The first time I met Peter was at a meet on the east end of Long Island; he had a smurf blue FD with a roof rack and Advan SA3Rs and in passing, I took a snap and chatted with him. Over the years, we became friends through car events and business. One day about a year ago, his girlfriend, Lindsay shoots me a text telling me Peter found an FD and he’s about to buy it. Then a few videos via text followed and I was convinced this was the start of a never-ending project.
Rotary fans are a special breed of masochists who are life-long enthusiasts and Peter is a perfect example of this. High-maintenance is the name of the game for many rotaries and this is often why most people avoid it or shove an LSX or 2JZ swap. Excessive heat, oil buildup, messed up seals, oil leaks are just as common as oil changes and car washes.
An EVO IV, E46 M3, and an M Coupe, were just seasonal flings until he found this FD. Over the course of a few months, he took apart his RX-7, repainted the chassis, rebuilt and upgraded the engine and put it all back together with parts he had hoarded over the years since his smurf blue FD.
I decided to cruise down to Brooklyn for a local meet organized by Lowered Congress and met up with Peter, Lindsay and PJ. We had some time so we began shooting. With the Verrazano Bridge in the background, I thought these images are representative of Brooklyn, where Peter is from and still resides.
Peter sent me a text a few days before we met up and told me he’d be running 19s and honestly, I hated the idea. Things quickly changed when I saw the Work VS-XX in person. The 18″ faces stepped-lipped to 19″ works really well and I can’t even imagine it in any size but the one you see here. Overall the car is just clean, sporting a Mazdaspeed front bumper, vented hood, 99 spec lights, and an RE Amemiya rear diffuser. This street-spec FD puts down 390 hp and that’s already more than enough. For those who have piston engines may underestimate that number but 350+ hp on a rotary is far different than on a piston engine.
A clean interior is a rarity for these cars since many have passed through several owners, many of who usually take bits and pieces apart. Peter was lucky enough to have an interior which is not only intact but it is also immaculately clean and in black. With a few small touches, Peter has made the car entirely his own.
FD + Evo will always be a great tag team. Stay tuned for images of PJ’s monster Bayside Blue CT9A. Peace!
