In a world where more modern, piston driven vehicles are the norm, a lone vintage rotary powered car emerges. Not so much emerge, but burst onto the scene.
This is Nathan Rohner’s RX7, and it’s cleaning up in the PTB class in NASA Utah. It’s the best, and also the worst in class because it’s the only car in class. That not withstanding, it’s an amazing piece of machinery.
The flares are massive, and utilitarian. They’re stylish because they serve a purpose, and that purpose is to house Hoosier slicks and a set of period correct wheels. The OE size and width wheels and tires would serve a pedestrian RX7 fine and dandy. This is not a pedestrian car, far from it.
There’s very little left in the cabin to remind you that this is an RX7. The stock gauge cluster is out, replaced by a single, massive tachometer. More gauges are hanging out in the middle of the dash, and switches sit where an air vent used to be. This car is all business.
And it does its business well.
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There was a bit of a shake up in the Lightning run group. The group used to be dominated by Spec Miatas and Z’s, but the Z’s were bumped up into the Thunder group. Naturally, one would think that one of the many Miatas, or one of the older 911’s in the group, would take the top overall spot. Alas, that was not the case. In P1 overall was this sweet ass RX7, sporting an amaing Konica logo on the hood. It sounded like an angry weed whacker, and led wire to wire.
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Spring is in the air and we, as gear heads, need to take to the streets and enjoy this. On Sunday the Utah Japanese Classic Car group got together at Sugarhouse Park to ring in the season with what they called the Spring Fling Pot Luck. If you’re in to classic J-tin then this group is for you, and if you were able to make it out to the park you got to see some treats.
There were a pair of classic Celica GTs in attendance. Both coupes were 5 speed models, and were rather bright. You can see some American muscle influence in the noses of these vehicles, very reminiscent of early Camaros and Challengers; however, while the Americans were spry for being as massive as they were the Celicas were just spry.
This beautiful, Datsun wagon made its way out. More impressive than the wagon, and its cloth sunroof? The fact that it made it out of the park. That exit is gnarly!
Who doesn’t need more RX7s in their life? Everyone does, and there were examples of all three generations out, but this FB really caught my eye. It’s not a concourse car, but it isn’t a wreck that that’s rotting away. It’s a simple driver that’s hopefully spreading the good word of Reagan era rotaries to the masses.
FC RX7s have been on the rise for a while, and for good reason. Like all 80’s import FR coupes, they look amazing. A few simple exterior modifications can transform a mundane runabout into a jaw dropper, and there were plenty of turbo models produced. Nary a man alive can resist the Siren’s song that is a turbo 13B.
This was, arguably, the most gorgeous car at the meet and is in the running for most gorgeous car to ever be produced. The FD RX7 didn’t look like its contemporaries when it was new, and nothing has come along since to rival it. This one is a bit different than the ones you see running around. There isn’t a Mazda badge on the exterior, but it does have an “efini” badge on it. This is because Mazda, like Toyota and Nissan, opened up a luxury division. Their’s was called efini, but only operated from 1991-1997. And unlike the Lexus and Infiniti brands, efini existed only in Japan. That fact explains the most obvious feature of the car: it’s a right hand drive model. You’re not going to be finding efini RX7s littering your supermarket parking lot, so seeing one in person is like finding a unicorn.
Second generation MR2s were out in force. These mid-engine runabouts have been turned into Ferrari F355 lookalikes by some idiots overly enthusiastic people, but thankfully the ones at the meet were clean examples that weren’t sporting prancing horse badges.
IT”S A SUZUKI CARRY! WE’VE HIT PEAK JDM!!! This is as good a place as any to end this post. There’s a gallery below, but I won’t blame you for spending your day basking in the glory that is the Suzuki Carry.
On the first Thursday of the good weather months, JDM Legends opens their doors for a little open house. It’s a chance to chat up fellow enthusiasts, make terrible offers to Eric (that Silvia has a CA, it’s totally worth the next to nothing I could come up with!) and gawk at the tons of awesome that roll in to and out of the shop. Last month Joey and myself hopped in the Subaru and made the trip over.
Lots of Skylines were on display, from a four door GTR (#102 built and lovingly maintained Nissan in Japan) to the Kenmeri that buzzes around and even an R31 GTS with its awesome little electronic chin spoiler. Brody brought down his R32 GTR and his DR30 GTS. He left the R32 GTS-T at home. Let’s all take a moment to be jealous of his stable… Done? Ok, moving on.
Early S13’s are available for importation. You can be the first kid on your block to roll in a legitimate Silvia, complete with a CA18DET! You can take your JZx and LS swaps and punt them, and ditch all that KA-T stuff. THIS is awesome. Here’s proof. This might be the best $12k you can spend on an S13.
This lovely Celica GTV has since moved on to a new home, but she got to enjoy one last moment being fawned over at the shop.
Some of the cars that are driven to the meet are just as good as the fare JDM Legends has up for sale. An immaculate second generation Celica Supra, looking as clean as it did when it rolled off the showroom floor. A KA24DE swapped S12 200SX. The swap was so clean three of us had to check the vin plate to make sure it was in fact swapped. A gorgeous, red S30 was at the edge of the parking lot, but still managed to draw a crowd. And the Datsun 620 pickup has always been an awesome little truck. They don’t need a lot to look cool.
This little orange Bluebird was pretty awesome, sitting properly on a set of Panasports, but then I noticed the mirrors are a set of GT Napoleon pieces! These are getting harder to find, so seeing a set on something was a real treat.
Keep checking the JDM Legends Facebook page for updates on these little shindigs, and to see photos of the Prince Skyline GTB they took to the Japanese Classic Car Show this past weekend!
Words and Photos by Michael Chandler
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