"..& now for something completely different"
Hi all, I've been extremely let down by the Mazda crowd on forums I've joined so, hoping to create some worthwhile chatter on here. Just want to chew the fat with like-minded folk that enjoy something out of the box with good ol' British power.
Snapshot: I'm in the process of purchasing an older Mazda 626 that has had quite a heart & soul transplant 10 years back. Namely, a 3.9L Rover eight coupled to a Toyota Supra 5 speed stick shift. 4.6L conrods. Lumpy hydrocam with 10.5:1 comp flat top pistons & 3.5L heads. At this stage, that's all I know from current owner. Was resprayed back then too. All work registered & engineered here in Victoria. I'm currently in state lockdown down under here in Aus. Pics & more info to follow in couple of weeks when it is roadworthy & I can pick it up & bring it home. Looking forward to chats :) |
88v8 Ivor Duarte Gloucestershire UK (1049 posts) Registered: 02/11/2010 04:29AM Main British Car: 1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8 |
Re: "..& now for something completely different"
Greetings and welcome.
The Mazda crowd.... maybe includes a few people who don't like modifications or if they do they only like these modifications and not those. Which is quite a normal situation for a one-make club. Mazda 626, a sleeper? Could be fun. Over here in the UK, despite their long production run they've all rusted away. The Supra 5-speed is not a familiar mod, wonder who made the adaptor. Depending on model, max power was about 110bhp, you've got perhaps twice that and of course even more torque. Do other Supra parts fit, like the brakes? It seems there are a few V8s around. Here's a 383ci bi-turbo with an appropriately named owner [www.youtube.com] Well, when you get it home, hope it's a good 'un. Ivor |
Re: "..& now for something completely different"
Hi 88v8, I've seen that twin turbo 626. It's a drag car, not street legal. I've seen no other road registered one down here though. I think there are more than 1 MX5 though.
I know there are more than a few Capris & Cortinas over your way of course. MX5's in US. I can't tell you anything specific about other make of parts that would fit. I haven't the documentation of the build as yet. The present owner states it has a 4.6L block in it but also states it's been bored? That doesn't make sense as the 3.9L blocks are the same bore as the 4.6L. He does state though that the block has 4bolt mains & uses the 3.9 timing cover. That would indicate it is a 3.9L block would you think?... P.S. we don't get the rust down here as we don't have snow other than in the mountains & never salt used on roads as in US... Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/02/2021 10:04PM by 626V8. |
88v8 Ivor Duarte Gloucestershire UK (1049 posts) Registered: 02/11/2010 04:29AM Main British Car: 1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8 |
Re: "..& now for something completely different"
No snow, eh?
Well I'd not swap our snow for your heat lol I hope your build is documented. It's frustrating buying someone else's baby and not knowing what parts it has in it. Front cover, here's a thread on front covers. The 3.9 cover might have been used on the 4.6 block to retain the dizzy. [forum.britishv8.org] The 4.6 can be overbored, but there are enough block problems on the 4.6 without asking for more!! Oddly enough there a nice MkII Cortina for sale at the moment, nice apart from the silly roll cage [www.ebay.co.uk] Actually I see he's stopped the auction, never mind you can still look for a while. Ivor |
Re: "..& now for something completely different"
Ivor, I chatted again with seller today. It is a 3.9L Block, stroked to 4.6L. He has documentation for all work that'll come with car.
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Re: "..& now for something completely different"
Thank you Curtis. I just appreciate the well thought out build so far. While we remain in lockdown here & I'm waiting to get to go over everything with present owner, he's swapped the locked diff centre back to stock as he found it too noisy. He has a Hilux LSD with RX7 discs that has already been shortened to suit. I just have to have the driveshaft shortened myself for it to bolt up. I have a mate that is into the 4WD scene. He mods stuff. Not my scene. He knows a workshop that can get all this stuff done easily. I then just have to fit it up. It also comes with a spare 3.5L engine...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2021 05:06PM by 626V8. |
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Re: "..& now for something completely different"
Mods, feel free to delete this post as I'm no longer going through with purchase & it doesn't seem much of a interest around the traps. Cheers & all the best :)
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DiDueColpi Fred Key West coast - Canada (1375 posts) Registered: 05/14/2010 03:06AM Main British Car: I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now! |
Re: "..& now for something completely different"
I wouldn't leave just yet Timothy. We can be a pretty entertaining bunch.
No need for a car at the moment, just a good, fun attitude. That 626 reminds me of the one I built for the lovely Lynne back in the day. It was an 82 2door coupe with all the good stuff. We bought it new and in 1984 she holed the rad and drove the motor out of it. Warranty was politely declined by Mazda. So the logical remedy was a 71 lt1 sbc that was resting in the garage. A 350 auto trans with a 9 inch ford rear end formed the rest of the drivetrain. 15 inch steel wheels were used with the stock 4 spoke aluminum rims machined out for hubcaps. A Mazda air filter lid and hand stamped "Mazda/Chevy" valve covers completed the deception. What brought back memories was the picture of your nearly car with the exhaust headers on backwards. The 626 has no room for the exhaust at the back of the engine compartment. So I had to mount the shortie headers backwards and cross the exhaust over in front of the engine. It then merged into a singe 3inch exhaust out the back in the original location. The thing was a riot to drive. Reasonably quiet, smooth and stupidly fast. Until..... The leader of the opposition was driving to the mall one day and accidently pulled a 360 in the turning lane. I got a call at work that I couldn't understand, so I went out to retrieve my masterpiece from the middle of the Hwy. A short time later, I managed to procure a nice used Mazda 2 litre 4 cyl. The 626 was returned to normal with the exception of the 9 inch, wheels and the 3 inch exhaust. It remained our faithful neutered companion for quite a few more years and then was set free. I used to see it around now and then and it made me laugh out loud every time. Whoever was servicing it must have been left in awe at that 95hp 4 cyl hooked up to a 9 inch with a 3 inch exhaust. Live like you mean it, Fred |