20B 5spd '90 in Okinawa!

Well I haven't spammed this here yet :D

New wheels are on, 18x9 +22 265/35/18

Fitment is awesome, the paint job....not so much. Luckily the shop who painted them realized they did a crap job and didn't charge me much. So we'll just say the white is a test fit while I save to have them powdercoated. not sure if I'll stick with white or try something else.


14nilcn.jpg

25zs5qx.jpg
 
Posting these here since the only person who probably hasn't seen them yet is Antoine, seeing as he's not in the Cosmo Facebook group (rofl2)

Had to retake some shots from a couple of picture locations from my old FD, I miss that thing! It was incredibly photogenic.

2n0wbc.jpg


2u763wp.jpg


dfuem9.jpg


5191md.jpg


102juyh.jpg


5r8n8.jpg
 
So I was never really sold on the white Advan's, and even worse, the finish on the paint job was absolute crap and REEEEEEEEEALLY bugged me.

I definitely had to do something about that:

18x9 +24 with a 3mm spacer to clear the brakes up front, 18x10 +35 in the rear, Gram Lights 57 Maximum Pro.

255/35/18 and 275/35/18 RE-11's.

Waiting on an AutoExe intake I ordered to show up, and new brakes and pads all around. Slowly whipping this big girl into even better shape. Eyeballing some Defi BF gauges on YAJ, planning to mount them behind the dash's black "hiding" plexiglass.

5agj8l.jpg


fvl3lh.jpg


dn0e3r.jpg
 
Nice stance on those new wheels. What version RE-A ecu did you get. Did it work ok with no problems. Are they Hens teeth over there.
Cheers
 
Thanks, I got the Type-B version, they're incredibly rare here too. Just so happened to find one at the right time. I've had zero issues with it so far, even with the manual conversion.
 
Awesome updates! Great choice of wheels...I'm a big fan of "deep dish" polished wheels on the Cosmo and yours look fantastic!

How do you like that front lip? Do you have any issues with scraping etc? Do you think those lip extensions on either side provide any functional benefits?
 
One of my dream cars, and yours is nice.
Wheels look great, Cosmo looks great and an island in the Pacific sounds pretty dang great right about now too.
You're a lucky dog!
 
Awesome updates! Great choice of wheels...I'm a big fan of "deep dish" polished wheels on the Cosmo and yours look fantastic!

How do you like that front lip? Do you have any issues with scraping etc? Do you think those lip extensions on either side provide any functional benefits?

Thanks, I've never been a big chrome fan, but when I saw these for sale I knew it was meant to be lol. I love how they're more of a darker chrome, they really pop in the light.

I really dig the front lip, but it scrapes every once in a while, but I've learned to dodge those dips and I haven't scraped it in good while. Luckily that bottom half of the two tone nearly perfectly matches the same color as my previous S2000, so I have some touch up paint laying around. I think the only functional benefits is the inlet for the oil cooler looks a bit bigger. Other than that I think it's just aesthetics.
 
Thanks! Living out here has it's days, right now I can't wait for the temperature to drop. This thing doesn't like using A/C very much.
 
Long time no update my friends. I've been posting on RX7Club, but not much Cosmo related traffic going on there. I'm copying and posting most of the posts here, so if things are posted in a weird past tense sort of way, that's why!
Here's comes a bunch of info from my last post!

A while back I went with StopTech slotted rotors and brake pads, and repainted my calipers black.

(Ignore that condensation in the brake light, it's since been replaced, as has the faded rear bumper. Also ignore dorky dome piece in the 2nd pic)

8x7taa.jpg


wk0fhi.jpg



I also burnt out the old rear control are bushings and replaced them with polyurethane Whiteline bushings. No pics of that process, but boy was it a good time :lol:

Most recent job was a Defi gauge install. See the video below for a quick interior power up.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here's a quick sneak peek of a local photoshoot the car did with a very talented photographer. I look forward to seeing the rest of the pictures and I'll definitely share them here.

1zgte76.jpg




As much as I love this thing, I've been slowly thinking about selling it. I keep seeing a handful of 1st gen NSX's driving around and damn......I want one so incredibly bad!


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here's a couple more shots near an abandoned "haunted" hotel. This island has tons of great scenery.

24kzd06.jpg


zjwbj4.jpg



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Here's some shots I plucked from the shoot. If you guys got the time, check out the rest of his pictures via his Facebook page called Through These Eyes Photography. There's some cool stuff on there.

jkycfr.jpg


qplzk1.jpg


aubkus.jpg


k2d4ci.jpg


ddolkp.jpg


3445de9.jpg


2pywa4k.jpg


x5ccw3.jpg


332xwub.jpg


2q07onl.jpg


o3gxk.jpg



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Snagged these bad boys up last week, and threw my set on today along with Swift springs. Aragosta's for my wife and my car! They ride so damn nice...

wwchvr.jpg


33mqyis.jpg



------------------------------------------------------------------


]More picturesssssssss. Because who doesn't love new pictures right?

ehhycj.jpg


34oo3sn.jpg


f05hc2.jpg


2ajdx85.jpg


2pooad0.jpg




I've realized I've been a bit lax in tracking everything I do to this car, so I'm going to type out of the current modification listing for memories sake, and for something to look back on if I keep chucking money at it.



ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN
FC3S 5 speed gearbox conversion (FC clutch master cylinder, FD brake pedal?)
AutoExe intake
PanSpeed titanium exhaust, turbo outlet back, 40 lbs total, 1 of 6 produced
RE Amemiya ECU Type B
Bigger intercooler

SUSPENSION/BRAKES/WHEELS
Aragosta coilover/Swift Springs
All rear pillowball bushings replaced in Nov 2014
Polyurethane bushings installed in rear arms Dec 2014
Japanese axis of evil front brake set up: R32 GT-R calipers, JZA80 StopTech slotted rotors (on a Mazda!)/Rear brakes: slotted Dixcel rotors
Gram Lights 57 Maximum Pro: 18x9 +24 with a 3mm spacer to clear the brakes up front, 18x10 +35 in the rear
255/35/18 and 275/35/18 RE-11's


EXTERIOR
Mazdaspeed Type 2 front lip
Factory option neon lit side skirts, rear skirts, and wing


INTERIOR
Acrylic shift knob for the ladies
WORKING CCS unit
Upgraded speakers (I forget which brand)
Defi BF blue gauges, Turbo/Water Temp/Oil Temp


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Bit of an update ol' chaps.

The car is still doing great, started pre-mixing and the engine seems to enjoy it quite a bit. Feels a bit smoother through the torque band and seems to get s midge better MPG.

Speaking of MPG, I burnt through 3/4's of a full tank this weekend on 7 hour long spirited drive. The Cosmo did great keeping up with an Evo VI and a nice handling Integra, it doesn't drive as big as it looks. Though I did notice something that was severely lacking....seat bolstering! The car could've gone faster, but I couldn't.

I was getting quite tired propping myself up in the corners and I noticed at times I was using the steering wheel to keep me upright. Not cool! So I'm in the market for aftermarket seats once again, we'll see what pops up on the auctions once I get my funds together.

Speaking on the handling front, I FINALLY managed to snag some ultra rare AutoExe under chassis braces. These things are unicorn horns for Cosmo's. I currently have them shipped to a fellow Cosmo owner in Australia in attempts to get them copied for all the other Cosmo guys.

Here's a couple pictures them installed (not my car!)

2e5pm5k.jpg


2ey9tlh.jpg


And the actual braces.

i6gtv4.jpg


2i1pa9h.jpg




Meanwhile, I found out through Herlbenny that Defi now makes the Smart Adaptor products which allowed the sensors and control box to send a Bluetooth signal any device through Defi's free app. So the plan was to get rid of my in dash gauges and also add an oil pressure sensor to the mix. But low and behold, the older style sensors won't connect to the newer Advance control box. Damn. So new sensors are on order, but for now:

21joheo.jpg


Lastly, my made to order front strut bar and radiator cooling panel finally came in from Carbing/Okuyama after a 2-3 month wait. Always been a fan of their stuff.

3498os3.jpg


294kzfq.jpg





That's about it for now. Still more things on the horizon, there's many things on the to do list!


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Alrighty then, update time.

Finally made a decision on seats after searching YAJ and UpGarage daily. I saw this seat pop up and it really grew on me. I'm not a Bride man at all, I prefer Recaro all day, but damn this seat nice as hell in person. It's a Bride Japan Cuga. I'll be buying the passenger side soon, same style, except the Vorga model which comes with much less aggressive leg bolsters.

sg77l0.jpg


351iydc.jpg


2mhyhbp.jpg





Also I finally got the bluetooth Defi set up in! Liking it a lot so far, the app is great. Waiting on a few iPhone mounts to come in from Amazon so I can decide where I'm going to mount the phone for easy monitoring.

eks5s3.jpg


140j8u8.jpg


2ql998g.jpg
 
Last edited:
Love it! Awesome updates (rockon)...Going to post again after I "digest" all the updates, I've already got questions...Prepare yourself! :D
 
Okay...First of all, THANK YOU for sharing your updates here as well, I certainly appreciate it! Plus, your Cosmo is looking fantastic! (2thumbs)

Nice shot!
wk0fhi.jpg


Now on with the questions...

- You mentioned you replaced your brake light housing, where did you source a replacement? New or Used? Yahoo Auctions Japan?

- How did you know that you blew out the rear control arm bushings? Handling changed or by inspecting them? How does she ride now with polyurethane Whiteline bushings?

- Another awesome shot here...Are you having any issues with tire rub in either the front or rear?

1zgte76.jpg


- Nice suspension upgrade! Are those new or used? Where did you score them from? How's the ride...I have an update of my own regarding suspension...Stay tuned... ;)

- If you don't mind me asking, how much did your "Axis of Evil" brake setup run you and are you satisfied with the stopping performance? Brand name big brake kits cost a fortune and I'm not sure they're worth it from a cost performance stand point.

- What are your methods for scoring those ultra rare parts like the AutoExe Braces? Hmmm? :p

- Funny you should mention Herblenny and that new Defi tech, I've actually been thinking about replacing my navi unit with an iPad mini and using it to display sensor info via their app...If I understand correctly, I can do that now with the this new system but I would need new / compatible sensors...Right? Isn't that what Herblenny did recently with one of his RX-7s?

Can you send that sensor info to multiple devices at the same time? Being able to monitor the Cosmo with my iPhone while outside the car would be very cool...I'm sure Kawato-San from TCP Magic would appreciate that ability!

Well, I think that's all the questions I have for now haha...Sorry if I overwhelmed you, any response would be much appreciated!

Ps...Are you seriously thinking of selling your Cosmo? How do you think the market for 20B Cosmos is doing..? I checked online recently and it seems Cosmo prices are going up now...I wonder if rarity and rumours of a new Rotary-Powered Mazda are pushing up values? Thoughts?

Thanks again!!! (thumb)
 
Woo, lots of questions. I love answering questions about this car though, so I definitely don't mind sharing my experiences.

- You mentioned you replaced your brake light housing, where did you source a replacement? New or Used? Yahoo Auctions Japan?

-----Yes, from YAJ. It was a used unit and there's actually quite a few on them on there from various parts outs, and cheap too. Cost me under 4000 shipped from mainland to Okinawa.

- How did you know that you blew out the rear control arm bushings? Handling changed or by inspecting them? How does she ride now with polyurethane Whiteline bushings?

-----My left rear was clunking when going over rough bumps. I had this same issue in my old FD and I automatically suspected the pillowballs bushings in the knuckle and arms. I bought a set for both sides from RHDJapan and replaced them all on the left side, but the clunk was still there! Turns out it was just a worn out coilover. It wasn't leaking or anything, but some clunking for some reason. As for the poly bushings, it was well worth the money, sweat, ingested toxic fumes, and cussing. The rear end was "bouncier", but not a bad type of bounce, it was much more responsive. The car as whole rides amazing, but I'll get into that more in one of your other questions.

- Another awesome shot here...Are you having any issues with tire rub in either the front or rear?

-----Only really big bumps and if I'm carrying a decent amount of speed. I don't rub on steep inclines/declines, or during heavy cornering. I rolled the rears at about a 45 degree angle, didn't really need more than that and I didn't want to crack the paint. I'll more than likely roll them flatter once I get closer to getting it repainted. As for the front, they're rolled just about all the way flat to avoid rubbing while cornering, but it's the same story as above, except they only rub when I'm turning in a "spirited" manner and hit a big dip or bump.

- Nice suspension upgrade! Are those new or used? Where did you score them from? How's the ride...I have an update of my own regarding suspension...Stay tuned...

-----Thanks, I'm in love! The shocks are used, but the Swift springs are new. They popped up on YAJ and I jumped on them with a quickness. I went through 2 sets of JIC's and a set of brand new Largus coilovers before I actually decided to save like crazy to buy a set brand new, but GOOD GOD are they expensive new. I'm extremely lucky I saw them when I did, they're absolutely amazing. My wife's set feels great on her Supra. I would confidently say this is the best "off the shelf" coilover set up for our cars. Speaking of the Swift springs, I actually bought them for the Largus, which are really basic, entry level coilovers. The Swift springs make a world of difference.

- If you don't mind me asking, how much did your "Axis of Evil" brake setup run you and are you satisfied with the stopping performance? Brand name big brake kits cost a fortune and I'm not sure they're worth it from a cost performance stand point.

-----Very satisfied. For the money it's a damn good set up! There's actually a bigger disk set up now compared to the JZA80 disks I'm using now. Here's the link: http://www.global-z.com/mazda/cosmo.htm

- What are your methods for scoring those ultra rare parts like the AutoExe Braces? Hmmm?

-----I search YAJ daily when I have enough cash put away to purchase some toys. About the braces though, I should know more about them being copied before the end of the year. The Aussie guys are still working on it. There's a another Cosmo owner down here that's selling his Cosmo which has the braces and he's willing to sell the braces separately. I offered $500 to buy him and he said he can't that low, sooooo I don't how much he wants for them.

- Funny you should mention Herblenny and that new Defi tech, I've actually been thinking about replacing my navi unit with an iPad mini and using it to display sensor info via their app...If I understand correctly, I can do that now with the this new system but I would need new / compatible sensors...Right? Isn't that what Herblenny did recently with one of his RX-7s? Can you send that sensor info to multiple devices at the same time? Being able to monitor the Cosmo with my iPhone while outside the car would be very cool...I'm sure Kawato-San from TCP Magic would appreciate that ability!

-----Do you have the older Defi sensors or the newer Advance ones? I had the older style Defi's and I had purchase the Defi Advance Link box and new sensors. RHDJapan is a good place to check if you want to buy it all new, their prices on them were very competitive. Herblenny replaced his whole gauge cluster and used an iPad, the app is great and is also free if you'd like to download it and play around. I haven't tried seeing if it can read from multiple devices yet. The app is called Defi Meter C.

Ps...Are you seriously thinking of selling your Cosmo? How do you think the market for 20B Cosmos is doing..? I checked online recently and it seems Cosmo prices are going up now...I wonder if rarity and rumours of a new Rotary-Powered Mazda are pushing up values? Thoughts?

-----It was something I was contemplating only if I was going to get sent to mainland Japan next, the temptation of buying another FD and taking it to all the tracks was very strong. But now it seems like I'll be going back to America and the Cosmo is definitely coming along. They're definitely going up in price. I think a lot of that has to do with the huge 89-90 R32 GT-R price hike as American's can now import them, and the import companies are taking full advantage of people and really jacking the prices up. A good 32 GT-R down here in Oki is going for average of $15K, and young military dudes are chucking their paychecks at them simple because "GT-R".

So naturally, that's opening up people's eyes about some the cars turning 25 in the coming years. The Cosmo is still relatively unknown, but I have seen a few being advertised in America for quite a bit more than both of us more than likely paid for ours. Hopefully the prices keep going up! These cars are incredibly under rated!
 
Last edited:
Alright, latest update.

Had a lingering issue with my driver's side headlight flickering off and on and random moments. A little troubleshooting found that one the HID ballasts was more than likely going bad. After doing some Google research, I found that these Morimoto XB55 ballasts looked pretty tempting and the reviews confirmed that.

So I placed an order and when they came in I got right to installing. Initial reaction were wow these are nice, especially in comparison to the cheap, generic looking ballasts the car came with. Check out the difference!

2it67uh.jpg


2wh14xx.jpg


w1p6vk.jpg


16gkc5v.jpg


Once everything was all buttoned up, I lit up the headlights and noticed that the bulbs were much quicker at warming up. I've had them in for about 2 months now and so far they've been 100% hassle free and reliable!



Now for the biggest update, I got some RX-8 R3 Recaro's! I love these things, and they're the closest design to the Recaro Sportster's which are the seats are really wanted, but cheaper.

2wbt7qa.jpg


Although I didn't take any pictures, it was a challenge getting them mounted up. The Recaro's come with RX-8 rails "studded" to the seat frame instead of being bolted together. I had to drill out 20 studs between the 2 seats to separate the seat base from the seat sliders. Thanks Mazda!

Luckily once I had them separated, I found that the remaining holes would mount right onto a pair of aftermarket rails I had. Took a day of work, but I got them in!

14welq0.jpg


9gehk8.jpg




Unnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnfortunately, they sit higher than I would like. Main reason is because the bottom of the seat has a metal "bucket" under the seat bottom that dips down. So I had to use long tube spacers between the seat frame and rails, which effectively jacked them up higher than I liked. Plus the sliders were right under the butt dip.

So just tonight I got to looking at my stock seats rails, which I had originally dismissed using because of the electric motors and harnesses. But after a closer look, the sliders accomodate the stock seats butt dip, which should work perfect for the Recaro's. So this weekend I'll be trying to removed the stock rails without murdering them, just in case I need to use them again! Soon though I will start converting to a black interior.
 
First of all...You're the man! Thanks for the detailed responses, I really appreciate it! As for my Defi gauges, I believe they're the older ones so I would probably need new sensors etc. Those RX-8 seats look great in the Cosmo, definitely more hardcore and with a black interior, that should turn out really sharp and give the interior a nice modern touch as well. (thumb)

Now I'm awaiting your post on the conversion hopefully with juicy pics! :p
 
Thanks! I was actually able to figure out how to use the stock rails, it was relatively straight forward and I was able to have driver's seat drop about 1-2 inches from where I had it before. Here's a quick breakdown:

First step is to remove the 4 obvious bolts holding the rail to the seat. I didn't get pictures of them, but you can't really miss them. I got the front bolts out first, and then had to plug the seat back into the chassis harness to power the rails out of the way to get the rear 2 bolts. Once those are out, there's a motor bolted into a bracket that needs to come out.

15x8hlz.jpg


This is the motor that needs to go. It had 2 bolts that you can't miss, you can see the threaded part and the bracket it came out of in the picture. One bolt was easy, the other way a b****. Once the motor is out, free up the seat wiring harness and you should have a bare tail with the sliding motor still attached to it.

34fz1qv.jpg


Now here's a look at the Recaro's frame with the RX-8's studded rail drilled out. Plenty of options for mounting holes aye?

25sribs.jpg


But in true Cosmo fashion, things are never straight forward, the Cosmo rails are slightly narrower than the Recaro's. But no worries...

kcfhxd.jpg


Time to cut and drill! Luckily I had some of this bracketed steel from a previous DIY project. This is what I used on a few of the corners.

2mg40sn.jpg


Luckily, the Cosmo rail has one odd mounting point which is the L shaped bracket. It just so happened to be located perfectly where the Recaro's mounting hole for the bottom the seat. I lightly bolted down that point so I could mock up the other 3 points.

35c2wdh.jpg


Now the other 3 points are self explanatory. I used my bracketed steel to extend the mounting points from the rail to the seat. This is the rear left. (Rear right is looking at it from the bottom)

11gqek7.jpg


Front right.

2rzv1cn.jpg


Front left. After that I confirmed all four had good clearance and tightened them down.

16k2xk0.jpg


So that's the seat mounted then, but I want that power sliding function! This was a bit of a b**** also, but you'll have to fish the harness out from the back of the seat. Luckily the back access panel pops right off. There's 3 connectors in there, 2 for 2 motors on both sides of the seats, and 1 for the sliding function switch that's near the head rest, not sure if you S model guys have that switch. I actually had to de-pin that connector to make enough room to pull it out of it corner.

2egb4nk.jpg


And here's that's bastard harness out, I think the seat gave me tetanus....anyways. If you have that sliding switch I mentioned above, you'll need to leave that plugged in to complete the circuit for the harness or else the seat won't move! As you can see, I got a bit impatient removing it from the seat and that switch looks nasty now.....I tucked it under the seat lol.

13yjyix.jpg


But anyways, that's that pretty much! Plug the sliding connector back in, lightly thread your seat mounting bolts back in and check your seat orientation. I think my seat is slightly rotated too far to the left, but I will adjust that later. In the picture you can kind of see how the driver side is lower than the passenger side that isn't using Cosmo rails.

24cz3f4.jpg





So the plan is to eventually start going with black interior panels. For some reason though, I can never find a the top part of the dash in black. So I'm looking at doing black Alcantara wrap on the t op of the dash, the top of the door panels, and the top of the rear seats. So essentially that whole top interior "ring" would be in Alcantara and the rest the interior leather and cloth. Would look nice I think!
 
Another fantastic post! Very informative...You mentioned possibly going with Alcantara around the top interior "ring" which should look really nice...I've also played with the idea of using Alcantara but haven't made any moves yet...Please do keep this thread updated, I'm very interested in seeing how your interior upgrades come along...Some related questions though...

- Isn't Alcantara expensive? How much do you estimate it would cost for the material alone to wrap the top ring?

- Have you installed any aftermarket sound deadening / dampening like Dynamat? If so, how is it performing? If not, why not or do you plan to..?

- Any tips on reducing or removing rattles?

Thanks in advance!
 
I think Alcantara is a bit pricey, but I haven't made any measurements and priced it out yet. That's still a ways down the road.

Haven't installed any sound deadening, the car really isn't loud and obnoxious, so I don't plan on adding any sound deadening. I feel like I'm turning the car more into a sports car rather than the luxury GT car it was designed to be.

I don't have many rattles either. Only big one I have is that my short shifter rattles quite a bit in the higher RPM's. But as I'm manual, that won't effect too many other Cosmo guys.




Update time!

Long story short, I manged to get the stock Cosmo power sliding rails to fit the bottom of the Recaro's. The result is that they sit MUCH lower than before, and the power sliding function still works great! They're a hell of an upgrade over stock!



A couple of weeks ago, I got some time off work to visit Hiroshima with my wife, who coincidentally was up going there for work, haha. Luckily for me, Mazda HQ is based out of Hiroshima, so I just HAD to make sure I visited their museum!

When I landed in Hiroshima, I went to pick up the rental car I had reserved, a Toyota Crown X. After a good bit of waiting, and some confusion, it turned out the person I had to talked to booked my rental at the wrong airport. Fail! The Toyota guys were very nice, but all they had to offer at the time is a Toyota Wish....which is this thing:

dgoscn.jpg


Um yea, NO THANKS! Luckily in the lot I noticed a pretty little white Mazda Axela (Mazda 3 in the States) calling my name. So a quick little shuffle to next counter and I had myself a Mazda, in the city of Mazda. I'll take it!

What I didn't notice until I got into the car was that it was a hybrid, I didn't even know Mazda had any current hybrid's. So you can imagine my confusion when I tried starting the car and heard absolutely nothing. I must've "started" the car 3 or 4 times before I realized it was on, but only running on battery power. Once I got used to it's hybrid system, I actually enjoyed the car immensely. Mazda has done an amazing job on the interior, even though it was the middle of the range model. More than that, it was actually fun to drive. Yup, I had fun in a run of the mill hybrid! It was an eye opener for sure.

25qwsjm.jpg


So with my new found excellent MPG, I proceeded to drive all over Hiroshima. I hit up a few UpGarages:

20t1itk.jpg

2rr9hsi.jpg


Spotted a new 488:

29livdg.jpg


And a few AutoBacs, to include this SUPER Autobacs!

4pvc69.jpg


Inside, it had a little surprise for me I wasn't expecting. A whole section of R-Magic products, sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet.

eah8y9.jpg


k1ctc1.jpg


a08kn6.jpg


The next day was time for the Mazda museum and plant tour. Here's Mazda Headquarters!

2ihnonk.jpg


The lobby had a lot of eye candy.

2558bhz.jpg


18cj6w.jpg


Once the tour started, I made a bee line to everything rotary powered.

v4pglx.jpg


24kz3h3.jpg


24fem9e.jpg


This SA was pristine, check out the old school upholstery.

2q32p11.jpg


2qjyk3n.jpg


Pretty cool to see these 2 together.

2aeyr7n.jpg


15s5ugg.jpg


All the rotaries! Ofcourse I had to check out the series stamp on the 20B, lol.

23l00h5.jpg


a5hkyt.jpg


I kept wondering around and turned a corner and saw a legend. Seeing thing in person both gave me goosebumps and took my breath away.

2vvsxes.jpg


There was SO MUCH to look at on this car. I was the first one to walk up to it, and the last one to leave it. It's amazing in person.

rgw107.jpg


hrwz93.jpg


mh7fyu.jpg




I have loads more pictures, but that's the gist of it. I also got to see the production line, even though we weren't allowed to take pictures in there. I have new found respect for Mazda. Seeing the cars being made, the passion the employees had, even the cute girls working the lobby desk made my day! I was wearing a rotary shirt that day, and 2 different girls both said something along the lines of, "Oh you have a rotary shirt! Cool!".

Good job on knowing who you work for girls.




So anyways, after enjoying Hiroshima immensely, I made my way back to Okinawa, and back to work, boooooooooooooo.

During my trip though, I did manage to find a bangin' deal on a brand new Nardi, and after ordering a hub, I installed it just tonight and it feels sooooooo much better than the stock wheel, and compliment the seats big time!

wwnn9y.jpg





So yea, lengthy post, and lots of jabbering. I'll leave this as the parting piece for this update.

2dbrotc.jpg
 
Wow, that's one hell of an update man! Great pics of the Mazda Museum, I like how you framed everything...What camera did you use? I would like to revisit Mazda, I went there in 2009 with the Cosmo when times were pretty bleak for the company (and most of the world). Now that they are doing well, I'm sure the mood and presentation at Mazda HQ is A LOT more up beat!

Nice parting pic there BTW!!! Did you get featured on Speedhunters? The EC deserves a lot more attention than it gets and any coverage is a good thing...Congrats!
 
Back