UP NEXT
For one dedicated owner, it took a decade to fulfill a life-long dream
Sign up to receive the weekly newsletter featuring the very latest from Petrolicious. Don’t be left out—join the ranks of those who Drive Tastefully.
Already a member? Log in
We're glad you're back.
Not a member yet? Sign up
We'll get you back on track.
Films:
This Howling Mazda RX-2 Is A Killer Bee
Killer bee is such an apt name. I remember watching these race when I was a kid. Our vantage point was about a mile from the starting line. All of a sudden there was this angry buzz that grew loud, louder, but – oh my god – its still just a dust cloud around the starting line. By the time the swarm of RX-2’s made its way to our section we were half deaf and laughing our asses off. Fast and angry, it was a pure spectacle of racing joy that I’ve never forgotten.
Insane to see a film crew from the other side of the world shooting this beautiful car in my town. Literally a dot on the map in the middle of nowhere south of Sydney. Ive been to all these places and driven all these roads many many times so its so surreal to see them in one of Petrolicious’ videos! I have a bunch of photos from the same lookout he pulls out of at around 4:01
The wheels are 13×7 Rebel Wheels, made in Australia originally during the 1970s, they were extremely popular on touring cars, sports sedans, hill climb and open wheelers due to their lightweight.
For anyone wanting to see Jasons immaculate RX2 in action, have a look at the following link.
off the wall crazy amazingly talented racing … that you captured the finish so close to the line made for such a huge thrill ! Excellent driving .. amazing followup having left the circuit… I was juggling my breakfast plate howling for you as you weaved thru the hornet and the Porsche . You are one fine driver !
Lovely video. This whole Petrolicious series acknowledges acutely that as cars age, their preservation, restoration and adaptation to a contemporary use is a highly choiceful process; a process that is always a conversation between the owner, the aftermarket supplier community, and ultimately a conversation with what remains of the original designer’s and engineering teams’ intent.
As this owner-restorer-driver so plainly states that while the car itself is just metal, glass, paint, plastic and rubber, that the dialog which emerges between past and present; between the community of present enthusiasts and suppliers, and the market conditions, methods of building and the design premises of the past, can be a very rich, multi-level dialog.
People outside the car hobby seem not to understand. A Detroit by birth, I have always owned coveralls, a creeper, a work lamp, a set of spanners, a set of jack stands and a floor jack. This is just something we did in Detroit. We lived and breathed cars. This was not done out of economic necessity, although it certainly saved money. This was just a fascination we all had and a skill we developed, just like some groups of people invest an incredible amount of time and money in hitting tennis balls. The sub-text to all of these videos, is that while cars can be quite interesting as objects that restored, repurposed and reimagined cars emerge as the product of a complex conversation between many people over time. If the conversation did not exist, neither could the car. And the fascination of the conversation often supersedes that of the car which results.
