Blake - Series 8 Mazda FD RX-7

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Hey! My name is Blake and this is my 00’ Series 8 Mazda FD RX-7. You can follow me on Instagram @mazdafd_32z.

A bit about myself. I’m 25 years old and live in the capital city of Australia, Canberra. I work in security at a defence site but am actually in the recruitment process for the Royal Australian Navy. Unfortunately the COVID 19 pandemic has slowed it all down a bit.

I am a full on JDM enthusiast and anyone who knows me well enough could tell you my insane passion for the scene.

My passion for cars developed out of the blue and was inspired by a close family friend. My dad's best mate’s son was passionate about the JDM scene and introduced me to my now one true love. Matt who was the eldest, was a few years older than me and loved Nissan’s with a passion; he had everything from Skylines to S Chassis.

Along with a love for cars, Matt was also quite the avid gamer and got me into the classic V8 Supercars games, Need For Speed Underground games, Gran Turismo and of course introduced me to the Fast and Furious movies, which funny enough had just thrown Tokyo Drift out to the world. Which of course is the greatest movie ever if you ask a JDM diehard like me!

From there, my love for JDM cars ignited and I got more and more into cars as I got older and more independent.

My first JDM car was an R32 Skyline GTS-T I bought when I was 17. It was a real lemon and didn’t last long. I sold it not long after and bought my R33 Skyline, which I still have to this day!

I have gone through many JDM cars since then. A couple Hondas, an Evo VII GSR, Pulsar GTI-R, a WRX, a few Skylines and so on, but in the first few months in 2019 I was able to buy my dream JDM car but my FD RX-7.

I fell in love with the car because I grew up with a friend (Insta: @yes12a) who has one of the most well known FDs in Australia. My exposure to the car through him made me fall in love with not only the car, but the unique one of a kind rotary engine. As I got older the love for the FD and the Mazda rotary engine got stronger and stronger, and well, here we are today!

My FD is still in the early stages of her build, but most of the money has been spent collecting the rarer more expensive cosmetic stuff. The FD tax is huge here in Australia, and my priority has been more so collecting the cosmetic parts which are rapidly rising in price and rarity. Cosmetically she is running Feed skirts and a front lip, and rolling on a set of custom built Work Meister S13Ps. I’ve also just recently picked myself up a genuine suede Nardi deep dish steering wheel and a rare Mazdaspeed carbon interior. Both of which will be installed at the end of the build process to avoid potential damage. I do have few big cosmetic parts to add to the exterior of the car, but that’s something you’ll have to wait and see on.

Performance wise the old girl is currently going through an upgraded SP twin turbo build. I’m not a purist but I did want to get more power by sticking true to the twin turbo setup, so she’s currently going through the big transformation performance wise. That’ll include the upgraded SP twin turbos, aftermarket exhaust, upgraded fuel pump, coils, intercooler and so on. And before anyone asks, no I will not go big single, LS swap or Bridgeport haha (a commonly asked question down under for us RX-7 owners!) I do have plans to go down the path of a mild port or extended port when the rebuild time comes, but that’s later down the track.

She is more so a pride piece of my car collection and more of a show/events car. I won’t be building her for anything in particular, more so for a fun streetcar and for shows and events, so cosmetics and looks will be the main build factor, with the current performance build to add a bit more of a kick to enjoy on the road, but I’m not really chasing more than the 240-250kw mark.

All the work on my FD has been done by myself, and with help, support and guidance from Ash (owner of @yes12a) who has had a massive influence on this car. From selling me parts, helping me build the car, giving me ideas, opinions and guidance, as well as being there to suss her out and help me buy her back in early 2019.

Would I recommend a RX-7 to anyone? Absolutely! However in saying that I would only recommend them as drift cars, track cars, showcars, weekenders or as a collectors piece. Here in Australia the heat gets pretty extreme, and due to the rotary running at higher temperatures than most piston engines, they tend to get a bit “temperamental” with the heat, so I wouldn’t recommend an RX-7 for everyday use. Alongside the fact that they are getting up there in price, rarity and upkeep, as well as aftermarket upgrades and brands are getting very expensive and rare. The car itself and the FD based brands are becoming more of a “delicacy” and are up there with the GTRs and Supras, so if you plan on buying one or wanting one in the future, you better grab one now and be prepared to spend big bucks for a clean example and aftermarket brands for your build!

On a day to day basis I drive an old 96’ Suzuki Swift Cino. It’s only in the meantime as I have the new daily in Japan waiting to come over!

I absolutely love my JDM cars, and nothing beats being able to share that passion with others. My friends list is mainly made up of fellow car enthusiasts and I think it’s what drives the passion so hard with people like myself. Being able to talk about cars, work on cars, go on cruises, attend car shows, have meets and enjoy some awesome adventures together with our cars and passion for cars is honestly the best thing about it all. Without these people in my life I wouldn’t be where I am today, and some of my greatest adventures and memories are based around my love for cars and the friends I have in the scene. It’s sad to see the 80s and 90s JDM enthusiasts era coming to an end, but I hope that with people like me, we can help influence the next generation into the scene and keep it alive just that little bit longer.

The story and build of my FD has really only just begun. She’s been to one show and that was the 2019 JDM Masters event. Due to the build being more of a show car, I plan on attending plenty of shows and events in the future, but for now all the focus is on the build and getting her to where I want her to be.

Is the FD my all time dream car? Funny enough, no! And the answer to that question isn’t even JDM! I’ve always had a secret love for Porsche, McLaren and BMW. My dream build later down the track is a widebody 1jz BMW E36 coupe. However my all time dream car would come down to either the McLaren Senna, or an old school 93’ Porsche 911 Carrera RSR. I’m a sucker for wide body show cars, and for me the old natural 80s and 90s wide body Porsches are a weakness of mine. There’s so many different models I love, but the 93’ 911 Carrera RSR is the ultimate dream car for me. Hopefully one day I win the lottery and can buy myself one haha.

Give me a follow on Insta @mazdafd_32z to follow the build. I’ll be showing the build process on Insta as well as revealing the next stage of the build and revealing the new daily and second build to come. Along with plenty of future car related stuff! Also give Ash and his hectic FD a follow on Insta @yes12a.

A big thanks to Stance Auto Mag for this opportunity and giving me the chance to show the world my pride and joy, as well as share my passion for cars!

Photography done by: @adrianfallace_photography   @noodsmedia

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