What does everyone know about the Mazda RX7 Type RB Bathurst?

 

What is your question

 

In 1995, Mazda attached the name "Bathurst" to several special editions to commemorate the FD wins at the Bathurst races in Australia. Dealers may have added the Bathurst B pillar decal to other types in their showrooms. In 1996, the Type RB Bathurst was the first non-special edition, regular run type to use the name. It continued with the red leather interior from the late 1995 Type R Bathurst X.

In 1996, Mazda made a round of significant upgrades to the FD.

 

nice, great information. Do you know if they did anything with the engine for these?

I picked up a 1998, and I’m trying to learn anything I can about this edition.

 

If you have a 1998 be wary that the coil position was changed and there is a risk to your motor if the leads or harness is hooked up in the wrong order.

 

https://autocheck.jp/ Run your vin through these guys for about $35. Reply in two days. Will give history of your car while in Japan.

 

Download all the Japanese manuals from here. It will include the update FSM for Version 4 cars (i.e. yours).

https://redirect.viglink.com/?format...r4xRa%3Fdl%3D0

 

Password is embedded in the file name.

 

oh boy. Ok yeah I’ll have to check it out. I have a ton of history of maintenance, but that’s all.

I’m trying to find out what is different that the non Type RB Bathurst, trying to see if this thing was in a race circuit, etc.

it’s very clean, and had a few mods here and there, along with turbo controllers and other electronics.

 

a few pictures of it.

 

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https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/a...n_DirectSearch..



https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/a...n_DirectSearch

 

I have not seen a 1998 version of the Type RB Bathurst brochure. I suspect they continued to use the 1996 version. Also I suspect the Type RB Bathurst may have not been a line offering in 1998, but they were still selling 1996 in 1998. In Japan the year assigned to a particular car is the year it was first registered.

Autocheck.jp, will likely give you the date of manufacture.

If your car was registered in 1998, it may have been a dealer showroom model for a few years.

The Version 4 cars (1996~1998) were a tough sell and by far the most limited production run, especially the 1998s.

 

Man your tagline is real, you know a ton of stuff about these things. That’s so awesome.

I have so much homework to do apparently.

 

that looks like more than a few mods here and there (at least in my book)... apart from the cosmetic exterior changes, the Recaros, the exhaust, wheels, adjustable coil overs, engine brace, V mount intercooler, single turbo(?), and who knows what else.

 

https://livecarmodel.com/products/1-...RoCfZ8QAvD_BwE

 

Reading the 1998 sales brochure, The Type RB Bathurst is indeed listed. The car is basically the base model (Type RB) with the following substitutions:

Expedia S-07 ZR rated tires v.s. unnamed R rated tires
Front spoiler with brake vents (basically the R1 front spoiler) v.s. base lip (mazda calls it "air dam")
Two post rear wing (Mazda refers to it as "dolphin like") v.s. none
Projector fogs v.s. no fogs
"luxsuede seats" v.s. "fabric" seats
rear wiper and washer v.s. none
Premium (5 speaker) sound system v.s. four speaker

All manual cars had the new 265 hp turbo set up (16 bit ecu)

 

1998 sales brochure page 27.

 

A lot of what would make it a RB Bathurst has been upgraded or replaced so that model title really wouldn't mean much any more if you are looking for a collector type value for that model. The current upgrades and overall condition of the car look great though.

 

Was thinking the same thing once I saw the pictures, but you beat me to it haha.

Just enjoy, what looks like, an awesome example of an FD. IMO people get WAY too caught up in the whole trim level thing with FDs.

 

I read through the 1998 sales brochure and there was indeed a Type RB Bathurst offered. It is, naturally, based on the Type RB (base model) with about six differences *, similar to the SE package on version 5 & 6 cars.

I listed these in a post, which seems to be waiting for a moderator to approve.

(* the R1 front spoiler, Dolphin-like wing, projector fogs and Expedia ZR tires, pictured above, being four of them.)

 

Looks like the version 4 Type RB Bathurst is basically like the Type RB (base spec auto) but with 5 speed manual transmission and rear spoiler (which was not standard on base spec Type RB).

It is not a special edition, just a model variant of the base spec Type RB, somewhat equivalent to what was called the Type RB-S for Version 5 and 6 models.

 

Tellingly, the parts catalogues usually ignore parts that are considered "shop options". In the case of the Version 4 final parts catalogue, the "Type RB Bathurst" is not mentioned. My guess is that all the items that make up a Type RB Bathurst in the 1998 sales brochure are otherwise shop options:

- projector fogs
- front spoiler (R1 style)
- Rear wing (2 post style)
- Luxsuede Seats
- S-07 Expedia tires

 

https://buyee.jp/item/jdirectitems/a...n_DirectSearch For reference.

 

The only issue I’m having with the car, is that it’s hard to get into gear until it’s warmed up.

any ideas why this may be?

 

My transmission has a heavy groan/whine until it warms up. I wonder if it is somehow related to your issue

It is recommended to warm an FD before driving. so a 2~3 minute warm-up is standard procedure for me.

Try changing your transmission oil out to a higher grade.