If you're looking to change how your car looks, finding a 1987 mazda rx7 body kit is probably at the top of your to-do list. There's just something about the FC generation that pulls at the heartstrings of anyone who loves 80s car culture. It's got that wedge shape, those iconic pop-up headlights, and a rotary engine that screams like nothing else. But let's be honest—after nearly forty years on the road, some of these cars are looking a little "plain jane" or, worse, showing their age with cracked plastics and faded trim.
Adding a body kit isn't just about making the car look faster; it's about giving it a personality that matches your driving style. Whether you want something that looks like it belongs on a Japanese touge run or a full-blown drift missile that'll turn heads at the local meet, the options for the 1987 model are surprisingly diverse. Let's dive into what makes these kits worth the headache of installation and which styles might actually fit your vibe.
Why Bother With a Body Kit Anyway?
You might have some purists telling you to keep the stock lines because the FC is a "classic." And sure, a mint-condition 1987 RX7 looks great in its original form. But most of us aren't dealing with museum pieces. We're dealing with cars that have been driven, loved, and maybe bumped once or twice. A well-chosen 1987 mazda rx7 body kit can hide a lot of sins while completely transforming the silhouette of the car.
It's also about stance. The stock FC sits a bit high and looks a little narrow by modern standards. When you throw on a kit—even a subtle one—you're effectively lowering the visual center of gravity. It makes the car look planted. Plus, if you've upgraded your wheels and tires, you probably need a bit more flare in the fenders to keep everything tucked in nicely.
The Different Styles You'll Run Into
When you start browsing for a 1987 mazda rx7 body kit, you'll quickly realize there are three or four main "schools of thought." You can't just mix and match these easily, so it's good to have a plan before you start clicking "add to cart."
The Drift Look (BN Sports Style)
If you've ever watched old-school D1GP videos from the early 2000s, you know this look. It's all about being loud, low, and aggressive. These kits usually feature massive front bumpers with huge air intakes, deep side skirts that sit inches off the ground, and rear bumpers that flare out to meet the exhaust tips.
The "BN Sports" style is probably the most famous for the FC. It makes the car look like a brick in the best way possible. It's chunky, it's unapologetic, and it looks incredible when the car is sideways. Just a fair warning: if your car is actually low, you're going to be scraping these fiberglass bits on every driveway in town. It's just part of the lifestyle.
The Sleek Touge Runner (RE Amemiya Style)
RE Amemiya is basically the godfather of RX7 tuning. Their kits tend to be a bit more functional and "flowy." Instead of the boxy edges of a drift kit, you get smoother curves that aim to improve aerodynamics. For a 1987 model, this usually involves a cleaner front lip, maybe some vented fenders, and a specialized spoiler.
This style is perfect if you want your RX7 to look like a refined street machine rather than a track-only beast. It respects the original lines of the car while sharpening everything up. It's the kind of look that says, "I care about lap times, but I also want to take this to a nice dinner."
The Widebody Craze
Lately, everyone seems to want to go wide. Brands like Pandem or various custom shops offer widebody conversions that involve cutting your original fenders and riveting on huge flares. It's a polarizing look—some people hate the "exposed bolt" aesthetic, while others think it's the coolest thing since sliced bread.
A widebody 1987 mazda rx7 body kit allows you to run incredibly wide wheels, which changes the handling characteristics and gives the car a massive presence. It's a commitment, though. Once you cut those metal quarter panels, there's no going back to stock.
Material Matters: What Are You Buying?
This is where things get a bit technical, but hang in there. Most body kits you find online will be made of one of two things: FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) or Polyurethane.
Fiberglass (FRP) is the most common. It's lightweight, relatively cheap to produce, and very easy to repair. If you crack a fiberglass bumper, you can patch it up with some resin and matting. The downside? It's brittle. If you hit a curb or a rogue squirrel, it's going to snap. Also, the fitment on cheap fiberglass kits can be a total nightmare. You'll likely spend hours sanding and trimming just to get the gaps to look halfway decent.
Polyurethane is like the holy grail for daily drivers. It's flexible. You can literally bend a polyurethane lip, and it'll pop back into shape. It handles speed bumps and driveway inclines like a champ. The catch is that it's heavier, more expensive, and harder to paint because the paint needs a special flex agent so it doesn't flake off when the plastic bends.
The Reality of Fitment and Installation
I really want to emphasize this: rarely does a body kit fit perfectly right out of the box. Even if the website says "OEM fitment," take that with a grain of salt. Manufacturing tolerances for a car made in 1987 weren't the same as they are today, and fiberglass molds degrade over time.
When your 1987 mazda rx7 body kit arrives, the first thing you should do is a "dry fit." Don't paint anything yet. Bolt it up—or tape it up—to see where the gaps are. You'll probably find that the bumper hits the headlights weirdly or the side skirts are half an inch too long. This is normal. A good body shop will spend a few days just prepping the kit before a single drop of paint touches it. If you're doing it yourself, be prepared to get dusty with a sander and a lot of patience.
Completing the Look
Buying the kit is just phase one. If you put a full widebody or aggressive aero kit on a car with stock wheels and stock ride height, it's going to look well, kind of goofy. It'll look like the car is wearing a suit that's three sizes too big.
To really pull off a 1987 mazda rx7 body kit, you need to consider the "supporting mods." Coilovers are a must to get the car sitting at the right height relative to the new body lines. Then there are the wheels. You'll likely need lower offsets or even spacers to bring the wheels out to the edge of the new fenders.
And don't forget the small details! Clear corner lights, a nice set of mirrors (maybe some Ganadors if you're feeling spendy), and a decent exhaust tip that actually fills out the cutout in the new rear bumper. It's these little things that make the car look like a cohesive build rather than just a collection of parts.
Final Thoughts
Building an FC is a labor of love. It's a temperamental car with a weird engine and a cooling system that's always one bad day away from a meltdown, but man, is it rewarding. Finding the right 1987 mazda rx7 body kit is a big part of that journey. It's how you take a piece of 80s history and make it yours.
Whether you go for a subtle lip kit or a wild, wide-arched monster, just make sure you enjoy the process. There's nothing quite like the feeling of pulling your car out of the garage after the paint has dried and seeing those new lines for the first time. It makes all the sanding, the expensive shipping costs, and the scraped knuckles totally worth it. Just watch out for those speed bumps, okay?