Thread: Hi, does anyone know of any Mazda Rotary engined Hot Rods??

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Hi, im new here and from the UK. Im wondering if anyone knows of any Mazda VVankel Rotary engined Hot Rods?? any pictures? or details?

This is a hot rod site! Not a fast and the furious car site!

I had a Mazda rotery pickup once. It had a Holly carb and headers and ran like stink. But it spent most of it's time parked next to a gas pump.

I can not recall seeing or reading about a rotary powered hot rod. Certainly an interesting concept. If you have a hankering to build one get at it. We are waiting to see the pictures.

The build cost wouldn't too much but, there anoying 2 strokes ( basicly ) , ineficent and I'v never seen anything Mazda rotary powered other than an RX7 or RX8.

Matt,

Time for school. For their size, they are very efficient. But even better than that, they are smooth. Rotories can come in one to four rotors (race engines) and Mazda won a 24 of LeMans race with this style engine a few years back.

In the early '70's, just about every car sold by Mazda had a rotory in it, including it's pick-up truck. The problem with this engine is that they are not emissions friendly. The best part about these engines, is the few amount of moving parts. It makes these engine almost bullet proof. The only real wear item are the seals.

Baron, most of the cars sold in this country weigh a lot more than what most european cars do. For the simplicity of the rotory, they are better suited to light weight cars, not larger american cars. Even using the twin turbo 255 HP unit out of the 3rd generation RX-7 wouldn't be enough to pull around a 3500 lb car like a big inch V-8.

Now having said that, I've seen Miatas, bugeye (frogeye) Sprites, and few Triumph Spitfires with rotory transplants. Grassroots Motorsports built a rotory powered Spitfire a few years ago that done very well. Here it is.

Swiftster, I hate to argue with you(again), but the rotory has issues. As for as simplicity goes, the rotory is truely for lightweight cars. But their by no means bulletproof. Seems to me that the points on the rotors like to grind off causing poor compression and smoking. As such, their almost useless by 100K. Otherwise, mazda would be Still putting them in its entire product line. As for the wankel powered hot-rods, wouldnt it work to place a rotory in something like a spirit, a mustang, a escort or something else lightweight? Just to be different

Gas mileage on a rotory is poor, and this more than anything else keeps Mazda using this engine in anything but a power ride. I've never heard anything about the rotor tips being worn out, but again, the seals get brittle, leak, and cause lower compression and smoking.

As for transplanting this engine, they've never been used in a FWD application. Without a trans or bellhousing to bolt up to it, a lot of time would be involved in just getting the engine attached to the trans and making sure the axles fit side-to-side.

As for using the Mazda rotory in a Mustang-sized car or similar, it would definitely be different, but with the limited displacement the street engines have, it would make big power without turbos.

Now if you have an older Pinto or Vega (which was originally designed to use a rotory), it would be a dramatic increase over the stock engines. The engine is great for extremely small engine compartments.

Until the fuel crisis of the early '70's, GM had been looking into rotory technology in small and midsize cars. Because fuel economy became an issue, the rotory was shelved in everything (including mainstream Mazdas) but the RX-7.

Perhaps on a reverse of the situation, we are seeing a lot of LS1 aluminum V8s in RX-7s. Weight comes in very similar so they handle well and are wicked fast.

Pat

Originally posted by broncowheels
This is a hot rod site! Not a fast and the furious car site!

Sorry to utter such blasphemies on your forum, i know that you Americans are rather fond of your home grown V8s... i just wondered if anyone in Hot Rod land had dared to be a bit different... if anyone has they must be hiding in shame.
I like Rods a lot, especially the 'American Graffiti' 32 Ford (and similar) look. The chances of me building one at the moment are not good.. young family and all that, its a dream of mine though... maybe one day.
A car like that cant be very heavy, well not until you fit the 454ci V8 anyway The 3 rotor 300bhp engine from the Mazda Cosmo would haul it about without any problem.
I only got to thinking about a Rotary Rod because i ride a Norton Rotary motorcycle. You have to admit, it would stand out as being a bit individualistic.
So! whos going to beat me to it then?

Well, you also have to look at the visual stuff. Would you rather have someone ohhhh and ahhhhh over a V-8 covered in chrome accessories or a rotory?

Of course, one way to look at it is that in a light car like a "T" track car, that rotory will move it down the road as good as a flathead. But it's hard to be nastalgic over "HMMMMMMM".

Originally posted by drg84
Swiftster, I hate to argue with you(again), but the rotory has issues. As for as simplicity goes, the rotory is truely for lightweight cars. But their by no means bulletproof. Seems to me that the points on the rotors like to grind off causing poor compression and smoking. As such, their almost useless by 100K. Otherwise, mazda would be Still putting them in its entire product line. As for the wankel powered hot-rods, wouldnt it work to place a rotory in something like a spirit, a mustang, a escort or something else lightweight? Just to be different

The tips of the rotors have seals. You have to overhaul the engine to replace the seals. This isn't any worse than putting rings in a V-8. Mazda couldn't put rotories in all their cars because the fuel mileage is horrible. Remember, we are in the age of corporate fuel economy. It's a lot easier to sell 25,000 RX-8's with poor mileage when you can offset this with 600,000 6's, 3's and Miatas. The best endourace test I can think of is 24 hours of hard racing. It passed that test. I don't think these engines are any worse than any other engine design.

I agree, putting a rotory in a lightweight car would be different and significantly cut weight compared to a V-8. The AMC Pacer was another car that was originally designed for a rotory. The only problem is that we don't get 3 rotor Cosmo engines. We get two rotor engines with less than 200 HP. While porting the rotors can make significantly more power, it still won't hold up to an LS1 Camaro or a blown 4.6L Mustang. Check out the pictures of the Spitfire I included earlier. It's a nice car, but it only weighs 1500 Lbs.

Originally posted by Swifster
Well, you also have to look at the visual stuff
and It's hard to be nostalgic over "HMMMMMMM".

I must admit, the rotary engine is a strange looking thing but with a freeflowing exhaust they sound fantastic, judge for yourself...

Click here for Norton 588cc Rotary mp3

Originally posted by Swifster
The only problem is that we don't get 3 rotor Cosmo engines.

Abel Ibarra and Flaco Racing, California managed to get hold of one. They have done a 6.79 sec standing start ¼ mile with it at 204mph, not bad for a triple rotor 1962cc (120ci) engine.
6.79 Seconds at 204 mph !!!
http://www.nhrasportcompact.com/2004.../A_Ibarra.html
**Link added by edit AFTER Road Agents posting below**
They reckon its good for a 6.20 and then they will think about building a 160ci four rotor to get into the 5 second bracket!

i'll admit I have thought about it, and i like the idea because you never see anything like that

There's a guy on Volksrods.com that has a 2 lobe roatry in his hot rod beetle. The install isn't the cleanest thing in the world, but by all accounts it screams! Haven't heard anything about it recently, been wondering myself what he's doing with it.

Something I had been hoping for but the EPA shot it down was the original version of the RX8 to hit US shores. The J-spec version is a dream to drive & the power will make ya pucker up! Loads of power from a rotary engine, cleaner burning, more efficinet, it's a great engine! But thanks to the weenies in DC, our US enviro-freindly version is weak.

A rotary would be good in something light & small like a t-bucket. Could be scary fun as well. I remeber driving my dads RX-7 (once & only once) that things was an awesome lil car. He took me out once & we goot rubber in 5 out of 6 gears & we're doin over 120 before we got 6th.
Drop that RX7 drive train in a T & see whatya get, somethin scary fast I'll bet.