In 1988, the Mazda 323 GTX burst onto America’s shores. It was a short-lived but epic hot hatch that felt at home on both dirt and tarmac. While it may not carry this reputation today, it was introduced as an aggressive, road-going rally car. It could easily claim to be the predecessor of today’s STI and Evo.
The 323 GTX …
Also, if you bought one overseas all you got was a Protege. Here in the US you got a 323GTX...way cooler!
Suspension parts unobtainium last I heard. Too bad, they were really cool cars.
I came close to buying one of these when they were new. The local Mazda dealer had two in stock and they were practically giving them away to get rid of them. It had a then revolutionary (pun intended) digital tach and speedometer. In the end I went another route and bought a Swift GTi and another Alfa GTV for the same price as the 323GTX would have cost. But it was a cool car, if not very fast.
Let's not forget: Lee Graser's ETR/SCCA 323 GTX was the overall winner of the Grassroots Motorsports $2003 Challenge autocross.
ddavidv said:Suspension parts unobtainium last I heard. Too bad, they were really cool cars.
Depends on what you're willing to do. Mine sat on Bilsteins adapted from a Protege5. Not everyone is willing to weld on a shock body, though...
I've always wanted one of these so badly! Thanks for the rundown.
Really at this point despite this being a cool car back in the day the problem is this was the basement piece that we were given as a hand me down from japan. The higher trim Japanese version of this car and the generation after this are just so much better and you can actually find them.
Story time! A kid that came into my Blockbuster years ago (obviously, since we've mentioned a video store...), driving one of these. Something about it just seemed neat, so I started asking him what it was. Turned into a nice conversation, and I learned something new about Mazda that day.
Have yet to ever see another one, in person or for sale online.
Can't believe nobody else on here has asked yet, but I have to wonder how easily the AWD setup would adapt to a Miata's chassis... Keith? I'm guessing it can be done (given enough time, money, and fabrication, like most things), but really isn't worth the effort?
I heard the diffs on them were the thing that seemed to run out of being able to find some time ago
Add me to the list of people who wanted one sooooo badly when they came out. Sadly, at the time, anything beyond Chuck Taylors was beyond my budget.
te72 said:Can't believe nobody else on here has asked yet, but I have to wonder how easily the AWD setup would adapt to a Miata's chassis... Keith? I'm guessing it can be done (given enough time, money, and fabrication, like most things), but really isn't worth the effort?
I wouldn't want an AWD Miata. It would ruin the rear-wheel-drive-y-ness of it! 
There really isn't a lot of room in the miata to add stuff like a transfer case and front axle. And switching to a transverse engine/trans layout would seem to me as counter productive.
But if started a thread of your "AWD Miata build", I'd be the first to pull up a seat. That would be some serious fab and ingenuity work! 
te72 said:Story time! A kid that came into my Blockbuster years ago (obviously, since we've mentioned a video store...), driving one of these. Something about it just seemed neat, so I started asking him what it was. Turned into a nice conversation, and I learned something new about Mazda that day.
Have yet to ever see another one, in person or for sale online.
Can't believe nobody else on here has asked yet, but I have to wonder how easily the AWD setup would adapt to a Miata's chassis... Keith? I'm guessing it can be done (given enough time, money, and fabrication, like most things), but really isn't worth the effort?
Strut suspension and a transverse engine. I'm not going to say it can't be done, but the fact that both of them say Mazda on the tin doesn't really give you a head start.
If you haven't seen one for sale online, you've haven't been looking. When I had mine - about 10 years ago - there were a surprising number of them for sale at any given time. They've dried up to some extent, but there's one on eBay right now. I've thought about hunting down my old one again.
RossD said:te72 said:Can't believe nobody else on here has asked yet, but I have to wonder how easily the AWD setup would adapt to a Miata's chassis... Keith? I'm guessing it can be done (given enough time, money, and fabrication, like most things), but really isn't worth the effort?
I wouldn't want an AWD Miata. It would ruin the rear-wheel-drive-y-ness of it!
There really isn't a lot of room in the miata to add stuff like a transfer case and front axle. And switching to a transverse engine/trans layout would seem to me as counter productive.
But if started a thread of your "AWD Miata build", I'd be the first to pull up a seat. That would be some serious fab and ingenuity work!
Good points. I recently discovered the grip levels afforded by studded snow tires, so I have a hard time understanding the "need" of awd here where I live, but I have always wanted to play with it. Just can't bring myself to do a Subaru / Evo.
This seems to be one of those better in my head ideas.
Keith Tanner said:Strut suspension and a transverse engine. I'm not going to say it can't be done, but the fact that both of them say Mazda on the tin doesn't really give you a head start.
If you haven't seen one for sale online, you've haven't been looking. When I had mine - about 10 years ago - there were a surprising number of them for sale at any given time. They've dried up to some extent, but there's one on eBay right now. I've thought about hunting down my old one again.
Ahh, I hadn't even considered it being transverse. That's one of my main strikes against Mitsubishis of that variety. You're right about not looking though. I occasionally browse Craigslist, but I can't say I've ever seen one pop up on the Wyoming page. Cool stuff is occasionally on there, but you really have to go digging to find the good stuff... which occasionally leads to road trips and new acquisitions, probably best I focus on the fleet at hand haha.
they pop up on for sale on a 323 gtx facebook group now and then. I'm hanging onto mine forever, though. Keep your mitts off
I've had two. I shouldn't have sold my last one, it had some cool vintage mods done to it.
I'm about to sell mine...
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