83 Gs Misty Blue Coupe, All Options, Upgraded Engine, By Original Owner on 2040-cars
Smithfield, Utah, United States
Purchased new and garaged mostly since, this much beloved vehicle is showing its age in many ways, but many thousands worth of engine and other modifications mean that it runs and drives better than when new. It at its best as a special joy for occasional use. Overall mileage has passed 196,000, but only 10,000 of those are on its reworked and upgraded engine core. This car has been garaged for most of its career when not being driven, and maintained with what can legitimately be described as loving care. It has been consistently reliable, but the owner’s in-house mechanic husband is no longer young, and has a bad leg that has created additional difficulty with shifting more than a few times. Hence, this car needs an appreciative new owner. At present, all of this classic Mazda’s functions work, including the air conditioning, popup headlights, and power radio antenna. There are several honest quirks, such as the AC switch requiring a bit of a wiggle to engage fully, the windows are stiff to raise when wet, and, to become automatic again, the oil pan connector to the sub-zero starting assist requires re-soldering (although it has never been needed). To improve performance 20 years ago, headers were installed on the exhaust side, together with the appropriate associated modifications to the engine’s operating system by a exceptionally experienced, ex-Mazda factory racing team mechanic. That set of overall component changes lightened the car by about 100 pounds, while increasing horsepower and gas mileage by more than 10 percent. An alternative automatic pathway was created to provide warm air for the carburetor during near-freezing weather to keep ice from forming. These changes do mean that registering the car in places with emissions testing will require obtaining vintage or specialty license plates, which may restrict daily or commuter use, since with the headers and subsequent flow improvements, it cannot pass combustion completeness requirements at idle, even though it runs as cleanly as most above that. The 12A rotary engine core was rebuilt in November 2009, at 185,666 miles, because of troublesome oil leaks. This rebuild included ported and polished intake and exhaust passages to improve high end power output by Atkins Rotary Specialties, Puyallup, WA, chosen after careful research. The owner’s mechanically experienced husband reinstalled this core. The result has run faultlessly ever since, and is notably more powerful than the original. This project required the investment of more than $6,000 in parts and machine work. That sum does not include the value of unpaid weeks for removal, cleanup, and installation labor. This engine core swap was accompanied by the installation of the following new parts (almost all OEM): Water pump, fan and fan clutch, radiator, thermostat, all coolant hoses, Mazdatrix doubled-belt fan/alternator pulley (solving higher rev belt slipping problems with the factory setup), platinum plugs, plug wires, clutch, throwout bearing, pressure plate, and starter. In recent years additional improvements have included: Heavy duty battery, complete exhaust system aft of the headers, rear brake cylinders and shoes, alternator, new coolant and washer reservoirs, Hella high intensity halogen headlights, Italian dual tone horns, and gray tinted internal overlay for hatch and rear side windows. The minus side of the inevitable truth with aging: Seat coverings have several short tears in their vinyl edging. The hatch area carpeting is somewhat worn and stained. A single crack in the dashboard top surface is not visible to the driver. The windshield is pitted, has a crack that has expanded since this photo set; the price could be discounted accordingly, or simply replaced. There is a substantial cosmetic exterior ding, on right front fender alongside the headlight from a gentle but embarrassing encounter with the garage door edge, exacerbated by a deer running into the same spot. Another less obvious error is near the bottom of the right rocker: Visible body edge rust has reappeared along the left rear fender well edge, paralleling the scattered underbody panel rust, where several places received small fiberglass reinforcing patches as a result. These areas, as well as adjoining zones received careful zinc chromate anti-rust treatment. Despite these unsettling appearances, all structural integrity, including suspension parts and their mounting points, feels, appears, and sounds to a hammer to be intact and solid. The engine uses about a quart of oil every 500 to 700 miles during short trip driving, much coming from the traditional moderate rotary exhaust blue cloud on startups after several days rest, but it uses little or none at highway speeds. There is no visible smoke other than that initial puff. Further compensating pluses: - Original owner’s manual, along with the Mazda factory and Haynes supplemental shop manuals, and original sale price and equipment window sticker. - Complete maintenance records, reflecting consistent, regular, both routine and supplemental care. - Many miscellaneous spare parts, including the original gas tank (unnecessarily replaced for just a bad gasket), various rubber edge seals, a starter core, the original clutch and pressure plate (still in good condition), and enough top quality paint for coverage of all dings and rust spots. In sum: A genuine sports car, perfectly balanced, thoroughly fun to drive, notably faster than stock, proven reliable--albeit with caveats about not being a prophet for the future, but likely with a lot of life left in it, especially given all those expensive new parts and related work.
Alternatively, for those with another, a superb parts car, including for an engine swap, or simply for other uses, including as a fully prepared source for marine power. Buyer will be responsible for pick up or shipping costs from Northern Utah, with delivery after confirmed payment. |
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Auto Services in Utah
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Tip Top Transmission ★★★★★
Superior Locksmith ★★★★★
Reed Muffler & Brake ★★★★★
Neths Auto Repair ★★★★★
Auto blog
50 engineers kept the rotary alive at Mazda for 8 years
Fri, Oct 30 2015The Mazda RX-Vision concept is one of the standouts at this year's Tokyo Motor Show thanks to a drop-dead gorgeous design and a revival of the Wankel engine. The fact that the rotary is still in development at Mazda is thanks to a dedicated group of 50 engineers. According to Automotive News, their dream for the last eight years has been to bring this storied engine design back to the street. It won't be easy. Because of its design, the rotary suffers from poor fuel economy and high emissions. Making the challenge even harder, Mazda reportedly only gives them a small budget, but they continue to chip away at the problem. "These 50 engineers want to develop the rotary engine, therefore they joined Mazda," company research and development boss Kiyoshi Fujiwara told AN. "If I stop the rotary engine, probably they want to leave." For the Skyactiv-R under the RX-Vision's svelte hood, the team reportedly started from the 16X rotary project. Dating back to 2007, that 1.6-liter engine was supposed to improve torque and fuel economy thanks in part to direct injection. After additional development, insiders even suggested that the engineers might have finally solved the powerplant's issues. However, Mazda never put the mill into production, and the RX-8 remains the company's last Wankel-powered model to be offered in showrooms. "We have a dream that one day, this design with a rotary engine will achieve a level that customers will accept," CEO Masamichi Kogai said to AN. Mazda is quite clear that the RX-Vision might never go on sale without a suitable rotary. Although if it does see production, the coupe would likely use a stiffened version of the Miata's chassis, AN reports. Before anyone can place an order, these 50 determined engineers still have a lot of work ahead of them. Related Video:
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club and Launch Edition unveiled
Wed, Apr 1 2015If you haven't been tempted enough already to place your order for a new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, the Japanese automaker is sweetening the deal even further at the New York Auto Show this week with the debut of two new editions. Most enticing is the arrival of the new Club edition (pictured above), which brings with it a number of upgrades to Mazda's latest roadster. The MX-5 Miata Club comes with 17-inch gunmetal alloys, a limited-slip differential, Bilstein shocks, tower brace and a new spoilers front and rear. That is, when equipped with the six-speed manual. (The automatic is still available as well, but does without the diff, shocks and brace.) Buyers will even be able to upgrade to BBS alloys of the same size, Brembo front brakes and the aero kit previewed by the MX-5 Global Cup racer in Chicago. The Mazda Connect infotainment system comes standard, with seven-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, nine-speaker Bose audio... the works. The Club edition isn't the only new Miata being launched in Manhattan this week, though: so is the Launch Edition. Offered to the first 1,000 customers who place their orders for a new Miata in the US, the MX-5 Launch Edition is based on the Grand Touring trim level and comes in an exclusive combination of Soul Red paint with a tan leather interior. It even comes with a few do-dads to go along with it. Mazda is taking deposits of $500 for those first 1,000 units at www.longlivetheroadster.com, and details of both these upgraded Miatas can be found in the press releases below. Related Video: 2016 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA CLUB MAKES WORLD DEBUT AT NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW - Performance-focused MX-5 Club has trim level-exclusive Bilstein suspension, limited-slip differential - NEW YORK (April 1, 2015) – Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today introduced the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club at the New York International Auto Show, marking the world debut of the North American-focused Club model. Lighter, smaller, quicker and more nimble than its predecessor, MX-5 has adopted Mazda's full suite of SKYACTIV Technology and KODO-Soul of Motion design. In the process, MX-5 has shed approximately 150 pounds from its predecessor, with a curb weight of 2,332 lbs. when equipped with SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission (2,381 lbs. with the six-speed automatic transmission).
Mazda CX-3 almost ready for LA Show
Mon, 17 Nov 2014The Mazda CX-3 is just days away from its unveiling at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, but elsewhere in the world, the Japanese brand still has the compact crossover disguised for testing. These spy shots aren't too camouflaged though, and when combined with the previous teaser image, they give a pretty clear idea what the new model will look like.
The grille here is well covered, but the photo from the front reveals the similarities to the design sketch. The rear shows a similar horizontally oriented design as the Mazda2, which the CUV is based on. However, the dipping sides around the B-pillar from the teaser don't appear to be on this tester. Even with all the swirls, the vehicle looks fairly attractive.
Mazda is doing a fantastic job of keeping mechanical details about the CX-3 a secret. It's not yet known whether the model is front-wheel-drive only or if all-wheel drive is also an option. The crossover also likely shares the Mazda2's engine, which isn't revealed for North America, yet. The diminutive CUV will compete with a huge crop of new classmates, including the Fiat 500X, Jeep Renegade, Chevrolet Trax and Honda HR-V. Check out the gallery for the latest glimpses of this Japanese CUV just days ahead of its full debut.