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Community => Auto Torque => Topic started by: nathan on 16 November 2006, 06:53 AM

Title: r107 wankel article
Post by: nathan on 16 November 2006, 06:53 AM
alright,
sorry to flood this part of the site with magazine snippets, especially as in this case its not a 116 article!
anyhow, whilst on a brief break, i again passed the local agent and noted they had in the mercedes classic magazine which few people stock...this is usually a nice magazine with interesting stories without the garbage or ads - although at 14 bucks for a light magazine i generally skip it.
the current one in oz had an article on a 350sl (107) that feliz wankel made for himself with a similar (the same?) engine they used in the C111's.  i only briefed through it and may not be a 100% on the facts, but i believe he did it to prove it could be done, just like waxenburg dumped the 6.3 in the 108.  the article noted a 6.9 second 100kmh sprint, just quicker thana  6.9!  i dont know what happened to this guy, he must have been old when he made it (he reportedly didnt have a licence!) but it now sits with only 5000 km on it (i didnt see where it was kept)
anyway, that fired me up for the day
nathan
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: s class on 18 November 2006, 03:12 AM
I presume the RX8's are more refined, but I know that the RX7's had a tendency to blow unburnt fuel through the exhaust when the seals got worn.  After extended high speed travel, there was a tendency for this fuel to ignite in the exhaust and occasionally produce a flame-thrower effect out of the tailpipe.  I suppose in certain social classes that's cool?

Ryan
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: nathan on 18 November 2006, 03:59 AM
ryan,
i wont lie, i like the flaming mo effect!
i considered buying a kit for it until i saw how you had to do it on 'pimp my ride', with the engine power temporarily sapped for the  metre long flame
nathan
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: oscar on 20 November 2006, 03:56 AM
Quote from: s class on 18 November 2006, 03:12 AM
there was a tendency for this fuel to ignite in the exhaust and occasionally produce a flame-thrower effect out of the tailpipe.  I suppose in certain social classes that's cool?

Cool!! :D Before I finished school in '90, all I wanted for my first car was a Ford Bronco/F150 pick-up in black with flame throwing exhausts.  Like that Columbian drug lord in "Romancing the Stone".  My other choice was a red Rx7.  I used to draw pictures of them and I loved the theoretical simplicity of the "rotary" engine.  Now I think Rx7's are ugly and and most post 90's mainstream coupes look alike.  I can't tell the difference at a glance between Nissans, Hondas and as for the only Rx8 locally which met a sad end against a telegraph pole a couple of months ago - I dunno.  A colleagues british racing green MG holds more appeal. Long live the naturally aspirated piston engine. They just sound too good.
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: nathan on 20 November 2006, 05:30 AM
O,
are you referring to 'pepe, my little mule!', those movies were bloody good...however, the 4wd i really wanted as a child was the black hilux in back to the future, you could probably get one now for quite a bargain!
i ended up with the same 4wd we had in the family when back to the future came out (if that was 1985!)

(http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/6776/eurekadc3.jpg)
PS no i didnt make it that time

Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: oscar on 20 November 2006, 06:25 AM
haha, yes!  "Pepe, my little mule"   ;D and do you think I can find a photo after all these years. It's amazing what turns up in a search; a Texan that call his Nissan Pathfinder "Pepe, my little mule" and this kid  :D

(http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1724/animated110sf4.gif) (http://imageshack.us)

Speaking of Back to the Future.  I only saw all three when my wife bought the tripple pack DVD a couple of years ago.  I found out a lot about the Delorean on the net.  Fascinating story behind the maker (John Delorean I think) and the car.  Having discovered sites that sell B2TF add ons for your Delorean, I thought how good it would be to have a collection of movie cars. Not the Hilux though ;D  Perhaps another thread, why not.
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: nathan on 20 November 2006, 07:28 PM
we must think alike,
hail to chunks 'truffle shuffle' ha ha ha
that delorean story was interesting, that poor crack dealing owner,is he still in prison?
nathan
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: AMG69 on 20 November 2006, 10:48 PM
my dream Movie Car has and always will be Mad Max's (Falcon) Interceptor from 1980....I came close - owned a blue 351 V8 Falcon sedan...just never got the Black Coupe!!
Title: Re: r107 wankel article
Post by: BAR on 30 November 2006, 12:25 AM
The RO 80 was a wonderful car for its day.  It was very comfortable, aerodynamic and enjoyed reasonable handling.

I had one in Switzerland during the mid-80's.  It had been graced with a mandatory engine rebuild... as has been written, the oil seals were unreliable.  In good humour when one passed anoth RO 80 one would hold up a number of fingers relative to the number of rebuilds (surprisingly, the number 2 was very rarely seen).

The cars were comparitively heavy and underpowered for their time, also being front wheel drive, but given enough road, they could be coaxed up to 160 kmh and above.

Mine was a 3 speed clutchless car [like Citroen's C-Matic, one of which I have also owned] and I enjoyed many miles and lots of fun with the car.

The fate of NSU was that it eventually became part of the Audi group.  One can 'see' some of the design echoed in the Audi 80 / 90s.