This is the second time I have seen this car on Ebay. I guess the guy didn't
meet his reserve before? I have a rotary powered Series I (hopefully back on
the road soon after some recent reworking), and thought I might offer a little
advice for anyone considering bidding on this car.
In looking at the picture of the engine bay, it looks like the original Alpine
radiator is used. I did this too with fair results, but the engine struggled to
stay cool in the hot humid summers of New Jersey and the hot summers of
southern California. If I got caught in heavy traffic, I was always sweating
about overheating. I would suggest asking if he has had any over heating
problems. I am currently looking into having a custom radiator made. Anyone
know of a good radiator shop in the South Bay area of Los Angeles?
The other thing I noticed is the oil cooler is the second generation RX-7 type
that mounts under the oil filter. This does not seem to be the one of choice by
the Mazda enthusiasts. This again may contribute to a hot running engine as the
oil system plays a much greater role in the cooling system in the rotary than
in a piston engine. This can be easily changed and the standard radiator type
oil cooler fits nicely just in front of the radiator. Although this does
"preheat" some of the air passing through the radiator itself. Beware and buy a
used oil cooler. The prices I have seen for a new one are outrageous!
I would also inquire about the exhaust system. This is on the right side of the
engine and not shown in any of the pictures. This is an area of tight
clearance. Headers for the rotary are made out of very thick walled tubing
(1/8" I think) due to the higher exhaust temps the rotary puts out. I would
definitely ask what type of set-up is used on this car. I would think it would
be very difficult to fit the original "manifold" as it is a big bulky canister
shape and works as part of the emissions system. A company in Anaheim, CA
called Racing Beat makes a very nice header kit that you can use to weld your
own together. It's fairly cheap at about $80, but does require you to have
access to a welder or incur the cost of having someone cut, fit, and weld the
kit together for you.
Lastly, I would ask about the ignition system. Before 1980 a dual point
distributor was used on the 12A. From 1980 on an electronic ignition was used.
This is by far the better choice. Again, an easy replacement, but can be a bit
expensive.
Hope this helps anyone interested in this car. Just thought I would pass on
some tips I have learned from years of tinkering with mine.
Scott Rohr
Series I - rotary powered
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