1994 Mazda MX3 GS - To buy or not to buy

[Savin]

the ticking is the HLA's. It can be remedied, search for further info.

Well, se7en said everything else I was about to say...sooooo... yeah. Get the V6.

*is not biased* I have a 4 cyl.

[solo_ryder]

First gears are wierd on the v6's. They dont like to go into first sometimes at a roll, and they are hard to control, but you will get used to using second to crawl around, first isnt really that useful.

Get the v6

[projectzemx3]

yeah the v6 is defiaently the way to go. i still have the stock 1.8 in my car, and after a 9 hour day of driving other peoples cars i never get into mine and feel that is a crappy or "junker" car. they are god cars and have strong motors in them. as mentioned earlier they do tend to burn oil a bit but hey your just lubin up the pistons

[Alohaman]

Okay okay lol. I really want that sunroof anyway lol. I can get used to the 1st gear. And if the crap tint can be removed, then that's a relief because it makes using the rear view mirror a pain. The fact that the driver's side mirror is also cracked doesn't help either. I'm guessing the V6 doesn't use anymore oil than my Chevette. I'll get a mechanic to look at it and see if I can lower the price any further. I'm also going to search the forums to see if better seats from a junkyard can be bolted in or adapted.

Thanks for the feedback guys

[2fazed]

Okay, decision time, and I need some help.

According to the local Mazda dealer, the ticking sound we heard is normal, knocking or pinging would be much more noticeable, and we would be able to hear it inside the car. The cost of replacing a timing belt is around $430 for the 4-cylinder, and $500 for the V6. While that sounds very high, it's a dealer, and it can be used to our advantage for a reduction in price. Both need this done anyway.

The V6's 1st gear shifting complications, is this common? Or is the timing between releasing the clutch and pressing the gas pedal just really weird? I know it's not my driving ability, because I have no problem driving my current 5-speed smoothly, or the RS I tested. Perhaps the clutch needs adjusting, or even replacing? I really need feedback on this from people experienced with these vehicles. I do like the smoothness and quietness of the V6, and body wise it's in better shape than the 4-cylinder. Can the crappy tint on the back hatch also be removed?






Maybe I can help here. I used to own both I4 and V6 Mx-3's at the same time. I've owed many I4 mazda's and they've always had loose shifting clutches. Now the V6 can have loose or stiff depending on some factors like what brand clutch it has, shifter linkage is rusting(needs tightening or loosening), clutch needs bleeding. If it only is hard to go in first, might be a synchro in the tranny. Does is make a grinding noise?

I agree, those prices are very high, even for Canada. I would go check it out. Point out everything that's wrong with it. Give them a lower offer, and tell them it's based upon how much the repairs will cost. If they won't sell it, just wait awhile. If they don't sell it for a couple weeks, their price will start going down, and they will negociate then.

Good luck

Please reply back, I could really use some advice.

[Alohaman]

I don't believe the transmission itself has any problems. The shifter is knotchy compared to the smooth-like-butter one in the I4 I test drove, but it shifted all right. Maybe I'm just not used to driving that much power lol. After all, the car I've been driving for the past 2 years only puts out about 78-80 horses and it weighs around 2600-2800 lbs.

Driving that GS was like learning to drive my manual Chevette all over again. I'm sure I can get better with it with time. I'll see if I can get a mechanic or the Mazda dealer to inspect the car today or tomorrow.

[Alohaman]

Oh ho, I found something nice in Saskatoon, the next city over.

http://saskatoon.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehic ... dZ75371476" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I called the owner up. The car sounds to be in great condition, no dents, some minor rusting under the driver's side door, interior is in good shape, and all the mechanical stuff has been done. The only negative, was that it was rear ended awhile back. Nothing serious, but the car's driver's side was scratched up. Everything was fixed and re-painted. 160,000 km on the odometer. She wants $4800, but if I could get it for around $4200, I'd be really happy.

I'm going to inspect it this weekend. Which means: ROAD TRIP!!

[Alohaman]

This'll probably be one of my last posts regarding the MX-3's themselves.

I went up to Saskatoon today to check out the red low mileage V6. Turns out, once again, the owner wasn't completely truthful when it came to the shape of the car. There was a lot of body rust, and bird crap on the seats (how in h*ll did that get there????). Even worse, I called the owner, told them I was from Regina, and that I was currently in Saskatoon, giving them my cell phone number to call me (I had already told them ahead of time that I was coming today), but they weren't home. They finally got back to me, at 7:15 pm, when I was halfway home, asking me when I would like to see the car this weekend.

Normally, that would have made me mad. But I was halfway home in a new and better car than the MX-3 I was going to look at. My dad bought a paper at the gas station earlier today. He told me to flip through it and see if there were any other Mazdas in the paper. Turns out there were none, but something caught my eye. A 1991 Acura Integra LS, for $3200, with only 160,000 kms on it. We figured it couldn't hurt to ask about the low mileage car so we called them up. Hours later, I drove out of Saskatoon in my new little teal coupe. It's in great shape, it has all the options I wanted on the MX-3 (including a power sunroof), and it even came with aftermarket alloys, new winter tires, and a $400 Pioneer deck. All round, a great car, and a hatchback, which I always like.

Thanks everyone for your assistance and advice, it was very helpful. Catch you on the flipside,

- Aloha