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Actually, you find them on most 79 Limited rims, but never on a regular waffle or keyhole rim. Why only those, I couldn't tell you. I've cleaned up 6 or 7 sets of those rims over the years but only ever saw about two different inspector names on the stickers.
I obtained my 79 Limited in May of 2018 off of eBay. Number 545582. I really thought I had more pics than this, but I guess I'll have to add a photo shoot to my todo list if it ever stops raining here in middle Tennessee. It has been one wet summer.
The main thing I have done to it since purchasing it is reupholstering the seats. It took me two weekends to get the covers made, but they turned out better than I anticipated as an amateur. It also sports a Rotary Engineering intake and Weber IDF carb. So far that's the only mod I have seen -- everything else appears to be stock still.
The day I brought it home! It lives in the garage, though. ;-) Both seats looked about the same. But the home made covers definitely turned out pretty close to the originals.
Last edited by jeremymcquivey; Sep 15, 2021 at 11:53 AM.
Reason: Update to use correct terminology for model.
Thanks for the additional pics. She definitely doesn't get out as much as she should; hopefully Tennessee's lifting of the emissions test requirement should help. I've had it registered as a weekender only and on the weekends I'm almost always hauling the family around.
I have number 80 of 150 Canadian 1979 RX-7 Limited Edition, serial number SA22C-551577, and it currently lives in Missouri. I bought it in Vancouver BC, and it moved to Missouri in 2008. It has always been garaged and maintained, is 95% original, except the electronic ignition.
It currently has 53,000 kilometers (yes km's not miles as the speedo is metric) and it only comes out on sunny days.
I have number 80 of 150 Canadian 1979 RX-7 Limited Edition
Just curious, I know there were 79 Limiteds sold in Canada, but is there some source that says the number was 150? Never heard that before. What indicates that yours is #80?
Long story...
I bought my first Limited Editon from the Charles Levy Motor Company in Columbus Georgia when I was a brand new Army Infantry Lieutenant, and took it to Germany with me to sell there. After three years of FUN driving, I brought it back (dumb move) and ended up selling it to get a down payment for a house. $6500 to a guy who gave it to his college bound son, whom I was told wrecked it shortly thereafter. Fast forward to 2010, when my youngest son (16 yrs old at that time) asked what did the car look like. An internet search and page like 13 found one for sale in Canada. I purchased it from the original owner, who bought it new; the parts manager of the dealership that had it. Always garaged, pleasure car for him and his wife,
no kids. He lost his wife to cancer earlier that year, and through a number of phone calls and Skypes, I bought the car, and had it shipped to Missouri, where it now resides in a climate controlled garage, and only comes out to play when my wife of 43 years and I go for a drive. Lots more to the story, but...
In my conversations with him, he had contact with Mazda International, who issued him the plaque you see here. That is my story Senator, as far as I can recollect. More photos of the actual auto to come.
In my conversations with him, he had contact with Mazda International, who issued him the plaque you see here.
Always amazes me, the new things you can learn here about these cars. This is the first plaque I've heard of surfacing. I know some original owners received name plates and/or a line drawing with their Limited purchases. I think those may have been a dealer sponsored program.
Thanks for the info. Would be interested in seeing some pics of your car too.
A couple weeks now. My very first rx7 was a 79 limited. The digital clock, neat seat pattern and cool shifter made me want to find another model. My favorite rx7 was a 83 gsl and this was the perfect combo of my two favorite first generation models.
It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Two lady's owned it, first bought it new and maintained it like a treasure, she sold it to a 50 yr old lady who drove it only a few hundred miles over several years. Garaged kept at all times, perfect maintenance records.
*Purchased the car last september as my first car. spent the summer driving it like a grandma and rattlecanning rust spots with matching chateau silver.
*Specs: car came with a streetported 6 port out of a gsl-se, stock lim, rb uim with weber 48 dco, new floorpans, tokico blue struts, rb springs, manual steering, ac delete, heater core bypassed etc. all the previous modification made working on the car a little more approachable (i dont have to be the first one to butcher this le!!)
no photos. we all know what a rusty first gen looks like.
Hello all, I have no idea if this thread is still active or moderated or if the registry is updated.I suppose I need to be added to the registration list. As of almost a month ago I took possession of a 1980 Leather Edition. I’m not sure if this thread is still being read after all of this time. If not, I’ll ask some questions in the main 1st gen forums.
It is SA22C 618960 in Brilliant Black. Here are some photos which might generate some questions. Oh, I know I have questions! In the past I've owned two FB's and now this SA. I'm (most of the time) enjoying discovering the little differences between the SA and FB. Car is located in very south east PA. The car has 108,500 miles on it. Most of the entire car is original. Just far from original condition. I have some work ahead of mne. But, it runs, it drives, it is as fun as I remember. -Anton
SA22C 618960 Power mirror box is there - and they work. Yep. Original owner optioned the spoiler and targa band. Also dealer optioned air dam.
Congratulations. if you can post in a thread, its still active. Only locked threads are closed. Black LS's are pretty rare. You need a set of the signature LS wheels-Gold Waffles. Is the spare wheel still stock?
I have a feeling the gold wheels will not be easy to come by. More than likely I'll find a set of the waffle wheels and have them sprayed. If I recall, they are the same wheel. Spare?? I wish. Yeah, that is a partly rusted out steelie which is wearing what might be an original tire.
I have one LS emblem. The other side is missing and is probably unobtainium. I'm thinking I might have a friend of mine scan then 3D print one for me I can paint and get close to original look.
I have the original window sticker and dealer option sticker. I had never seen an LS with the spoiler, air dam, and targa all optioned. Oh, the strakes at the bottom were also dealer optioned! 46 years ago someone went all in on this. Then again, it was originally sold in Nevada for whatever that says.
Gold waffles do come up on occasion, but there is a fairly constant supply of the regular ones on marketplace. Yes, they are identical except for the color. Although rare, I've saw LS emblems too.
Those body accessories were only available through the dealerships, not the factory. Some dealers would use them to increase their profit margins. Those strakes at the bottom are actually a pretty rare accessory. You hardly ever see them.
Being a 1980 and an LS on top of that, there are a quite a few hard to find "one year only" parts on the particular model. The trim clips on the top of the door handle pulls are a good example. Your car actually looks pretty decent overall! How's the engine bay?
Get some waffles, easy to come. Strip and repaint the right color gold, done. Even the silver ones are actually painted aluminum wheels. I've redone a couple of sets, its pretty easy to do, especially with the tires off of the wheel.
Gold waffles do come up on occasion, but there is a fairly constant supply of the regular ones on marketplace. Yes, they are identical except for the color. Although rare, I've saw LS emblems too.
Those body accessories were only available through the dealerships, not the factory. Some dealers would use them to increase their profit margins. Those strakes at the bottom are actually a pretty rare accessory. You hardly ever see them.
Being a 1980 and an LS on top of that, there are a quite a few hard to find "one year only" parts on the particular model. The trim clips on the top of the door handle pulls are a good example. Your car actually looks pretty decent overall! How's the engine bay?
I have never seen the strakes on any RX7. If I didn't have the dealer options add on sheet I would never have guessed they were "official" Mazda gear. Dealer options also shows a charge for the gold wheels. I thought the LS package automatically came with the gold wheels. It would seem the dealer might have gotten away with double charging on the wheels. Here is the original window sticker (what is left of it) and the dealer options sheet.
The engine bay is mostly unmolested but confusing. It came to me with the ACV gone, capped and the yellow and green solenoids capped or turned off. The coast valve was also disconnected from power. But the entire rats nest is still there and the air pump. So far, I have reconnected the coast valve. reconnected the choke (green) solenoid, removed the 25 pounds on now useless air pump, and removed the heat shield from around the thermal unit. The iron oxide present was not shielding anything any longer. I see Racing Beat headers, presilencer and muffler in my near future. Not because of any statement I want to make but the Thermal unit is barely there, the heat exchanger has 2 large holes in it and the muffler has 3! Luckily, "antique cars" do not need to pass emissions in PA.
The gold wheels were part of the Leather Sport Package listed on the window sticker. The $399 up charge mentioned on the dealer option list are for a set of wire (basket) wheels. The gold rims were changed out by the dealer. That would explain where the original wheels went to. The dealer option list is interesting to see. They really dressed the car out for more profit.
I think they should have stuck all that stuff on a regular GS car and left the LS unmolested. They probably turned around and installed the gold waffles on another car for an additional up charge to someone else too. I remember seeing this car when it was listed for sale. Looks like you've cleaned it up some.
