it was of decent quality. It's not exactly a cast iron HKS manifold but it is something that will work for now.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...c76432d072.jpg

It was about at this time I decided to start working on the body again. I was getting a little too far into the build with everything still being red. The car's base is going to need to be white. Then I'm going to be able to put the kit on and repaint it again. At that point I can add the graphics.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...6187942a0c.jpg

The first thing I did was started doing was reassembling the interior.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...d0a33df3b3.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...502c77b72d.jpg

Then it was prepping the bodies for paint.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...33edcc445e.jpg

It was kind of a difficult shoot because I currently needed carpal tunnel surgery. So it was difficult to do but it turned out very well.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...95e245fab0.jpg

I ended up painting them both at once. If you have not seen my GTUs thread, I recommend you go check that out.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...a5de0ba5fc.jpg

The wings are awesome!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...862976a881.jpg

I painted the valve covered to match and I think it looks awesome as well.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...f3f5f04617.jpg

Donut media on YouTube said that the holy Trinity of rx7's is a right hand drive infini, a GTUs and a 10th anniversary edition. I agree fully.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...59476815d2.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...8e9f5e8845.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...b01fcccac8.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...b3f792cb03.jpg

It was pretty exciting putting the interior back together. Having finished the suspension and the drive train finally being in it felt like the car was coming together.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...44ff476b2d.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...f5333cb2d6.jpg

While I was assembling at Liam was also tinkering on his projects. Fun all around.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...80885643c5.jpg

The wiring was a huge challenge. There was an aftermarket security system as well as an after market sound system. They had spliced in relays for fuel pumps and spliced in relays for headlights, But had removed everything in the process of the engine removal. It took a while but I got everything back to stock and working correctly.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...68764b877a.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...e9d1a3f142.jpg

The car had come a really long way from the accident and when I had bought it. To think that everyone was going to give up on it. I suppose the greatest compliment is that people can't believe it is even possible you did it.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...02258bdb3f.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...704c50a963.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.maz...d3e29c51c4.jpg