V12 Swapped 'Pistachio RX7'

How do you trigger both Mercedes and Mazda purists at once? This. This is how you do it, and we think it's awesome.

Tuning and wiring specialist Adam Peeling of Smart EFI (who we've spoken to previously at Pikes Peak) gives us a rundown on this build and his involvement.

Originally a 1993 FD3S but looking far from stock these days a Mercedes M120 6L V12 with custom rods, pistons, cams, valve train, 5-stage dry sump, ported heads and more is the new heart of the Pistachio RX7, which was previously swapped with one of those tiny wee V8 numbers too as well as having a pretty serious turbocharged rotary build via someone else's hands in the 90's (think OG Fast and Furious, but without the 18-speed Roadranger movie gearbox special).

The cable-driven Hi-Boost individual throttle body (ITB) equipped M120 is running 11.8:1 compression, a 1.96 rod-to-stroke ratio to match the 9,000rpm or so limit the team is gunning for 850hp to 1000hp using ethanol-based fuel to gain the upper hand over AMG's 720hp Pagani Zonda M120 offering/s (they had a few versions). The variable cam timing has also been removed and as Adam helps explain the use of an HGT Precision 6-speed sequential customisable ratios the car is setup to stay in 'the sweet spot'.

A distinct Live To Offend (LTO/Kyza) body kit wraps the shell which also contains a Haltech NEXUS R5 'Swiss army ECU' that has a ton of onboard features, including a 16-channel PDM. There are enough outputs to power this build, but the use of Kaizen relays is an easy addition if that changes in future.

Adam also runs us through some of the wiring work including how to work some magic when it comes to booting connectors that are not designed for it in order to fully seal the concentrically twisted harness along with some explanation on the use of 'Milspec' connectors vs the likes of Souriau offerings or the Autosport line from TE Connectivity.

While this is a build you could say is somewhat typical of SEMA when it comes to the fact it is not yet running, we think the historical achievements of Gooichi Motors and the team they surround themselves with ensure that this won't disappoint when it's time to put those Toyo tyres to the test. No pressure guys.

You can find Adam & Smart EFI here: https://www.facebook.com/SmartEFI/
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TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Pistachio FD RX7
0:12 - WB Adam
0:19 - Pagani Zonda V12?
1:32 - 720HP AMG Vs Pagani V12
2:16 - 320HP Mercedes V12 Version
2:48 - Why A Mercedes V12?
3:30 - Andre Is A V12 Fan
3:56 - Haltech R5
4:45 - Not All ECU's Support V10's & V12's
5:10 - Wasted Spark Vs Direct Fire
5:50 - 9,000RPM Redline Goal
6:15 - Why Variable Valve Timing Delete
7:26 - HGT 6-Speed Sequential
7:59 - Cable Throttle & Throttle Bodies
9:14 - PDM Outputs
10:25 - Motorsport Wiring Harness
11:01 - Milspec Vs Autosport
12:50 - Wire Gauge & Branching
14:20 - Sealing & Booting Wiring
15:39 - Wiring Strain Relief
16:22 - Gooichi Motors V12 Engine Packages
17:06 - Smart EFI - Adam Peeling
17:29 - Free Motorsport Wiring Into Lesson
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