I Could Not Help Myself...I Stole This Car....Pics!!!

[slownrusty]

Well not quite stole it but check this out gang…...

 

Well I always liked these Mazda 323 GT Turbos (duh…me like a turbo car…NEVER!!) and low and behold I saw this car listed in the Thrifty Nickel Newspaper a few weeks ago for $1200, then last week it went down to $1000obo, so I offered $850 and the owners took it! I could not resist!!

 

I got receipts for over $4grand (incl. new turbo, tires, calipers, brake master cylinder, distributor etc etc!!) of work done on it over the past few years. I bought the car from the original owners who recently moved to Colorado from SanFrancisco, they got tired of throwing good money after bad and the car had served them well over the last 16years. Apparently this car was the first 323GT Turbo to be sold in San Fran, so they told me.

 

As a matter of interest only 900 of these cars were sold in the U.S, for only two years 1988 and 1989. Stock power is 132hp and 136ft.lbs and final drive is 3.90 This engine is the exact same engine that went into the first gen. Miata (B6T engine code).

 

Car has 165,500miles (mostly highway) on it. Right now, I just a 14hour freaking job(!!!) - completed changing the timing belt - $30 (way over due!) , front crank seal - $13 (leaking) and the water pump - $35 (original). Gawd pain in the ass working on FWD now I know why I love RWD, I miss the simplicity of the AE86s layout!!!! I can do this on my 4AG in about 90 minutes! My already bloody scarred hands just got worse! So far parts prices are on par with the 4AG – which is good and very obtainable. The car is very srtaight and never been crashed.

 

The engine is very similar to the 4AG the way the timing belt tensioner, the oil pump, water pump etc etc is layed out. The displacement is the exactly the same as the 4AG (1597cc)

 

After sitting for over 2weeks it fired up on first go and warmed up quickly. The car runs well, makes healthy boost (Intercooler is about the size of the GZE and looks just as goofy) and smooth lag free power and everything works even the dang AC blows cold, the cruise control works too and does not smoke a bit on hard acceleration or first start up in the morning!! The night I picked up the car, I raced my wife in her ’98 Civic and left her in the dust…LOL! Car has 4wheel disc brakes as well and a cute little turbo light illuminates on the dash (similar to the GZE) when it is making full boost.

 

I emissions tested the car yesterday and it past with flying colors on dirty old air, fuel and oil filters and the nastiest plugs you have ever seen! I was pleasantly surprised.

The car needs lots of little things like the CV boots are starting crack, control arm bushings are worn, engine mount rubbers are cracked, sway bar bushing and end links are SHOT, I suspect a small weeping leak in the head gasket, the clutch is still original (!!), the interior needs some TLC (but atleast the dash is not cracked) and the exterior is as shiny as two day old melted cheese plus some war wounds over the years..well that’s what $850 buys you!!

 

I do not even know what I will do this car…or how long to keep it, but in the mean time I plan to hold on to it for a while, fix what needs to be fixed and drive it and enjoy it and keep it bone stock….YEAH RIGHT!!

 

So now we have 5 cars!! UG….!! I have owned lots of cars, but this is my first Mazda…ZOOM….ZOOM!

 

 

Yasin

 

 

"Old skool....wouldn't have it any other way"

[RB26powered74zcar]

Not to shabby of a deal there.... looks to be a nice winter car for Co.

[Guest ON3GO]

my friend has one of those as a rally car..

before it started to rally it, it was his street car and held its own agaisnt some modded LS1's.

there a great car to make fast... for cheap!

 

have fun and be safe with that torque steer!

 

mike