NEW VS REBUILT?

I started rebuilding Mazda Rotary engines back in the late 70s and by 1983 was doing engines on a regular basis.

Unfortunately the Northwest Mazda dealers at the time did not appreciate my ability to outsource aftermarket parts and thereby cut the cost of a installed rebuild to one third or even half the dealer price.

You see Mazda Dealers are bound by contract to use Mazda filters, belts, hoses, radiators, water pumps, clutches and tune parts, I am not.

So in mid of 1985 I received a letter from the corporate attorneys for Mazda Motors of America regarding unfair trademark infringement. They alleged that I was "misleading customers into thinking I was an authorized Mazda Dealership" after changing my letterhead, signage and business cards I was exonerated- or at least left alone.

Shortly after that is' when "you can't rebuild an engine" started being resounded from the dealers' service managers, service writers and service advisors around the northwest . . . . . we'll just call them Jim Lank, Dom Tomkin, Greenleez and De Lom.

Their claim back then was that you cannot rebuild a rotary engine just replace it with a "new". . . . . . . . . . some dealers still try to sell that.

After explaining that the Mazda engines are rebuilds with countless of customers I finally had had enough and called Mazdas largest parts dealer at the time and asked for a price on their "new" engine.

The price was surprisingly competitive except for the core and accessories it would be a deal for a "new" engine.

So then I asked the uncomfortable questions. . . . . do these engines have new rotor housings? reply- some do and some don't. Do these engines have new rotors? reply- well some do and some don't, Well do these engines have new s ide housings? well some do and some don't. My reply was "then why do all your service people tell everyone they can't be rebuilt