Japanese Early SA Limited FS
 

-in New Zealand -
;)
So's not to drive prospective buyers insane! (or maybe that will?)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=245556620

This is a pretty rare bird and a rather significant RX-7 since it represents what was the first RX7 version shown to the press and public in the spring of 1978. This is the metallic Green top of the line model "Limited" that was featured in virtually all the press releases world-wide, even tho this particular model was a JDM-only machine. I have posted a couple of pics here, but check the link for the complete set.

JDM cars of all ilk are annoyingly common in Australia and NZ due to lax duties and regs. This nearly-dead stock RX is, by Ozzie standards, quite cheap, what with RX3s and older school rotaries sometimes in the $20K (NZ)+ range not uncommon. And that this one escaped the "modifications" knife makes it especially unique. Some points of interest:

-fender mirrors - the electric ones, yet. Limited came with these of course, as did ALL Rx7s of the day, but the other 4 models got the get-out-and-adjust-em-yerself manual mirrors. Switches can be seen under RH of dash - familiar to any US LS or Anniversary SA owners.
-note no EXTERNAL antenna. JDM RXs had this built into the windshield. So interior switch is blanked.
-note 2 little blisters on fr and rr bumpers. This the external result of the much-lighter non-shock/impact bumpers. Yep, straight steel bumpers mounted with dinky little brackets that require a painted thru-bolt outside bumper. Must have shed some 40+ pounds of hardware over ours!
-uber-rare OEM molded mud guards. Optional even on the Limited, avai only in Japan.
-chromed license-plate lamps, unique to JDM
-conspicuously absent: sunroof. Not available till later in the year - N.Am was the only market to get the SR option immediately.
-note Miata seats and FB wheels in this particular car :(

With ebay filled recently with New-ish SAs in the $15-to-$25K asking (but not selling) price lately, this
gem is a bit of a deal and certainly a milestone car in RX7 lore. If anyone gets the bug and imports it I hope they'll let us know (rotarydude, you know who you are).

Stu Aull
80SG
Alaska

thats a beautiful gem

thanks for the post

If I had a job that paid well, i'd be all over this.

Aside from the 5 colour interior, I love that car. Would look better with the proper bronze waffle wheels though.

Yeah- FB wheels do it no favors. Happily, it would be an easy fix

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

F-me, although I have never said it to anyone my absolute favorite is met green i have wanted one since i saw the color chip that said it was a 79 mazda color.

I hate to do this to a couple of you though, orion it did not come with bronze waffles it would have come with silver waffles if it had them it very possibly came with steels trim rings and center caps.

Stu, Stu, Stu sunroof was available, maybe not on the limited i would have to look at my JDM lit to be sure I thought it was the GT car you couldn't get the sunroof on but it was available from day one on some cars as the 88 car I have (manuf 2/78) has a sunroof. How do we know this is actually the car from the literature do you know the vin # if this is real I will find the $$ to pony up for it as i think it would make a nice complement to the 2 early significant SAs i have now.

BTW Stu remember chastising me about the map pockets on my "early" 79s door panels. I am talking about the #88 car. Then i told you i thought that they were JDM since the car was hand built? Seems this car bears some of that info?

'dude-
check your JDM Honkatas (those are the BIG brochures) - I have what I believe to be MOST of the SA JDM brochures, and they don't start listing the sunroof as an option until March of 79 (date on brochure), so likely production of home market S/R RX7s didn't start till...?? Dec. 78/Jan 79?
According to this brochure, the 4-car range expanded to a _6_ car range with the introduction of the SE (as in sunroof-equipped)-Limited (pic) and the SE-GT. I am confused by your ref to ol' #88. This is a US-spec car isn't it? Not a JDM Savanna. As you know, the sun roof was available in US production cars from day one. I presume the Vin SA22C-xxx88 refers to the 88th N.American production RX7, not the world's 88th Rx7?

As to my reference to the Limited in the NZ ad (above, my original post), you are correct: it came with the silver waffles which obviously got separated from this car :(
As to this car "actually the car from the literature", what I meant was it was this _type_ of car, ie Green Limited, that was the Presentation Car Mazda featured in most of its Introduction literature.
But, yeah, if this was THE car, that would be a find wouldn't it!? :)

Tough call on the door panel pockets. Could it be that Limiteds had them from Day One? All my JDM literature going back to March 78 shows Limiteds WITH door pockets - but does not illustrate interiors of the lesser cars. I have owned higher-Vin'd number GS RX7s than your #88 w/o door pockets, so I am puzzled... no chastising intended!
Always a kick to go head-to-head w/you on specs!
Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

and 'dude - don't let THAT discourage you from buying this little green buggy!!! Lot closer for me to visit it in the Great State o' Texas than New Zee! Especially since I understand that buying one of these Limiteds direct from Japan is a _very_ pricey proposition. Understand they are popular and hard to get there...

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

Thanks Stu
 

Stu, yes the one we are talking about is N. Amer #88 it is the spark yellow every option available car including the plaid seats, when i first showed the pictures of it you were confused as was I, it had the early twin stripe door panels but clearly had original map pockets on the bottom something that didn't happen in the US. We speculated at that time that since it was a pre-production car normal controls ensuring that the right set of panels may not have happened. As for sunroof yea I was basing the availability of one on that car not on the sales lit I don't have it in front of me unfortunately.

I would love to get this car, it honestly is a stretch for me to do so right now. If this was the car then I would find a way to make it happen since we can't verify it I really shouldn't try for it now even though I want to.

Oh Stu we never really go head to head, you just keep me straight!!!!

At roughly $6,400 US before shipping and who knows what other govenrment bleeding process, that is not out of line in my opinion. Better spent money than the 12 or 25K limiteds recently advertized. I agree this color is great for a collectable Rex. Brown leather and a sunroof would be just over the top!

the STU and DUDE discussions of minute production details always amaze me . I hope there are still a few mysteries left for you guys to uncover :icon_tup:

Agreed Banzai - shudder to think what spike-strip US Customs would lay trying to bring that car in but sure would a conversation piece!

some one lay it out there - we'll try to step up to bore you with the details...

:D

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

Nice find Stu! Wouldn't mind one of those at all :)

i would kill for a savanna!!!

id help you kill for one too!! haha

Crap, looks like I need more life insurance, I got 3 in the garage now LOL

are all your cars visible from Google Earth ?

give us the coordinates so we can see the wankel patch

wow are you serious!?!? pics please!!

Stu a little help I know you posted pics in the past of my place I can't get to them from Iraq. My Savannas are far from perfect but unless you have a RHD to start with you can't make them cool. BTW I also have a 76 RHD JDM Cosmo as well but y'all don't think it is cool.

If you all search my back posts there are some pics I have posted previously

Hi, This is an older thread but I was happy to find some scans of the JDM 03.79 brochure. I have a copy of the JDM 03.78 Honkata showing the fancy cross-patterned fabrics, however, it appears they are gone on the Limited models a year later.

Is this the case? Were the early JDM cross-patterned fabrics dropped after a year for all models? Also, were these fabrics exported to any markets?

And BTW, have someone posted JDM brochure scans somewhere in this forum? I would love a link to those.

Best regards from Copenhagen, Bo

The green car mentioned above is this one!

JDM Limited in the colour metallic green which was a Limited-exclusive colour in Japan.

BR, Bo

the color on that car is called Mach Green Metallic, color code G4. its a beautiful example. as Stu caught, the seats are from a Miata and the wheels are from an FB.

a careful eye will note that the metal battery tray is mach green as well whereas it should be black so this could indicate an engine bay repaint. for the price i would expect 100% originality but either way its a wonderful car worth an SA fantasy :)

My wife fell in love with the Cosmo when she saw one at JCCS. Beautiful car.

they were not all black. i'm sure that all the 84-85 cars were black, but peepers (8/81 build) has a U2 blue battery tray that is original. i think i sanded and painted, but they put the tray in and shot the bay, so the bottom of the tray, and the apron panel under the tray never got a color coat.

ive seen others too, but not enough to get a feel for what came with what.

after a peek under the hood of my 80 LS, i note that the battery tray is indeed painted solar gold. i was wrong to assume the SA was like the S3.