Showing posts with label 13B. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 13B. Show all posts

Monday, September 23, 2019

Join The Rotary Club: 1988 Mazda RX-7 Convertible

The second generation Mazda RX-7 was known as the FC and over 270,000 examples were built in Japan from 1985-1991 for worldwide consumption.  The FC was, of course, powered by a Wankel rotary engine and featured the athletic reflexes matched by few cars in the 1980s. If you can live the eccentricities of the odd spinning thing under the hood, these cars are sublime to drive.  Find this 1988 Mazda RX-7 offered for $2,500 in Burien, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.


Monday, September 9, 2019

The Juice is Luce: 1976 Mazda RX-4

This next car comes as a tip from JB1025 who writes: Just don't see many of these from the mid 70's too bad for the automatic but owner has a 5 speed to go for extra green $$$$$. Personally, I think it is funny how much these look like the similar vintage Isuzu I-Mark. Find this 1976 Mazda RX-4 offered for $10,000 in Portland, OR via craigslist.


Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Blown Rotary Swapped: 1981 Toyota Starlet

The Toyota Starlet KP61 generation was the first and only Starlet sold in the US Market and in 1985 it was replaced by the Toyota Corolla FX-16. Unfortunately, the FX-16 that replaced it was a front drive un-fun box, but the Starlet was setup with proper rear wheel drive...not that you could tell with the 3 squirrels under the hood provided by the stock K-series engine.  Thankfully, many of the remaining Starlets you'll find have been properly upgraded with something that leaves dark streaks on the road and your underwear with equal aplomb.  Find this 1981 Toyota Starlet with 13B power offered for $13000 in New York, NY via craigslist. Tip from Art C.


Wednesday, October 17, 2018

I Said Eunos, Not Eunuch: 1991 Mazda Eunos Cosmo

Over here on "this" side of the Pacific Ocean, it is easy to associate the Wankel rotary engine with Mazda's sweet RX-7 sports coupe...but over in the land of the rising sun, there were a few other cars that got the spinning apex seal roaster, like the Eunos. Find this 1991 Mazda Eunos Cosmo offered for $11,000 in Bonney Lake, WA via craigslist. Tip from JB1025. 


Friday, November 3, 2017

Trifecta of Weird: 1973 Mazda RX-2

You know what is my favorite combination of attributes for a classic car?  Fast, loud, & rusty?  Nope.  Close, but no.  My favorite is rarely scene (rare and rarely scene aren't the same thing...), common parts, and reasonable price.  This next car hits those points because -- when was the last time you saw an RX-2 on the road, 13B rotaries are scattered around like pieces of an exploded flywheel, and the asking price, albeit high, isn't classic 911 high.  Find this 1973 Mazda RX-2 offered for $13,500 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!


Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Language!: Bad @$$ Mazda Powered GT-40 Kit Car

I've been really blessed in my life, so I try really hard not to make fun of others who maybe haven't been.  But sometimes a tipper sends something in that presents so much gold that it makes it really hard.  Find this "Bad @$$ little kit Car custom GT-40 w/mazda RX-7" for sale in Vancouver, WA for $6,500 via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!



Saturday, January 21, 2017

Rotary Powered: 1969 Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle

Remember when Mazda purchased the rights to build the Volkswagen Beetle and started shoving 13B rotary engines into version that were setup from the factory as Baja racers, and then Donald Trump was sworn in as president. Wait...that stuff didn't happen?  It was just a dream.  But you were there...and you...and you... Find this 1969 Volkswagen Type 1 Beetle offered for $6,000 in Inland Empire Los Angeles Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Rock On!


Sunday, July 3, 2016

Wankel ‘Stang: 1977 Toyota Celica Liftback with 13b Swap

By Matt -- Forgive me for making assumptions here but you, me, and all of our friends are priced out of the original Mazda Cosmo, Skyline GT-R, and Toyota 2000GT, among many other things. Most of us would have to switch to Ramen diets to even afford an RX-3 or 240Z that isn’t made of nightmares. So what vintage Rising Sun tin is left for the rest of us which slots below the Barrett Jackson-san but with more GT prestige than say, a B210 Honeybee? Behold, this RA29 Toyota Celica Liftback with Watanabe RS8’s and a 13b swap on Charleston, SC craigslist for $6,000.


Monday, March 28, 2016

13B Rotary Swapped: 1972 Datsun 510


The original Datsun 510 Bluebird was sold in the US market from 1968 through 1973 on a well engineered compact unibody platform that used MacPherson strut suspension up from and semi-trailing arms out back.  Power came from a SOHC 4-banger that was basically Nissan's 240Z engine with two cylinders lopped off, but today's 510 is powered by one of those spinning cam-less/piston-less freaks of nature from Mazda.  Find this 1972 Datsun 510 with Mazda 13B offered for $12,000 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.


Thursday, December 17, 2015

Relatively eXpensive: 1976 Mazda RX-5 Cosmo

The Mazda RX-5 Cosmo was a Wankel powered competitor in the luxury coupe market, available in North America from 1976 through 1978.  It was available in a funky opera window equipped notchback (blech) but today's example is the sexy fastback version equipped with minilite style wheels.  Find this 1976 Mazda RX-5 Cosmo offered for $10,500 near Los Angeles, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Where's My Torque? 1992 Porsche 968 Convertible, 13B Rotary Swap

The Porsche 968 was the swan song for Porsche's attempt at replacing the 911 with a font engined 2+2, and arguably the best looking of the 924/944/928/968 group.  The elegant design is attributed to Dutch born Harm Lagaay who also designed the BMW Z1, Ford Scorpion/Sierra, Porsche 924, Boxster, Cayenne, 996, & Carrera GT (but he was not, as it might seem, the inspiration for Ferrari's latest hypercar name.) However, for some strange reason, the folks at Porsche decided it needed a huge inline-4 mated to a transaxle, when what it needed was some pizzazz under the hood, something like a straight-8, or a turbocharged 2-stroke...or perhaps even a rotary engine would have given the 968 the wow factor it lacked.  Find this 1992 Porsche 968 convertible with 13B rotary swap here on eBay currently bidding for $1,825 reserve-not-met with $7,500 buy-it-now, located in Edmonds, WA.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

13Buzz Power: 1970 Porsche 914

There has been a deluge of keg powered cars around here, so I figure why not continue that flood by posting a 13B powered Porsche 914.  Not only does this car have a spinning rotor (or two) tucked behind the driver, but it wears an outlandish body kit that makes it look like a red Batmobile.  Find this 1970 Porsche 914 offered for $14,500 in Franklin, NC via craigslist.  Tip from PB.


Monday, March 23, 2015

10k: 13B Turbo Powered: 1979 Toyota Corolla

Another day, another Toyota Corolla...?  In truth the liftback Corolla from yesterday was featured because it was cheap and original, but this next one is anything but.  It features a turbocharged 485 horsepower Mazda 13B rotary engine and some seriously wide wheels out back in what is certainly not a grandpa car.  Find this 1979 Toyota Corolla with 13B rotary power here on eBay currently bidding for $10,100 with 1 day to go, located in Cohutta, GA.


Monday, February 24, 2014

5k: Streetported Killerbee: 1980 Mazda 626 Coupe 13B Powered

The 2nd generation Mazda Capella was known outside Japan as the Mazda 626 and featured classic front-engine rear-drive setup and a few basic 4-cylinder powerplant options. Of course the best versions where saved for the Japanese domestic market and here in North America we only got a smog-choked 80 horsepower from 2-liters, but the owner of this one tossed that lump on the scrap heap and fired up the sound of ten thousand killer bees.  Find this 1980 Mazda 626 Coupe 13B Powered for sale in Kansas City, KS (just where is Waldo anyway?) for $4,000 via craigslist.  Tip from Christian E.


Sunday, February 16, 2014

5k: It's About Time: 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata with 13B Power

The RX-7 was powered from the factory by various generations of Marzda's rotary engine, but recently we've seen (and featured) many versions with engines swapped in from other cars.  The problem with the Wankel isn't just that it blows up like Alec Baldwin at the slightest sign of the paparazzi, but also that it is misunderstood and often pulled when it needs simple TLC.  It is nice, however, to see a rotary engine swapped into a non-RX-7 body, in this case a car that should have had rotary power from the beginning.  Find this 1995 Mazda MX-5 Miata with 13B power for sale in Los Angeles, CA for $4,000 via craigslist.


Monday, January 6, 2014

5k: Turbo 13B Rotary Powered Hatch: 1982 Toyota Starlet


The Toyota Starlet KP61 generation was the first and only Starlet sold in the US Market and in 1985 it was replaced by the Toyota Corolla FX-16.  It is a shame because the Starlet was setup with proper rear wheel drive and the FX was front wheel drive.  It probably didn't matter because both cars were mildly motivated by low powered 4-bangers, but when swapping in a more powerful engine the Starlet is preferred.  Find this 1982 Toyota Starlet KP61 with 13B Turbo Rotary for sale in Norcross, GA currently bidding for $3,550 reserve-not-met and $8,500 buy-it-now on ebay.  Tip from Andy L.