We sat near the window at a small Filipino restaurant minutes away from the prestigious Occidental College, where Victor Chico, my dinner companion and proud owner of this rotary-powered Datsun 510, teaches martial arts to feeble yet enthusiastic college students. He insisted on buying me dinner to express his appreciation for coming over to shoot his candy-apple red 510 and show me the restaurant he frequents daily, which serves the best Filipino cuisine this side of Manila. His gracious hospitality was well received, but I felt I should be doing the honor of paying for dinner, since his car is one of the finest 510s I have ever seen and appreciation should be shown to him.
His '71 super machine maintains a 13B (1308cc) four-port rotary, found mostly in early-model Mazdas and sometimes found inside a 510's engine bay. This lightweight engine allows for excellent weight distribution throughout the track, and with only seven internal moving parts, it's extremely reliable when properly maintained. Dr. Felix Wankel couldn't have possibly envisioned this mechanical beauty when he developed the first practical and successful rotary motor in Germany, but I have a feeling he would be proud to see his creation appearing in its utmost potential.
Instead of pistons, a rotary engine uses a triangular rotor that moves around a chamber, compressing air and fuel in the engine to make useful horsepower. In its four-stroke combustion cycle, the rotary engine pulls in air and exhales exhaust gases just like a piston-powered motor. The main reasons people choose the rotary over pistons are fewer moving parts, smoother power delivery, and excellent reliability. For example, Victor's car met the reliability challenge as he drove it 1,200 miles roundtrip to Mt. Shasta, California, during sweltering 105 weather.
And like Dr. Wankel and other rotary lovers, Victor is fond of the power these unique engines produce, especially within the 13B. "I had a '74 and '76 Mazda RX-3, '74 Mazda pickup truck, and an '82 RX-7-all were street-ported 13Bs," says Victor. "That's why some of my friends call me 'Mr. Rotary.' It's in my blood." Apparently, rotaries aren't the only things flowing through his blood, as this guy is a major tuning fiend. He can't go through life without at least having one fixed-up car. With two kids and a wife, Victor still manages to tune his car the way he likes, and attend shows and organize Datsun swap meets. His passion goes beyond the usual air filter, wheels, and exhaust setup.
It took two years to build the 510 just the way he wanted. He opted for the metallic candy-apple red for sentimental value-his RX-7 was the same color-and good luck, since red represents good fortune for the Chinese, which he attributes to finding the rare SSR Super Mesh wheels. "I was in the Datsun Z show and came across a clean orange 510 with the awesome SSR Super Mesh rims. I complimented the owner of the car, and we traded numbers. Months later, he called me to see if I knew anyone who wanted to buy the rims. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity."