THE SKID FACTORY - 1973 Mazda RX3 [Build Review]

This week on the Skid Factory we dig into one of the builds that Al has been a part of over the last few years, in this case a mint 73 Mazda RX3 that's had lots of time, effort and money spent on it by owner Luke who originally bought it as a rolling shell.
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Please note: We like to make interesting car mods and show you how we've gone about it, but we can't promise that anything we show you will work for your particular car, or that you won't harm yourself, someone else, your car or your warranty doing it. Please be safe, be responsible and unless you know what you're doing, do not fool around with very serious machinery just because you've seen us make it look so easy.

[@AntonBabiy]

10:12 "Waste gate pipe joined back in for legalities..." It sure is Al ;) Edit added timestamp

[@tmmtmm]

plumbed back to the atmosphere

[@colestowing8695]

("wink, wink, nudge, nudge") xD

[@Anonymouspock]

Need a timestamp.

[@AntonBabiy]

@@Anonymouspock there ya go🙂

[@BaLoShIi34]

This was the best 😂😂

[@tomwaters5115]

“The pipe off the wastegate is joined back in as you can see, for legalities” 😂😂😂👌

[@6door6four96]

L I have a single turbo fd 66mm borgwarner with a open waste gate it’s ruthless and can be annoying at times but it’s amazing idk if I could ever recirc it I’ll take the ticket lol

[@MrGuvEuroman]

Stunning! I am so so so pleased to see a Rotary inside it, not some LS 👍👌

[@matthewd8296]

that just americans they are a special type of special :P

[@falconater68]

Matthew D ...Yep, no one else on the planet uses the LS.

[@chrisbyers4726]

@@matthewd8296 Your jealousy is showing.

[@jarrodwest5733]

12:04 If anyone's interested the reason rotaries need a strong muffler is to withstand the constant impact of apex seal chunks.

[@888johnmac]

lol.. but true

[@The_Bliz]

Jokes aside, it's actually the exhaust temperature having a tendency to melt muffler and resonator packing material that would otherwise reduce the noise out the tailpipe.

[@clubsport9334]

Please include a road test in future vids!!

[@chadfellers9128]

Yes please..

[@TheBruster123]

But did you watch the whole vid bro? he literally said he was going to :')

[@logicreversed18t]

My fingers were all fired up and ready to say the same thing, and then I finished watching the video.

[@colormesarge]

Please listen to what the creators say before making a statement like this.

[@clubsport9334]

Sorry Fellas... Too impatient...

[@AdamEwart]

"Pretty rare car, so he didn't want to go cutting it up for a front mount..." Hallelujah!! The world needs more car nuts like your mate....cutting up and turning into drag queens is what makes cars like this (any classic, really) even more hard to come by in good nick. Love me some rotor action! ❤️❤️

[@BachPhotography]

Al is a true master of his craft

[@HazeyAuto]

I don’t recall anything from the 70s having a stepper motor tacho that did a full sweep on powerup. Good job, Al.

[@mostlypostie1]

Haltech :)

[@phuzz00]

I guess all those other gauges can work off the Haltech too.

[@roxykupetz8594]

The Ben Hayes? Of snowboard construction fame?

[@HazeyAuto]

roxy kupetz Future host of The Hazey Show- all about old cars and motorbikes. No snowboards in sight I’m afraid.

[@gullf1sk]

So i googled rotary engine and i now know that boost goes in, and apex seals go out and you have to rebuild your motor

[@douglasm3310]

gullf1sk that is the best explanation I’ve seen yet.

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

they're good for like 3-5 years depends on boost levels and use case. it's fine. good 'nuf for a daily if you're into modding cars a rebuild every 5 years is not that big of a deal.

[@Wankelgang]

If you have a bad tune yeah, good tune and proper care will last a while

[@Lead_Foot]

Add alcohol injection to solve most overheating and carbon build up problems.

[@haydenbristow91]

wasnt that 20 years ago when seals were shit?. Pretty sure new materials and seals are good now

[@GlennnD]

Just fuckin love this show! No bullshit and loads of crappy music and other ding dongs. Just the pure info! Great job!

[@danielwilberforce7400]

Alan handles the camera in the face like a pro these days. Loving the progress in that regard, you've come a long way! 💪

[@brandonbuckland6748]

Love this - Straight to the point information without any fluff or music editing montage. THIS is the type of build review I've been waiting for. Great job you guys.

[@southjerseysound7340]

Absolutely amazing build and extra props for not hacking it up just because someone was too lazy to do it proper. This is one of those rare times when you see a car that is just right. Its the perfect mix of modern and period mods and nothing was overdone.

[@ESPSJ]

Very interesting video, love this style. Too be fair, Al could talk about a toaster and how it works and it would be interesting.

[@TimHoppen]

I imagine it would sound like this, "If you don't know how a toaster works, Google it, you'll find out"

[@thefriese8805]

but only if the toaster is turbocharged

[@negativeindustrial]

How nice! Mazda included a tool kit so you can get your new rotary home from the dealership for the first time. How thoughtful of them.

[@godfreypoon5148]

I like the way those fuel pumps mount in the surge tank.

[@oskarpalsson279]

Yes!! A great idea for an awesome series!! Looking forward to more episodes!!

[@thomasphilyaw8593]

My day was made when I saw a new video arrived. My world was made when I actually watched it. Only top notch from you Al !!!

[@madestman101]

Love the JAF badge on the front, That is like the NRMA ro RACQ same kind of set up. I called them so many times when my wife left the door open on my Legacy GTB in Japan they come out and give you a jump start for free, if you are a member. cool thing is if you are a member it covers all your vehicles also if you are riding with a friend and he brakes down it covers them too.

[@fastfeatures3217]

FINALLY!!! A ROTARY! keep them coming boys!

[@SaltFlatMonte]

Good God, I can dream of making my 1985 RX-7 this nice. Thanks for going over the tech details! Cheers from Montreal, Canada

[@Built_it_by-alex]

We the viewers are holding you to your word with that test drive

[@0ttoman]

considering Australia is one of the few places with good rotary support and fanbase... its about damn time you guys had some rotary love on this channel!

[@FlyingShotsman]

Al, your mate Luke is one fortunate guy; that's the coolest car I've seen in ages. You guys did a beautiful job on that one!

[@EricLightbody]

Oh my goodness is that a cool car. The startup at the end was the icing on the cake.

[@Elxmo]

Pretty cool hearing a shout out for Franklin Engineering, went to school with him and have bought a few of his goodies for RBs, good quality gear!

[@murraybooth3955]

Nice to see a bit of Skid Factory SkidStory :)

[@Blacksummer59]

If I could buy all the cars of my dreams, it would be on the list!

[@mcrotor77]

Best car you've had on the show BY FAR!

[@YouTubestopsharingmyrealname]

Al is developing an awesome camera presence

[@jasondaley6723]

Al you look so young and that sounds SICK !!

[@jimmac1953]

I love Al. Knows what the hell he's doing and he's getting more talkative. Thanks for not adding music well he's talking.

[@donolszewski8443]

Damn thats the most professional built ive ever seen

[@gosportjamie]

Very nice, Al and Luke have done a beautiful job restoring a very rare car and also resisted the temptation to make it loud. So many modified rotaries are just stupid loud, this one sounds great, it's clearly a rotary, it clearly has plenty of attitude but it won't deafen you as it drives past, or the occupants as they enjoy the power. Just lovely. Clearly, like most projects, it's never finished judging by the current lack of head lining but I'll lay odds that doesn't stop it being a whole heap of great fun to drive...

[@RZ-tz8en]

Its all done now ;)

[@zakatte1]

I want to see the brass donkey collection!! LOL

[@nigelnigelakiraakira]

I was like "man I wonder if that's a real thing?" lmao

[@jamiemaynard9912]

Maybe a shed walkthrough video? With all the knowledge and tips and tricks I’m sure everyone would like to see the tools you use most and there’s always great shed stories that certain tools remind you of. Be great to hear!

[@grant7411]

Yes!! Love the rotors!

[@rotorshed4115]

Thought Al would have been extra grumpy working on a "rotted". Good on you Al you even had a little twinkle in your eye. Beautiful car.

[@rotorshed4115]

damn spellcheck

[@santosvazquezii1841]

Finally a sweet car thank you Alan....

[@Snowddova]

What a beautiful car you can see all the attention to detail and awesome craftsmanship that has gone into that thing - something to be very proud of

[@TailGunnerUK]

that paintjob is stunning too. such a beautiful colour!

[@playlistforkids]

Turbo Yoda is the man. Beautiful car

[@catfish552]

Triangles, Triangles, TRIANGLES! Awesome car, looking forward to more of this series.

[@ronniecason9807]

i love the sound of a good rotary

[@davidhiscock1969]

What a simply beautiful car

[@bigmanbuilds]

Omg 😍😍😍😍😍😍 why are these such a unicorn?? Such an amazing build guys love it

[@stiggibombastic]

Very nice car, lovely sound.. The best show on KZbin, fun and skilled builder. A lot of tips and tricks to learn for the amateur mechanic.

[@alexadelaide]

Honestly a rotary sounds like such a hassle to build and maintain but they sound amaaaaaaaaaaazing

[@bushiebodge]

as i find this stuff amazing and im useless with my hands and unmachanically minded its great how you show and explain stuff it is appreciated thanks

[@Two99Point80]

I had a '73 RX3 then a '77 RX3SP back in the day. Thanks for the memories!

[@KLP2566]

wow wow WOW!! this video reminds my why I subscribed to this channel few years back

[@boosted07rodeo14]

best you tube show by far ,great to see all manner of cars and different engine transplants and top notch fabrication work . really liked this one as my first car was a rx3 coupe ,wish i still had it now these cars are worth a shitload now

[@matjames9672]

Beautiful car! Stunning. " don't put shit tires on your fast car 'cuz you'll die and your car'll be broken." Classic Al. Love it.

[@michaeljenkins6550]

I so miss my RX3!!! Such a well balanced car!

[@shaneduncan2996]

loved this build break down. Really appreciate all the tech tips. I recently solid mounted some rx8 oil coolers. Your tip on rubber mounting could have saved my rotaries life.

[@metaomicron72]

Impecable build, very well done and good taste from the owner.

[@ATH-nj6oe]

My nephew has got one of those bone stock on the build, looks awesome. Thank you for showing the good old metal on your builds. Thoroughly Enjoy your work. Hello from Pt.

[@coreydoody1806]

Wow that RX3 is amazing, this new series is great!

[@Sykoorus]

that's a seriously beautiful car. can't get much better than this

[@OzzysRadioHalfHour]

Mum had a 74 Capella years ago when we were kids. It's amazing how much they're worth now.

[@itsbigsteve9123]

MCM finally showing some rotary love thanks to Al!

[@CRINNI11]

What a car! Do wish I grew up in this era of cars, would love to own one myself one day but there not bloody cheap! Great video guys, this and MCM are the best channels out there nothing beats some aussie car passion, banter and al’s knowledge and love he puts into these cars it’s extremely motivating! Look forward to the next one.

[@feenyx6394]

What an incredibly well sorted car that is. Love everything about it!

[@21ZacDUDE]

This guy is a genius. I love it.

[@679bruh7]

‘Don’t know what a rotary is, google it and find out’ cracked up. Love my rotaries 😍😍

[@Burger23]

Well done Turbo Yoda. Mint build!

[@michaelsidhu4079]

Hope you make more of these videos showcasing previous builds. Keep up the excellent work guys. 😎

[@donaldhastyjr4066]

Simply BADASS!!!

[@Beej13b]

Finally some rotor love on the skid factory!!! And what a tidy rx3 it is! Good work Yoda!

[@aaronbridges8098]

Mate your comment about buying good Tyers for ya fast car👌 nailed it wise words that actually apply to any car if like being alive. When you think about it tyres are the only thing actually touching and sticking you to the road!!!

[@HudsonStronck]

13:45 ... so many shots fired lmao

[@hotwire96]

Should really be a deceased big end bearing

[@rhys6990]

That looks stunning

[@BorisFett]

Sweet car and a great idea for a series.

[@emmanuelb110]

I need this in my life 🥺🥺🥺 love it!!!!

[@bmh67wa]

I used to have a RX-2. Fun little car.

[@64nine]

12a front.. classic simmons.. ohh and sounds mint! the savanna rear lights have almost become more common these days since u don't see any rotors anymore :( :(.. love your work and your appreciation for all things great!

[@El_Chompo]

That's a good point about the rear drums being good for hand brake turns, I had never thought about that before, but drums would be suited to that since they actually grip better from what I've heard until they heat up.

[@prestonparker437]

I always liked the body style ,here in the states seem like all I saw was the 2dr. Coupe.nice car and the blue looks really good on it !

[@iananderson4897]

A fellow apprentice had an RX3 with a 13B PP in it way back when. Took me for a strap in it, holy smokes, the noise, the acceleration and the violent axle tramp on gear changes! Then copped one of the first legal 13B Turbo conversions in the ACT. Was abit more civilised, but holy crap did it move!

[@dinobot_maximize]

a nice classic car again

[@Biggspeed]

Absolutely LOVE IT! that is a sweet sweet car. Sounds epic as well. Nicely done AL and owner!

[@barryphillips7327]

Cool 70,s car, really nicely done, hope to see it out for a drive next time, they were based on a Mazda 808 body shell, if anyone remembers them, the 808 suffered badly with RUST!

[@papamoeziz]

Not so much. They are the same platform. The 808's had piston motors instead of the rotary, and both suffered badly with rust. Like most Japanese cars from the 70's

[@barryphillips7327]

As i said they were similar body shell except for the front and the tail lights were different, yes i already knew ( my sister had one ) the 808 used a 4 cylinder engine, i doubt if any 808,s are around now RUST will have eaten them all, unless one has been tucked away in a shed carefully looked after.

[@mauriceh7558]

such a nice car . i went oooooohh just by the the thumbnail

[@bloke_from_newzealand4562]

Finaly a real car!!

[@banjopete]

Bloke_From _NewZealand , finally, from another bloke from nz.

[@bloke_from_newzealand4562]

@@banjopete chur bro

[@lewishuysmans7921]

There are more of us you know ^

[@Axxo852]

At least nz has a part in that rotary :) chur chur

[@reubenford4816]

Che bada

[@keithrx3c]

So good to see a Rotary on Skid Factory, I've often wondered what Al thought about them. Keen to get mine sorted out (13B bridgeport N/A). Now MCM need to follow suit and do a Rotary series.

[@MrStuwr250f]

Sooooo good. Coolest car guy, with one of the coolest cars. Still giving myself upper cuts for selling my RX2.

[@lisalouisekeen4191]

Never been in a rotary, or had much love for them, but dam this is a nice build, sounds sweet, and looks beautiful. Well done Al.

[@JoeJoeMoto]

Such a little beast!!! I was so looking forward to a road test!! Bummer about the rain.

[@mikezurawski]

Amazing work. Thanks for sharing.

[@brockcampbell8727]

Cool car! Hoping to meet you guys when you come to Canada.

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

that's actually a good sound for a rotary. impressive!

[@1974mazdarx3sedan]

good stuff. big money spent to avoid cutting into the car. love the factory tacho with the sweep on power up.

[@therickman1990]

So MCM needs to do a rotary build, the Yoda already knows what he's doing with them.

[@STITCHWA]

Awesome car. Really hope you fellas do a test drive .

[@ValladolidArde]

Amazing build, respect to all involved

[@stephan5026]

Looking forward to more of these! Awesome to see past projects..

[@YolColt]

I dont really watch skid factory, but hey this build review is awesome.. Looking forward for more skid factory build review by Allen.. Two thumbs up..

[@FryNOR]

Great video!, thank you. And what a joy it was to watch it without the stupid music.

[@xblisitjosh6736]

That's a beauty Al, Exceptional 👍

[@Mardy72]

As an avid brass donkey collector myself, I totally understand you cost comment 😁

[@j4ff4c3ks1]

Never seen one of the before and this one looks absolutely stunning! Screw the KPGC10, this might just be my new favorite of 70's JDM.