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Scale Fujimi
Mazda RX3 Model Car Buildup Article
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Like
most Americans in 1973 my family was driving big cars, and
my mother was no exception. Not that the '67
Impala 2-door was a bad car, it could easily hold the
whole family, which included me and my two younger brothers,
and the neighbors kids as well. But with the oil crisis in
the news, she thought a smaller car would be the way to go.
A new dealership had opened just a couple of miles from us
back then, and I remember going there with my mother to pick
up the new ride. I was around 11 years old, and it just so
happened the car she chose was a "fresh off the dock"
RX3 Station Wagon (with fake woodgrain on the sides
no less !).
Ever since then, I have had a certain affection for rotary
powered Mazda cars. With a Rotary 13B being about the
size of a 5-gallon bucket and making several hundred horsepower,
I find it a fascinating little universal powerplant for a
car.
In my adult life, I have always wanted a model of a Mazda
RX3. While the chances of a wagon being issued by an injection-molding
model company are pretty slim, I am willing to compromise
my lust with a 2-door coupe. In this case, Fujimi's RX3 Savanna
GT. While not available in the U.S at the time, a hobby shop
in Asia ( Hobby Link in Japan)
carried them, and that is where I bought the kit. (Actually,
I bought two kits. More about that later).
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This
curbside (no engine) kit is 1/24 scale. Even then, it is still
a small model car, and at first glance you might think it's
1/25. The body, two taillight assemblies, and nose piece are
molded in white. The rest of the trees are molded in black,
with a clear tree provided for the headlights, glass, and
tail lenses. Four real rubber tires are included, with one
set of factory stock rims. Only a right hand drive dash is
provided.
As with most Fujimi models,
the body and nose piece are crisp and clean. You would be
hard pressed to even find a moldline anywhere. I would have
preferred the grille not be molded in, it would have been
better if it were open and you could see through it. I thought
about trying to open it up in back by grinding it with a Dremel
tool, as I have with other kits, but it appeared to be too
thin to do so. The honeycomb grille insert is molded with
a very fine detail.
The chassis is somewhat simple. The lower engine is represented
with an oil pan, the driveshaft and exhaust are also molded
in. Fortunately, the front and rear suspensions are made up
of a few separate pieces, so if you wanted to say, change
the rims and tires, you could probably do this with a minimum
of modifications.
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Page
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4
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Drifting:
Sideways From Japan to
America
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- Mazda
RX-7 Performance Handbook - Following a historical overview
of RX-7 evolution to the present, the author presents a series
of tried-and-true modifications for suspension and chassis, brakes,
drivetrain, body, interior, and the RX-7s innovative Wankel rotary
engine. Fully illustrated, this guidebook also features restoration
and modification plans specifically tailored for high-performance
street applications.
- RX-7:
Mazda's Rotary Engine Sportscar -Revised 2nd Edition - Mazda
launched its first rotary-engined car - the Cosmo - in 1966 and
was the only car manufacturer to solve the major problems associated
with Wankel's radical engine design so that the unit's potential
could be exploited and enjoyed. Launched in 1978, the RX-7 provided
effortless and uncannily smooth performance, attributes that endeared
the model to enthusiasts through three generations of production.
With each reincarnation the RX-7 became more of a Grand Tourer
and less of a sportscar (a mantle handed on to the MX-5/Miata);
global sales reduced as the car moved upmarket until, in the new
millennium, the model was only sold in its native Japan.
- Boys'
Toys of the 70's & 80's: Toy Pages From the Legendary Sears
Christmas Wishbooks 1970-1989 - This thick, 192 page book
is jammed with authorized reprints of rare Sears, Roebuck and
Co. Christmas "Wishbook" pages. Organized by year from
1970 through 1989, these selected pages have all the great toys
collectors want to know about: Star
Wars, Marx playsets, electric trains, GI Joe, Action Jackson,
He-Man, Transformers, Hot Wheels
and much more. A "Must Have" for all toy collectors
and perfect for everyone else who wants to bring back happy childhood
memories !
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