Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1980 Mazda Rx-7 1st Gen Rotary Engine 5 Speed Rx7 No Reserve! on 2040-cars

Year:1980 Mileage:39109 Color: Blue /
 Black
Location:

Niles, Michigan, United States

Niles, Michigan, United States
Advertising:
Transmission:Manual
Body Type:Coupe
Engine:rotary
Vehicle Title:Clear
For Sale By:Private Seller
VIN: SA22C584232 Year: 1980
Exterior Color: Blue
Make: Mazda
Interior Color: Black
Model: RX-7
Trim: coupe
Drive Type: rear-wheel
Mileage: 39,109
Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

With regret I am selling my first generation 1980 Rx-7. I am not anxious to sell but some things have changed and I need the garage space. I bought this car with the intention of keeping it forever and driving it while fixing the little things it needs along the way. I've always loved the original Rx-7, so when I had the opportunity to snag this one, I did. For the last couple of months I've driven it as much as possible, weather permitting, and have enjoyed every minute of it.


I'm not certain of the actual miles. The odometer shows 39,109 today, but it could be 139,109. I bought it from a dealership and they told me the gentleman who owned it previously had it for over 10 years only drove it in the summers. 

The Good
  • It starts every time and runs like a champ. (It has a manual choke that disengages automatically as the car warms up.)
  • The engine pulls strong and the clutch and transmission are tight. (It can get scratch, no problem. Not that I tried that...) It cruises nicely on the highway at 75 mph with plenty of power to spare.
  • No engine leaks - I keep it in the garage and there are no spots on the floor.
  • The interior is in amazing condition and I believe it to be original, however, I'm not an expert and I don't know for sure so don't hold me to it. I'll let the pictures do the talking...
  • (Almost) Everything works! - Headlights, original radio, power antenna, horn, cigarette lighter, ashtray light, door buzzer, etc. A couple of things still need attention - see The Bad.
  • It looks awesome from more than 5 feet away. (See The Ugly.)
  • Just replaced the engine belts last week.
  • Fresh oil change.
  • NO RUST!

The Bad
  • There is an exhaust leak somewhere towards the front of the car. That was next on my to-do list and I just haven't chased it down yet.
  • The rear defroster doesn't work. Another thing I was going to work on.
  • Not sure if the A/C works, but I'd guess not. When I push the A/C button I don't hear the compressor kick in and the light doesn't come on.
  • The left blinker blinks rapidly. I've isolated the problem to the front left blinker, but the bulb is good. I was going to have my mechanic fix that next, but due to the foot of snow we just got I may not get that fixed before auction end because I don't want to drive it on the salty roads.

The Ugly
  • It has been repainted, and the color is close to the color of the original paint. It wasn't a great paint job and you can see places where it was taped off. Not bad looking, but you'll notice it when you get up close.
  • There are some small dents (about the size of a nickel) here and there on various spots of the car. I was planning to have a paintless dent repair company fix them. Not super noticeable unless you're close.

I'm sorry I don't know more of the car's history of ownership. It was in such nice shape and I was planning to keep it forever, so I haven't even started to research that. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can take pictures of anything specifically for you. I will be uploading some pictures of the interior and undercarriage tomorrow.

The car is available for you to come see and drive and I encourage you to do so before the auction end. This is a NO RESERVE auction, so once the bidding ends the high bidder owns it! To be clear, when you come to get the car, you are picking it up, NOT checking it out. It is being sold AS-IS with no warranty expressed or implied. Having said that, I wouldn't hesitate to hop in it and drive it across the country as it is. Provided it's not snowing...

I will be happy to work with your shipping company if you choose to ship it. If you prefer to fly in and drive it home, I live about 20 minutes from the airport in South Bend, IN and would be happy to pick you up. (The airport code is SBN.)

Good luck and thanks for bidding!

Scott



On Jan-24-13 at 06:04:33 PST, seller added the following information:

On closer inspection, I found some surface rust under the passenger door and I've included a picture. There is no rust-through anywhere on the car that I can find. Thanks for looking!


On Jan-24-13 at 06:08:20 PST, seller added the following information:

Even the clock in the instrument cluster works! One thing I forgot to mention: when the tank is full, it only shows about 1/4 tank on the fuel gauge. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Auto Services in Michigan

Wohlford`s Brake Stop ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Brake Repair
Address: 3613 Viaduct St SW, Burnips
Phone: (616) 532-7781

Wilder Auto Service ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Brake Repair, Automobile Accessories
Address: 1510 Star School Rd, Dowling
Phone: (269) 948-2192

Valvoline Instant Oil Change ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Auto Oil & Lube, Automotive Tune Up Service
Address: 1325 S Drake Rd, Comstock
Phone: (269) 372-2781

Trend Auto Sales ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers, Wholesale Used Car Dealers
Address: 21612 Schoenherr Rd, Grosse-Pointe-Shores
Phone: (586) 939-0230

Transmission Authority ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Brake Repair
Address: 6900 Cooley Lake Rd, South-Lyon
Phone: (248) 363-1414

The Collision Shop ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 5479 E 12 Mile Rd, Grosse-Pointe-Park
Phone: (586) 806-5076

Auto blog

Mazda's Skyactiv-X power and efficiency ratings released in Europe

Thu, Jun 6 2019

Mazda's long-awaited Skyactiv-X engine is finally headed for production, though not yet for the United States. The Japanese automaker says "various European countries" will get access to the unique engine in the Mazda3 starting this fall. Still, the announcement is relevant to the rest of us because we now have official power levels and fuel efficiency numbers that we can use to compare the Skyactiv-X with other engines offered in the compact Mazda. First, the power. According to Mazda, the 2.0-liter Skyactiv-X makes 178 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque. By way of comparison, the 2.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine currently used in the Mazda3 here in the States makes 186 hp and 186 lb-ft of torque. Sure, it's a little less powerful, but note that the displacements don't match and remember that the real reason the Skyactiv-X exists is to reduce fuel consumption. And that brings us to the Skyactiv-X's combined rating of around 53.5 miles per gallon (converted from liters per 100 kilometers). That's around 8 mpg better than the 2.0-liter engine that comes standard in Europe. Before we go any further, it's important to note that these numbers represent official figures for the European NEDC combined cycle, which means they are not directly comparable to the ratings we'll get from the United States EPA. Our official ratings will almost certainly be lower. With that disclaimer out of the way, the 2.5-liter Mazda3 scores a combined 30 mpg here in the States. The obvious unanswered question is when the Skyactiv-X might actually come to America. And the unfortunate answer is that we don't know. Mazda has yet to make an official decision on timing for the U.S market's launch of the engine, but as soon as we know, so will you.

R&T chases down a burglar in the million-mile Miata

Mon, 04 Aug 2014

Is the answer always Mazda Miata? We discussed this in passing on the Autoblog Podcast earlier this week, and most assuredly the answer is "no." For example, the little MX-5 would be a terrible people carrier, and it'd be useless off road. You can't really tow anything of substance with it, either. Still, if push came to shove, it's satisfying to know that the diminutive roadster could eke out a career as a chase vehicle for the police.
That fact was proven when Road & Track editor Chris Cantle did something that he himself recognizes as "stupid." Upon returning home, Cantle discovered a "twenty-something" actively burgling his home. The resulting story is easily one of the more entertaining episodes to come out of the 1990 MX-5's service to the team at R&T and, we're guessing, will be one of the highlights of the Million-Mile Miata challenge.
Be sure to head over to Road & Track for a full retelling of the chase from Cantle, as well as a follow-up on the saga.

2016 Mazda CX-9 First Drive

Mon, May 23 2016

Automotive enthusiasts tend to obsess over spec sheets. How else could we know which cars and trucks are the quickest in a straight line, hold the road with the greatest tenacity, or tow the biggest trailers? More succinctly, what ammunition would we have in the seemingly endless back-and-forth of Internet forums if it weren't for specifications? Mazda's engineers think they've found a better way. The 2016 CX-9 has less horsepower than its primary competitors. The only engine available is a turbocharged four-cylinder, hooked to a six-speed automatic. Drivers won't miss the 23 horsepower (or more, as we'll soon explain) lost in the changeover from 2015 to 2016, because Mazda applied its holistic Skyactiv approach to the largest vehicle it offers. That means less weight and, ultimately, more fun. Or so they say. Are they right? Yes. And no. Most of the time, in normal on-road driving conditions, the 2016 CX-9 is the most fun you can have with three rows. But the real-world tradeoff didn't go off completely without a hitch. Reasoning that real-world performance is more important than ultimate horsepower, Mazda specified a four-cylinder for its big, three-row SUV instead of a more traditional V6. Let's get those all-important specifications out of the way: All 2016 Mazda CX-9s are fitted with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 250 horsepower and, impressively, 310 pound-feet of torque at just 2,000 rpm. Unless you decide to use 87 octane, in which case you'll be limited to 227 horsepower. Mazda doesn't think owners will actually notice the difference in power levels, so there's no Premium Fuel Recommended sticker on the back of the fuel door. Mazda utilized some clever turbo trickery to deliver a diesel-like torque curve from its gasoline-fueled engine, which makes the small-displacement powerplant feel lively at low engine speeds. The flipside is that the CX-9 runs out of breath as the needle swings across the upper reaches of the tach. While that simply wouldn't do for a sportscar like the MX-5, in the CX-9 it's not necessarily a deal breaker. One benefit to the downsized engine is that it doesn't guzzle fuel. The EPA rates the CX-9 at 22 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. Drop one mpg all around for the all-wheel-drive model. Those figures beat out all the CX-9's most natural competitors, including the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. The turbo-four Ford Explorer matches the 28-mpg highway figure, but loses by three in the city.