Millen 4WD RX-7
11-13-02, 06:12 AM
#1
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Millen 4WD RX-7
I received a reply from my email to Jack, the Belgian who currently owns the 4WD rally car. He evaded most of my questions about the car's setup but did tell me it had a custom front axle, custom gearbox, and most importantly that the engine was moved back and to the right.
This offset of the engine implies that they did indeed use a transfer case, thus moving the engine to the right to allow a driveshaft to come forward on the left to torn a front differential.
And no, he didn't enclose any pics.
This offset of the engine implies that they did indeed use a transfer case, thus moving the engine to the right to allow a driveshaft to come forward on the left to torn a front differential.
And no, he didn't enclose any pics.
11-13-02, 08:56 AM
#7
Originally posted by David88vert
I would love to know how it was originally done. I would even be willing to fly over there if I was allowed to look at the car. :-)
I would love to know how it was originally done. I would even be willing to fly over there if I was allowed to look at the car. :-)
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11-13-02, 11:22 AM
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Yeah well, you fly over here, we go take a look (if Jack allows us) and you stay at my place, what about that?
Then you can bring some goodies for me, as shipping is always so expensive (just payed $45 to fedex for $43 of Mazdatrix stuff :-( )
Then you can bring some goodies for me, as shipping is always so expensive (just payed $45 to fedex for $43 of Mazdatrix stuff :-( )
11-13-02, 12:09 PM
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there was a road test of that car in one of the big car magazines (i think motor trend), no pictures under the hood, but they say 626 front struts (bolt in) i think a fiat front diff and a hewland tranny?
mike
mike
11-13-02, 01:15 PM
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Originally posted by Directfreak
Mazda 626 Front wheel Drive drivetrain, Mazda 4x4 truck center differential, RX7 rear end.
Mazda 626 Front wheel Drive drivetrain, Mazda 4x4 truck center differential, RX7 rear end.
11-13-02, 05:28 PM
#15
The one that Jack has is probably the 2nd one that Rod built for the 1984 rally season. Does it have a row of oil coolers in the rear spoiler?
Years back I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into Rod Millen Motorsports in Huntington Beach swinging by on a Sunday not knowing that they were closed at the time. Both Rod and son Rhys were working around but was kind enough to give me a tour.
Rhys first showed me his daily driven 4x4 Mazda MPV with Panasports and asked me if I wanted to buy it.
The showroom was small, they were transferring it over from another part of the building. They had a nice selection of Sparco seats being one of the few distributors of the line at the time and a few MOMO steering wheels with Mazda on the horn button, leftover from Rods Mazda days before he had to go with Toyota. Rhys showed me the customers cars in a garage and his Pikes Peak Celica All-Trac was being washed. Next was his Supra drag/show car which was being converted into rally specs.
This is when Rod took over and opened up the door to the motorsports section. The place was huge and very clean.
There was a 323 GTX sent over from somewhere in Europe up on a lift being rally-prepped. Off to one side were a pair of narrowed HumVee's for a special gov't project. Rod told me I wasnt allowed to get closer..shucks. We went over to his Pikes Peak Celica. The one piece carbon fiber body resting on the floor still unpainted. I lifted it up with two fingertip! They just did some testing on it at Willow Springs.
Here's when I started to get giddy. Up on a balcony level were 3 cars. Rod pulled down the ladder and we both climbed up. Behold his original RWD Rally RX-7 with a hand laid fiber glass hood and a large scoop on top. Next to it was the the 2nd gen Pikes Peaks beats with a large rear spoiler. The hood was off, all I picture in my mind now is seeing 3ROTOR on the manifold
He told me that he sold the first AWD FC to someone in Japan. The other car was the 323 he rallyed in Olympus I think was in 1988.
I left thanking both Rod and Rhys, thinking to myself.. WOW.. this was just so cool!
Maybe I ought to pop by again soon to see whats been brewing
Years back I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into Rod Millen Motorsports in Huntington Beach swinging by on a Sunday not knowing that they were closed at the time. Both Rod and son Rhys were working around but was kind enough to give me a tour.
Rhys first showed me his daily driven 4x4 Mazda MPV with Panasports and asked me if I wanted to buy it.
The showroom was small, they were transferring it over from another part of the building. They had a nice selection of Sparco seats being one of the few distributors of the line at the time and a few MOMO steering wheels with Mazda on the horn button, leftover from Rods Mazda days before he had to go with Toyota. Rhys showed me the customers cars in a garage and his Pikes Peak Celica All-Trac was being washed. Next was his Supra drag/show car which was being converted into rally specs.
This is when Rod took over and opened up the door to the motorsports section. The place was huge and very clean.
There was a 323 GTX sent over from somewhere in Europe up on a lift being rally-prepped. Off to one side were a pair of narrowed HumVee's for a special gov't project. Rod told me I wasnt allowed to get closer..shucks. We went over to his Pikes Peak Celica. The one piece carbon fiber body resting on the floor still unpainted. I lifted it up with two fingertip! They just did some testing on it at Willow Springs.
Here's when I started to get giddy. Up on a balcony level were 3 cars. Rod pulled down the ladder and we both climbed up. Behold his original RWD Rally RX-7 with a hand laid fiber glass hood and a large scoop on top. Next to it was the the 2nd gen Pikes Peaks beats with a large rear spoiler. The hood was off, all I picture in my mind now is seeing 3ROTOR on the manifold
He told me that he sold the first AWD FC to someone in Japan. The other car was the 323 he rallyed in Olympus I think was in 1988.I left thanking both Rod and Rhys, thinking to myself.. WOW.. this was just so cool!
Maybe I ought to pop by again soon to see whats been brewing
11-13-02, 09:06 PM
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apparently the other 4wd fc went to re amemyia in japan.
i just found the motor trend article june 1984.
it is a test of the original car, they do mention another in construction. the engine is 8" rearward 2.5" toward the passenger side, and 1.5" lower. the drive shaft passes alongside the engine. the front diff is alfa romeo, the rest is 626. the tranny is a weismann with a transfer case. the car has rack and pinion steering, it does not say from what. the oil coolers are in the rear wing. 10.5" discs in the front, with 4 piston girling calipers. the car wieghs 2290lbs. it did the 1/4 mile in 14.15@100.70 in the dirt.
mike
i just found the motor trend article june 1984.
it is a test of the original car, they do mention another in construction. the engine is 8" rearward 2.5" toward the passenger side, and 1.5" lower. the drive shaft passes alongside the engine. the front diff is alfa romeo, the rest is 626. the tranny is a weismann with a transfer case. the car has rack and pinion steering, it does not say from what. the oil coolers are in the rear wing. 10.5" discs in the front, with 4 piston girling calipers. the car wieghs 2290lbs. it did the 1/4 mile in 14.15@100.70 in the dirt.
mike
11-13-02, 09:23 PM
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According to what I read the car does use 626 parts. And according to what Jack told me when he was at my house discussing the future of my '84 RX7 the Rod Millen seven he owns is the first, using steel doors, where as the next one(s) should have glassfibre doors. So this is confussing: a book saying 626 parts, Jack saying custom parts... Maybe he means custom made, but on a 626 base??? Like a customized 626 front diff!?
I've never seen the car in real, so I can't tell either. And that's with just 45 miles between me and the car :-)
I've never seen the car in real, so I can't tell either. And that's with just 45 miles between me and the car :-)
11-14-02, 06:26 AM
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according to an article about Rod in a 1986 issue of Car and Car Conversions (UK mag) he built the car in conjunction with WEISMAN (spelling!) transmissions ... I would like to bet it is as mantis said, all custom made.
plus the 4x4 626's have a transverse engine with a transfer box to drive the rear wheels at the rear of the gearbox ... this set up would be almost impossible to convert for use with a rotary setup (it'd be esier to start from scratch) another thing I thought of ... when did the 4x4 626 come out ? and when did Rod first build his 4x4 1st gen ... one of the pictures I've seen is of an SA indicating early 80's and i think that pre-dates the 4x4 626
plus the 4x4 626's have a transverse engine with a transfer box to drive the rear wheels at the rear of the gearbox ... this set up would be almost impossible to convert for use with a rotary setup (it'd be esier to start from scratch) another thing I thought of ... when did the 4x4 626 come out ? and when did Rod first build his 4x4 1st gen ... one of the pictures I've seen is of an SA indicating early 80's and i think that pre-dates the 4x4 626
11-14-02, 07:55 AM
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"the front diff is alfa romeo, the rest is 626"
(i don't know how you do the quote thing this was from J9FD3s)
That sounds like they used the Alfa Romeo diff. and the suspension/hubs/and possible even the half shaft were from the 626, or at least derived from the 626 FWD suspension. As in not using the FWD transaxle. Just the suspension that allows the use of front drive axles.
(i don't know how you do the quote thing this was from J9FD3s)
That sounds like they used the Alfa Romeo diff. and the suspension/hubs/and possible even the half shaft were from the 626, or at least derived from the 626 FWD suspension. As in not using the FWD transaxle. Just the suspension that allows the use of front drive axles.
11-14-02, 08:18 AM
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As far as I kow, it was not 626 4x4 parts, just the FWD parts. Possible like nosajwrx-7 said. Since the engine was moved (rather seriously) there would have been space. Maybe the gearbox/transfercase would have been custom built, and they used suspension parts from the 626. I must urgently have a look at that car :-)