VAUGHN & CO.
TOOLS. SYSTEMS. RESULTS.
THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL
COMPOUND
My first car, my longest-running project, and easily the most painful build I've ever taken on.
WHERE IT ALL STARTED:
I bought this RX-7 at 16 after saving everything I could from my first job. Not long after, the engine blew—and I found out the guy who sold it to me knew it was on its way out. I always promised myself I'd come back and build it properly. Years later, I bought a 20B to finally make that happen... and got screwed by that shop too. This build has fought me every step of the way, but I've never given up on finishing it.
20B FC RX7
STATUS:
STAGE 1
IN PROGRESS
TARGET
COMPLETION:
TBD
ENGINE:
PORTED 20B
THREE ROTOR
HORSEPOWER:
900+ WHP
PARTS & TOOLS USED
ENGINE
14 PARTS
TURBO SYSTEM
14 PARTS
INTERIOR
14 PARTS
EXTERIOR
14 PARTS
DRIVETRAIN
14 PARTS
TOOLS & GEAR
14 PARTS
COMPANIES BEHIND THE BUILD
The companies whose products I actually use on the builds.
STAGE 1
BUILD SPECS:
ENGINE:
STREET PORTED
20B THREE ROTOR
TRANSMISSION:
TBD
HORSEPOWER:
900+ WHP
DRIVETRAIN:
RWD
SUSPENSION:
TBD
FUELING:
TURBO:
TBD
TBD
WHEELS & TIRES:
TBD
BUILD ROADMAP
Follow the journey. Each stage is a major milestone in the build.
STAGE 1
THE
BLOW UP
STAGE 2
20B
NIGHTMARE
STAGE 3
THE
REDEMPTION
STAGE 4
VISUAL
OVERHAUL
STAGE 5
SEMA
READY
The original engine failed and my first car officially became my first real project.
​GOAL: Build it better
Bought the 20B to finally build the car I'd always wanted—and ended up starting over again.
​
GOAL: Build the dream
Build the 20B, finish the fabrication and finally get this car back on the road.
GOAL: Get it running
Paint, bodywork, wheels, interior and the full aesthetic transformation.
GOAL: Make it mine
Finish every last detail and finally bring the RX-7 I've dreamed about since I was 16 to SEMA.
GOAL: Finish what I started
0%
STAGE 1
CURRENT STATE:
Getting the 20B finished and finally get the car running.
0%
COMPLETE
Bought the Z06
Baseline Maintenance
Enjoy It Stock
Learned the Platform
Planned the Build
Fueling
Supercharger Porting
Camshaft
Supporting Mods
Tuning/Dyno
PROJECT SCORECARD
DIFFICULTY
COST
TIME
FRUSTRATION
SMILES/MILE
LESSONS LEARNED
BIGGEST WIN
NEVER LETTING IT GO
I bought this car at 16 and somehow held onto it through getting kicked out at 18, countless moves, losing shops, and everything life threw at me. No matter what, I never gave up on the dream I had for it.
BIGGEST REGRET
NOT DOING MORE MYSELF
I didn't have the skills or knowledge I have now, so I trusted people I thought knew better. This build taught me the hard way—if you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself.
BIGGEST TIME SAVER
DOING IT MYSELF
After being burned before, taking control of the build means I know exactly what's being done and how it's being done.
BIGGEST WASTE
TRUSTING THE WRONG SHOPS
I spent a lot of money trying to finally buy & build a 20B—and ended up having to start over because I trusted the wrong people with it.Too many lessons learned.
BEST MONEY SPENT
TO BE DETERMINED
After everything I've spent on this car over the years, I'm still waiting for something to earn this title. Hopefully that changes soon.
WHAT I LEARNED
DON'T GIVE UP
Some projects fight you every step of the way. This one has taken more time, money and patience than I ever imagined—but I'm still going to finish what I started.
ENTIRE BUILD SERIES ON YOUTUBE
Real builds. Real problems. Real solutions.
