LS Swapped Mazda RX-7 Drift Build: Heather LaRoche's 1988 FC Story

Heather LaRoche

1988 Mazda RX7

Instagram: @her88fc_slidez

Photographer: Jordan Noland

Instagram: @autoflexphotography

Performance Stats:425 hp, 400 ft lb torque

LS Swapped Mazda RX-7 Drift Build: 

My name is Heather LaRoche, and I'm from Oklahoma. By day, I manage a busy neurosurgery clinic, but outside of work my time is split between being a full-time mom, a full-time student, and spending as much time as I can in the garage. Life stays busy, but this LS swapped Mazda RX-7 drift build has become the project that reminds me to make time for something that's completely my own, with 425 hp and 400 ft lb of torque to back it up.

Growing Up Around Race Cars, But Never Building Them

Cars have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandpa owned and built sprint cars and owned a car dealership, so I grew up surrounded by race cars, classic cars, car shows, and weekends at the track. Some of my favorite childhood memories are walking through car shows with my family and watching my grandpa race. I always dreamed that one day I would have a car people would stop and look at, but I never imagined I would be the one building it.

Growing up, I wasn't encouraged to work on the cars. I was the one cleaning the mud off the sprint cars after a race or making parts runs when something was needed. Back then, the mindset was that girls didn't build cars. They watched, helped where they could, and stayed out of the way. Even though I was always around the garage, I never had the opportunity to learn the mechanical side of things.

As an adult, that didn't change much at first. My husband and I have always had some kind of project in the garage, but they were usually his projects. I'd sit out there with him, watch what he was doing, ask questions, or jump in when he needed an extra set of hands. I enjoyed being part of the process, but I never imagined I'd be the one taking on a complete build myself.

Finding the Roller That Became My Drift Car

In 2022, we took my husband's drag car to LS Fest Texas. That weekend was my first real introduction to drifting. I thought it looked exciting, but I still had no intention of building a drift car. Not long after that trip, my mom unexpectedly passed away. During that difficult time, I came across a 1988 RX-7 convertible roller and decided to buy it. My original plan was to build an autocross car, something fun that I could learn on and enjoy driving.

If I'm being honest, when I brought it home, I couldn't picture what it would eventually become. I knew an '80s RX-7 was unique, but I had no idea how I was going to transform it into something that reflected my personality. Looking at it now, it's hard to believe it's the same car. Every RX-7 owner seems to have their own version of this story, like the one behind this 1983 RX-7 GSL, a car that started life as a rough backyard project too.

The Ride-Along That Changed Everything

Everything changed after I had the opportunity to do a ride-along at a local drift event. Four laps around the track were all it took. I climbed out of the passenger seat, looked at my husband, and said, "We're building a drift car." That one experience completely changed the direction of the project and gave me a goal I couldn't stop thinking about.

From that point forward, the build became about much more than putting parts on a car. It became an opportunity to learn something I was never taught growing up. My husband guided me through the process, but I wanted to understand every step instead of standing on the sidelines like I always had before. Every challenge became another lesson, every mistake taught me something new, and with each milestone my confidence grew. Andrew Chval went through a similar transformation with his Nissan Silvia S15 drift build, tearing a car down completely to chase a very personal vision.

Building It Ourselves, From a Bare Roller

The heart of the build is an LS V8 paired with Aces EFI. Reliability was always more important to me than chasing the biggest horsepower number. I wanted a car I could learn in, enjoy, and eventually spend more time driving than repairing. Since this was my first build, every step became a lesson, from routing wiring and installing components to troubleshooting the countless little problems that come with bringing a bare roller back to life.

What makes this project even more meaningful is that it all came together right here in our garage. We didn't send it to a fabrication shop or pay someone else to build our vision. Instead, we invested in the tools we needed, including a welder, plasma cutter, paint equipment, and everything else required to fabricate, modify, and finish the car ourselves. Every new tool came with a learning curve, but that was part of what made the project so rewarding. Knowing that nearly every piece of this car was fabricated, modified, painted, or assembled with our own hands is something I'll always be proud of. It's a very different path than the LS1-swapped RX7 with nitrous builds we admired for inspiration, but that's what made it ours.

90s Nostalgia on Wheels

The biggest surprise was how naturally the car developed its own identity. I never started with a theme, only a paint color. As the build came together, it slowly evolved into what people now describe as "90s nostalgia on wheels." I've heard everything from Lisa Frank and Trapper Keepers to Saved by the Bell and even early '90s Taco Bell. None of it was intentional, but somehow it captures so much of the colorful childhood I grew up with while still having a personality all its own. That's become one of my favorite parts of the build because it isn't trying to imitate anyone else's style. It simply became its own thing.

What Makes This Car Unique

What makes this car unique isn't any one modification. It's how everything comes together. On paper, it probably shouldn't make sense. It's a convertible FC RX-7 with an LS swap, a full roll cage, a custom sound system, and a bright personality that completely contradicts the aggressive nature of the car. Somehow, though, it all works.

I didn't build this car to fit into one category. It isn't just a drift car, and it isn't just a show car. I wanted something that reflected who I am. I wanted a car that could make people stop and smile before they ever looked under the hood, then completely surprise them once they realized what it was built for. I love watching people notice a new detail every time they walk around it. First it's the paint, then the cage, then the engine, and before long they're asking questions because it isn't what they expected.

Another thing that makes it special is that it's genuinely our build. Every challenge, every late night, every fabricated bracket, every panel we painted, and every problem we solved happened in our garage. There's something incredibly rewarding about knowing that when people compliment the car, they're looking at thousands of hours of work that happened at home instead of in a professional shop.

For me personally, the most meaningful part is that this project changed my role completely. For years, I was the one standing nearby, handing over tools or watching someone else build something amazing. This car gave me the opportunity to become part of the process instead of just observing it. Every obstacle I worked through gave me more confidence, and by the end of the build I wasn't intimidated anymore. I was excited to take on whatever came next.

Owning the car is a constant reminder of that journey. Every time I open the garage door, I don't just see an RX-7. I see everything it took to get here. I remember the excitement when something worked the first time, the frustration when it didn't, and the satisfaction of figuring it out anyway. Those memories are worth just as much to me as the finished product.

Build List

Engine and Drivetrain

• 5.3L iron-block LS, sourced from a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban
• Fully torn down, inspected, and rebuilt with Texas Speed & Performance internal components
• Aces Jackpot intake and fuel system
• Standalone Aces EFI engine management
• NV3500 five-speed manual transmission
• Precision Driveline custom driveshaft

Suspension and Brakes

• Ford 8.8 independent differential, converted with a Ronin independent rear suspension and axle conversion kit
• Fully adjustable coilovers for ride height and damping
• Factory brake calipers, retained and paired with upgraded drilled and slotted rotors and performance pads

Exterior

• Fully custom stainless dual exhaust, fabricated specifically for the LS swap
• KBD urethane body kit, chosen for durability while drifting
• 18x8 Enkei Kojin wheels

Safety

• Rhodes Racing standard FC six-point roll cage, modified and expanded beyond the standard kit for added strength and rigidity
• JEGS five-point racing harness
• Quick-release steering wheel for easier entry and exit

Interior

• RCI low-back racing seats
• Aces EFI 5.5-inch digital dash with integrated digital air/fuel ratio and fuel level displays
• The "big three" mechanical gauges mounted in the dash as redundant engine monitoring
• Custom-built shifter, shift relocator, and handbrake arm and handle, all fabricated in house
• Four 6.5-inch speakers, two mounted in custom-designed, 3D-printed speaker pods, plus a single 10-inch subwoofer

Who Did the Work

The build was completed by me with guidance from my husband. Although he has more experience, I wanted this to be my project, so I was involved in every stage of the build. I learned how to install parts, solve problems, and understand how everything worked together instead of simply watching someone else do it.

Future Plans

Like any project car, it's never really finished. I plan to continue refining the setup, making improvements that increase reliability, performance, and seat time. The goal isn't to completely reinvent the car but to keep making small upgrades that make it even better to drive.

I also want to spend more time at drift events, continue improving my driving, and hopefully inspire more women to get involved in building and motorsports. If someone sees my RX-7 and decides to start their own project because they realize they can do it too, then the car has accomplished something much bigger than just looking good on the track.

Shout Outs

A huge thank you to everyone who played a part in making this build possible. To @AcesEFI and @AcesFuelInjection, @JEGS, @RCI, @EnkeiWheels, @TexasSpeed, @Ronin, and @ICTBillet for producing the quality parts that made this build possible. A special thank you to @AutoFlexPhotography for capturing the car and helping tell its story.

Dream Car

Audi R8. If you want a taste of owning one, check out Ray's 2012 Audi R8 feature. For more build features and Stance Auto Magazine merchandise, check out our Amazon store.