Here in America, restoring classic American muscle cars is as commonplace as somebody complaining about government. However, unless you're talking about the legendary Datsun 240z, restoring old JDM cars in America is rather uncommon. Probably because pride for American brands back then was so high and the overshadowing appeal of big muscle cars, many incredible import cars have slipped through the cracks in auctions and linger in Craigslist ad limbo. One of those really cool JDM cars is the rotary-powered Mazda R100.
1971 R100 With A Carbureted 13B
If you're like me, until today, you probably have never even heard of a Mazda R100. Originally powered by a 982cc 10A Wankel Rotary, these little Japanese cars were a hit over in the motherland, but here in The States, not so much.
Fortunately, people like David "Turbo Dave" Ruano have a special love for rotaries and the wonderful cars they have powered over the years. The car he featured on Hoonigan Autofocus recently, is a carbureted 13B-powered 1971 R100 that he built for a customer of his. The R100 is a beautiful, rather stock-looking car, with a fully finished interior and some rather basic looking rims. That's definitely not a bad thing though, as the look of the car works really well for it. A car like this doesn't need to have an insane body kit, or really wide fender flairs to look incredible.
The Revs Keep Climbing... All The Way To 10,000 RPM!
On the current N/A carbureted 2 rotor setup, Dave estimates the engine is making roughly 230-240 horsepower, and it revs all the way to an incredible 10,000 RPM "safely." And on the test drive, you can hear that little rotary rev for what feels like forever in between shifting gears. Not going to lie, in today's world of quick shifting 8 to 10 speed automatic and dual clutch transmissions, it is kind of weird hearing an engine rev up for that long between shifts.
The R100 makes up for a lack of horsepower by also lacking a lot of weight. Dave estimates the car to weigh in at around 1,900 lbs, which is incredibly light. Because of this, the car is actually properly quick, putting host Larry Chen and Dave in the backs of their seats.
Old Japanese cars like this R100 are really cool. Their unique, small, classic Japanese styling make these cars definite head turners wherever they go. Most people will probably give you a strange look and ask you what the heck it is, but in the end, isn't connecting with people over cars part of the whole point anyway?
Source: YouTube, Hoonigan