TRACKSIDE

THE AUTO IS A BIG DEAL FOR ME; I’M USED TO DUMPING THE

FRANK has been ripping up the street and the quarter-mile since he was a young lad, and his roster of past and present machinery includes a lot of single-digit timeslips pinned to various cars, almost all of them rotary-powered.

After his first RX-3 and the infamous MRHELI, Frank built a red Mazda sedan in conjunction with Zoom magazine to compete in the Sport Compact 28x9 class. After a few years of racing, including an altercation with the WSID wall that Frank describes bitterly as “not ideal” and a PB of 7.61@180mph, the sedan moved over the ditch to New Zealand, where it holds the 13B small-tyre record.

Frank also piloted a black Nissan 350Z Pro Mod for Scott Porter Racing for a time, during which he won the Brisbane and Melbourne Jamborees and ran a PB of 6.40.

Recently, Frank took home the win in the Pro Compact class at the 2021 Sydney Jamboree in his yellow RX-3 competition car, which is powered by – you guessed it – a 13B.

CLUTCH AND GOING THROUGH GEARS AS FAST AS I CAN THINK

If you’re curious about the lack of a turbo under the bonnet, then cast your eyes over the contents of the Datto’s tub: Frank moved the Borgwarner war whistle rearward to help with weight balance, engine bay temps and steering rack clearance. Keeping the pressurised air frosty is a PWR air-to-water barrel cooler tucked under the passenger side of the tub, and the distinctive rotary buzz is damped by two mufflers hidden at the rear.

An auto transmission backs up the 20B, which is something very different for Frank. “I’m a manual guy, so the auto is a big deal for me,” he says. “I’m used to dumping the clutch and going through gears as fast as I can think.” Keeping Frank’s penchant for speed in mind, you already know this isn’t a sloppy slushbox that takes two minutes to change gears. A TCE converter transfers power to a goodie-filled TH400 from Al’s Race Glides, and the three-inch aluminium tailshaft from Frank’s old race car twists the diff. The nine-inch is basic and bulletproof, with 4.11:1 gears and Strange 35-spline axles.

The job of keeping the rear end planted firmly on the ground is handled by Gazzard Brothers monoleaf springs, Caltracs and adjustable shocks, while the front is controlled by a set of Eibach springs and Monroe shocks.

With the Datto finally on the road, Frank has something quick to enjoy without having to drag his mental low-seven-second RX-3 race car out. And the ute’s already bringing home the brass. “It won Best Rotary Conversion at Rotary Revival and Top Engineered at Sydney Jamboree,” Frank says.

As for the Datsun’s street manners, it drives just the way Frank intended. “If I’d had the money back in the day, this is how I would have built MRHELI. It drives awesome: it’s quiet as a mouse, comes on boost no problem, and should run an eight with its eyes closed!”

WHEELS: The black three-piece Simmons FRS are a combination of two sets of wheels and custom lips made by Whitehorse Industries, and measure a whopping 12in wide on the back. Rear brakes and the under-dash pedal assembly are from Wilwood, while R32 GTR fronts ensure the Datto pulls up as well as modern cars do

INTERIOR: You won’t find much in the way of creature comforts inside the ute’s cabin, though the exhaust does such a good job of toning down the 20B’s decibels that Frank can actually listen to the stereo! Classic Gauge Restoration customised a set of Auto Meters to fit in the factory dash, Garry’s Auto Trim covered everything in black carpet and velour and the ANDRA-SPEC ’cage is all but invisible

ENGINE: There’s a great deal of ridgeydidge Mazda engineering under the Datto’s little bonnet. Even the intake manifold and throttlebody are straight out of a Cosmo. Geo’s Garage built all the plumbing for the rear-mount turbo and intercooler, leaving the engine bay plumbing relatively tidy. A PWR radiator and oil cooler tucked below the front bumper keep the rotary cool