Sleepy-z

I realize this is my first post, I am actually a Z owner but I work for the Richmond, VA Mazda Remanufacturing facility that is now taking over operations for Rotary rebuilds as some of you know and I was given permission from the boss's to bring out our trainer and his boss(the master). As some of you know from my other posts they have been building rotary motors for a long time, Yoshii has for 15 years and the master...well is the master at building them, he has done them since the beginning. Our trainer works under the master and trained all of us on how they build the motor in japan so we do it right, well this week the master flew out for a week to see how the operations are running and I decided I would see if I could steal them away for a day and let the owners meet who builds there motor before it gets in there car.

If your in the area or willing to come down and meet/thank or whatever your welcome to say hi to them. Like I said the master is here in the US for 1 week and being a sports car enthusiast I figured I would reach out to the customers. I cannot change the time or make this happen another day so dont ask, this is sort of a once in a lifetime chance to meet your builder since this is there first and possibly last visit to the US.

Anyways here is the enough....

645pm
Starbucks
5001 Huguenot Road
Richmond, VA 23226

Its the weekly spot, if you can arrive on time/early and try to park together becuase the visit will be short. Yoshii barely speaks english and the master pretty much doesn't speak any but there both very nice and surpisingly goofy. They will be coming there after work so they may be tired also. We have dinner planned at 745pm so we cant stay too long. Also a small chance my boss will bring the 09 RX8 with them in it, all depends if headquarters comes and gets it before friday. Either way so far there will be me another worker from the plant our production line boss and the 2 japanese workers.


BTW I am sorta a dork so I had them both sign a brochure for me today...



Please email RX7/8's / post this on other rotary sites, I am not familiar with other websites for your cars and I want them to have a decent turnout.


Thanks and feel free to start a signup list.
Sleepy-z(BTW I will probably end up showing up in my Z, cant miss me I am 6'5")

SLOASFK

iTrader: (5)

I'm glad that a facility with qualified rotary engine builders is taking over the Mazda North America reman's. Right now it's completely hit or miss with remans and most people opt to have brand new remans rebuilt by experienced rotary shops.

Sleepy-z

BTW the date is Friday June 6th, sorry I forgot to add that.

Johny zoom

iTrader: (5)

Thanks for doing this if I wasn't 2+ hrs away and he were staying for more than 30 min Id make it.
I saw your post on the 8 forum . If ever you get a tour of the facility together LMK

Johny

Sleepy-z

Well my boss has talked about doing a car show there but he said the only issue besides the permit is that people would want to do a tour and with mazda thats a big no no, too many specialty parts and secrets that they dont want people to know about, I am sure some people know them anyways but they are secretive about the rotary.

amp

iTrader: (50)

dont get that...
its a reman.. not a design facility.. whats the secret

Sleepy-z

We tear the motor down completely, clean the parts up/inspect them and then rebuild it exactly as they do in japan now. They are very particlulate about the way they want us building them, no short cuts and use there specialty designed tools that they dont want others to copy and have. I really dont know why they are so secret but its the same way in japan, my boss had to get permission from the head of mazda japan just to tour and video tape yoshii building a motor in the japan plant even though he works for mnoa.

amp

iTrader: (50)

still dont get it...
specialty tools specific to rotary asssembly they are concerned bein copied... by whom..
certainly not private shops... or perhaps other reman facilities.. that is of course if there are others..
not arguin here.. just tryin to understand the logic.. im guessin the lockdown is for other reasons not privy to you..

niburu

iTrader: (1)

If the rebuild shop were say in China, then I could see being paranoid about having your specialty tools copied. Really the biggest demand for rebuilt rotary engines is from the RX-7 community and there for not the Renesis motor.
Anyway I look forward to Friday coffee!

Sleepy-z

Yeah in the end its just mazda japan who says no to it. Also we are also going to do rx7 rebuilds eventually, not too many different parts between the 2 and the tools are the same.

Hanzo

We really appreciate you coming out, I couldn't believe how many people would miss this chance to meet the people who built their engine and the Master who built rotaries for 36 years, I mean they only just had the 40th anniversary so he is one of the original rotary builder. The turn out was disappointing, hope they didn't think that was all the rotary fans we had on the east cost.

Again, it was very cool and thank you guys so much, please communicate our appreciation to your boss and the 2 builder/master.

Sleepy-z

Thanks for coming out, no worries on the turn out, with the translator I think it worked great. I didn't want them to feel crowded anyways, I told my boss we would have either 5 people or 20, I have been doing Z meets for a few years and I learned from experience. BTW Yoshii said he we would to go out to another friday night meet, later on when all the cars arrive but not if its this hot out.

Your the first F1 fan I have meet/seen since I got here(noticed your plates), nice to see someone else out here is a fan of something other then left turn(nascar) driving.

Hanzo

Yes I am a big fan of F1, been to Montreal 3 times and Barcelona once (last year). There are some local folks that watches F1, we usually try to get together to watch the race life.