Thanks a lot, Jon. It means a lot when someone really gets what you're trying to do. I'll get those ITB's on right away!

Gordon

absolutely outstanding. i really like your approach to modifying.

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:
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...7/MVC-001F.jpg

Here is a picture showing the mounting blocks to affix the rack to the subframe:
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...7/MVC-003F.jpg

And, here’s the rack installed in the subframe:
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...Fitted2001.jpg

Gordon, Any idea when the ITB's will be installed and when your beautiful girl will be on the dyno? I'd love to "accidentally" swing on by ;)

As for the Atomic Rex rack, Dave has always song that peices praises and now that you mention this electronic assist... I am quite intriqued. I depowered my 15.2:1 rack by what many have suggested is the only way to do it - crack the thing open, remove all the power steering seals and even the springs on the end seals and then welding the quill solid - ultimate feel. Maybe I'm getting old but my rack is getting a little heavy in parking situations and I'm quite curious about it all. Do you have any links or information other than what I've found on the forums which is very limited?

Hey, Brian... We're going through some interim development to understand a few things better. We started with the stock UIM and 60mm throttle body and then tried a 90mm throttle body. Both ran out of air at around 5500 or so. I have bought the parts for the ITB's, but haven't started building them. What we are doing is trying a different upper intake setup with a plenum about twice the stock plenum and runners that will act to increase velocity. So, we are going to dyno the car with the stock intake and video it and then take it off while still filming and put on the new intake and plenum and dyno it again still filming. The idea is to document the changes it made. Then, depending on the results, we'll finish the ITB's and do the same video thing again going from the new in take to the ITB's and dynoing them. This way people will see the range of things they can do to get to different power levels with the NA 20b. Dave is probably going to do this in about 2 weeks. Happy to let you know when in advance.

Depending on a bunch of things, I'll decide what I want to end up with...

Gordon

Cars like this are really inspirational next to all of the beater FDs that are the vast majority nowadays.

Do you have any links that explain the process that you used to reinforce the plastics?

Neofreak... There's a thread somewhere on the other forum in the interior section. Its fairly simple though. They shoot the plastic with silver dust under extremely high pressure, so that the silver dust imbeds itself into the plastic. That makes the plastic now electrically conductive. That means they can electroplate the plastic in copper and then nickel just as you would a raw steel bumper. I had most of the plastic plated in copper and nickel and then painted black, although the astray and air duct vent slates were further plated in chrome instead of being painted. The work was done by Paul's Chrome in Pittsburg and they are very very good. I hope that helps.

And thanks for the comments on the car. It is meant to be what the car could have been. Its not a fast and furious car obviously.

Gordon

Gordon, I'm blaming you for making me think about buying a second FD!

I'm so tempted to get another and make it classy, and leave my current one race-y.

ugh!

:)

Neofreak... Hehehe... I'm might go the other way and do a 20b track car.

Gordon

Things are coming along on my projects. There are a few more that are not in this thread and I'm going to at least toss something in here on that.

But, first, the second iteration of the emblems is done and on its way to me. Second, the vent pieces are done and I'll put them on the car and take pictures. Third, the back of the grille opening will be cleaned up by the screen going in.

Finally, my motor is about to go back together with the new intake plenum, runners, and cold air intake. I have a thread on the plenum and runners in the 20b section. The bottom line is that the motor will be back together next week and I should have some dyno results shortly thereafter.

Sort of the final thing is the exhaust. It is the last thing we are working on before Deal's Gap. The idea of the new exhaust system is to (a) increase NA power and to (b) make a nicer looking exhaust.

Not to ramble on about the obvious, but NA motors are tremendously effected by the intake and exhaust volumes and speeds and I think rotaries are particularly sensitive to these effects, much in the same way 2-strokes are extremely sensitive to intake and exhaust changes, in addition to porting. As I said, I have made an entirely new plenum and intake runners ducted through a NACA duct in the hood on the drivers side.

3-Stage Smart Exhaust
But, I am losing hp due to the straight through 3 inch exhaust. At lower rpm, a smaller pipe would speed up the gas flow notably, but that would in turn create more back pressure at higher rpm. The solution is a small pipe at lower rpm, adding another similarly-sized pipe at somewhere around 4,000 rpm, and then adding a quick open air (laker-style) sidepipe above something like 7,000. There's a simple drawing of it:

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...System2003.jpg

The pipes are added and taken offline by smart remote actuators that open and close butterfly valves separating the pipes and controlled by the Microtech. Ferrari did this with the Modena on.

Dual Thru-Bumper Exhaust Outlets
I have never been excited about the FD's exhaust location and how it exits through the plastic valance. When I first got this car in 06, I had a lot of ideas, including a different back end and exhaust:

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...7Sketch007.jpg
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...7Sketch001.jpg

Well, I did go that far, but did put on the aluminum rear under-valance that has no exhaust opening in it. I designed an exhaust that goes into the rear bumper and into a stainless steel resonator box welded into the middle of the aluminum impact absorption crossmember. The inside of the bumper skin will be covered in DEI fabric good to 2000 degrees and the rest of the bumper interior will be filled with insulation. The 2 exhaust tips exit through the bumper:

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...System1002.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...Exhaust005.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...2ndView006.jpg

Damn Gordon! You're gonna beat me too it. After seeing the valance on your car I started thinking about doing this EXACT same thing. Thought about it on the FC but the rear end of that car is just not conducive to doing anything like that. But the FD, well, she's perfect. Well done sir. Is the entire rear exhaust setup going to be ready for Deals?

Just adding another design that might fit the back end better.

Gordon

The design sort of repeats and enlarges the shape of the side markers...
http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...Outlet5003.jpg

That looks awesome...

Here's a sharpied-over version. Can't color between the lines. Like pencil.

Gordon

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/e...Exhaust005.jpg

i really like that last rendition.




on a totally unrelated note, it sort of reminds me of the 1970(?) Dodge Charger.