80s Mazda coupe - NMNA, my neighbors

For sale near me! I walk by it almost daily. Don't know price or anything but it's super clean and would seem to run/drive, as I've seen it parked various places. It's a 5 speed.

Now that's a unicorn, especially in Michigan. I'm afraid to text and ask how much incase I can actually afford it.

I imagine that would be a good example to clean up and list on BAT. 

What is it?  Looks more late 70's to me.

It's an '80 ish 626, I think 

Ooof. Good thing I'm out of space.

Mazda 626, rwd, stick axle, 2 litre inline four.

Edit: produced 78-82, known as Capella in Japan. Preceded by the 616/RX2. That 626 could be interesting with a 10A, 12A, or 13B.

81 626.  63k miles $8100.  That's out of my hey look cool car price range.

I learned to drive stick on a RWD 626. I still have fond memories of that car. Not fast, but fun. Especially in the rain with new front tires and old rear tires - I could take the roundabout near our house without using the steering wheel.

They're not a common find these days.

Huh.

~20 years later I suddenly know what this guy I was stationed with in tech school was talking about.  He always said he had one of these and I never got why he was excited about it cause I always defaulted to thinking of the FWD version that they had later.

EvanB said:

Now that's a unicorn, especially in Michigan. I'm afraid to text and ask how much incase I can actually afford it.

I imagine that would be a good example to clean up and list on BAT. 

I wondered the same - but at $8100 buy -in that's pretty steep

But if you got a kid looking for a first car ....

In reply to 914Driver :

I wouldn't put them into any car designed in the late 70s.  I still remember me being a teenage driver.  I hated having a Volvo 240 for my first car.  I now totally understand me having a Volvo 240 for my first car.  BTW top speed was 105mph but only downhill on the old Copper River bridge.  Yea I was a dumbass.

914Driver said:

But if you got a kid looking for a first car ....

A kid's first car with 1981 spaghetti vacuum hose early emissions equipment on a unicorn car? LOL.

Talk em down to $3500, buy the kid a AAA membership and a Craftsman toolbox and wish them luck because I'm not working on that every weekend.

At the time an updated Datsun 510 or BMW 2002.  

Is the rear axle IRS?

If that car was brown, I would have walked to Michigan with a pocketful of cash and driven it home by now. 
 

My parents had a 1981 sedan that I learned to drive on and I've always loved those cars. 

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

Solid axle. 

In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :

Ours was a brown four door as well. With the steering wheel on the right because Australia. 

 Always liked these and you NEVER see them anymore. So glad -like others- they priced it out of my fun-car price range.

I would do awful,  awful things to that car

In reply to Appleseed :

Rotaries aren't "awful things"

Good work posting this here.  The prices seems in line with very nice conditional  80s nostalgia.  This is probably a step or two above being considered malaise w/the RWD aspect.  It'll likely find a nice home at that price if the seller gets motivated enoguht to post it in the right corner of the interwebs. 

I have done zero research but I would imagine a F2T or FE3 would bolt up to the transmission and make it a very fun little car. 

That's a nice little engine in that car. I wouldn't bother swapping something else in. 
 

Not every car needs to be swapped. 

If you were going to swap anything, a Miata engine and trans would suit. Not crazy power, but EFI and a very nice shifter along with an engine that would look at home.

To understate it: the Aussies love their rotaries!

I can't seem to find a full playlist on YouTube to link, but search "Fullboost Project Redline", and you'll never look at that car the same again!