323 LX any good?

Hey guys I found what looks like a decent 86 Mazda 323 LX on eBay,and was wondering what your thoughts on such a car may be. I am pretty sure it has the 1.6i B6 engine in it. I am unsure of the performance of said engine,but I know the B6T 16 valve DOHC engine is a beast. Any help would be much appreciated.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/sport-hatch-back-/130442485380?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item1e5efa5e84

Chris

I wasn't aware that Mazda ever offered the 3 door with the LX designation. Horsepower is all of 82 and is considered to be "adequate" with the manual transmission.

Someone a few blocks away from me has a 323 station wagon of this vintage which I would rather own, and there is a very similar 5 door hatch Mercury Tracer in the vicinity, too. This is a nice example of what is in stock form a very pedestrian car....tho with the turbo it would be a great small sleeper.

Anyone else??

Jeez, that is a clean shell. Given the vintage, I'd assume all the usual Escort/Festiva/whatever tricks will work. Boost it somehow, and have fun.

There are a few people on ClubProtege who have that vintage of 323. It was, after all, the original car badged as a Protege. I've always liked them, but I have no firsthand experience with them.

1) Buy car
2) Buy rusty 323GT donor
3) Combine
4) ????
5) PROFIT and laugh maniacally.

So 93celicaGT2 these are good cars? Even in stock form can they be a little fun? Any areas that should be looked at when buying said car? What do you think it is worth?

Chris

I had an 88 Mercury tracer (Nice badge engineering)

I LOVED THAT CAR. It was a little go kart that sat 4 people. You could sling that thing through the corners.

Underpowered, yes, but a blast to drive.

I would buy one now if I could find one in good shape.

FlightService wrote: I had an 88 Mercury tracer (Nice badge engineering) I LOVED THAT CAR. It was a little go kart that sat 4 people. You could sling that thing through the corners. Underpowered, yes, but a blast to drive. I would buy one now if I could find one in good shape.

Not the same car i don't think. The Mazda sharing didn't affect the Tracer until 1991, and it was a BG chassis rather than this BF.

Chris, i think it's a good car. I'm not sure that i would call it FUN in bone stock form, but at the worst, it should give good gas mileage and give you that "I'm driving an 80s econobox" time travel feel.

I think with some pretty minor work, it could be an outright laugh riot. But that's speculation on my part. I know of the more extreme things you can do to these, but i don't know much about the mild work or how they respond. I imagine some nice sticky tires, sways, and basic suspension setup would be a hoot.

In terms of what it's worth? Hard to say. Most people didn't care enough about these cars to pamper them like this. I'd pay up to $2000 for it, but i'd be much happier if i could pay $1500.

Major areas to look at, rust, rust, rust. Listen for head noise, sometimes the lifters get worn out. (I think it's got HLAs, at least.) Take a nice long look at the swaybar mounting points, they like to rust out especially in the back and then you're just left with a hanging swaybar.

They're REALLY simple cars.

93Celica:

Mercury marketted a "badge-engineered" 323 called the Tracer, in the mid to late '80s. Mercury offered this version of the Tracer as a 5 door hatch and a wagon...there was no 3 door like Mazda sold. The car itself was an "uplevel" kind of car, most had power windows, mirrors, steering, and a better than usual pattern of upholstery. The idea was to be that you got a small car but you didn't give up the "amenities" of a Mercury. These cars were built, I believe in Mexico.

As a bit of "trivia", Ford sold the same car in Australia and a few other RHD markets like Bermuda and Japan under the Laser name. That car was usually sold as a 4 door sedan or wagon, there may not have been 3 or 5 door hatch Lasers.

Stock? Probably no worse than the equivalent Civic or Mirage.

It looks to me like a similar year Civic in many ways. I know a few people that had them,and they were good cars,but I know little about the Mazda version of the small hatchback. Hopefully I can have someone look at it for me as I am interested in it at the price it is at now.

To quote from the reference book I use:

(Published by Consumer's Guide)

"Even so, the capable and well built 323 rates above average in performance, roominess, and overall value."

It's slightly longer than a Civic and consequently slightly heavier, but also has a tiny bit more horsepower while being rated the SAME as a Civic on fuel economy.

I ran across that last night browsing local things on eBay. For what it is, that car is in amazing shape for an 80s econobox. Kind of like finding an unmolested/rust free starlet.

Stock '86 323 is a fun little car; despite having two of '88 323 GTXes, I've actually been considering buying a friend's 323 of that era and seeing what I could stuff into it...

The 323s had the SOHC engine that put out 82hp. I know several guys who've swapped to the DOHC and then tried to make a poor man's GTX, and frankly, it's not worth the bother. I think a Northstar V8 would look awesome under that hood, though. ;)

And THAT is a gorgeous example of a 323. Good luck if you bid!

http://www.clubprotege.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=202

Theres two swap threads there stuffing the 200hp 2.5L mazda v6 in them.

They BARELY fit from the looks of it, I'm not sure a Northstar would fit with out major fabrication. But then you have a 1800?lb death trap. Er death missle. er car?

~Alex

Not particularly relevant, but I daily drove an 80's Mazda for 14 years and 170k miles and I couldn't have been happier with it. They had a reputation for building dependable cars that were a tad more involving to drive than the average econobox.

1988RedT2 wrote: Not particularly relevant, but I daily drove an 80's Mazda for 14 years and 170k miles and I couldn't have been happier with it. They had a reputation for building dependable cars that were a tad more involving to drive than the average econobox.

On that note, I'm driving a '90 626 at the moment, (5-spd 2.2), and would have to agree. Definitely an econobox, but still decently fun to punt around the twisty roads.

Well I also love my 79 Mazda to death,but it is vastly different than this car I think. It being a RWD rotary,and all. Hopefully I will have a GRM'r looking at the car for me tonight,and go from there. This is a stark departure from what I normally look for in a car as I have never owned a FWD car other than my wife's 93 Escort she had when we met,and her few cars that have followed including a '00 Protege,and her '06 Sienna now. I just like the overall look of this car,and I think it can be fun buzzing the kids around in from time to time. Hopefully the bidding stays low,but I doubt it.

Luke wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: Not particularly relevant, but I daily drove an 80's Mazda for 14 years and 170k miles and I couldn't have been happier with it. They had a reputation for building dependable cars that were a tad more involving to drive than the average econobox.

On that note, I'm driving a '90 626 at the moment, (5-spd 2.2), and would have to agree. Definitely an econobox, but still decently fun to punt around the twisty roads.

Not to sidetrack, but as it happens, mine was an '89 626LX. Also a 5-spd 2.2. I'd still have it today if my wife didn't make me ditch it when we started a family. Still had the original clutch. Never garaged a day in its life, the paint and body trim held up nicely, except the plastic chrome around the windshield was starting to go. The interior held up incredibly well, with just a little sun fading. Seats were never covered, and looked great--no rips, no failed stitching. Everything on the car worked.

1988RedT2 wrote:

Luke wrote:

1988RedT2 wrote: Not particularly relevant, but I daily drove an 80's Mazda for 14 years and 170k miles and I couldn't have been happier with it. They had a reputation for building dependable cars that were a tad more involving to drive than the average econobox.

On that note, I'm driving a '90 626 at the moment, (5-spd 2.2), and would have to agree. Definitely an econobox, but still decently fun to punt around the twisty roads.

Not to sidetrack, but as it happens, mine was an '89 626LX. Also a 5-spd 2.2. I'd still have it today if my wife didn't make me ditch it when we started a family. Still had the original clutch. Never garaged a day in its life, the paint and body trim held up nicely, except the plastic chrome around the windshield was starting to go. The interior held up incredibly well, with just a little sun fading. Seats were never covered, and looked great--no rips, no failed stitching. Everything on the car worked.

Those cars, (and the MX6s of the same vintage) are one of the great "sleepers" of the quality world. Everything, and i mean EVERYTHING was so insanely overbuilt it's unreal. Hearing people tell about their 300k mile cars on stock ORIGINAL clutch is halfway common.

The electronics were solid, the interiors were good quality, and for a big (well, what i consider to be big) car, they handled pretty decently.

Everything on mine works, and this thing has been SERIOUSLY neglected in a past life, and should have been in the junkyard 3x over.

That 323 is awesome and I hope whoever gets it appreciates it and keeps it nice. If you get it, a set of FC phone dials or '86/'87 626 GT wheels would be a cheap and really nice looking upgrade.

I also have to weigh in on the quality of GD body cars as the guys above are doing. I don't know what is different about the materials in those cars' interiors, but they hold up so incredibly well it's unbelievable. All they do is fade in the sun. I've looked at literally 100+ examples of those cars in junkyards and I have never ever seen a torn side bolster or even a stitch out of place. My MX6 GT has 275k on it and it's the same way. The interior would be mint if it wasn't sun faded. The drivetrain is also amazingly robust as stated above. My original clutch "went out" at 220k not because it was worn out, but because one of the spring fingers broke off. I drove that car through HS and college and the clutch was still grabbing perfectly at that high mileage.

Nice examples of these cars with low mileage are very rare nowadays but ANY GD body "cream puff" that is not an automatic is well worth going after. I wish I could find another one...I dream about the stupid things.

So I had an awesome GRm'r go look the car over for me,and send a sweet report,video,and pics. Put in a bid yesterday before we left for ice skating lessons of $1500 which is what I wanted to pay for it. I didn't realize that skating lessons were going to go late however,and by the time we got home the bidding had ended a few minutes earlier,and I lost out on the car by $2!!!!

I really wanted the car,and wish I had been home earlier as I would have rebid higher to get it,but not too much I suppose. Thanks Chris for the awesome report,and pics. I owe you one big time. If you are back up in MA sometime I will buy you that beer you want.

Mazdax605 wrote: Put in a bid yesterday before we left for ice skating lessons of $1500 which is what I wanted to pay for it. I didn't realize that skating lessons were going to go late however,and by the time we got home the bidding had ended a few minutes earlier,and I lost out on the car by $2!!!!

$2! Unlucky, man . Hope you can find another.

Also, I'm not done with the GD praise .

The 626 has the best 'stock' seats I've come across, short of the Recaros in some '80s BMW's. Properly bolstered and super comfortable.

And I can see why that engine takes so well to turbocharging. The bog-standard 2.2 in my car feels about as torquey as the 6-cyl in my BMW, (and the figures aren't far off.)

93celicaGT2, your modded MX6 must really scoot!

In reply to Luke:

It does, especially for how... stone age my setup is these days. I need to update the list.

The downside is that the stock clutch doesn't like 20psi from a Supra CT26 a whole lot. But it's cool. I left plenty of room in the budget.

Shameless plug:

By the way, if anyone has anything F2T powered and wants to add a TON of power, let me know. I have a Thomas Knight Turbochargers hybrid turbo that bolts into stock location, uses stock exhaust housing with a T3 50trim compressor housing crammed into it, with a T4S wheel stuffed into it. Should be good for 25+psi.

/shameless plug.

Ok just to clarigy the Mercury Tracer was a 323.

I was a 3 door as well as 5 door.

I owned a 3 door. Had Mazda written all over that car except on the hood, lift gate, and steering wheel.

Here is a pic of a Mercury 323 er, I mean Tracer