Tag: mazda

Datsun 411 / MX5

We need people like Bob. People with vision, people who have skills and love putting them to good use, people who have the itch to continue creating cool cars, time and time again. You might remember Bob from one of his previous projects that also graced these pages, the MX520. It seems that stuffing Mazda MX5 running gear under Datsun bodies is obviously something Bob loves doing, because he’s back to his old tricks, this time with a Datsun 411 wagon on the receiving end of the grinder.

Click here for more chassis-swap builds.

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Forum spotlight: JDMST (pt3)

Back again with another JDM Style Tuning forum spotlight for your viewing pleasure. This time we’ve got an NC MX5, an AW11 MR2, an FC RX7, and a 4-door R32 Skyline. So here’s 4 more of my favourite builds, coming right up…

For previous spotlights, check out Part 1 and Part 2.

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Forum spotlight: JDMST (pt1)

I’m a member of many different forums, but I’m not much of a poster. JDM Style Tuning was one of the first forums that I really got involved in, posting regularly and attending meets. While I don’t post there much these days, I still like to read the forum almost daily and make the odd post every now and then. There are a number of great builds on the forum, so I thought I’d do a little spotlight on some of my favourites in no particular order. Please note, this is not a “best of”, it’s just the ones that tickle my fancy. There’s a few builds to get through, so I’ll split them up over a few different posts over the next couple of months in between regular build features.

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Project Speedster MX5

Here’s another build I’ve had my eye on for a while which was recently completed. Like most people these days, I’m a fan of appropriately modified Mazda MX5‘s. But being such a popular platform, it becomes harder to get one to stand out from the sea of Roadsters, without ending up with an over-modded abomination. One way to break away from the pack – if you have the skills – is to create your own one-off special edition, something with more than a selection of bolt-ons. That’s exactly what The MX5 Restorer did to this once battered and bruised NA; he chopped, carved and sliced it up to create his own version of a Mazda Speedster, perfect for those windy roads on a warm summer day.

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4-Rotor FC RX7

So, the last RX7 I posted was devoid of a rotary engine, so here’s another one that keeps it’s Wankel roots, but with a twist. If you love engineering, machining, welding, lathes, heat treatments, stress analysis, and 3D renders, then you’re going to love this completely custom made 4-rotor powerplant. Definitely one for the tech-heads amongst us.

Thanks to Oliver for submitting

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MotoIQ.com – Project V8 RX7

One of my favourite websites, MotoIQ, has just finished up one of their staff builds, Project V8 RX7. As it’s title suggests, it’s a Mazda RX7 receiving a V8 engine transplant, an California Smog-Legal E-Rod LS3 to be precise. The build is documented in trademark MotoIQ style (more signal, less noise) so head below to check out the build.

Click here for more V8 builds.

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Midmounted Mazda Minitruck [video build]

This following build was part of the teasers I placed in my “Best of 2010” guest-post on Speedhunters last year. Out of the 5 teasers, I have only managed to do a follow-up feature one of them, The Widow Maker. Well, here’s number two!

This minitruck is like no other I’ve seen. It might be bagged and body-dropped like many others, but what sets it apart from the rest is the Lexus V8 sitting behind the cabin. Another element of this build that strays away from the norm is that Nick, the owner and builder, has chosen to document the build in video format, creating his own YouTube channel to showcase the progress. The updates are always informative and entertaining, with some choice Kiwi wit thrown in amongst the tech stuff. Head below to find all the links you’ll need to get acquainted with this unique creation.

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LS3 NC MX5

In the past I’ve seen plenty of pictures of NA MX5’s with their windscreens chopped off, hurling around a race track with a minimal amount of metal left on the car in the interests of faster lap times. But I have to say, this would be the first time I’ve seen the same treatment being given to a newer, NC model MX5. Not only has it been put on a healthy weight loss program, it also now has an LS3 V8 sitting in front of the lucky driver, new custom front and rear subframes, plus a whole lot of other stuff you should definitely check out below.

Thanks to Jon for submitting.

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Teenage Dirtbag – NA MX5

If there’s a person who embodies the spirit/mantra/black magic of Build Threads and the people who get it post tag, it’s definitely Bruce aka Mystery Machine from the Retro Rides forum. He’s someone who lives and breathes cars while also enjoying the challenge of taking cracking photos whilst wrenching, and documenting his actions as clearly as possible with an intent to educate and entertain his audience (not as easy as some may think). Having owned and modified more cool cars than I’ve had hot dinners, his MX5 project was the first that caught my attention, a thread that I happily read numerous times for my own enjoyment (a rare treat these days, as my usual priority is to find stuff that everyone else will enjoy). I hope you all take as much pleasure in reading as I have, and I look forward to keeping an eye on – and later sharing with you – his new project, already firmly planted in my bookmarks.

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