Lyrics and Artwork by Chris Manacop
“Japanese Muscle Car”, sure that sounds like an oxymoron, but that was the theme when Ray Garbalosa of Torrance, CA decided to build this Mazda RX-4 wagon. Ray had a first generation RX-7 which was bumped up to “Race Status” when he decided that it will only see time at the track. Ray was left with a Ford F-150 truck as his only vehicle, and a problem to solve. Sure the truck is fun but for the enthusiast at heart it can get a little boring. What Ray had in mind was a vehicle to bridge the gap between a race vehicle and a tow vehicle. 
Well as the search began there was one thing that he wanted to keep in mind during the buildup. He wanted to do an old school theme since the state of California has some of the most strict emissions laws in the United States, and something from 1975 or older would be smog exempt. The search went on and eventually he found something on Craigslist; a 1974 Mazda RX-4 rotary wagon. This car had been sitting and not running for 10 years, but it was a Mazda so he was more than a little familiar with what was needed to finish the job. Depsite his knowledge, the task he had before him was pretty daunting. In its stock form the wagon isn’t exactly what you would call a “Monster” , and Ray would not settle for the outdated suspension, steering, handling, and power train. The plan was to graft on newer components to this old school ride.
Some major fabrication work was on the horizon, but without the worries of meeting emissions standards, the possibilities were endless. The motor of choice was from a ‘87-‘88 RX-7 turbo II (FC,S4). To the average tuner, a plug and play motor swap might seem overwhelming, but Ray’s project is a whole new ballgame. The motor had to be moved back 9 inches, and the firewall had to be cut to make room for the FC rack and pinion as well as provide more room in the engine bay for such goodies as the turbocharger, a larger radiator, and the intercooler. One added bonus to moving the motor back was that it gave the car better weight distribution, improving its stability and handling. The engine was fitted with an intake manifold as well as a throttle body from an FD RX-7. The turbo of choice was a Garret T04B w/ a 3” Racing Beat stainless steel exhaust system. The engine management system he decided to use was a Microtech LTX-8s. 
Now that the motor was more than capable, Ray decided to tussle with the steering and suspension parts of the vehicle. His goals for the suspension were that it be ride height adjustable, offer plenty of choices in terms of spring selection, and improve the traction and handling. For the front of the vehicle he decided to go with the front suspension and rack and pinion steering from an FC RX-7. Ray chose Tokico front shocks in conjunction with Ground Control adjustable coilover springs. The RX-4 came from the factory with a leaf spring suspension in the rear. These days, a leaf spring rear suspension is exclusive to full frame trucks as well as some passenger vans. This would not cut it, especially for what Ray had in mind. The rear leaf springs were replaced with a 3 Link Setup with coilovers. An 8” Ford Rear Axle was used on AFCO coilover shocks. This would make it much easier to work on and find replacement parts if it ever needed repair in the future. This wagon rolls on stock ‘93 FD RX-7 16”x8” Aluminum wheels wrapped in 225/45-R16 tires. It stops using FC RX-7 brakes in the front and 2001 Ford Mustang Cobra rear brakes.
Now that the vehicle could stop AND go, Ray focused his attention on improvements to the interior of this vehicle. During the buildup, special attention was paid to making this car a daily diver and very streetable. Urethane rods were used instead of heim joints on the rear end and the interior was Dynamatted and equipped with a HEI heatshield. The interior is very well kept and maintain some of the original parts with some improvements of course. RX-8 seats were added for more comfort and various Autometer gauges were added such as boost, oil temp, water temp, and fuel pressure.
In the end, this vehicle is still a work in progress, as all vehicles are. There are no numbers yet, as the car has just been completed but I assure you this Wagon will not disappoint. At first glance it’s aesthetically pleasing and seems to be a fairly well restored car, but the beast is hidden within. You will be hard pressed to see the level of fabrication of this vehicle unless you open it up and actually take a look. Ray might not have met his original goal of building a tow vehicle, but he’s definitely created a unique, old school, Japanese muscle car. The smooth ride as well as capable motor make this ride very streetable and is a good changeup when he’s not driving the truck.
Ray would like to thank...
Matthew Hill @ Performance Solutions (main fabricator), Mazdatrix, Baker Precision, Specialized Coatings, High Tech Turbo, The Gear Shop
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