When associate online editor Erick Ayapana and I were invited by Mazda to participate in the 2016 Touge California road rally, we knew we’d be crazy to pass up this opportunity. The rally, organized by Japanese Nostalgic Car, combined vintage Japanese cars with a challenging road course through mountainous passes. Neither of us had ever driven a rotary-powered vehicle prior to the event, but Mazda bravely gave us the keys to three of its heritage cars, including two with rotary engines.
1978 Mazda GLC (Great Little Car)
Great Little Car: Not-quite-so-hot hatchback holds its own
What the 1978 Mazda GLC lacks in power and performance it makes up in charm. The diminutive hatchback is powered by a 1.3-liter I-4 engine making a whopping 59 hp. A three-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels. On a flat section of road the GLC could eventually get up to the 65-mph speed limit. With the pedal to the floor, the GLC can climb most hills at speed (accelerate to speed before the incline).
Despite the lack of modern luxuries such as air-conditioning and power steering, the GLC is easy to toss around on back roads thanks to its narrow P155/80R13 tires (the same size used under most traditional lowriders). Winding sections are easily attacked by briefly lifting off the throttle just before the corner to give the front tires more bite. Next, quickly floor it into and all the way through the corner to maintain forward momentum. No brakes needed—a good thing considering their lack of stopping power. Although the steering wheel has lots of play and is numb just off center, it is direct and predictable.
And how can anyone not like the GLC’s cheery bright yellow paint and matching plaid seats?
Its main mission was to provide simple transportation during a time of frequent oil crises, but the Mazda GLC hatchback’s fun-to-drive nature was a precursor to the small Japanese automaker’s ZoomZoom tagline. We got out of the GLC with grins on our faces. Great Little Car indeed.
1975 Mazda Rotary-Engine Pickup (REPU)
Roadkill all the things: How I broke Mazda’s REPU
We were excited to hop into our first rotary-powered vehicle: the 1975 Mazda Rotary-Engine Pickup, aka the REPU. Power for the compact pickup comes from Mazda’s naturally aspirated, 1.3-liter four-port 13B two-rotor engine making 110 hp at 6,000 rpm and 117 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. Other REPU-specific bits not found on the piston-powered Mazda B-Series pickup include a unique front grille, flared fenders, round taillights, a revised dashboard, and the battery mounted under the bed.
Our particular Mazda REPU also had some custom touches, including a five-speed manual transmission (the four-speed from the 1974-1976 model years was replaced by a five-speed in 1977), a custom dual-exhaust from the engine to the center-mounted exhaust tips, and different script for the “Rotary Power” tailgate decal.
Although I am admittedly a rotary engine skeptic (and have been trying to convince a friend to LS-swap his perfectly running FD RX-7), driving the Mazda REPU has enlightened me. The 13B willing sings up the powerband to its 6,500 rpm redline with a progressively louder yet sweeter tone.
This particular stretch of the the Touge California road rally posed more than just twisty bits and moderate hills. Rather, there were some tight sweepers and steep sections of mountain roads. The REPU tackled the corners at much faster speeds than one would expect in a 40-year-old compact pickup with a leaf-spring rearend. In fact, the only thing stopping us from wrapping out the engine in more gears down the straights was its lack of braking confidence. To this end, the REPU experienced lots of engine braking before the corners, as well as downhill.
After using second gear to successfully climb the steep and intimidating Los Gatos Road outside of Temecula, engine braking was used to control downhill speed on the other side to prolong brake life. Unfortunately, this caused unburned fuel to build up in the front set of mufflers mounted below the transmission.
While driving on a relatively flat section of road in a more populated part of town, I redlined first gear while pulling away from a stoplight. Shortly after successfully grabbing second gear, a LOUD backfire caused the shifter to pop out of gear. After rev-matching the engine to road speed and putting the shifter back into gear, I discovered the pickup still had forward motivation indicating no driveline breakage (U-joints, driveshaft, axles). The LOUD explosion did, however, cause the rotary to change its tune. We pulled over to discover a large 3-inch by 2-inch hole in one of the mufflers below the transmission.
With no other damage (fortunately it backfired through the exhaust and not the four-barrel carburetor), we limped the REPU back to the next checkpoint with only a few small backfires.
1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE
The one that got away: A missed opportunity with Mazda’s first legit sports car
Although Mazda used the rotary in earlier two-door models (Cosmo Sport grand touring coupe, RX-2, RX-3, RX-4, REPU), it wasn’t until 1979 that the engine was first installed in a sports car. The two-seat 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE was the culmination of the first-generation rotary sports coupe, which debuted in 1979 under the SA chassis code. After substantial updates for the 1981 model year, Mazda changed the chassis code to FB.
Mazda’s example, which was finished in silver paint over red leather interior, had just 1,000 original miles before the rally.
In its second revision (Series 3) for the 1984 model year, Mazda introduced the new 1.3-liter 13B-RESI two-rotor engine for the top-spec GSL-SE trim. With Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, the new engine was good for 135 hp and 135 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission routed power to the limited-slip rear differential. Other GSL-SE upgrades include a beefed up clutch, larger brakes, revised suspension tuning, and unique wheels. An automatic was not available for the GSL-SE.
Unfortunately, due to the small issue with the REPU and a miscommunication at one of the checkpoints, Ayapana and I missed our opportunity to drive the low-mileage, unrestored RX-7 sports coupe through Ortega Highway (one of SoCal’s best driving roads). Although we didn’t get to drive the rotary sports car, we can tell you that a 1984 RX-7 GSL-SE we tested reached 60 mph in less than 8.0 seconds (nearly 2.0 seconds faster than the carbureted 100-hp, 1.1-liter 12A engine in the base model) and achieved higher lateral acceleration than the Lotus Esprit Turbo and Ferrari 306 GTSi of the time.
With the REPU still in our possession, we opted to skip the last leg of the Touge California and baby the wounded pickup back to Mazda’s headquarters in Irvine. Although Ayapana did an admirable job avoiding engine braking during heavy Saturday evening traffic on I-15, there were still several backfires, some as loud as gunfire (which scared many of our fellow highway users). Those who didn’t think they were being shot at gave a thumbs-up to us and the REPU that now sounded like a two-stroke rat rod.
Check out more Japanese classics at the 2016 Touge California road rally below, and read about them RIGHT HERE.
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