Alex's Mazda RX-7 Race Car

Discussion in 'Off Topic' started by Alex Hodgkinson, Oct 25, 2018.

  1. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    Hi guys, I thought some of you might be interested to see something I get up to in my spare time.


    [​IMG]

    - 1020kg
    - 450bhp
    - Pineapple Racing large street ported engine
    - GT4088R turbo
    - DTA S80 Pro ECU
    - Race Technology data logging setup with CAN interface
    - AP Racing complete brake setup (calipers, discs, pedal box, lines)
    - Ohlins 2-way adjustable dampers
    - Racing Beat aluminium flywheel
    - 5.5" AP Racing Clutch
    - Drenth DG400 heavy duty sequential g'box
    - 4.77:1 final drive
    - ATL 80L fuel cell in rear buckets
    - Self-built carbon fibre nose, headlights, front wings, bonnet, front splitter, rocker panels & rear arches
    - Custom cages T45 rollcage
    - AP Racing air jacks
    - Fibreglass rear hatch
    - 10.5J 18" CE28Ns all round
     
    • Like x 21
    • Love it! x 9
    • Wonderful x 2
    • Winner x 1
    • Useful x 1
  2. RoccoTTS

    RoccoTTS Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2017
    Ratings:
    +534 / 0 / -0
    Very impressive Alex !
    I've always been wondering if the Mazda in your Avatar was your own car.

    Do you race with it or track days ?
     
  3. sbarro3

    sbarro3 Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2016
    Ratings:
    +17 / 0 / -0
    You should upload a soundfile... :D
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
  4. sbtm

    sbtm Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 29, 2016
    Ratings:
    +591 / 0 / -0
    bring it into the game :D
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Funny Funny x 1
  5. Fleskebacon

    Fleskebacon Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2015
    Ratings:
    +258 / 0 / -0
    Nice car! I had an FC3S turbo back in the days.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  6. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    Thank you :) One or two track/test days but it's going racing when it's sorted #devlife :D
     
  7. RoccoTTS

    RoccoTTS Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2017
    Ratings:
    +534 / 0 / -0
    Be sure to post a video here when going on track with it ;)
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. Not Lifting Off

    Not Lifting Off Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2015
    Ratings:
    +368 / 0 / -0
    Nice car n all that, but look at that bush, i do like a nicely trimmed bush!!!
     
    • Funny Funny x 2
  9. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    The latest thing I made were the doors..
    [​IMG]

    Which came to 3.5kg
    [​IMG]

    It starts with a normal steel door
    [​IMG]

    Which is modified to give it simpler curves which will make it stronger when made in CF.
    [​IMG]

    Here's the modified one polished and ready to take a mould from
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Inner and outer moulds. Need a good trim and polish.
    [​IMG]

    Laying up the fabric in the mould
    [​IMG]

    Inner half
    [​IMG]

    Bagged up, vacuuming to compress and infuse with resin. The darker part you see has resin travelling through it which has not yet reached the lighter coloured parts.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Popped the parts out the moulds
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Made aluminium mounting points and bonded to the inside
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Testing where to put various things before bonding
    [​IMG]

    All in place, with access hole cut for catch
    [​IMG]

    Bonding inner and outer skins. Very tiny amount of vacuum used here due to fear of distortion.
    [​IMG]

    Done. Waiting windows and paint. [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 12
    • Winner Winner x 3
    • Love it! Love it! x 1
    • Creative Creative x 1
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2018
  10. Not Lifting Off

    Not Lifting Off Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2015
    Ratings:
    +368 / 0 / -0
    Im no engineer or car specialist, have 0 knowledge when it comes to race spec cars and their set up, had to get that out of the way before i ask.
    Was this done to any design drawings or specific specifications cause it looks like massive overkill and more of a hinderance than help, more boy racerish than racer, but this is my ignorant opinion :- see disclaimer above ;)
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2018
  11. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    No, no hindrance at all. It's all about adding front downforce. Adding rear downforce is easy to do with a road-based car: you add a bigger wing. To add to the front is harder though because there's no legal way to mount a wing, so the front splitter has to be quite significant. I designed it with some Solidworks CFD. It's also the first section of the car's flat floor, which leads to the rear diffuser.

    Here are some more pictures of it:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 5
    • Love it! Love it! x 1
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2018
  12. RoccoTTS

    RoccoTTS Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2017
    Ratings:
    +534 / 0 / -0
    If you look at an official time attack RX7, this is definitely no overkill.

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
    • Love it! Love it! x 1
  13. Not Lifting Off

    Not Lifting Off Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2015
    Ratings:
    +368 / 0 / -0
    Thanks, not sure why i doubted it i do understand the theory, idk, maybe that first picture it just looks very, errr, boy racerish to me, probably distance and angle, perspective? Seeing the close up pictures especially with the front end uncovered and obvious end plates looks a lot more convincing - Professional!

    I guess i had something like this in my head [​IMG]

    :p:eek::D
     
    • Funny Funny x 5
    • Winner Winner x 2
  14. KOKORO ga PYONPYON

    KOKORO ga PYONPYON Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Ratings:
    +203 / 0 / -0
    Great! Amazing!
    Hey,Please start working to record it soon!
    R3E requires the sound of RotaryEngine.
    Everyone's dream:cool:

    We LOVE MAZDA RE:oops::oops::oops::oops::oops::oops:
     
    • Love it! Love it! x 1
  15. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    How about some close ups?

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 5
    • Love it! Love it! x 2
    • Creative Creative x 1
  16. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    A little update from this weekend. I went to work on the car on Friday night (it lives at my parents' house an hour away) and spent the weekend working on the doors, getting them closer to the point the windows can be fitter and outer skins can be painted.

    The first thing was to finalise the check straps, which my dad had a brilliant idea of using old lanyards for, so they can be released quickly.

    He made these eyes up for me from solid aluminium. They screw into the hard points I'd already bonded in before I stuck both halves of the doors together.

    [​IMG]

    I used old lanyards from work; Le Mans Series race at Donington Park in 200...8(?) maybe.

    [​IMG]

    Next, I dragged out an old steel door so I could move some of the OEM rubber seals across onto my newly made doors and copy the positions nicely. Man this thing feels heavy!

    [​IMG]

    Before the seals went on.

    [​IMG]

    Then after

    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Love it! Love it! x 1
    • Creative Creative x 1
  17. ravey1981

    ravey1981 Well-Known Member Beta tester

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2018
    Ratings:
    +873 / 0 / -0
    Wow this is just ridiculously cool! Who even knew you could lay up carbon at home. I went to the ginetta factory a while back and had a look around their carbon room, it's like a laboratory! Massive kudos to you this project looks immense. What sort of racing are you planning? Nothing that may involve contact I hope....not like to can pop to the scrappers for another hand made carbon body panel....
     
    • Like Like x 1
  18. Not Lifting Off

    Not Lifting Off Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2015
    Ratings:
    +368 / 0 / -0
    Alex, MATE, ;) I got a cracking zed that needs some track mods and a good beating around a track near you! I`ll let you have free reign over it as long as it stays road legal :)
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  19. Alex Hodgkinson

    Alex Hodgkinson KW Studios Developer

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2017
    Ratings:
    +1,948 / 0 / -0
    There are a couple of nice series which run in the UK and have an invitation class for modified/none homologated cars:

    https://www.gtcup.co.uk/

    http://www.britcar-endurance.com/

    Seeing as they both run longer races than the usual 20 minute club race, they give the chance to get your teeth in to it. Also the chance of contact is greatly reduced, as everyone is in the endurance mindset. I have kept the moulds for every single body panel on the car, so I can always make more, although it'll take some time!
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Winner Winner x 1
  20. KOKORO ga PYONPYON

    KOKORO ga PYONPYON Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2015
    Ratings:
    +203 / 0 / -0
    RE for various reasons it takes money and a lot of labor is necessary.
    How did you solve these?

    Tthere is no doubt that in the race it will show great performance.
    Mazda and REAmemiya have proved brilliant achievements in the past.

    I hope your race activities will be successful.:cool:
    [​IMG]
     
    • Like Like x 2
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2018