Insert Han Reference Here: The Veilside Fortune RX-7
As you glance through photos of this absurdly transformed FD3S, snippets of Tokyo Drift scenes will likely flash in your head. While that makes for a good memory and is probably the reason why you know of this particular car, you notice something a bit different; Why isn’t this car in orange and black like the one in the movie? That’s because much unlike the predictable choice of scheme for a car like this, this particular Veilside RX-7 goes beyond the mere aesthetics of the kit: It literally has the whole shebang.
That’s right, what you see here is a pure catalog build from Veilside. Instead of simply purchasing the Fortune kit, painting it orange and calling it a day, this FD completes the whole catalog down to the tee. Its yellow hue with contrasting black panels does justice to the new lines given to the RX-7, and if you’ve done enough research you will know that one of the original colors the Veilside Fortune RX-7 debuted with was Yellow – making this example more faithful to the Veilside demo car itself than its more famous iteration from Fast and Furious.
Of course, the one true talking point of the Veilside Fortune kit is its complete alteration of the standard FD3S body. Everything from the front bumper, lights, bonnet, fenders, all the way down the back to the hatch, wing, and bumper have been completely changed – leaving nothing of the stock lines left. The only telltale sign of the base car being an RX-7 would be its roofline.
Being lucky enough to be able to compare several different versions of the RX-7 all the way from stock to an example such as this, I would be in the best position to say that the Veilside FD may take a little getting used to when driving it around town. Looking at it is pretty and all, but maneuvering it into place becomes a daunting task considering there’s a big split in the new backglass. Not to mention the mirrors aren’t big enough to see out of: The wider rear fenders take up much of what you’ll see. Considering this car isn’t ours to ruin, we’ve taken the greatest care to position it in place for these photos.
The wheel selection was also something off the catalog: 19-inch SSR Professor VF1s complete with the Rotora Big Brake Kit peeking behind the spokes front and rear. Thanks to the much larger fenders, the 19-inch wheels take care of filling the larger wells to compensate. The Rotora BBK does its fair share of work stopping the heavy widebody, but with a rear setup also installed the standard handbrake had to be done away in favor of a hydro e-brake setup.
Digging deeper into the catalog, the interior also gets changes by way of Veilside seats as well as a Trust G-Rex shift knob bearing the Veilside shifter label. The rest of the interior was cleaned up and properly converted to US-Spec left hand drive for good measure.
Work into this particular seven goes deeper than the clearly extensive bodywork. As far as the engine’s concerned, you’d be sure to expect a healthy number pushing out of the 13B – 437 Whp to be exact. The Veilside FD gets to this figure thanks to a host of changes in the motor, chief among which being an HKS T04Z Turbine and a reinforced motor controlled by an Adaptronic standalone ECU. To further aid response, a V-mount intercooler arrangement helps keep all cores cooled to a tee at speed. On the transmission end, a twin-puck OS Giken clutch helps send the power to the rear wheels – albeit at the cost of your left foot. A Kaaz 2-way LSD on factory 4.1 final gearing sits at the back to provide sharper cornering characteristics as well.
Considering just how iconic the Veilside Fortune RX-7 has become, it may be somewhat easy to dismiss just how much exactly goes into making the vehicle a truly well rounded machine with this kit fitted. And while there are indeed other Veilside RX-7s around town, this is arguably the best well-rounded example we have in the country.
Words by Aurick Go
Photos by Jaime Miguel Echavez, Jose Altoveros
