Andy’s RX-7: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
At the outset of the pandemic, Andy Bui was forced to make a series of difficult changes. After getting laid off as a server, he wasn’t exactly flush. To complicate matters, he had something tugging at his heartstrings that would potentially clean him out completely. His elderly neighbor was then moving to Arkansas and needed to sell the third-generation RX-7 – a car Andy had eyed since he was six.
The price was appealing, and even better, his neighbor agreed to let Andy pay it off in installments. Andy’s reason took a backseat to his imagination that day, and so he made a pivotal decision that would serve him well over the following years.
Now in need of income to support his costly new toy, he took a job at Goodyear as a lube tech. While this helped him learn the basics of automotive maintenance, the other aim in taking a job in this field was to strengthen his wrenching skills, and here the ceiling was quite low. “I realized pretty fast that I wouldn’t be much of a mechanic if I stayed there, so I shot my shot with Sakebomb Garage and embellished my resume. They figured me out pretty fast, but they liked me enough to give me a chance,” he reminisced.
Travis from Sakebomb was eager to help him get a handle on the temperamental car he’d just purchased, and even instructed Andy to leave it at the shop when Travis spotted a major leak from the fuel pressure dampener. Under his guidance, Andy was able to put in his time and become a proficient mechanic in less than a year.
“The factory clear coat would peel whenever I put on painters tape for my track numbers. Eventually, DG Autobody painted it yellow in commemoration of Keisuke Takahashi,” he said.
Being in such a track-oriented environment, it was only a matter of time before Andy began running DEs in his FD. Rallycrosses and drift events followed, naturally. “Because I bought it cheap, I think of it as a cheap car that I want to squeeze every possible drop of enjoyment out of. I’m never going to buy another, so why not beat on it?”
This philosophy and the demands of track work quickly revealed the limitations of a thirty-year-old chassis, and so he worked out a clever deal with his boss: roughly half his pay would go back to the business in exchange for half of Sakebomb’s FD catalog.
The first round of modifications included a set of Sakebomb spec Ohlins, Sakebomb-spec Wilwoods, as well as their ignition kit. “There isn’t much aftermarket support here for FD chassis tuning because most owners just park them. Fortunately, Sakebomb makes their own kit which is fantastic. Sakebomb is an Ohlins shock partner, and they develop the mounting, the best valving numbers, and everything else to get the most from the shock. I bought their FP-spec coilovers in 14 and 12K rates, which have been perfect until recently, when I added aero and realized they were too soft.”
That buzz kept him going and helped justify his halved paychecks, but it wasn’t to last long. Shortly after the first round of modifications, the first motor started spewing oil everywhere and Andy forked up nearly five figures for a streetported motor done with a Garrett GT35R. He put 500 break-in miles on that new motor before he took it to the dyno, where he was educated on the uglier side of rotary ownership.
“We were running wastegate pressure while tuning it – about 10 pounds – and decided to take the next step: 18 pounds. It made 400 horsepower for about 2 seconds and then blew. A lot of guys there were supportive and helped me recognize that these things are part of the rotary experience.
Andy didn’t sit and stew. “I was so upset with myself that day, I ripped that whole thing up in two hours and shipped it straight to my engine builder,” he said.
Resilience and a few nicer pieces would get him back into the game quickly. After spending another chunk of money to rebuild the motor, he added a 3-port Mac valve and a 3-bar map sensor for better boost control. “Once I bought the new motor, I was so committed to getting the thing done I spent the whole night installing it. I don’t remember falling asleep, but I woke up on the shop floor the next morning,” he recalled.
This time, he played it safe. “I’ve dealt with over 100 rotaries at this point, and rotary guys usually get into trouble when they get greedy with power. I’ve stuck to wastegate pressure with this motor, and now I can overheat it, no problem. Some would want more than 320 at the wheels, but I’m happy with it – I can say this is the most reliable FD I’ve owned. I’m paranoid and leaving something on the table makes me happy.”
Overheating was limiting his run time, so he implemented a few updates to try and keep the motor cool. “I tried everything else first: a bigger stock SMIC, then ducting, and then devised a custom water sprayer with a customer’s used water-meth injection kit. I took Sakebomb’s water/meth tank that fits where the rear windshield washer fluid reservoir sits, and this sprays the intercooler, radiator, and oil cooler cores. It can spray a quart per minute on all the heat exchangers, so that two-gallon tank lasts about one session, which is about how long I can drive in 90°F ambient.
With the car running reliably, he now had the presence of mind to run full(ish) sessions and make a few chassis alterations. “The FD chassis is known to be flimsy, so I had TC Designs build me a half-cage. It’s basically a big brace, and it made the chassis much more responsive.”
Then came aero courtesy of Epsilon+. “In 2024, Sakebomb hired Adam Bao from Epsilon+ to collaborate on some aero parts for our customers. Adam mentioned he was interested in starting a racing program, so we worked out a deal: I’d wrench on his race cars and he would pay me in seat time. This was how I started endurance racing,” Andy recalled.
These long nights, the networking, and the dedication towards realizing a single goal haven’t existed in a vacuum; Andy’s ambition extends beyond his automotive aims. In the prior few years had helped ensure a better flow of income to support the development of his car. After graduating from San Jose State with a BS in Chemistry, he began his new career at a local startup.
Of course, any extra bread still goes to the car, but he’s now able to buy primo parts without as much anxiety as before. “Last time at Thunderhill, I took the car out in 107°F weather and the water sprayer didn’t do shit. That’s when I finally caved and ordered a Greddy V-mount intercooler. Before that, I just couldn’t justify the cost.”
The car is still in development, and may always be. Thankfully, he has a solid base of supporters and an intimate understanding of his well-loved but fragile car. He also has a company helping him make the most of his rolling test bed. “I’m currently testing a twin-cat setup from Sakebomb. It has cut 20 horsepower, but the boost response has improved; making it more driveable,” he reported.
Even if it’s finicky, the little Mazda remains a source of inspiration as he continues to advance in life. A horde of mechanical gremlins and only a few motors seem a small price to pay for a constant motivator — and a pretty one at that.
MODIFICATIONS
Sakebomb FPSpec Long-Stroke Ohlins
Sakebomb rear pillowball bushings
Sakebomb front Wilwood BBK
Sakebomb rear competition BBK
Sakebomb IGN1A ignition kit
Sakebomb water/meth tank
AEM water/meth injection kit
TC Design half-cage
Greddy V-mount intercooler
Koyo radiator
1999 front bumper
Epsilon+ GT wing
Apex’i Power FC ECU
Racetech RT-1000 seat
Garret GT35R turbo
Tial 44mm wastegate
Sakebomb twin-cat
Sakebomb master cylinder brace
Sakebomb stainless lines