Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

Yes, look at my last post. All parts are interchangeable between 84 & 85 (between 12A cars, like the two we're talking about here).

I don't need you to sit at my feet and I'm not a young man. I'm just trying to educate you on that cool car you got there.

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

Ah, your the young man here I think. But to the point, that extra GS car will help you pretty up the GSL you have now. Start another thread on the project when you get both cars and start tearing into them. We can help you sort through the parts as you go along.

Phineas

...and I appreciate every word of guidance.im a good listener.

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

http://www.banzai-racing.com/how_to_vin.htm

1984/1985 VIN
GSL-SE VIN - there will be a 2 after 33
JM1 FB 33 2

1981-1985 12A
There will be a 1 after 33
JM1 FB 33 1

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

yes, GS gets power mirrors, and so the GSL and GSL-SE will also.

leather was an option for the GSL and GSL-SE, only for Red and Brown, the grey was cloth only. usually the Sunrise Red outside is a grey cloth interior, but its not impossible that it could be red or brown

brochures are here Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals

Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

My first RX was an '85 GSL, red with brown leather interior. Still not sure if my current car is an S or GS though..... VIN pulls up RX7 GS on insurance, carfax, and I think the title, but no power anything (except brakes). No badge on back.

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

If it were me I'd look real hard for problem rust and go from there, leaning toward the one with less rust.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

if you're looking at the empty shell its hard to tell the S from a GS without a sunroof.

GS has power mirrors, cruise control, and a bunch of interior lights, all bolt on stuff though

Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

I guess mines an S then. Manual mirrors, windows, really plain Jane. It does have a dead pedal and glove box light though.... I'm fine with it being an S though. I sought out the most basic '85 I could find.

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

Ha, yeah. My hardtop GS doesn't even have cruise or any remnants besides being pre-wired for it. So either somebody did a very tidy delete, or it's an oddball.

Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

All of the standard and available options lists I see (mostly on this forum) seem anecdotal at best. All you guys with 30 years of 1st gen ownership and 20+ rx's under your belts contradict each other (and sometimes yourselves) when it comes to this topic. I think while you got better options as you climbed the trim ladder, and we generally know what those were, there was still so... much... freedom in the '80's to order just what you wanted. Maybe not as much as in the COPO muscle car days, but to a level that is non-existent today. I am assuming my car is an S trim, because it doesn't have ANY options besides AC. But it does have factory dead pedal, glove box light and rear cargo light. At least 2 of you million-posters previously wrote that those weren't available on the S. So it must be a GS? But you guys also say a GS comes standard with power mirrors, which mine doesn't. And my car was owned by 2 members of the same family since 92, who were old farts and were so proud of the all original belts and hoses on the car (which were falling apart). They didn't upgrade or customize anything.

I think these cars were just, more individual than we are used to these days.

OP- your car is still a 12A powered GSL.

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

It'd be pretty easy to up badge one at a dealer with a couple power options since the S3s are wired for everything.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

the option packages vary by year too. just as a for instance, the sunroof is sometimes standard on the GS, but sometimes not.

manual mirrors are always an S model though, at least 81-85

Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

Thanks j9fd3s, I'm sure now that mine is an "S" trim. As said, that's fine with me. I've always been attracted to low-trim / high performance versions of vehicles. My pop-pop had a '64 ('62?) Plymouth Belvedere that he ordered with the biggest motor they offered that year, the 413 Maxwedge. Super plain-Jane looking, 4 door, beast-motor sleeper car. My daily is a granny-looking Forester putting 260hp to the wheel dyno (est. 310 @crank). Eats WRX's, anywhere, up to about 90mph where the aerodynamics favor them more.

Sorry for the thread-jack OP.

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

The SA GS trim did't have sunroofs by default, I think it was an option.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

actually this is true, Mazda USA wasn't formed until the mid 80's, there were 5 separate regions, so there are some regional differences. not really in the models, but more like the options. for instance power steering is rare out west, but it seems common in the midwest. also the L6 Ocean Blue color was not sold in all 5 regions...

the only remnant these days of this is the dealer code, which still sort of follows the region.

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

I think that explains why my SA (Kansas City original sales area) came with dealer installed AC. Or it could be the date it was made on that triggered that as well.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

there is/was a tax on imported cars with A/C, so most Mazda's have A/C installed at the port in the USA (Sanden). the exception is the GSL-SE and GSL with power steering, these have a factory installed (ND) system. occasionally you will see the factory installed system on other cars, but its unusual.

it does seem like the SA has a higher percentage of A/C installed at the dealer, or after the car was purchased

Mazda did this up to the early 2000's

GSLSEforme

Slight bit of sarcasm in your post...

The accessories you list your car having were likely dealer installed. I did all of those. The # of ac installs on Mazda product line would be in the hundreds from 80-86.
Very few 1st gens coming thru for service didn’t have ac in them.
2nd to ac installs was cruise control installs,sound system upgrades after that.

Fog lights,rear 3pc IMSA spoilers,stripe kits,front end bras,sheepskin seat covers,electric mirror upgrades.

Whatever you could get a Mazda part # for,you could get part. If a customer car didn’t come with a dead pedal and they wanted one it was easily ordered and installed.

In talking with other techs at school on breaks in training sessions it was clear individual dealerships did many different things to the cars. A lot of base cars were upgraded by sales dept while on the lot unsold to make them more appealing to customers.
I remember a dealership out of New York had a rotary engine upgrade program from intake/carb/exhaust to built engine swaps.

This tinkering with accessory add ons did nothing but muddy the waters as far as what came on cars as factory equipment and a lot of it went on back in that time period.

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

I'll be doing a write up on reinstalling my AC but it is an NippoDenso compressor and has hardlines and non compression fittings like a modern AC installation on cars we see today. So I think it was factory installed. I wonder if that tax was port of entry related?

Maxwedge

iTrader: (1)

Thats what I was getting at / thinking. So much variable option-ability that it's hard to identify a car as an "S" or "GS" based solely on the mirrors, or AC, or a dead pedal. I am 100% happy my car is an S trim, as I searched nationwide for a car without sunroof or power windows (and that annoying little balance joystick that gets jostled every time you get into the car).

Yes I'm sarcastic and snarky but I try to find the facts and am eager to help newbies, with the knowledge I've gotten from you guys. I think all you long time 1st gen owners can clearly see the OP's car is not an -SE model. I never meant to be rude, I was just trying to tell him what his new car was, for his knowledge and to help him get parts and fix 'er up.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

neat, a factory system is kind of unusual. i'm not sure how the tax worked exactly, but i think it was just on imported cars with A/C

so Mazda (and others) just import the car without A/C, and put it in here.. although some cars came over with A/C, either because its too complex (GSL-SE), or maybe availability?

its kind of an American thing to have a tax with some crazy way to get around it, my friend is still mad at Mazda because instead of selling him ALL of the Rx3 dashboards at half price Mazda ran them over with a forklift, the tax write off is better than half price

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

this was true up until the late 90's, it was great. its still pretty good considering, but in the mid 90's you could still get the seats and door panels!

GSLSEforme

Did a stint at Volvo,SAAB,Fiat,Lancia,OLds dealership. At the time,SAAB 900 was current model and they came here with their air conditioners packed in a very sturdy box(still have a couple) that was designed to fit in trunk of car. A very snug fit,it took two people to get it out of car.
Always assumed purpose was to get thru customs without charges.I got paid well to install the ac in them and Volvos.