Hell just experienced the worst cold front ever, lightning struck the 2NR building, and it just started raining inside my office. The world is in chaos; we have featured a car twice. Originally covered in a November 2001 article entitled "Stairway to Seven," (backorders available for a low, low price of course) this RX-7 went under the knife since its last incarnation. With a new engine setup, a new body, bigger power numbers but the same stunning look, we decided to stick it out for this Mazda.
Tony Yeh, of Rotary Xecret 7 fame, has been with his 1994 RX-7 since he took it home from the dealer many moons ago. Ten years is a long time to build up any project car, and Yeh can use his Mazda as a memory bank. From trying not to race during the break-in period, to the first time he saw his 7 shoot fireballs, to all the different stages of modifications, the RX-7 possesses the power to jog memories. But with plans to build his new RX-8 and finally retire this 7, what is Yeh's secret for letting go?
First, tasting boost now and again doesn't hurt. The RX-7 is a fun ride; it produces 527 hp to the rear wheels at 7800 rpm using C16 race gas. In the early days of ownership, Yeh had to use bolt-on upgrades. The twin-turbocharged rotary engine was new and the aftermarket was having serious teething problems with the edgy, temperamental unit. Once single-turbo conversions gained popularity and became more reliable, Yeh jumped on it.
A HKS stainless manifold originally held a Turbonetics T62 turbo unit and a HKS Racing wastegate. Yeh took his 7 to XS Engineering because it was producing horsepower in the low 300s at the wheels, but it had trouble boosting over 1.0bar. A change to the T04X2 turbocharger and an XS intercooler system combined with a custom-tuned A'PEXi Power FC and a serious fueling system upgrade gave Yeh the power he wanted. Larger amounts of fuel help keep lean conditions at bay. These conditions would cause certain death for the seals on the Rotary Power street-ported engine. Twin Skyline GT-R fuel pumps feed two 850cc and two 1600cc injectors; at 1.8bar and breathing into a monster A'PEXi N1 four-inch exhaust, the magic 500-whp level was cracked. The multi-colored RX-7 has enough power on tap to run the quarter mile in a quick 11.80 sec, testing the ACT six-puck clutch the whole way.
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