1991 Maxton Rollerskate
This little roadster happens to be the very first production vehicle (VIN: 0001), one of 50 that were produced in Englewood, Colorado in 1991.
In the late 1990s, I wanted to build a kit car powered by a rotary engine due to my familiarity with them—they’re light and provide solid power. While at a friend’s repair shop, I saw a car that seemed perfect for a rotary swap. He told me it already had one; the car was designed around a first generation RX7 drivetrain. On October 24th, 2000, I bought the car with only 511 miles on the odometer. Driving it for the firs time felt like operating a large go-kart, as you sit close to the road. After becoming its third owner and posting photos online, I unexpectedly connected with Ben Van Der Linden, one of the original design engineers who happened to live nearby.
Ben was keen to learn how I acquired my car, especially as he was building his own Maxton using some of the original test chassis and fiberglass body parts. He needed dimensional details that weren’t recorded anywhere. Willing to help however I could, I welcomed Ben multiple times as his project progressed, and our friendship grew with each visit. In the end, I accumulated extensive original information, drawings, specifications, and a nearly complete list of every part—along with their sources—used to assemble the car.
Drawing on over a decade of Mazda Rotary drag racing and engine building experience, I upgraded the cars engines. First, to N/A bridge port, second a turbo bridge port which was too wild for the street, to finally a turbocharged version with 8 psi of boost, more than doubling its original 87 horsepower. Over the past decade, I’ve enjoyed attending car shows, making various mechanical improvements, participating in major events like Maxton’s 25th Anniversary Reunion, driving up Pikes Peak, and testing its performance at Eagles Canyon Raceway during my road racing days.
The following enhancements have been incorporated:
- Turbocharged 13BCosmo engine with upgraded intake manifold
- Electromotive TechGT EFI and Ignition System
- Custom exhaust manifold, turbocharger, and wastegate
- Custom 2 1/2” exhaust system
- Mazda Turbo II 5-speed transmission
- Mazda RX7 limited slip differential equipped with rear disc brakes
- Double adjustable QA1Street Rod, DDR1500K shock absorbers on all 4 corners
- Progressive 225-475 lbs./in front springs & Eibach 250 lbs./in rear springs
