486 whp @ 20 psi
11.46 @ 119 mph
This is a story of triumph in the face of tragedy; a story of steadfastness in the face of uncertainty. It's a nightmare. It's the story of Dan Schecht and the lengths he has gone in the pursuit of rotary power.
The Plano, Texas resident was living large in 1999. He purchased a red 1993 Mazda RX-7 already equipped with an exhaust system, high-flow intake and downpipe. For more than a year, Schecht made all the right moves to make the Mazda a star on the street. Schecht says during this time he became friends with the crew at Rotary Performance in Garland, Texas. As a result, he and his 7 started tagging along to some of the local drag race events.
Not content with watching from the sidelines, Schecht was soon in the thick of it, blasting a 12.55 at his very first event. The date was April 8, 2001 and at this point, the car laid down 292 whp through its stock twin-turbo set-up. Eventually, the RX-7 improved to 11.94 seconds.
On August 21, it all came tumbling down. At 3 a.m., a friend who borrowed the car without permission went "demolition derby" with an Infiniti J30 while showing the car off to a girlfriend.
The Mazda was scrap and Schecht had to do the Texas two-step with the insurance company to get a proper settlement. When it was all said and done, he got a check and was able to scavenge the useful parts off the battered Mazda. The search for a suitable replacement led to familiar territory-Rotary Performance.
The black car was a '93 that Rotary Performance had lying around the shop-all around the shop. The car was pristine, but the previous owner had taken it completely apart and was unable to re-assemble it. Was this Humpty Dumpty on wheels? Schecht didn't think so and a deal was struck. A month later, Schecht had parts from the red car assimilated into the black car and was at the track dropping the hammer on his creation, which we've dubbed the "Jigsaw 7." Since that first pass, Humpty has been on the fast track, big time. Try 486 whp and an 11.46-second, 119-mph timeslip and Schecht says there's more in the tank.
What got this daily driver in the mid-11s? Power generation comes from the expected source-a 13B-REW. Rotary Performance machined the rotors at the intake and exhaust ports and added 3mm racing apex seals to ensure the engine would ingest its 20 psi max boost without popping.
Pressure is generated by a single-turbo conversion featuring a GReddy T78. Pressure relief is handled by a GReddy Type R wastegate tag-teamed with a PRofec B controller to keep boost in check while a Type R blow-off valve prevents compressor surge in the intake tract. Completing the turbo system is an A'pexi front-mount chiller that adds density to the charge air.
A Rotary Performance high-flow fuel pump and an SX adjustable regulator provide fuel for the fire. The system consists of 850cc leading edge injectors and 1600cc units on the trailing side. A Jacobs Electronics Rotary Pro Pack ignition box generates spark energy to the high-revving 13B.
Since Wankels demand precision tuning, Schecht wired in a Haltech E6K engine management system and Rotary Performance's Chris Ott programmed the ignition and fuel events to a razor's edge. On the dyno, the 13B realized 486 hp and 359 lb-ft of torque; that's 373.8 hp per liter.
The stock gearbox has been prepped for power with a Bonez six-puck metal racing clutch while transitions between the gears have been enhanced with a Mazdaspeed short-throw shifter and linkage. Out back, the rear end has been fortified with a Kaaz limited-slip differential and the stock axles have been swapped in favor of chrome-moly units.
The suspension is simple and straightforward, consisting of five-position adjustable Tokico Illumina shocks, Eibach Pro Springs and a Cusco front strut tower brace. With 486 ponies chomping at the bit, Schecht knew deceleration needed some "horsepower" of its own. To this end, a complete Power Stop brake system was bolted on. The Power Stop set-up uses drilled rotors and heavy-duty four-piston calipers in front and two-piston calipers in the rear with stainless-steel brake lines and Bonez pads all around. For rolling stock, Schecht ordered up a set of Kfnig Villan wheels of the 17-inch variety and Yokohama A520 rubber.
Since he knew the Mazda would see the strip and 11-second e.t.s, Schecht called on ET Automotive of Garland to fabricate a five-point roll cage from chrome-moly to pass tech. The rest of the interior is a combination comfort and performance. Sparco bucket seats cover both comfort and performance, while a gaggle of GReddy gauges and four-point Sparco harness are strictly performance. For riding comfort, there's a Clarion-based audio system that has to be really loud to overcome the rumble of a ported 13B with an 8000-rpm redline.
Just as the jigsaw portion of the buildup was completed piece by piece, the evolution of the RX-7s performance will be one step at a time. Schecht's personal best of 11.46 seconds came at the 2002 World Import Challenge drag race and Ott tells us the Jigsaw 7 has more to offer. We aren't sure how you top the combination of 11.46-second tenacity and daily driver tranquility, but we wish Schecht and Rotary Performance the best of luck.