One of the cars that stood out at Rotorstock was this beautifully restored RX4. I often hear people complain about how poor the style of Japanese car design is but I really like the shape of the RX4. In some ways it reminds me of the Ford Capri and in others of American muscle of the same era. I particularly like the removal of the B-pillar, something we can see today in the RX8.
The interior made me feel ashamed of the state mine is in. The leather was absolutely mint !
The car has been painted in what appears to be the same yellow available on the RX8. Yellow is a very difficult colour to get right on a car but this shade perfectly suits the RX4. I'll have to say that I'm a fan of modern colours on classic cars.
Polished Cragar wheels maintain the image of the early 70s.
The RX4's originally came with the 12A engine, the predecessor to the now infamous 13B.
The car has just recently had a feature in Retro Cars magazine in the UK. I must pick up a copy to continue on my path of rotary enlightenment !
A sublime example of the RX4. If the owner is reading (I spotted a few comments from the UK Rotary Club on the previous Rotorstock posts) would he / she be kind enough to share some information with us on the build ? I'd love to see under the hood on this !
Paddy
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
Very Nice. I agree that the yellow really does suit the car.
This car belongs to Clive - Chairman and founder of http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com.
They say his veins are rotor shaped..
LOVE IT.
Great car! awesome pics Paddy, but I can't help but notice the irony in your comment about RX8's not having B-pillars when there's one in the photo that clearly does have it hahaha... anyway...
What you can see in the photo is black trim on the RX8 and it has offers no structural integrity whatsoever
The rear door has a "virtual" pillar that locks into the body when the door is closed and the car is moving. When the doors are open there is no B-pillar...
RX8s don't have B pillars, those are just where the two doors meet. If you open it there's no pillar between the front and back.
blueslug and i clearly have very different definitions of the word "irony" . . .
while i'm always going to stick with piston engines, personally, i must admit those RX4s are some damn fine looking cars. they kind of look like a far east take on an AMC, if you know what i mean . . .
According that RC article he got it from an old guy who had converted his front room into a garage when he decided to lay the car up!
correct me if im wrong but didnt the rx4 come with the 13b, the same motor that was in the mazda REPU
it has a rx8 rotary shape shift knob!
The RX8 has suicied style rear doors. Meaning they hinge at the back and open at the front. When the door is closed it may apear to have a B pillar but it does not.
Same steering wheel as my NZDM 616...interesting
Want! Want! Ugh!
Clive is the MAN in the UK...founder of just about the world's largest rotary forum and ROTORSTOCK.
Here's one link to his RX4 buildup...gotta run at the moment. It's worth registering up.
http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44357
one word: wallpapers!!!!
yes another yellow car!! LOL... never seen on these in the flesh, but this looks nicely turned out.. the wheels are throwback heaven.. cool steering wheel too. this car has a lot of unique elements in its standard form to keep me interested for many years (if i owned it, i mean) - its featured in aleast one mag this month - thanks for the run-down and pics..
Colour/Coverage:- Yellow takes alot more paint to cover an area 'cos the pigment content (so i'm informed) as i found out when my spoiler need painting due to the dreade vandal damage...
It would look so much better on some Japanese wheels. They look like Cragers from the USA?? He should have kept it white imo. Not a fan of yellow... too 'out there'. Interior isn't leather either, it's vinyl. He's only still the chairman of mazdarotaryclub because he changed the rules so we couldn't vote him out. It's not a club, he owns it.
Ant I'd suggest old skool American wheels are, if anything, MORE correct than Japanese ones for this car. The bulk of rotary tuning way back when was definitely coming out of the USA.
I agree, wheels dont suit -too fussy and yank looking
how can american wheels be more correct than japanese, on a JAPANESE car FFS!!!....
do a google for some jap rotary tuning from the 70s. their home grown wheels are much nicer than any heavy chromed up american junk.
Love it!