1985 Mazda RX7 GSL-SE 1.3 fuel injected rotary from North America
Summary:
Best bang for buck on four wheels. Get one and hold on
Faults:
Fuel leak.
Oil control lever came loose.
Oil cooler cracked.
Drive line broke (my fault).
Transmission cracked in half from drive line failure.
General Comments:
This is the most fun car to drive I have ever driven, period.
It had manual steering and was described as a go-kart by my brother. When he and I were in it, the load rating of the car was exceeded. A very serious sport edition vehicle.
When first purchased, it had a bad oil leak from the oil cooler, which the dealer replaced. It had fuel leak under the intake manifold, which I repaired. It was a bad rubber hose.
I tried rebuilding the drive line, and it came apart at 100 mph. This caused eccentric vibration, which cracked the transmission. My fault.
On a cross country trip, the oil metering lever from the throttle to the oil pump became disconnected. It stopped using oil and I poured oil into the gas tank to get her home.
It chewed up the Tail of the Dragon in NC/TN one night. Spun her out in one corner, but no damage. A little tail happy, but you just pump up the rear tires a little to get her balanced. It liked to be driven hard. It would get faster the harder it was driven.
This car is an absolute gem and I wish I had kept it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 15th August, 2014
10th Sep 2012, 09:28
Go to http://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/ to post your questions. Also get Haynes manual to learn about the parts you are unsure of.
Great car; it's on my shortlist for a fun car to have around.