BrianK

correct me if I'm wrong, but the glass moonroof was only available on the '94 and it was either that or no sunroof at all (there was no metal roof in '94).

For those interested, the part is still available from mazda... looking at my receipt for getting mine replaced, it appears that the thing is $612.55 and the part number is F114-69-810B (granted, that could be the wrong part #, but I'm pretty sure that's it... there's about 20 parts in the sunroof and the descriptions on this receipt aren't very good).

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Hey, just b/c you're stuck at Gordon w/out your FD is no reason to bust my *****


Didja ever give Trexthe3rd a call? You should check out his FD, if for no other than to check out his HIDs. Very Nice

Cetchup

I have a 94 base model and It does have a sunroof. The top is metal and painted the same color as my car...but mine does have a what seems to be a dent in the middle of it (is that normal?) it looks like somebody dropped a weight right in the middle. I sure would like to have that glass roof though.

billzrx7

bacon looks razor man.. but can it beat my fc after i reassemble everything. lemme know whats goin on for HIN the weekend of the 28th so i can post about it and make up a game plan for the weekend.

RyanREX

mmm....silver. Nice kit. Always liked FEED.

Flybye

Is it me, or is there more than 1 newbie in this thread?

Find yourself a factor brochure, and read up on that dent in your sunroof

Flybye

Remember to stay far away as possible from trucks and those SUVs that never see offroading. Ya got a glass front end now!

It's beautiful . Now I know what my SSM FD will look like once she's painted

weaklink

that is the famous "double bubble" top, integral to the rx7 design.

dclin

iTrader: (4)

So following too close a SUV that HAS been offroading is better? Sorry, being a smart ***...hehe.

Probably a little too late now, but have been reading up on auto painting and it's supposedly a good idea to make sure the body shop uses flex agent in the paint on FG/urethane parts.

BTW, having an urethane front end does not guarentee bad chipping. Saw a real 99 front end a month or so and it had impressive sized chips. I guess the key is the finish - or how much care the body shop puts into the work.

Flybye

Actually..........
With a urethane bumper, it's all a matter of NOT skimping out on the flex agent. It's an additive that allows the paint on the front bumper to become flexible when dry giving it an almost rubbery finish to it. On a FG front bumper, it's all a matter of how many clearcoats you put on it before the paint gives away Actually, I'm not really sure what CAN you put on a FG bumper to prevent the paint from chipping

DRAG0NEER

I disagreed. Replicas have a higher tendency to have a wavy finish due to the material itself...they also require more prep work to do when compared to a authentic bumper. What I'm trying to say is that if you take a replica and an authentic bumper and apply the same amount of prep work to them, after they're painted, you WILL be able to tell the difference.

rotaryextreme

iTrader: (2)

The waviness has nothing to do with the material. It has everything to do with the quality of the mold itself. If the mold is wavy, you will have a wavy product. If the mold is shiny and smooth, you will have a shiny product. In this case, the mold we have for the FEED type II replica is shiny and not wavy.

I can't explain the whole process of making fiberglass parts. If you want to know more and why the waviness has nothing to do with the material, buy some books from www.amazon.com. They have a few there.

If you really want to compare, I have both the authentic and replica FEED type II bumpers in stock. You can buy both and compare yourself. I will even let you return the one you don't want to keep but of course, you will have to pay for all the shipping. I really want to get rid of that authentic one for $1250 which is almost $500 cheaper than retail price. For your authentic believers, this is the deal you cannot pass. You don't have to wait 2-3 months that it can be shipped to you right away.

Chuck Huang

RX7-2JOCK

Your FD is lookin good dude

Chronos

Love the looks of that hood the best, but the scoot just offers more heat disipation...

Badog

All fiberglass will cost more to have painted and properly fitted. I can get my bumper shot for under $300, but I went and got an estimate from the same place where Nocab got his done...it was more.

Dan AchBach has been painting and doing work on german cars for longer that most of us have been alive. A perfectionist. He said he block and color sanded Nocab's bumper 6+ times. He also had an orginal FEED at this shop at the same time. The same amount of work went into that bumper too. He said that all fiberglass is "crap" that needs to be worked to get a perfect finish. He also said that Rotaryextreme's work was as good if not the same as the orginal (big props here.)

I asked him what was the easiest and hence the cheapest to work with and he said the stock parts. That is why I am going back to a '99 spec bumper, rather than my Wings West / Knightsports knock-off. It will cost 1/4 the price to get the J-spec bumper painted with a high quality finish!

Nocab's car is sweeter in person. Pictures are good, but man is it sweet up close and personal!

Props to Nocab for a sweet (and fast) ride! Put it in the magazine!!!

nocab72

Here are a few more pics of the car from Friday. I put the Mazda rear mud guards on to finish the rear today (thanks Badog for the loan while I wait for mine to come in), but don't have pics yet.

http://flathat.woodstream.net/RX7/FEED_Type_II/

K

rx7tt95

Just to clarify my "rough" comment and to validate Chuck's response, he is correct. The bumper is not wavy but it did need sanding and a bit of fill in a few spots where the gel coat was not smooth. The bumper was 100% straight and I am happy with the purchase.

Cost wise, I believe it's going to come in at about $400-$450. I've had MUCH trouble with this body shop but without tons of effort and a huge headache, I can't switch shops. Just to give you an idea of what I'm dealing with, their so called experts installed the stock rear upper shock mounts wrong. They diagnosed the "clunk" I was hearing behind my left ear as coming from the muffler hitting the differential. They had the gall to tell me they put a tech in the back and drove around. Must have been a small tech. They apparently duplicated the sound by moving the muffler around. Yet after driving it to the local rotary expert, he diagnosed it in about 5 minues after seeing how high the shock threads (Tein HA's) were sticking up out of the top of the shock mount. After bitching up a storm and basically making them check, they found their tech had installed it wrong. I could go on and on. They won't even install the FEED bumper because it would mean either cutting or removing the bumper reinforcement. A "liability" on their part. Yeah, like that piece of fiberglass is really going to save me in an accident!

I apologize if I led anyone to believe I wasn't happy with the bumper. Just getting tired of dealing with this body shop.
Michel

rx7tt95

On the subject of chips...the bodyshop is using black primer (my car is black) and I may try that 3M film which is actually heated and stretched over the surface of the bumper. I'm going to stop by the shop and see a car first. Apparently, except for the seams, it's completely invisible. I'll try and find out about any downsides. I have no idea how long it lasts or whether it'll haze eventually or not. Estimated cost is about $300 but he won't know til he sees the car. I think it's called Ultra Shield.
michel

dclin

iTrader: (4)

Flybye: Sorry - that was what I meant: whether or not a shop takes the time to properly paint a given part, including using flex agent for urethane parts. I know for a fact that some shops will not bother to add flex agent.

rx7tt95: www.xpel.com , I was planning on taking my 99 bumper to this place and have a pattern cut for the bumper. I don't know if you FEED Type 2 guys would want to get together to have one made, or perhaps Chuck might want to invest in this as an additional product offering.

I was thinking that for those that do have FG bumpers, could it be possible to shot the bumper first with a few layers of Chip Guard (like that on the side of the Tourings), and then sand smooth? MUCH more work to be sure, but maybe the effort might mean a longer lasting finish.

http://www.sherwin-automotive.com/pr...t=29270&cat=77

I was thinking that between this and maybe a little Flex agent in the paint, the paint/FG combo would be less likely to 'shatter' and chip upon rock contact.

I am going to buy the Apexi FG sideskirts again, so I will be ordering the Chip guard to experiment myself.

As for the issue of replica vs. originals, there maybe more truth to the arguement that 'replicas' will be of less quality/etc in the world of mass produced products - say major brand DVD players vs off-brand players as just an example - but FD aftermarket FG bumpers, whether original or replica, are made ONE BY ONE, BY HAND in low quantities.

The product quality will be determined by how much effort and skill is put into the final product by the company, and ultimately the individual FG craftsman.

dubbs693

pics?

RedFD

i would prefer different side skirts... but other than that the car is beautiful!!!!!! Well done!!

rotaryextreme

iTrader: (2)

RX-7 Store is going to get a shipment of FEED replica bumpers from me in a week. If you are on the east coast, you can buy from RX-7 Store to save some money on shipping.

Chuck Huang

C-westin'FD

Looking good

weaklink

Hey Kyle,

Where did you get the mesh for the oil cooler openings and why didn't you cover the IC opening too?

SPEED_NYC

iTrader: (3)

anybody know what IC is in that car? is it a greedy 3 row?

Thanx