More rotaries?

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09-26-2002, 07:42 PM

#21

1988RedT2

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Quote:

Originally Posted by The Blue Bomber' date='Sep 27 2002, 01:26 AM

[quote name='1988RedT2' date='Sep 26 2002, 06:58 PM']Fact: It was the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 that ALMOST killed the rotary. EVERY major automaker had invested a LOT of time and money in development of rotary engines and the cars they would go into. The Chevy Vega, Monza, and Corvette were all to get rotary engines. The AMC Pacer was designed from the ground up for the rotary engine. When gas prices skyrocketed after the embargo, everyone gave up on the rotary except MAZDA.

09-26-2002, 08:40 PM

#22

smityjr

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Join Date: Oct 2001

Posts: 10

well id say look at it from an economic sense. to keep many american auto workers in business with unions having their say so on part production, maintanence and all that.. is a reason i believe the rotary could not survive. my 87 rx gets the same gas mileage as any other american car on the market except 4 the hybrids. so id say its economics baby and cash flow. the capitalistic way of life!

09-26-2002, 11:11 PM

#23

90_GTU_jeremy

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Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 263

yeah yeah.. rotaries were scrapped for awhile... but theyll be back... and hopefully it lasts for awhile... and this time it will get normal gas mileage and be alittle more reliable

09-26-2002, 11:51 PM

#24

The Blue Bomber

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Join Date: Feb 2002

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Quote:

Originally Posted by 1988RedT2' date='Sep 26 2002, 07:42 PM

[quote name='The Blue Bomber' date='Sep 27 2002, 01:26 AM'][quote name='1988RedT2' date='Sep 26 2002, 06:58 PM']Fact: It was the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 that ALMOST killed the rotary. EVERY major automaker had invested a LOT of time and money in development of rotary engines and the cars they would go into. The Chevy Vega, Monza, and Corvette were all to get rotary engines. The AMC Pacer was designed from the ground up for the rotary engine. When gas prices skyrocketed after the embargo, everyone gave up on the rotary except MAZDA.

that still doesn't excuse the fact that they gave up. :monkydance:[/quote]

Nope. No excuse. But rising oil prices gave them a good economic reason not to introduce an inefficient new engine design, even if it was very smooth and powerful for its size and weight. Not many people would have bought it because of the gas mileage.

In my opinion, Mazda was and is at its best when it builds cars that are different. If Ford tries to make them into another Toyota or Honda (i.e. BORING) then they are gonna have a tough time selling cars. IMHO.[/quote]

yup you're right the oil embargo of the 70's killed or pussified most american muscle cars too. i guess this is how honda managed to get into the game so well gas mileage.

as for other manufacturers making rotary power cars i think it could work if they did it right but the way things ore looking we might just get a hybrid-rotary-SUV from any car company other than mazda.

as for mazda i would love to see a rotary miata, 626, mx-6, mx-3... you know when you go to the dealer you can order a boinger or a rotary (of course i what what we'll all order)

oh well i just hope they make a renesis turbo and 3-rotor (or 4-rotor mmmmmmm)

09-27-2002, 12:05 PM

#25

Rotarydragon

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The only thing that's hard to make from a manufacturing sense on a rotary is the rotor housings themselves. Technology makes the fabbing of them easy but you still have to spray the insides with chromium which I'm told is not all that easy to do. I wonder how many bad ones they turn out?

NSU no longer has a patent on it as they were bought up by Audi who was then bought by VW. I seriously doubt that they do anyway

Curtiss-Wright held the patent or the rights for all rotary engines sold state side. John Deer bought the rights from them (And made a tractor engine out of it) and then sold them to Pegasus Engineering or whatever they are calling themselves right now. They're currently working on heavy rotary engines and marine applications, plus diesel

09-27-2002, 12:50 PM

#26

90_GTU_jeremy

Senior Member

Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 263

heavy applications lol... dont the realize it works so much better in light street racing applications? i know everyone wants a rotary... bt who wants to say"yah i finally got one... a rotary boat.. hells yeah"

09-29-2002, 07:40 AM

#27

Bugzuki

Member

Join Date: Jul 2002

Posts: 38

Your right the housings are hard to make and hard to coat. But the part of the engine that took the longest to get right and cost the most in research were the Apex seals. They had to got through a lot of metal mixture to find one that would hold up. Mazda is the only company to perfect it. But they made them to thin on the 3rd gens. That causes a lot of problems but most come from the rear turbo.

In the beginning Mr Wankle was charging too much for rights so companies had a hard time getting into the rotary world. Some people just should not have the good ideas (just my opinion). He saw it as a way to make tons of $$$$$$$ and so the rotary suffered.

The main reason that the rotary died out is because of early engine failure on the first RX cars (eventhough Mazda was great about the warranty). People got scared to buy a rotary. So only Mazda risked it on one car the RX7 which had a good following - people that knew that it was now reliable.

I should stop now.