The 7th wonder: Mad Mike’s ‘MADBUL’ FD returns

7 February, 2017

 

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I went to him with the idea of doing the RX-3 front swap on the FD. His response was ‘Kakkoi’, which translates to ‘cool’ in japanese

Mad Mike’ Whiddett’s FD3S has travelled the globe, killing tyres from Asia to America, and all over Europe. The long-suffering FD chassis has been loyal to Mike. It’s taken down some of the best names in the business and banged doors with hundreds of drifters. It’s the car that Mike first learnt to drift in, and the car that propelled him onto the world stage. In return, Mike has shown the car some serious love over the years, constantly updating its look and keeping it fresh, even with newer, faster and more powerful ‘BUL’s appearing in his stable. You might think that ‘MADBUL’ would eventually be pushed into the corner and left to gather dust, but that could not be further from the truth. We introduce to you version seven of everyone’s favourite FD.

It’s a transformation that Mike’s been waiting to do for over a year now, after working directly with Kei Miura of 6666 Customs to develop the first Rocket Bunny FD RX-7 kit, followed by the Pandem aero now worn by the RX-7. Ask the man what his favourite Mazda is, and he will tell you it’s the RX-3, but as for merging that into an RX-7 — now that’s just crazy talk, isn’t it …

Read the rest of this article in NZPC Issue no. 243 — Grab yourself a print copy at your local magazine spot, or at the link below:

Merry Christmas from NZ Classic Car magazine

The Classic Car magazine team is taking a few weeks’ holiday from the work computer and heading to the beach for some kickback time.
Merry Christmas, and have a wonderful summer holiday to all our readers, followers, and fans. Enjoy this special extra time with the family. We will be posting archive articles again in mid to late January.
Have fun, be good and be careful out there.

Two engines instead of one?

Popping two motors into a car is not only complicated, it doesn’t always end well. Donn Anderson recalls early attempts, including John Cooper’s ill-fated original Twini Mini built 58 years ago

For a boost in performance, better traction, and perhaps improved handling to some, two motors seems an obvious solution. It would also eliminate the need to develop a larger engine replacement from scratch, but would that outweigh the not inconsiderable technical difficulties?
The idea of using a pair of engines dates back at least 86 years to the Alfa Romeo Bimotor single seater racing car that was officially timed at 335km/h, or 208mph. Taking a lengthened Alfa P3 chassis, the Italians fitted two supercharged straight eight 2.9-litre and 3.2-litre engines, one in front of the cockpit, and the other behind the cockpit.