1983 MAZDA RX7 SERIES III
JOSEPH LENTHALL’S stor y wit h his beloved Series III R X7 sta rts as a k id in Adelaide, growing up and watching rotar y-powered R100s howling around racetracks.
Upon moving to Sydney, he found a lot of t he g uys t here were racing early-series R X7s instead of t he compacts in his homestate, “because they handled better, and they were cheaper too,” back t hen.
“I’ve a lways wanted a bridgeport race car,” says Joseph, a motorsport man at heart. He picked up this ex-works racecar, and under his care, it continues to be raced and enjoyed.
In 2013, Joseph embarked on the brave and admirable endeavour of underta k ing a f ull tear-down rotisserie rebuild and respray in his single-car suburban Sydney garage.
“We soda blasted it in my garage, it looked like Dexter, wit h a ll t he plastic sheets hanging ever y where.”
Joseph jokes t hat it “wasn’t a great decision” but in doing a ll t he work himself he saved himself some v ita l pocket change.
“There would have been no way I’d have been able to af ford it,” he says.
As for f uture plans, Joseph simply wants to maintain his car and keep on racing.
When asked about adv ice for those seek ing early R X7s of t heir own, Joseph is quick to point out t he mechanical horror stories usually linked to t he Wankel engine.
“Like any t hing, if you keep stretching it, eventua lly it will brea k.”
“I’ve never had it go on me, I’ve never had it go boom, it’s never spat out a sea l”.
Joseph stresses t hat wit h diligent maintenance, major catastrophes can be avoided.
“Catch it before it goes boom,” he says. "Check, ref urb, refresh.
"It’s much better to check and f i x something, than have to f ind and rebuild a whole engine."