Rx323

[MikeLMR]

anyone got any rx323 pics (or any non rotary rwd pics) rally cars or otherwise :)

Why you ask ? well ...

Every time motorclub type people in my area learn that I have an rx the same rotary powered rwd 323 gets mentioned. Must of made a big impression as several different people have recounted stories of a tough rotor powered 323 that "didn't idle for :censored::censored::censored::censored:" "went like stink" and "lifted the front wheels off the start line" :eek: :D

~ Mike

[travellinbob]

hey this seems like a cool thread. I never knew that rwd 323's came out in the uk until the other day on the old skool racers thread when i saw the green one.
I once bought an orange rwd 323 with a 10a in it in oz. Unfortunantly it was accident damaged when I bought it and it never lived again.:(
I am pretty sure that the 323's have a very good rear suspension set up, something very close to the early 1st generation RX7's.
Never see them for sale here though.

pics would be great.

[Archbish]

IF it's the same car I'm thinking of, then it used to belong to the chap at essex racing on Canvey Island. I saw a 323 (whatever the fiesta shaped mazda was) there with a dowelled and everything'd engine built by Spike Winters. It was raced in a series where you could have any body and engine combination as long as it was from the same manufacturer.

It could rev stupidly high (>14k), and had motorbike acceleration - mainly due to the fact it didn't have to change gear too often due to the ridiculous rev limits.

I only saw it briefly a couple of years ago, and the memories not so good these days, but it certainly made an impression... *grin*

[MikeLMR]

cool :) ... this one was out rallying in the late 80's IIRC, I've been told our club chairman has video footage so I'm on mission to get hold of that now ... anyone now how I can get it onto the computer ?

[Richard]

Surely you cant have a post subject like this withoout mentioning probably the first RX323 in the UK -around 1976/77?

http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/jmazdaman/images/rx323.jpg

Willie Rutherfords 13B powered example, with a quoted power of 230BHP @7,000 rpm. It later became a PP if I remember correctly.

Anybody else remember it?

Rich:wave

[MikeLMR]

:rollin that was 4 years before I was born :D

That looks just like the sort of thing I'm talking about :cool awesome.

Much better than the MSA's Vale of Neath 12 car this weekend :D

[scooby_si]

erm google is pretty poo on this subject it'd seem dont even no wot a 323 looks like but how about (dont think many are rotary related but wot the hell):
http://www.rx7-gallery.co.uk/binhist/mazdapics/323mk1b.gif
http://www.grumpe.com.au/323dyno1.jpg

http://home.hetnet.nl/~pzj70/rally_action_front.JPG

http://subtle.org/se/pictures/cars/rally/1988%20Portugal%20Rally%20Mazda%20323%20Hannu%20Mi kkola.jpg

http://www.rallyracingnews.com/teams/jma-baie98.jpg

http://www.mata.co.nz/gtr_site/gallery/gallery_images/cheynes_gtr/rallynz_19.jpg

http://www.mata.co.nz/gtr_site/gallery/gallery_images/pirelli_rally_annual_93/pirelli_shot_01.jpg

http://web.umr.edu/~cwatkin/cwome/rally_mazda_a.jpg

http://www.rallyracingnews.com/teams/ma-mazda323.jpg

http://subtle.org/se/pictures/cars/rally/1988%20Olympus%20Rally%20Mazda%20323%20Rod%20Mille n.jpg

my fav thou is
http://www.bomber.rally.pl/revmag/mazda323/04.jpg
&
http://www.bomber.rally.pl/revmag/mazda323/02.jpg
i retract my previous sentiment about google being poor it's actually quite good the stuff you find on there.....http://smilies.jeeptalk.org/otn/love/luxlove.gif

There's loads more all i did was the following search:
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q=rally+323+mazda
Si

[scooby_si]

this looks a bit more rwd related at least:
http://www.volny.cz/ak-luka/img/pic/tn/ak-luka_m04_tn.jpg

ooohhh how about
http://www.members.shaw.ca/jdascollas/RX7-2.jpg

http://home.swipnet.se/rwd_rally_team/bilder/gm.JPG

Si (gets coat as this is probably just pishing off the non broadbanders........<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_8_7.gif' border=0></a>)

[Carl]

The one OJ is talking about is a Mazda 121 with a 13b pp engine in it.
Yes it still exist's.
The 323 was a rally car and very nice too,it was a 1st gen 323,in the mid seventies.
Kind regards
Carl

[MikeLMR]

ooooh the 121 sounds cool, whats it used for ? grass track ? hot rod oval racing? must be somthing with fairly relaxed rules to run a rotary.

I don't think I've ever seen a rotary powered car being rallied in anger in the UK .... maybee one day I might be able to change that :D

EDIT

have always thought a 121 would go well with a 1.8 16v like I have in my 323, should be just about a bolt in job too :D now that'd be a sleeper

[Carl]

Originally posted by MikeLMR
ooooh the 121 sounds cool, whats it used for ? grass track ? hot rod oval racing? must be somthing with fairly relaxed rules to run a rotary.

I don't think I've ever seen a rotary powered car being rallied in anger in the UK .... maybee one day I might be able to change that :D

EDIT

have always thought a 121 would go well with a 1.8 16v like I have in my 323, should be just about a bolt in job too :D now that'd be a sleeper

The 121 was built about 5 or 6 years ago for Thunder saloons which were circuit race cars.
The series did not go to well and the Mazda did have a PP 13b in it but was only ever taken to 10,000 rpm.
The car still exist's.
Most of the cars in the field had v8's or v6's and were considerably heavier than the 121.
There is an RX3 that was a rally car just a few years back,maybe 5 or 6.It has now been converted to circuit race car spec but could easily be reverted I would think.

Kind regards
Carl

[clive]

Just thought l would throw in some useless anorak info!!

The 323 circa 1976 was designed by Mazda so a rotary would bolt straight to the crossmember so they could keep their engine options open.

A few years ago a Mazda head office man jokingly showed off his powers of access to Mazda's computers by asking me how many Rotary 323's we had in the club, to this l replied, Mazda didn't build any production 323 Rotary's as far as l knew , to this he replied that in 1990 they produced 110 323's for the home market only.

That's enough anorak off now .

[Glenn Butcher]

My friend in Oz built an RX-323 (those were his number plates!!!) it was a mild port 13B running a 51mm webber.

It ran a 13.0 at Eastern Creek, over 10 years ago!!!

Had an RX-4 diff, RX-4 gearbox (4speed). The crossmember used was from an RX-3 - bolted straight in.

Video here (323 is around half way through).


http://www.mymazdarotary.com/mazda_rotary/rx-2/rx-2_videos/rx-2_breaking_tailshaft.jpg (http://www.mymazdarotary.com/mazda_rotary/rx-2/rx-2_videos/rx-2_breaking_tailshaft.avi)
10.2MB

[MikeLMR]

Excelent, have been asking around in the rallying world so hopefully I can dig up some photos too :) My Dad reminded me as well that he used to have a rwd 323 estate when I was younger (to young to realise it was rwd)

Excellent video.

[Richard]

http://www.rx7-gallery.co.uk/binhist/mazdapics/323mk1b.gif
ooooooohhhhhhh 323 SP:cool

Just so happens
http://publish.hometown.aol.co.uk/jmazdaman/images/323sp.jpg
Last of the facelift RWD's before they went errrr.......front....... er....... wheel... err.... drive I think they called it. It'll never catch on:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Rich:wave

[travellinbob]

hey guys, just wondering if anyone has a photo of what carl was talking about when he refered to a 121? In oz the old 121's were a pistone version of the rx5's. The newer of course being useless piles of crap front wheel drive things.(spits in disgust)
In oz in the very late 70's and early 80's the rallying rules were quite a bit slacker than now and allowed people to put rotories into things like datsun 1600's( the 510) and even the odd beetle. I have seen old video footage in z of some of these cars and they were awesome.
One of my best mates in oz now rallies a turbo II on gravel only and it is very competative. ( check the ozrotory forum for the user spac. It is his.)

[Carl]

This 121 is of the very modern variety.
It would be circa late 90's.it looks exactly like the late model Ford fiesta with which it shared all of the same panels.
I have a mag with it on the front cover somehwere,it was in Cars and Car Coversions before the mag packed up.
Or CCC as most people know it.
I will try to find it.
Kind regards
Carl

[MikeLMR]

found this one

WELSH CLUB RALLIES


Willie Rutherford (right), driving a rotary engined Mazda, won the H. C. Bryer Nant-yr-Hwch Stages, a round of the Shellsports Welsh Championship. Mike Jackson/Steve Howard were in second in their Ford Escort RS1800, while Dave Grainger/Lyn Jenkins brought their ex-Roger Clark Escort RS1800 into third and took maximum Welsh Championship points. Series leaders Grant Edwards/Jon Savage had a very short rally when their Escort RS2000 stopped on Stage One with clutch problems. The 1300 class fell to the fuel injected 998cc Davrian of John Dark/Dennis Robinson. Dark took tenth overall, this position was decided on a tie break of fastest on the first stage, Graham Evans/Roy Tansley had to settle for eleventh place as they had picked up a puncture on Stage One. Lyndon Jenkins/Paul Holland had been the sensation of the rally, competing on only their fifth rally they were challenging Rutherford for the lead. Unfortunately they picked up a puncture and crashed out of the event.

[travellinbob]

hey that looks great. I really miss not rallying here in the uk. It is just so unfriendly on the wallet. Mind you building a drag racing morris minor on a small island off the west coast of scotland isnt the smartest thing I have ever done either.:D :rollin

[MikeLMR]

Road Rallying is cheap + you are in the right place for spectating (did you see any of the tour of Mull ? )

[travellinbob]

yes I do see the tour of mull, and have done for 3 years now! It goes right past the edge of the estate I live on so we just trek over on a quad bike or a landrover and sit on a holl and watch the cars fly by all day and night:D
Have you ever seen it? If you are interested then give us a shout and we can find somewhere for you to crash up here.
Oh and it is also on the same weekend as the japfest thing at santa pod therwise I would be driving down south.:mad:
cant have everything. Only most things:rollin

[MikeLMR]

might have to venture over and marshal one year, a lot of people I know go over for the whole event every year.

[travellinbob]

definately do it. It is such an experience. And the partying is great . Have you ever seen any in car footage of the rally? I will see if I can get my grubby mits on some if anyone is interested. Mind you I would probably have to send it by snail mail to someone with the knowhow to out in on the computer!:rollin
me, computer eijit.

[Richard]

Mike LMR posted
won the H. C. Bryer Nant-yr-Hwch Stages,

Thats H. G Bryer - they are my local Mazda dealership ( I worked there for 8 years:) )
They are probably the oldest surviving Mazda dealership in the Uk having started out in the late 60's with the R100's, 1800's etc

One of the sons competed in an RX3 coupe - its the roll cage from that car that you see in my 1300's.

Its from him that I first heard about Willie Rutherford (another Mazda dealer) since they competed against each other on a fairly regular basis.

I remember him talking about the noise of the 323 after it went peripheral port - loud does'nt describe it apparently:D

I'll try and talk nicely to him sometime to see if I can get a pic of the RX3 to post

Have a nice day guys

Rich:wave

[MikeLMR]

its a small world isn't it :) any piccys will be greatfully drooled over :D

Mike

[Carl]

Hi Richard,
I know Alan Bryer very well.
He is a really nice chap,I also have a cage from him that was in an RX3 that he raced.
Kind regards
Carl

[clive]

I am proud to say that Alan has been a Full Club Member since the start of MRC :)

[Richard]

Hey Carl that cage has some seen some action in my 1300's over the years:D

I hope he charged you serious money for it - its being twice Welsh championship winning and all:rollin

Did you get anything else from him?

Rich:wave

[MikeLMR]

lots of very good rally photos here + plenty of rotary powered ones

key places to look are the 70's/80's events and gallerys.

http://members2.clubphoto.com/rob193987/guest-1.phtml

Mike

[mullins]

One of my NZ favs...

http://www.rotarymotion.co.nz/uploads/post-11-1100071704.jpg

[Martiny]

Originally posted by clive
, to this he replied that in 1990 they produced 110 323's for the home market only.

That's enough anorak off now .

What? a factory Rotary 323???? Where can I get one !! I want!!

[MikeLMR]

japan I think.

I'd just settle for a rwd 323 in fact if I found one in really decent nik I might even chop the rx7 in for it :eek:

[travellinbob]

cool mike, get some photos up for us all to have a squiz at.

[MikeLMR]

if I found

:D

keep you eyes peeled guys ... no rusty ones though

[travellinbob]

DOH, my bad. Here I was getting all excited about nothing. Well I hope that you do find one. They are great little acrs and quite easy to convert to a rotary.

[MikeLMR]

that would be the plan :cool

[MikeLMR]

finally found a piccy of the local Rx323 :) awesome !

[mullins]

yeah ha - hold on for ya life:rollin

pic i took ages ago (crap scan), but i like this one...
http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/hayden/orange323.jpg

[MikeLMR]

I have a picture the same as that from the other weekend :rollin except were on the loose heading sideways for a barn (and in a Lada :D ) I was hanging on for dear life and trying to call the next corner

[MikeLMR]

got a load of pictures sent to me today. Some of the Baxter's 323 at Cadwell and North coates (both in Lincolnshire .. the later an old airfield) Will get them scanned when I remember to bring them home.

oh and here's the piccy of me hanging on :D

[SCOOMER]

here you go.

Scott.

[MikeLMR]

as promised a long time ago (just getting round to sorting things out)

[MikeLMR]

Northcoates again

[MikeLMR]

Cadwell park

[MikeLMR]

cadwell again

[MikeLMR]

cadwell 3

[MikeLMR]

last one. Sorry about the quality of all the photos, my scanner is very cheap and nasty

[HYPORX]

RX323's huh? Well it just happens, I'm busy collecting parts and information to do a conversion on one myself...:D
Firstly, a quick introduction:
29, Australian and momentarily stuck in Holland.
Built and owned a string of terribly fast street rotors and am busy with 3 projects at the moment.
#1 RX323: My daily driver here in Holland. I've collected a few 12a's from the clog-wearers and am planning on fitting a rather large turbo.
#2 1948 Ford Anglia pickup: Currently in my fathers greasy hands getting the finishing touches on the chassis. Engine will be a 13bBP out of my old "HYPORX" 1st Gen. RX7.
#3 1930 Ford Hotrod: Won't give too many details away on this project but I can assure, nothing like this has been done before...

Now for some pictures :cool

[HYPORX]

So here's mine, 1980 model and nearly 25 years old...
Once it reaches that milestone, I don't have to pay roadtaxes anymore. Guess I'll just have to use more fuel then ;)

[HYPORX]

Another pic, pity I didn't get the wheels or roof-rack:( Would have added to the sleeper image. I can't wait to hit the Autobahns with this one and put some Germans to shame :rolleyes: :cool

[HYPORX]

So does anyone have an RX3 front crossmember and engine plate laying around?

Another RX323, not mine but pretty hot all the same! I've got 100's of pics, let me know if you'd like to see more :D

[HYPORX]

Seems most of you guys are into FC's and FD's. Oh well, I'll keep the "wolf in sheeps clothing" thread ticking over...

[HYPORX]

Here's one with an interesting tail light conversion :cool

[HYPORX]

Another tail light conversion... This one puts the RX3 into the RX323 :eek:

[MikeLMR]

cool photos, are the 323's as rare over on mainland europe as they are over here ? (ie. rarer than a very rare thing)

[mullins]

Originally posted by HYPORX
Another tail light conversion... This one puts the RX3 into the RX323 :eek:

The RTALFE RX-323 from NZ ;)

There used to be a similar one round the road from me where I used to live, ie. green hatch with the RX-3 taillights.

Keep the pics coming and good luck with keeping up with anyone on the autobahn:D

[MikeLMR]

I think these photos are appropriate to add to this thread :D picking it up on Thursday

[MikeLMR]

2

[MikeLMR]

3...

[MikeLMR]

this one makes me chuckle thinking about how much fun a sleeper like this would be

[FD3SNuttah]

WHERE DID YOU FIND IT!!!!!!


my older brother had one when i was a kid, my dad bought it for 300 quid and it was a total rust bucket, he spent hours and hours sorting out the rust and finally it was looking good, until one day the engine just wouldnt start anymore, so we stashed it in the back alleys and some local kids smashed it to pieces. :(

It was a fun car to be in, (i drove it when i was 11) down the straight mile in doncaster, i got it up to 60 mph and jeez i **** myself! if only i knew about rotors back then i would have got him to keep it for me.

However i do own a 1980 mitsubishi sigma, its a 2.0 rear wheel drive, if i find a cheap rotory engine guess where its going!!! I will dig out some pics if you lot are interested, I have a hynes manual for htat rear wheel drive 323 if anyone is going to make me an offer, i believe its in pretty good nick.

[MikeLMR]

it got spotted on ebay :) where else do rare cars come from these days :D

I already have a mint haynes manual thanks to my Dad who had an estate when I was younger. Thanks anyway.

[FD3SNuttah]

lol no worries, your right about rare finds on ebay. i cant believe i missed it! just outta interest how much did it go for?

[MikeLMR]

check the oldschool section for a couple of threads about it :D its

under an odd title I think !

[FD3SNuttah]

Originally posted by MikeLMR
check the oldschool section for a couple of threads about it :D its

under an odd title I think !

lol thats helpful! i will have a bash at searching,

[FD3SNuttah]

found it... cant believe the price you paid for it,. your well jammy!

[MikeLMR]

found this piccy the other day ... wonder who the welsh chap behind the wheel is :p Not a rotary ... but a worthy photo 10/10 :cool

[Moonwrap]

Hi!

I'm also very into 323's :D We used to have a MK 1 RWD and I still have a 24 year old MKII FWD we've had from new! :D

I have a collection of original Mazda promo and press photos, some are 323 rally cars - I'll have a hunt for them :D

I never knew they'd ever had rotary engines in them though - that's a real revelation!!!!

Lynn
:wave

PS Archbish if the 323 was a Ford it would be an Escort not a Fiesta! :D :wave:

[MikeLMR]

Hi Lynn,
they were never sold in any great numbers with a rotary engine :( ... but its easy enough to swap them in ;)

If you could find those photos that'd be ace.

And you are spot on with the escort ... The BG 323's were sold with a ford badge and called an escort in the US of A

Cheers ~ Mike

[Moonwrap]

Originally posted by MikeLMR
Hi Lynn,
they were never sold in any great numbers with a rotary engine :( ... but its easy enough to swap them in ;)

If you could find those photos that'd be ace.

And you are spot on with the escort ... The BG 323's were sold with a ford badge and called an escort in the US of A

Cheers ~ Mike

Hi Mike :D

Just in the process of moving house, so unfortunately, everything is everywhere :( I'll have a proper hunt for the pics at the weekend :D

Ours was an "S" reg in red, we used to call it "the fire engine" - it was a great little car. Before that we had an orange "M" reg 818 :D Both were our family cars when I was a child :D

So it was your yellow MKI 323 at RSII - very lovely, that was amazing for me looking at that - a real retro trip! :D So are you planning to put a rotary engine in this one, or leave it as it is? Is that the original paint by the way on your car?

My 24 year old MKII is doing quite well, it's only done about 80K though from new, that car has paid for itself a million times over! :D

Lynn

[MikeLMR]

Its not the original paint, it was resprayed about 15 years ago by Mazda as it had faded ... but yes it was that colour orignally ;)

I am planning on swapping in a rotary, but I wouldn't do anything ireversable to such a rare car. Driving it is like being in a timewarp :) ... trouble is I find people aren't very tolerant of old cars and tend to either pull out in front of you or have a go when you are sat at 60 on a motorway :rolleyes: (in the inside lane btw!)

Mike

[MikeLMR]

Got another piccy of the car that started all this off in my head a long time ago :D

and some more info, it was driven and owned by a chap called Carl Lawrence ... plus I have found out where I can contact him :)

[MikeLMR]

better photo

[NixRX7]

Maybe my brain is going but i am sure i went to look at a very early 323 that was 4wd, this was about 10 years or more ago, and i am sure the guy selling it was waffling on about not wanting to sell it because he was going to stick a rotary engine in.
I did'nt buy it by the way, tho i was tempted.

[MikeLMR]

they built quite a lot of 4x4 323's both in BF and BG guise (late 80's - mid 90's)

Mazda competed in the WRC for quite a while with them

[NixRX7]

Thanks Mike, glad my brains ok then.
Wonder what a 4wd one would be like with a fd3s engine in, pretty bloody rapid i should think.

[MikeLMR]

the later 1.8 one will kick out as much as a standard FD without too much tweaking ... its the gearboxes that are the real problem.

[mullins]

Yeah the GTR 1.8 DOHC Turbo is the one to get. Easy way to tell it from the regular GTX is that it has 5 wheels stud hubs rather than 4. Havn't seen a lot of them in the U.K. but they're well worth tracking down if you have the money.
Seriously quick little cars.

[MikeLMR]

there are a fair few GTR's in the UK

theres more than a few on www.323gtx.co.uk

[Don Pamponi]

Is MikeLMR really 26??? Comes across nearer 46. (sorry)

[kev-yorks]

Lets put it this way when i met him at Thorseby he's aged well for 46
Kevin

[MikeLMR]

I'm 24 actually (who can't count :D) and a student ;)

[mullins]

Thanks for the link Mike - good site. Are you heavily involved in this club?

[MikeLMR]

been on the site for a while(it's an informal sort of club at the moment) , but I rally a gti so its mostly just for finding parts etc.

[MikeLMR]

Have been given some rally entry lists by our club chairman. These are all from the 'Tour of Lincs' Rally which was run by my motorclub Lincolnshire Louth Motorclub.

These are all from the mid 80's as you can see the 323's were well up there with the "works" style escorts :)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/MikeLMR/e2bbd3f7.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/MikeLMR/7d86c41d.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/MikeLMR/0ca9a667.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y219/MikeLMR/5968411c.jpg

[MikeLMR]

some more for the collection ... possibly not rotary


nabbed frome here :D

http://www.historic-ice-trophy.at/gallerie.php

[metalhead]

Just thought l would throw in some useless anorak info!!

The 323 circa 1976 was designed by Mazda so a rotary would bolt straight to the crossmember so they could keep their engine options open.

A few years ago a Mazda head office man jokingly showed off his powers of access to Mazda's computers by asking me how many Rotary 323's we had in the club, to this l replied, Mazda didn't build any production 323 Rotary's as far as l knew , to this he replied that in 1990 they produced 110 323's for the home market only.

That's enough anorak off now .
Hey, sorry to dig up an old thread, but does anyone have any further information on this? Can't find any anywhere. Also curious if it was definitely 1990 or if it was 1980 (seems more likely they would do it the rwd 323s given that an rx3 engine crossmember and mounts bolt straight in)?

Any info at all will be appreciated!