Yes the tiltle is true, One weekend in 2002 me and my mate Glenn were talking about his van, it was diesel and slow so we had this idea of putting a rotary in it.

2 weeks later we had purchased a series 4 (2nd gen) 13b non turbo engine that had a series 5 turbo bolted to the side of it. We stripped the van down and proceded to convert this diesel slow mobile into something a little different.
The project took us a year to do and we modified pretty much everything on the van, chopped the rear chassis rails to lower it, lengthened the gear linkages so they could bend around the turbo and the list goes on. We took the standard van gearbox and cut the bellhousing in half then mated the front part of a series 4 Manual gearbox bellhousing to it so it was a Maztoy gearbox. This van was insane and really quick!!! So after a year of building this thing, being the first rotary turbo van in New Zealand we drove it to a place called Lower Hutt in Wellington to get the huge stereo system fitted. On the way we were cruising up this hill and we saw this brand new Holden GTS (similar to a pontiac) and these cars are worth about NZD $80k. Anyway we came up beside it and gave it a rev and naturally the guy laughed, so 3rd gear it was and a quick stomp on the gas and all of a sudden the van shoots out a massive flame towards the GTS then the van shoots off like a rabbit on speed!!!! You should have seen this guys jaw drop, it was so funny to see this smug looking guy in this expensive car getting totally eaten buy a van that cost an 8th of the price and went twice as fast!!!!
The best thing was that this guy coulndt even catch us!

I will try and track down some pics of it so you guys believe me!!!

This would be the perfect mastercard ad!

 

wow, thats some crazy **** you did there. I'd like to see pics of the work.

 

damn............u definitely need to post some pics for us

 

This thread need pics and vids!!!

Still on the stock S5 turbo?

 

Ok guys I will hunt down the magazine we got it into and scan the pics tomorrow for ya, hopefully I still have it. The van has since been sold so i am not sure what turbo is running in it. You guys will like the 1 meter rotor embeded in the carpet that took our mate about 30 odd hours to make out of 4 different coloured carpet!!! we are a bit rotary mad over here, we will damn near put one in anything!!!

If no joy with the mag I will ring glenn and ask if he has any of it.

 

Hey people well I have managed to find my old photos of it, sorry they are not the best but here you are, sorry but no videos, not even on youtube!!! wtf??

 

and some more

 

And here is the last of what I have, hope you all enjoy. Remember this was built by me and a couple of mates. His newer hiace now has a 3ltr twin turbo supra engine in it and then there is the RX8 he just got that his 20B is going into, I cant wait for that one!!!!!!

Good ol fashioned Kiwi inginuity, been doing it since day one!!!!

If it aint a rotor it aint a motor!!!

 

man thats beyond crazy!

 

WOW! thats amazing! please get videos up!!! hahah id love to see how that thing runs

 

Haha, awesome kill! Why are we just now hearing about this van? That thing rocks! I want to see more pictures and video!

 

HAHA that is amazing!

 

Badass!!!

 

Not to mention it did a 14.5 sec 1/4 mile on the drag strip with all interior (polished checker plate panels and hood lining and 18mm MDF floor with carpet) and massive sounds in it!

 

I've seen it! Theres another one in my town that has a bridgeport N/A in it.

 

I've seen two or three Rotary Highace's around Wellington. I've even seen a bridgeported Mazda Bongo too; definitely a unique thing to do.

 

Well this van originated from Pram/Welly so you prob have seen it.
I have seen dozens of bongo vans with rotary conversions and the odd hi ace but doing an N/A carby conversion is easy and could be done in a day (if gearbox has been modified) but when you take a fuel injected engine with a turbo then shoe-horn it into an engine bay smaller than the original, that then becomes difficult especially when it comes to wiring it up using the factory loom and computer!!!
The amount of hours we spent on this was huge and I would never do it agian with a standard loom! GO MICROTECH!!!!!

but hey if its got a rotor it cant be too bad! can it?

 

Wow that thing is sweet. Nice kill too, lol.

 

now thats just impressive....

 

Go NZ getting respect from across the world for our rotary in anything oldschool fetish.

 

NZ kicks *** with Rotary power. We have Mercs, BMW, Toyota Alteza, **** man we have everything with rotarys in them.

 

Yep we sure do, we will stick em in damn near anything!!!

Cars I have seen in person in New Zealand with rotors fitted are:

Toyota Corrolla DX's
Ford Escort's
Mazda/Ford Bongo's
Mazda/Ford B2000 or Couriers
Toyota Altezzas
Merc's
BMW 320's
Mazda 323 Familia's (front wheel drive) One converted to rear wheel drive and a 4 ROTOR engine up front!! yeee haaaaaa
Honda Civic (front wheel drive)
Izusu Gemini (ex 4wd converted to rear wheel drive)
Suzuki Escudo
Mazda SP20 (converted to 4 rotor and rwd)
I have also seen boats with rotors in them and my old flat mate is converting his 1992 toyota celica with an FD engine FWD!
Holden Commodore (in aussie and with 20B)

I could go on all day but I have to work!!
Lets see what other cars have had conversions not on this list...........

 

Amazing

 

Thats the sh*#. Thats the best van I have ever seen.

 

thats prolly the only van i would ever drive. that list of cars is just amazing. i wish America would get that big into rotaries.