So, I'm already thinking about my next project and I was thinking of another Mazda coupe, maybe a 73-77 Mazda 929, but I don't want another rotary, but at the same time I don't want a 4 cylinder car. I was thinking of something like a straight 6 conversion, but Mazda didn't make any straight sixes like Datsun's L series. The best I could think of is one of their V6 motors swapped from FWD to RWD with some kind of gearbox hobbled together.
Either that or I could swap in a Ford V8, since Ford and Mazda used to be in bed together...

Anyone got any thoughts or ideas? Basically it would be something like a 240Z, but non rotary and NA.

I would say a capella coupe, but trying to find one, and trying to find PARTS for one would make the project a nightmare......Trust me.....

A Series 1 RX7 would be my next logical choice, but it would have to be rotary powered......

Early 626 coupe......very sexy little cars.....

121.....plenty of room for a six or eight.....plus quirky styling to boot....

_________________
Rockin' the 7 in a street near you.....

can't go past 1300 coupe, funky, rare and light, a late motor conversion and you have piston rocket. too many get turned into rotaries (r100)

http://cp_www.tripod.com/rotary/images/pg17_01b.jpg
http://cp_www.tripod.com/rotary/images/pg17_02b.jpg

EDIT: removed image tags since pics not showing

I can't see your pictures, but I do have a FA3TS 2 door that I always wanted to put a 4AGE* into but at the time I couldn't weld and couldn't find anyone to make the mounts. Later I found out that a 4AGE literally bolts into an 808!



*later got peer group pressured into putting in a 12A.

2.5-litre KL-ZE out of the Mazda 626 would be a good option. However...

Why the reluctance to use a 4cyl? Mazda makes some bloody good engines...few that pop into my head are -

- NB MX5 1.8 and 6spd, already a rwd motor so easy to put in, plenty of aftermarket stuff

"The BP-4W engine remained at 1.8 L (110 cu in) but received several minor updates. The engine compression ratio was raised from 9.0:1 to 9.5:1 by adding slightly domed pistons; the intake cam was changed to a solid lifter design with a stronger cam; the intake runners in the head were straightened and the intake manifold was mounted higher up. Mazda's Variable Intake Control System was introduced, which effectively gave a long narrow intake manifold at low rpm for better swirl, changing to a short, free-flowing manifold at high rpm for maximum breathing. Power output of the new engine was quoted at 106 kW (142 bhp) with 116 ft·lbf (157 N·m) of torque."

- Mazda 3 2L, strong and reliable [lil sister has one]
2.0 L: 145 bhp (108 kW), 134 lbf·ft (182 N·m)

- Mazda 6 2.3L, parents have one, torque, smooth and sounds fucking rorty as
125kw from memory

- Mazda MPS3/6
2.3 L: DISI MZR: 260 bhp (190 kW), 280 lbf·ft (380 N·m)

Would LOVE to see any of those engines in a Series I - III RX7

_________________
[F3ARED] 76 Isuzu Gemini Coupe - forged G180z, EFI, 525hp Turbo, 6years and still building...

Daily 78 Isuzu Gemini Sedan, stock G161z, Rodeo EFI, 500hp roller, 157rwkw. Fun

Benn -

I've actually come across a few Capella coupes for under 5K, but yes, the prospect of buying parts for them scares me.

Bang on though about 121's.... Maybe one of those with a hot datsun six?

Geoff, I have a solution.

Every once in a while you let your mind wander and drift into dark places. I had completely forgot, and it was only some reminiscing about a car i fell-out-of-love with....the Holden-Isuzu Gemini that I once owned (Opel Kadett in Euroland). That led me to bring back memories of a favourite engine conversion.... The 2.6 Isuzu commerical motor swap.

Adapting this approach to a MAZDA is well worth considering. The bigger capacity 4cyls would be cheap and plentiful. You could probably pick up a smashed utility at the auctions for under a grand.

Hence my eureka moment this afternoon. The last late model 4 cyl ute i drove was actually quite fast. A Toyota hilux cab/chassis with 2.7 hi-torque motor. The engine code is 3RZ-FE (or just 3RZ for short).

For unbalanced views: http://www.performanceforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67187561

For pics: http://www.jdmenginezone.com/.../toyota/3rz_fe-95+.html

This is going to be my vote. This 3RZ thing in an RX7 would be very cool provided it would fit under the hood (and you may need to dry sump it because it looks tall). Failing that my next vote would be 626 coupe...of which I know where there are 4 of them now.

Now we are talking!! A 121 with a triple weber fed L28 would be awesome!! Or a 6 throttle body injected NA RB25......

_________________
Rockin' the 7 in a street near you.....

i still say (hope pics work this time)

This:


with This



the FE-DOHC is upto 170hp factrory (depends on the model).

short wheel base, simple 4 speed gearbox, light shell, 7K redline and you have a little rocket

They are hot wagons too

yah! someone else like me who doesn't instantly turn to the rotary engine!!

I don't have a picture unfortunately, but I built a series 1 Rx-7 with the supercharged V6 Miller cycle drivetrain from the Eunos 800 we got here, that thing flew! Nightmare job though!!!

_________________
Too many Mazda's in the collection. 4 Mitsubishi's, 6 Toyota's and now 3 Datsun's as well.
Putting together a Mazda/Japanese motor museum. New bigger venue for the museum has been bought, watch this space!

as I said earlier, here's one I made earlier:



except with 12A EP weber fed goodness...



a MX-5 transplant would need the gearbox, no 4spd bolts up to those motors.

I'm thinking something bigger though, like a 121 or a 929 coupe.

Or maybe even a crown coupe (hey aaron!) with a hot weber fed six

this car:


Belongs to a good friend of mine.

LOL, yeah, its nice (you can compliment your mate)

just because you build one doesn't mean you can't build another one

the motor i posted is not from Mx5 (mx5 is B6(1.6)/BP(1. and this one is FE-DOHC aka FE3 (2.0)), its from Jap and some euro 626/Telstar/Capella/Cargo also detuned version in KIA Sportage. very good motor (had it in my 626 and it was fun)

had 121 (CD) rx-5 shape, wonderful pimping car (mine had late MA with FE 929 Carb, some home made headers and mild cam... with close to 500K on the clock went well for a barge with 2.0 NA ). still love that car. if you can find one build it

there are are bunch of CDs running around with Ford 302 (i think states has a ready in a box kit for them). myself i would go with some mazda motor, the JE-ZE V6 from 929, just to keep it in the family.

the pain are the parts (rubbers especially), the 4 stud hubs with 120x4 pattern (which only 77-78 civic shares), horribly designed rear panel that rusts horribly, nightmare of electrics (until i changed some sections of wiring smell of melting plastic was very common)

Having said that, if i were to have time and space i would get one again for sure (and 1500/1800 and 1300...)

with 929 LAs its much easier, thanks to popularity of Rx4 you are looking at well oiled parts supply.

hell, if you want to be totally different.... introducing Carol 360:


though its 60s

I have a 808 coupe that although it has the rx3 bits on the outside is still the 1.3lt 4cyl 4speed man. you could buy that off me Maybe put a SR20 in it with the 4 throttles off a GTI-R and run either the 5 or 6 speed S15 or S14 box. Maybe they do twin webber kits too if you want old school, not sure.

_________________
Current old school Jap rides: 1974 Mazda 1300 4 door (in middle of rotary conversion), 1973 Mazda 808/RX3 coupe (still has piston motor but RX3 body bits, lights, nose cone etc).

Mmm, try keep it in the family dude - mazda body/chassis, mazda engine.



Which should be piss easy to find, and gives a you a choice between a 5spd and/or if you have the cash, the 6spd out of the later NB models. Pretty reasonably priced, compact and pretty strong.

Alot easier to find a gearbox then say using a later Mazda FWD engine...

Ever thought about doing it to a Mazda Cosmo cough i mean mid 80's Mazda 929 Coupe? Awesome 80's styling with the pop up lights, still RWD, pretty uncommon and theres a heap of JDM bits like badging etc to make it look old school as.

_________________
[F3ARED] 76 Isuzu Gemini Coupe - forged G180z, EFI, 525hp Turbo, 6years and still building...

Daily 78 Isuzu Gemini Sedan, stock G161z, Rodeo EFI, 500hp roller, 157rwkw. Fun

matsuda9 - there was a guy on ausrotary years and years ago that was going to put a turbo FE motor with a Kia box into an 808 wagon. I don't think he ever finished the car and he has since disappeared off ausrotary. It did tick all the right boxes though, gobs of power available, cheap etc.

with a 1300 though.... stay tuned.

there's also a kit to put a 302 in a 929 or RX-4. It's was pretty common down here in Melbourne. I've yet to see an RX-5 or a 121 with a V8, though I have seen two RX-5s converted to piston VC motors.

There's two things that annoy me a lot about Mazdas. 1 is the use of screw in wheel studs, such a shitty idea, and the second is the use of strange PCDs such as 4x110 and 4x120. Why Mazda, WHY!



Matsuda - where abouts in Melb are you? I've tried to buy an 808 off someone that was inspecting a house at the same time as me and still lives around my area. Unfortunately the Mazda TC-UC-D5 and VC-MA motors are a bit strange to modify due to the location of the water thermo housing, so yeah, something else bolted in like a SR20 gets a tick from me (though on ausrotary there was an 808 sedan with a B6 in it that looked great).

Throwing you a PM too.

F3ared - honestly, I hate those 80's Mazdas. A lot. They look woeful! If it hasn't got chrome bumpers then thats too new for me.

Mazda did make a few north-south V6s, namely the J-series engines which appeared in the Luces and Sentias of the '80s and '90s. However I expect them to be extremely thin on the ground anywhere outside of Japan, NZ and possibly Australia, and are nowhere near as compact in size as the K-series east-west engines. Variants were the JF (SOHC 18v 2.0), JFT (SOHC 18v 2.0 turbo), JE/JE-ZE (DOHC 24v 3.0), and J5-DE (DOHC 24v 2.5).

Peformance-wise only the JFT and the two JE engines are worth considering... the JFT had 145ps and 23.5kg-m, the JE had 200ps and 26.5kg-m, and the JE-ZE had 205ps and 27.7kg-m - all more than enough to propel you around with relative ease.

As for a coupe body, the RX-4 (Luce) would be just the right size I reckon.

_________________

im from down inner south east, 3204 area

WHY WOULD YOU TAKE 13B AND DROP VC IN THERE? FOR HEAVEN SAKES DROP IN FE. ggrrrr....

i have JFT in my Luce. its good, but if going NA and staying with NA the best option is JE DOHCm bump up compression and you running, the worst thing you will get is head lift.

the big problem with K family (even though they are designed very well and a bit smoother thanks to 60 degree angle). here in Oz they are expensive to buy and to look after. you will win with weight on them being all allow but loose stregth (JE is iron block)

at the end of teh day you have to look at what you want and were you want to push it.

easy. old mazda with FE(T)/DOHC(T) or 12A/13B
harder. V8, mazda V6

this was in a country wrecker, looked like they'd just done the old "rotary engine eh? we don't rebuild those, but we can convert it over to a 'normal' motor for you love..." swap that was common in the 80s. I've seen a few RX-3s running around with 808 motors over the years so its not surprising really.

aaron and I looked at an L28 motor on the weekend. God they are long. If this project ever gets off the ground, V6 or turbo'd four it will be.

No idea about those 80's 929s and what engines they came with in Aus. We got those horrid looking 929's with the pop up headlights in sedan and coupe form with a turbo four as an option I think. I don't know if we got the later 929's, I think we did. All of those big Mazdas from the 80's are pretty unloved down here, though a few people on ausrotary have converted them to rotary power or have had Cosmos/Luces privately imported.
I was thinking of something earlier, more in period with the bodyshell.

BMW engines = very exxy.

the 80s 929s are HBs, that had FE motors in them (Carb/EFI/Turbo)

would love to have a coupe with the Jap Cosmo front (non popup)

we had all 929s (Luces) there were in oz except the Rotarty Luce Coupe (aka r130)

i love my HC 88, one of the best cars of that size ive driven.... not loved they are that is true, but those who own them usually don't part with them easily.