Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
Chris Weigel has one of the rare mazda rx7's first gens here in Oregon and this is the story of its build!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...389486223d.jpg I meet chris through a person who worked at the auto parts store we both got rotary parts at. That guy also had a first gen. We three had similar interests lol. I had a dead rotary: https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...cc2386736d.jpg they did not. I asked some trouble shooting questions and he called chris to help. Chris came out to my house to look at it. I was pretty stoked about that and was really appreciative. I was not really knowledgeable on trouble shooting rotary engines. I had owned them for years but I never blew a motor, so I never bothered rebuilding one yet. This was the early/mid 2000's. I had however been doing body and paint for many years in the classic world and had a shop to do so. It was a side hobby I did for extra cash. We ended up hanging out as I got another rx7. The NW "super"moderator Robert White lived next to us and had a cheap FB he sold me for a few hundred. Ran great! https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...54f197969f.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...76b11b28aa.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...4599e84f7f.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...784fb816c0.jpg So we all drove around often. Hit up some meets. All the good stuff! https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...d5e751299d.png https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...f905c061c7.png That is chris watching Robert do a burn out. We were envious of his GSLSE lol https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...b202b24549.png https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...1bfbff6436.png After a few meets I ended up buying this little gem: https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...826868fc62.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ee625ef2fe.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ce00a11f7f.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...1dfb8af7e7.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...c2ff5e27c1.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...0f04c5d61c.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...9858a9e460.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...98e96f0e40.jpg Then I got another one... https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ad627899d5.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...0bdd9b7f00.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...3657a08286.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
We ended up talking one day he came over and I was swapping parts around.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...b94d598d03.png We ended up talking about how we should get a body kit on his car and he should go widebody. I ended up convincing him that I would be willing to fix any kit he could get and do the job for free under conditions. The first that I get credit for the build. Any one asks who built the car, he would allow me the credit I deserve. It is an artists thing. Also that he pay for supplies. I can cover little things, but he needs to pay for paint and papers and glass. We ended up talking with Robert when he came over one day for my carb... ( he bought for 25 and sold to another person for 550. but that is another story.) https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...86fcb66408.png We ended up going to hoofhearted (bob putman of rotards in salem) for the kit. It was smaaaaaashed up mad. There was no front bumper and it had lost of bad bondo all over it. I said I can do it though. He paid them a few hundred and we took it to his house! https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...cdc9e4e044.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...bb568fb8da.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...c6e575d38c.jpg This was the best panel on the car... This is what I was starting with. The rest was going to need to be redone in major ways. |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
So it began! The project was decided! he was going to be using a Mariah Racing front bumper to go with the rest of the kit and I was going to repair and customize the rear spoiler. It was to be a dark cherry red/purple. I brought the car in and got started on it!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...a15a1884d0.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...9e1df6c48f.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...0d2e9dff56.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ce7e432db3.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...056d293231.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
There was so much body work to do. I first started mocking up the body kit and seeing what it was going to look like. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...31b015cb65.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...4fbbb84d82.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...2d7fd7702e.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...60a3093a5c.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...e73eec912b.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
As you can see the rubber door trim was removed. I used one of the wife's hair dryers from the salon. Got hotter than the heat gun did ahahaha.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...aafe8b4c13.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ba9038d6de.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
I started getting the panels ready to be put on.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...34ae4c972c.jpg Despite my wants to not hack the qtrs and only scuff the metal for the epoxy Chris decided to cut it anyway. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...da6ae895c2.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...59665610a2.png was not my choice, however I am not the owner and he was convinced that it needed to happen to bring the rims out flush with the kit when he ordered new ones. Unfortunately he ended up sticking with the rims he had and just bought wheel spacers, so the hacking was not needed after all. So I continued on. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...95d65a4815.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...b6edbed9af.jpg It was time to put the qtrs on and then bond the skirts. This epoxy was gross and make sure the area is prepped before you put it down. I could not imagine having to take it off it it was done wrong! https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...187309b2cc.png https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...9d489a1075.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...1b3591d3d3.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...2da7e81acc.png The spoiler was hideous. I cannot stand it and he was open to a change so I started looking at how to make it more functional. |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
Both sides of the spoiler were cracked and the mounting points where gone.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ebb370aa41.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...2aed5bcfc7.jpg After I got them all fixed up I mounted the spoiler. Seriously hideous. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...b99133b7bc.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...bfd9f64873.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...1bd7897b62.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
The new Mariah bumper arrived! It was clearly not going to fit... I needed to mod it.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...9992a25e8f.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
I cut to the closest fit but found that there was little to no ability to make the curve of the inner fender fit right. I was going to need to do major glass work. I got started on meshing the two together.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...b4499dfc27.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...f6e04a1872.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...2ca6bed218.jpg |
Re: Joe Maddox 1985 13b Turbo Widebody FB Build
Chris came over and set up the bar that held it on and I started modding it!
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...ab1a6ce6be.png https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.nop...c31b18872c.jpg |
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