Archive for category Classic Cars

A True Classic Car

Posted by admin in Classic Cars on July 23, 2011

A true classic car is one that is completely original, and no modifications have been made decades later, including holes drilled, or add-on aftermarket parts replacing the genuine original parts. But have you ever considered that the classic cars of the future are nothing more than the automobiles we are driving today. In other words you are only 30-years too early. Now then, with that said maybe you should consider what you are doing before you drill holes in your center console, or start making major modifications.

Okay so, you probably don’t plan on keeping your car for 30 years, but what if you did? Some of the cars driving around today will be totaled, rebuilt, refurbished, and be in car show someday in the future. Some of the cars driving around today may look like just regular cars, but they may win best of show at a car show in 30 years. Thus, it makes sense to take care of your automobile, keep it in good condition, and keep it as original as possible without too many major modifications if you wish to hold its value over the long term.

Why is it that so many people have a problem thinking here? Is it because everyone is busy living in the present period, rather than thinking about the future? Is it because humans live for the day, without regard to strategically planning their future? Perhaps, it is some of all of those things, but 30 years from now will be here, perhaps before you know it. After all, time does have a way of flying by when you stop thinking about it. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Mazda RX-7 – Classic Cars

Posted by admin in Classic Cars, Mazda on July 23, 2011

Hailed by many as the most beautiful car ever to come out of Japan, The Mazda RX-7 took seventeen years of development before it finally appeared on the streets in 1978. Without the perseverance of a team of Japanese motor engineers and designers under the leadership of Kenichi Yamamoto, in the development of the Wankel or rotary engine, this stunningly designed, high performance sports car, would never have happened. In 1961 the Japanese Company Toyo Kogyo, later to be renamed Mazda, licensed from the patent owners NSU-Opel of Germany, the full rights to develop a new rotary engine. The Rotary engine was named after its inventor Wankel and had no pistons or crankshaft as such, but consisted of a simple fuel injected rotor blade that span around a central drive-shaft that was connected to a rear wheel differential for drive.

In theory the rotary engine is far superior, through its simplicity in design, than a conventional piston combustion engine, with much less moving parts to go wrong and direct drive power output. Yamamoto’s team at Mazda set to work on developing a rotary engine that would overcome the problems of loss of compression, exhaust, and the overheating of the rotor blades tips, that had limited Opels success at developing the technology in the 1950′s. After success with earlier RX models the RX-2, RX-3 and RX-5 and despite financial problems at the company, Mazda finally came up with the larger 12A engine which was fitted to the new Mark 1 RX-7 built from 1978 until 1980 and the series 2 built from 1981 to 1983.

The Mazda Rx-7 was a two seater plus two hardtop sports coupe, curvaceous and aerodynamic and it immediately caught the imagination of the motoring world which globally hailed it as an instant design classic. The design of the car was built entirely around the engine and exhaust configuration. A bi-rotor engine putting out what was seen as equivalent of just 550 bhp per rotor the 12A in the RX-7 was capable of speeds of over 130 mph and with high low-end torque reached from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.3 seconds. Officially its bhp was just 100 horse power but given how light the car was, it was often described as like driving a skateboard, the power to weight ratio gave it an output equivalent to 230 bhp. Read the rest of this entry »

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