A Drag-Spec RX-7 With Nowhere To Race
FC3S Straight Shooter

I think the key to happiness in life is simple: ensuring that reality exceeds your expectations. The reality of my recent trip to the tropical island state of Okinawa, about a three-hour flight south of Tokyo, was that typhoon winds and rain replaced my expectations of bikinis and sun-soaked beaches. When it came to cars however, my expectations were torn to shreds, thrown out and made completely redundant several times per day.

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I honestly didn’t know what to expect when the roller door was lifted to the small shed at the back of a used car lot, but any concerns were dashed when I saw the dappled light falling across an expertly-blistered guard stretched over well-used Hoosier slicks.

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Drag racing in Okinawa has been in serious decline in recent years, which mirrors the situation in the rest of Japan. The island’s only drag strip was shut down last year due to development pressures, and now any quarter-mile enthusiast who wants to race needs to load their car onto a ferry bound for a nearby island, which is both a costly and time-consuming exercise.

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The owner of this car, Ken, has quite a storied history of racing rotaries in Japan and the US, and now as an established business owner he’s started to build a seriously-enviable stable of rotary-powered racers. In fact, the cars I shot are merely the tip of the iceberg. Ken’s not prepared to let Okinawan drag racing die a quiet death – he wants to inject the excitement and passion back into the local scene one crazy rotary at a time. That’s something I can definitely get behind!

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Hilariously, one of Ken’s staff told me the boss’ preferred method of stress relief is taking his red FC for a quick blast on the local roads, then tucking it back into the garage before the neighbours have time to realise what just hit them. I guess those license plates do come in handy…

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It’s always interesting popping the hood on a rotary-powered Mazda, and it’s also easy to forget just how small these engines actually are when you get down to the housings. Beneath the web of piping is a bridge-ported 13B featuring goodies such as lightweight rotors and low-friction ceramic apex seals, not to mention an AEM water/methanol injection system.

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Providing positive pressure is a Garrett GTX4202R turbo running a TiAL wastegate and custom piping to and from the huge front-mounted intercooler. It was also great to see a little bit of Australia under the hood in the form of a Turbosmart Race Port blow-off valve. All up, the engine package is good for 500hp on the current high-octane pump gas tune. Oh, and how great is the titanium bonnet/hood prop!

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Top Fuel Racing (TFR), a workshop based on Japan’s mainland mainly known for its rotary time attack builds which often run sub-60-second laps at Tsukuba, is responsible for most mechanical aspects of the FC3S’s current state. When Ken talks about TFR it’s akin to hearing a religious convert speak of a preacher, and I guess that only makes sense considering rotary engines are powered by a mix of Illuminati-shaped componentry and voodoo magic. Jokes aside, TFR is the domain of one Toru Kumaki – owner, mechanic and tuner, and these days is the only man Ken trusts to build his race cars.

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Ten-spoke RAYS Volk Racing CE28Ns are usually associated with time attack builds, but here they look the part wrapped in Hoosier slicks. Stock discs and callipers remain at the rear, because as we all know, brakes are only good for slowing you down.

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The interior is a place of business. The FRP dash holds a bevy of gauges, pride of place belonging to the 11,000rpm Auto Meter tachometer, and the lightweight centre console houses the AEM water/methanol injection control unit next to an A’PEXi FC Commander for the Power FC engine management system. The lightweight approach has been carried through to the rest of the car, with side and rear acrylic windows, an FRP bonnet and an RE Amemiya front bumper. I hate to go spec-crazy, but the HKS 5-speed dog box, R200 1-way LSD and HKS drag dampers are also worth a mention!

Here’s a short video of the 13B’s lumpy idle. That sounds never gets old!

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This is a refreshingly-clean drag build with no corners cut, and plenty of inspiration from Japan’s rich street tuning culture. I can only hope someone sees the light and provides a venue for Ken and his FC3S RX-7 to drag race on Okinawa once again.

Blake Jones
Instagram: blaketjones
blake@speedhunters.com

Cutting Room Floor
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1

Is it running a nissan diff?

2

Video was orgasmic. Great Read!

3

how many proper strips are there in japan?

4

GregFentonHNHS to my knowledge, Sendai Hi-Land was the most popular one but it closed recently. There are so many tracks in Japan and hardly any dedicated drag strips in comparison!

5

I think that FC's can easily be ruined but when they're done right, they really shine

6

Any photos and details on the green rx3 in the headlining photo?

7

Are those Mercedes mirrors?

8

Taryn Croucher GregFentonHNHS They used to use the front straight at Central Circuit. But they stopped it a while back IIRC. Also heard they used Fuji's front straight but wasn't sure.

9

Was this car build by someone else years, and the current owner bought it and continued to add pieces? This car reminds me of one built in the early 2000's by a guy named Alf.

10

The tekkamen 4dr on the lot - how much please?? :D

I very much like this FC, too :p

11

Will the FC fare better if it's brought Stateside?

12

it is villanous...

Love first shot..ZOOM in window..bien

13

what tail lights are those?

14

Colin123456  I second this, I would to have set for my car

15

Colin123456  I second this, I would to have set for my car

16

Did anyone else think that title is really sad?

17

Did anyone else think that title is really sad?

18
90nissanS13@my350z

Sad and lonely.

19
90nissanS13@my350z

Sad and lonely.

20
90nissanS13@my350z

Sad and lonely.

21
Chris 'Haffy' Hafner

We'd be happy to give asylum to this car in Australia :)

22

90nissanS13@my350z

23

90nissanS13@my350z Haha you guys crack me up. It's sad for now, but the owner - Ken - is determined to inject some energy back into the local scene!

24

90nissanS13@my350z Haha you guys crack me up. It's sad for now, but the owner - Ken - is determined to inject some energy back into the local scene!

25

Chris 'Haffy' Hafner Ken actually is very well connected to the Australian scene and has sourced some cars from builders here. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of his cars back on Aussie strips in the future!

26

Chris 'Haffy' Hafner Ken actually is very well connected to the Australian scene and has sourced some cars from builders here. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of his cars back on Aussie strips in the future!

27

@turbo BEAMS ae86 Thanks!

28

@turbo BEAMS ae86 Thanks!

29

CEL400 Taryn Croucher GregFentonHNHS So, short answer... None!

30

CEL400 Taryn Croucher GregFentonHNHS So, short answer... None!

31

Slappy_Pistons The classic cars are really affordable in Okinawa! These dealers actually accept US dollars too...

32

Slappy_Pistons The classic cars are really affordable in Okinawa! These dealers actually accept US dollars too...

33

scibO be patient, friend :)

34

scibO be patient, friend :)

35

RoughIdea thanks for the kind words!

36

RoughIdea thanks for the kind words!

37

Nice. Now give it some more rotors.

38
Chris 'Haffy' Hafner

:) sweeeeeeeeet

39
Chris 'Haffy' Hafner

:) sweeeeeeeeet

40

Someone should mass produce a kit to swap rotaries back into RX7s. src="trollface.jpg"

41

Someone should mass produce a kit to swap rotaries back into RX7s. src="trollface.jpg"

42

Someone should mass produce a kit to swap rotaries back into RX7s. src="trollface.jpg"

43

Blake Jones Slappy_Pistons I'm booking flights!

44

I gotta stay away from this site. 


First Dino's article has me wanting a 964 and now you've put an FC on my Lottery Winner's Garage list.


Thanks a lot. 


I'm gonna die with ten bucks in my savings account and ten million in rolling awesome in my garage.

45

I gotta stay away from this site. 


First Dino's article has me wanting a 964 and now you've put an FC on my Lottery Winner's Garage list.


Thanks a lot. 


I'm gonna die with ten bucks in my savings account and ten million in rolling awesome in my garage.

46

It's like the opposite of the U.S. where we have 90 drag strips for each racetrack! And that's not to mention the extensive freeway system and sidestreets "down in Mexico"...

47

Speedhunters lol

48

Living out here is amazing.  The car scene is so diverse.  I need to get in touch with this guy, and photograph this car around the island!

49

KarlosG_ U0001f60d

50

Colin123456 stock S5 tail lights, just an led conversion by the looks of it..

51

CEL400 Taryn Croucher GregFentonHNHS That is still goin!

52

CEL400 Taryn Croucher GregFentonHNHS That is still goin!

53

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