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.

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Living Life Large: Driving $2 million worth of cars in one week

Mon, Aug 24 2015

Monterey Car Week has quickly become one of my favorite events of the year. There's something for everyone – classic car shows, modern concepts and new vehicle debuts, auctions, racing, and so much more. From a media perspective, there's also a chance to drive a ton of cars. Many automakers bring their latest wares out to Monterey for us to test during our limited free time, and it's a great opportunity to experience fantastic metal against a gorgeous backdrop. That's exactly what I did this year. Instead of flying into Monterey and being driven around, my journey started in Los Angeles and ended in Napa, and I managed to get behind the wheel of some $2 million worth of new cars. Some were old favorites, and many were new experiences. But looking back, this was one of the best weeks of driving I've had in years. Rather than try to come up with some common arc to tie these cars together, here are my notes on all the cars I tested in California earlier this month, presented in the order in which they were driven. 2016 Mazda CX-3 The CX-3 pictured here isn't the exact one I drove in California, but it's close. The only difference was color – my delivered-to-LAX tester wore Mazda's awesome new Ceramic hue (pictured below on the MX-5 Miata). I used the CX-3 to slum through crummy Los Angeles traffic for two hours on the way out to Santa Barbara, with a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger on the way for good measure. A lot nicer inside than I remember. Everyone praises Mazda for its excellence in engineering and design, but there's a lot to be said for the improvements in overall interior refinement. Quiet, comfortable, and well-equipped; the CX-3 made sitting on the 405 freeway a lot more pleasant. Not all that functional. I had a hard time fitting a week's worth of luggage for two people inside. The cargo area and rear passenger compartment were filled, with only enough room on top to see out the back window. A Honda HR-V would've swallowed all that luggage with plenty of room for more. So good to drive. Not surprising, since this wasn't my first time in the CX-3. I knew this CUV would be good on twisty roads, but on the highway it's really exceptional. Road and wind noise are minimal and the overall ride quality is a comfortable sort of sporty. This is definitely something I could drive every day – it's enjoyable during commuting and entertaining on more interesting roads.

United States drivers buying fewer Mexican-made cars

Tue, May 10 2016

Crossovers and pickup trucks are not only growing in market share, they're also more profitable than cars. A crossover on the same platform as a sedan retails for thousands more, despite similar components. It's one of the reasons we've seen automakers rapidly shifting production of their sedans and hatchbacks to Mexico, where cheap labor preserves the thin profit margins on these inexpensive vehicles. But as the market continues to shift in the United States, Mexico is getting burned by its lack of product diversity. The country's auto exports, which are heavy on cars, suffered a 16-percent drop last month, Automotive News reports. In total, year-over-year exports fell from 233,515 to 197,020 last month, while year-to-date exports are down by 7.4 percent, from 922,029 to 854,118. The number one culprit? America – which usually accounts for 75 percent of Mexico's exports – and its appetite for crossovers and pickup trucks bolstered by cheap gas prices. While Mexico does build some light truck models – AN specifically calls out the Ram 2500, Honda HR-V, GMC Sierra, and Toyota Tacoma as export leaders – the vast majority of vehicles rolling out of its factories are sedans and hatchbacks. In fact, the three biggest drops in Mexican exports came from companies whose south of the border factories only build cars – Ford (Fusion/Lincoln MKZ and Fiesta), Mazda (Mazda3), and Volkswagen (Golf and Jetta). Mexican Automotive Industry Association President Eduardo Solis told AN the export shortfall will likely be sorted out sooner rather than later, thanks to a pair of new factories – a Kia car factory and an Audi SUV plant – that are coming online by year's end. The two facilities will add around 100,000 vehicles to the country's export totals, which Solis said should leave the industry on the verge of breaking another export record in 2016. But how sustainable will these record-breaking years be? Slapping an "Hecho en Mexico" sticker on a new German SUV won't be enough to change the fact that Mexico's product mix is tilted too heavily towards body styles that are not growing in volume. Mexico's record-breaking export years probably aren't at an end, but we'd argue they're certainly under threat. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Omar Torres / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Ford GMC Honda Mazda RAM Volkswagen Truck Crossover SUV Mexico

Patent application suggests Mazda rotary return

Mon, Apr 4 2016

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