For sale: 1992 GT-X Gen 5 (BF) Familia Mazda

The Daytona, along with other vehicles in the Lark range, could be ordered with Jet Thrust engines as an option. The engines were also known as Avanti engines, having been fitted to the Avanti model in 1964. The Jet Thrust engines were only available on South Bend built cars, and therefore, no Jet Thrust cars were produced after 1 January 1964.

There were four Jet Thrust engine options:

1. R1 Jet Thrust engine / 289ci / 240hp;
2. R2 Jet Thrust Supercharged engine / 289ci / 289hp;
3. R3 Super Jet Thrust Supercharged engine / 304.5ci / 335hp (400hp with optional dual valve springs and high output supercharger pulley set); and
4. R4 Super Jet Thrust / 304.5ci / 280hp (fitted with 2 4bbl AFB carbs).

Note, no Daytona was ever factory optioned with the R3 engine.

Identifying an original Jet Thrust optioned car:

The only way to confirm a genuine Jet Thrust car through a vehicle's production order from Newman and Altman:

• Cars fitted with the R1 or R2 engines have a “27” or “28” item number listed on the production order.
• Cars fitted with the Super Performance Package have “r36” or “37” (“37A” for the one R3). The production order numbers are unique to the 1964 year.

The R1 and R2 avanti engines could be ordered on their own, or with the "Super Performance package" outlined below. However, even without the Super Performance Package the R1 and R2 Jet Thrust engined vehicles received the following features as standard:  

• 160mph speedometer
• Heavy duty rear axles;
• Finned brake drums;
• Heavy duty radiator;
• Viscous drive fan;
• Duel exhausts;
• Tachometer;
• Chrome engine parts;
• Rear axle radius rods; and
• Rear stabilizer bar

The Super Performance Package:

The Super Performance package was optional on cars fitted with the R1 and R2 engines, but standard on the R3 and R4 cars. The Super Performance Package added the following features on top of those listed above:

• Twin traction limited slip differential;
• Disc brakes;
• Heavy duty springs;
• Heavy duty shock absorbers;
• Bucket seats;
• Front seat belts;
• 4-ply tyres;
• Floor carpeting (if the car was not optioned with carpets).

The following additional features were available with the R3 and R4 Super Performance Package:

• Flanged rear axles;
• Exhaust headers; and
• Transistor ignition system.

Features: Jet Thrust R1 and R2 engines:

• Chrome valve covers and breather caps, oil dipstick handle.
• Bright metal air cleaner canister and R2 air inlet.
• R2 superchargers were normally orange from the factory, and black when rebuilt by Paxtons.
• Cars with the R1 or R2 engines fitted (without the Super Performance Package) only received side fender "R" emblems fitted.
• Cars with the full Super Performance Package had the side fender "R" emblems plus an oval emblem on the front grille.
• Supercharges on lark type R2 engines were mounted on the top, front-centre of the engine. This was different to the Avanti, where it was mounted on the front right side of the engine. Further, Lark type superchargers were driven by one single broad belt, whilst Avantis were driven by two narrow belts.

Features: Jet Thrust R3 and R4 engines:

• Chrome valve covers and breather caps, oil dipstick handle.
• R3 and R4 engines had a red engine block, pans and heads.
• Early R3 engines are thought to have been painted a darker shade of red, and early superchargers fitted to the R3 were red/orange like the R2. Most production R3 engines were painted a bright red, with blank supercharger.
• Lark type vehicles including the Daytona fitted with Jet Thrust engines never came with ignition shielding, nor the ignition wire guide that was used in Avanti vehicles.

Transmissions:

• If an “R” power package car was ordered, only the “power shift” or 4-speed manual gearboxes were available. See details of the “package cars” below.
• Non “R” package Jet Thrust powered cars were fitted with the heavy duty flightomatic, floor shift power shift automatic, or 4-speed floor shift manual.