There’s no denying that Mazda’s RX-7 is one of the iconic cars from the land of the rising sun. With GT styling, nimble handling, and the uniqueness of the Rotary engine, the RX-7 has appealed to the masses for years. The second generation of the chassis is a cult classic, being a popular choice both among collectors and custom car builders alike. Today, we’re going to bring you a car that has a level of finish that rivals restorations, but packed with tons of one-off touches.
Masatoshi Shimizu has been a fan of the FC3S RX-7 since he was 7 years old (how fitting), and purchased a FC for his first cars. He loved the lines of the car and absolutely loves the rowdy sound of a N/A rotary. I will agree that it is an addicting sound.
I’ve followed this car on Instagram for a number of years and have always loved the execution of the car. It’s hard to find really clean FCs these days. On one hand, you have time-attack machines, and on the other hand you have beat up drift cars. To see one like this was refreshing for me. The latest makeover Shimizu-san gave the car though really kicked this car up to another level.
The engine bay of Shimizu-san’s RX-7 are the real highlight of this build. Japan is really taking these engine bays to a new level, and this is probably one of the cleanest bays I’ve seen in a RX-7. Everything that wasn’t necessary was eliminated, and everything that was kept was cleaned, polished, painted, and smoothed to create this stunning engine compartment.
The N/A 13b engine breathes better with the help of a side port, and the conversion to a twin-throttle intake system with a custom intake manifold. The healthy braps are exhausted from the motor by way of a custom exhaust manifold and one-off exhaust system, and everything is tuned via an Apex-i Power FC ECU.
Inside the car, driver and passenger are treated to classic 80s styling thanks to a pair of Mazdaspeed bucket seats and that classic FC dashboard. A Renown suede steering wheel and Cusco roll-cage add further add some styling points to the classic interior.
The outside of the car is as subtle as the interior and bay, but the custom touches still lurk. Both the front and rear fenders have been widened slightly, but still keep the OEM lines. The front and sides are both late-model pieces, however to change things up a bit, Shimizu-san went with early-model tail lamps for a more retro feel. The car was then repainted in its OEM white.
Of course, this is still StanceNation, and this FC has a killer stance to go with the rest of the car. Much like the rest of the car, it’s all custom too. Custom-spec coilovers bring the car down, while a full set of front and rear arms help Shimizu-san dial in the camber for that perfect stance. The wheel selection is as classic as the rest of the car, with a custom built set of Panasport G7s sitting under the widened arches. Measuring in at 17×9 -26 in the front and 17×12 -30 in the rear, the wheel choice couldn’t be any better for this FC.
This is one of my favorite FCs out there, and with photos like these it shouldn’t be hard to see why. Shimizu-san promises us that he isn’t done though. He has some future plans to make the car even cleaner. I’m just happy to see someone not only preserving a now classic car, but also making it his own while keeping that high level of fit and finish. Shimizu-san is truly aiming higher with his FC3s.
