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Ha no way- from one of the bays?
Sorry super slow response living in a van quite different from rotary life...

Yup uncle Rod would be happy to provide tours if anyone ever wanted & we were actually in NZ too 😊

Hoping to get to Walter Frey's Mazda collection in Augsburg soon that's the next thing on the list!

That would be awesome, not sure how we would manage getting there from Canvey Island Essex however!
I'll look into transport costs, really hope to make it and meet some people there

Thank you both, and you live in the right continent for travelling!

Do you know of any classic car meets anywhere in Europe this year or next?

This was when Mazda New Zealand displayed my car at my uncles event Leadfoot Festival, Mad Mikes car in front


A few more of my uncles toys



^ the plain white RX7 was a prototype by Mazda Japan and the FC is his favourite RX7 of the bunch

May as well put a couple of pics up.

1977 Mazda 808 (came with RX3 nosecone and the rest- very common to do in NZ)
My cousin bought it as a rally car, but decided to get a different one so I acquired this as a 15 year old and with the help of Dad (as well as encouragement from Mum and brother) restored it over 5 years.
When bought it was very "New Zealand" style modgies/trailer wheels and covered in rubber from burnouts (not a bad thing)
So Dad and I restored it to a more original look, rolling Hotwires for its first 2 years back on the road, before I decided I kind of like Japanese style...

All of the work on it was done by my Dad and I (with many of his friends helping along the way), except the engine was rebuilt by a well-known father son business at home as my Dad much prefers Escorts and classic piston engines. Poor guy spent 10 years on my uncles rally RX3 restoration and 5 on mine... needless to say he was pleased when I met Stephen who could take over helping maintain the engine, and encourage buying more.

So fast forward a few years and here we are travelling the world, chasing classic Mazdas.
Started with my brother and I chasing motorsports from Pikes Peak to Goodwood one year, and now has taken Stephen and I up and down New Zealand seeing Mazdas, to Thailand to meet a very cool guy with a very cool 808 coupe, his friend with 1200 utes, and hopefully to meet some of you guys and plenty more around Europe too!

Any suggestions are welcome, in particular we are hoping to find out about the huge collection in Germany somewhere(?)

Half way through project restoration


On its very first run in (3 hours drive south to surprise my uncle)


One week after getting it on the road- drove all the way to the South Island and did a grasskhana then drove home


After one year on the road- winning best sedan at Oldschool nationals, and best girls car at REunion (our rotary only event)


When I decided it needed to be more Japanese... The wheel colour comes from the Scheme my uncle ran in the 80s, and the spoiler is one like he used to run


Just before we left to come away at our local caffeine and classics meet


My personal favourite, amongst all my uncles toys at his festival



Bonus: Stephen's piston 808 which he's owned for over 10 years




So yeah that's my fun little rotary, hope you enjoyed a quick run through of it.

If you are interested in reading the many pages of how my RX 808 evolved since 2012 it is detailed on our classic forum; oldschool.co.nz
(The username was a hoot of a joke) http://oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/31627-rotorhoes-mazda-808rx3/

Hey!
Wow how kind of you, would absolutely love to!
Is tues your only free time for wee while? Got to get this van fixed and MOT'd so will be done in a week if there's another time that could work out

And yes please! Wow how cool, thank you!
Will be in touch! Cheers heaps, what a great start

Hey guys,

We are 808 owners from New Zealand: one 12a, one standard, plus one RX7 project and wishing for many more.
Currently in Essex until we get a van going to travel around Europe for a few months!

Would absolutely love any classic mazda ideas around UK/Europe and if anybody nearby would want to meet for a brew or too before we head off.
In return we can take you around New Zealand classic Mazdas!

I come from a family of Mazda owners, especially my uncle who raced RX3s and 7s from new.

Cheers all,
Amy (and on behalf of Stephen)

Stephens 808 is the blue one, mine is the white one with cats and in amongst my uncles toys.