I thought it\'s time I stuck a project thread up for my FC. My research suggests she is a previous members old car who I shall let come forward if they wish. I call her Pirate Hooka for two reasons, one I\'m weird and two, the reg reminds me of \'Hooka\'.
Anyway so, she\'s an EGI (S5 I think based on year). She\'s showing a few signs of her age but in good condition in the places that matter for now. This doesn\'t bother me as her intended use is for skidding about on a budget.
She was pretty much stock when I get her minus the rear interior, with a crazy bodge spec loud exhaust, front Racing Beat strut bar and think that\'s it.
Since buying her I\'ve added a few bits. She needed new brakes to get through the MOT so she has EBC reds with cross drilled discs up front, EBC black and blanks on the rear.
Next I added a set of coilovers, GAB Revo, height and damping adjustment. 24 way I think with pillow top mounts.
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248580_156715074393587_103474616384300_348097_7176358_n.jpg)
Photo pinched from another member.
At the same time I also bought a Bride base mount frame to fit a Rally Art bucket seat I bought previously. I thought it maybe simple to fab a bracket convert the frame from base mount to side but it was not. So I ended up buying a proper Bride sidemount rail to fit the seat.
Seat is now in:
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/55d092ff.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/fdd1eb7b.jpg)
Note also the addition of cheap ebay gearknob, cheap ebay suede steering wheels and a boss to fit. For intensive purposes the feel of the build of the gear knob and wheel is decent for the money.
Coilovers also went on, just needing setting up when the car get\'s texed and used more.
Next was wheels as I have been known to have a bit of a wheel fetish, espcially when it comes to ride height/gap and most importantly poke.
I picked up some Ultralites in decent size and offset for the FC:
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/f42ef608.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/795177db.jpg)
Whilst It was taking shape and looking good I decided I wanted a more classic look overall so sold the Ultralites in favour of some wheels on here.
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/d4e6f579.jpg)
Rays MS01\'s in 16x7 et35 and 16x8 et 30 - made for the FC ;)
I saw these and just fell in love with them and couldn\'t help but think there was so much potential with them.
Threw them on;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/433bdbc6.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/52b248aa.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/f11caa22.jpg)
But..! Major offset fail, espcially considering the fronts were running 25mm spacers in the photos already! I determined from this I need to run 50mm all round per side minimum. Then I couldn\'t resist bolting the 2no 25mm spacers to one side to get an idea of how 50mm would look...
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/17196391.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/c077d301.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/b2e1fb54.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/8ef5075a.jpg)
(No foot fetish crap please... :Hammer)
Much better! With a roll and flare to the arches all round 50mm will be prefect.
So next step get 50mm spacers. Whilst soing this I wound the coilovers down as far as they\'ll go, which isn\'t far enough :( I need to get another inch lower so I\'m going to have a look at removing the helper spring and see how that goes. That should then finish the stance off.
Other crap that I have bought for her to fit now includes the following;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/51df7beb.jpg)
Titanium burns finished wheel nuts
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/a1cf371e.jpg)Crazy sparkly white flake steering wheel from Japan with hello kitty stickers on it. It\'s very likely this was in a girls car but this in no way worries me :chat I just wanted it when I saw it and had to have it.
Out of boredom and for the want of getting rid of my sticker collection that has been building up over the last few years, I sticker bombed the glove box. I actually like it. I think creates a nice array of colour and texture that\'s pleasing to look at. Plus good for 60whp due to the amount of car brand stickers used.
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/326265e2.jpg)
Then I impulsive bought an obligatory gay wing or GT wing as the adults call them. I quite like it on the FC so am a bit torn over this my EGI will never be able to travel fast enough for this wing to have any positive effect and they now come with a free chavy reputation. Still, i\'m a huge Le Mans/GT series racing fan so I just want it on there. I\'m usually a no spoiler fan but I may as well have one at some point... Case remains open on this one. Anyway pics;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/6d86374d.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/e15102fb.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/fb03d0d2.jpg)
Ignore old wheels, photos aren\'t posted in date order because i\'m retardedings.
I also have an HKS muff-thing to hoover up lots of air.
In terms of getting the car running sweet I need to sort the headlamp motors as I\'m hoping they\'ve just seized and need a good lubing (mmm) but they need replacing now. Passenger side window takes longer to close than a journey to Scotland...from Devon... on foot. Sunroof is very rusty but not so worried about this as I have a rear cage, so this all may need removing to fit the cage.
Anyway I\'m tired now so more rambling tomorrow.
Looks like your having fun :)
Yeah, I took some time out from cars over the last couple of years since they ate all my money but the bug never goes away so I finally gave in. This car didn\'t cost me the earth so it\'s nice to feel like I have to take it too seriously.
Thats the whole point. Its not about spending loads on them, as long as your enjoying it. Mine is in its 5th year of my development now.
Ade
love those MS-01s, they were for sale for aaages on here, nobody had the cash though.
one thing, they look pretty weak on size too, are they the right tyres for them? I know they\'re slightly stretched, but they just look lost in the arches.
when you find some 50mm spacers, drop me a message, I need some for mine eventually too.
Yeah, the tyres are slightly stretched, more so on the rears as they\'re an inch wider than the fronts. The current weak offset doesn\'t help either.
Pirate you say?
(http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_jun2008/PirateCar.jpg)
very nice mate realy like that, am 50/50 with the spoiler... thinking if your gonna be using the split rims a ducktail would be a better choice to go for if your going for the "japassic" look as i call it
That\'s proper Pirate Mitch :D
Yeah I keep changing my mind. I think you\'re right though, the spoiler worked better with the Ultralites than the MS01\'s. If only a ductail wing was available at a decent price. I can see a lot of too and throwing on this one...
the coilovers look familiar ;p
so does teh white steering wheel.. tho i didnt have hello kitty sticker on it.
Yeah they would! The steering wheel was from ebay Japan though.
Looks good - shame about the MS wheels but the do look good :)
Also loving the pirate wheel & vodka bottle gear! lol
@nic3s - Let me know if you want that loud shiny exhaust, its mitch polished, so adds 20bhp :)
It should be a bottle of rum lol
Awesome!!!! I always wondered what happened to her, looks like she\'s taken some transformations since i had her. The Speedline alloys and the racing beat strut brace were all she had when she came/left me, what happened to the speelines any idea? They were worth a few bob!
Really glad she is getting some attention she was totally mint when i found her, save for a few stone chips on the front bumper, i see she is still missing a door strip (which i might, however very unlikely have in my mums garage! She looks really good mate, i\'ll keep an eye on this for sentimental value... She was my first ever RX-7 :InLove
Where did you find her from, what mileage is she on now?
Here is a pic of how she was when i found her...
(http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc23/BenNova/RXside.jpg)
Hey bud, thought you might happen to look at this at some point!
I bought the car from a guy called Alex who used it as a runabout whilst his drift car was being built up. To be honest I think it\'s been somewhat neglected slightly over the last few years as some rust has started to appear in places but maybe I\'m jsut picky. The chap that MOT\'d it for me say it\'s pretty much mint underneath which is a rarity for these. She seems to go well or did when I last drove her :D She\'s dhowing 153k miles on the clock now. I read that she has a rebuild at 135 odd k? Do you happen to have any other paper history as none came with the car.
I\'m really liking her though so hopefully she\'ll be look decent by summer time for Le Mans. She came with the 2 front speedlines but the previous owner has the rears as he\'s too lazy to sort out the wheels :(
And she\'s still missing the door strip which I found a replacement one of but it doesn\'t want to adhere to the door as per my other thread haha
I got the car with no paperwork, the owner before me passed away and the guy that sold it me was his son. I called WGT up and they confirmed the engine rebuild for me, I can\'t remember what mileage was though sorry. When she left me she was totally mint save for the door strip, I had an issue with the coolant once if you search through my threads I think you\'ll find it. Other than that I think she\'s been the most reliable car I\'ve owned I think, I made no mods at all as she drank my bank dry as a daily lol. I did put a new battery on her actually when I first got her, as I say really glad to see her in the hands of someone who cares. I did always wonder what had happened to her.
Riiight, update time.
The car is now my main car and is a proper hoot! I\'m serisouly loving every drive even with the million teething problems and issues that need sorting.
I recently cahnged wheels about 4 times and ended up running some Enkei RPF1\'s which are one of my all time favourite wheels. She just didn\'t look aggressive enough and I didn\'t given them a chance with 50mm spacers and over fenders I have waiting to go on at home.
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/2ae58c5e.jpg)
So I chopped those in this weekend for some Diamond Racing banded steels. 15x8j et0ish fr and 15x10 et god knows on the rear! I\'ve only been running the fronts on the rear for now as to get the rears to fit I need to do some serious archwork and fit the 50mm overs, but I love the look of them already. I think I\'ve finally settled on some wheels for her;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/1785d12f.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/850cc6d8.jpg)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/50353c4a.jpg)
With all 4 fitted and the 50mm rears and 35mm front wings fitted I think she should finally have the aggression desired. If not I have 50mm spacers although I think these will be far too big to fit so maybe up for sale.
I haven\'t done much else but the long list of jobs is now fronted by;
fix/replace blowing exhaust
full alignment and camber set up
cut rear arches and spray and fit new wings
replaced sunroof which is about to collapse
...and then general tidying of teh car and fitting the multitude of parts in my cupboard.
If anyone has a sunroof, let me know!!!
Looking good, let me know if you do decide to sell the 50mm spacers. I have a feeling I may need them in the coming months.
Looking damn good dude, those diamond racing wheels really suit it :D
Right, I have finally finished my previous live in project of 3 years (my house) and moved up to London. This means lots of delicious dedicated time to the Pirate.
Since the last update I have bought the following;
Lots of sapphire blue metallic in cans
Lots of clear coat lacquer
Lots of flat bright red in cans
Lots of gloss black in cans
New rear Brembo disks
Lots of oil!!
The new wide wings, sunroof and bumpers in blue, Diamond racing steels in gloss black, rear half cage I have in the cupboard finished in bright red. if it looks half as good as the pornographic image in my head I\'ll be happy.
Then i need to source a welded diff and give her a service but I have an MOT to deal with first which I can see a few things being required for. What exactly I don\'t know. Rear disk will be done very soon as I have warped the first pair getting excited in the bed in period :( I blame the car :D
I\'m also struggling with the ride height. My sister had to pull me off (hehe) my parents drive as I beached her in the dirt. 15\'s + slammed coilovers = scary face. Espcially in Greenwich which is speedbump central.
Hopefully there will be regular updates to this thread now.
Any ideas what to do with the rear aches when I fit the 50mm rear wings? Is my only option to get them cut and welded up so the 15x10 et-20 rear wheels actually fit?
car looks awesome, love those banded steelies! :)
Right a little progress has been made;
Started painting the odd bit;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/55fc481e.jpg)
Old tow hook I had laying about but in gold, paitned this red to match the rear cage (not yet painted)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/5f66be94.jpg)
15x10 rears sanded and ready for paint;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/47882408.jpg)
Both after paint awaiting laquer;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/964d2775.jpg)
Finish on the wheels came out a little wierd due to my hand sanding but from a distance it looks cool which is all tha matter with the hooka.
New sunroof has been sanded, rust removed and proofed, and now primed awaiting paint and laquer;
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a74/NicBelcher/bb129cda.jpg)
Also bought a rivet tool to fit the rear quarters.
I\'m slightly concerned as its MOT time next month, but I\'m just going to throw what ever cash at her it takes to get it through. Just hope the rust isn\'t too bad underneath where I can\'t see easily.