I have an interesting situation, my Dad has a great Mazda from when he was in collage. He wants to pass it down to me but the only problem is that has not been run in 10 years, and has just been sitting in a garage. Its a shame because the car is practically inn mint condition and has very low mileage. If anybody has any tips on the first step to take to get it in running condition would be greatly appreciate!

 

Hello there newbie, welcome to for forum. Theirs a lot of things u need to do to that car. Id recommend using the search over on the right hand corner of the page before u post something, most likely some one has already asked the question. U will have to change alot in the car just to get it started. All fluids, spark plugs, coolant flush........

 

before mine got running some of my wire connections were corroded and i just took a wire brush to those for good connections, but mine was sitting outside under a pine tree so it would make a difference....also i dont know about this one but you might want it varified before you do it....take a little oil pull the manifold and put some on the apex seals as you turn the engine.....might be an idea there....well good luck on the restoration these are quick and fun cars too have....good luck again

 

First things first, don't try to turn the engine or start it until you've done a lot of reading. There are plenty of threads on here about reviving motors that have sat for long periods of time. You don't want to cause any damage by turning it without good lubrication.

As a rough idea, plan to change all the fluids, clean out the gas tank, and rebuild the carburetor. And take some pics!

 

how far from cleveland are you? i'm 45 mins west of cleveland and i'd be willing to help you get the car back on the road.

 

Hey, if you guys decide to sell it rather than get it on the road let me know. I'm just on the Eastside.

 

Welcome divi-
Lots of info here so do your research
Unless it was "correctly" put away all those years ago, ie proper oiling the engine, due diligence on the fuel system (full with fuel stabilizer OR completely drained tank), etc. you could do some serious damage.
Briefly:
-change ALL fluids (yes, even the brake stuff - this especially attracts water and can cause corrosion in some very inconvenient places!)
-change ALL hoses. Why risk everything on a $20 hose?
-If there is any fuel in the car, get rid of it! There is a drain on your tank.
-change all filters. Note the fuel filter is located on drivers side in front of rear tire. MUST be changed!
-Unless done at the time it was put in storage, I advise adding a few ounces of engine oil thru the carb mouth into fr and rr rotors/combustion chambers and "dry-crank" (no fuel pump running - pull fuse; disconnect spark wires) a few rotations to mix it around all the internal surfaces. Then let it SIT till all other maintenance (above) is done. Will smoke a bit on initial start up, but no worries.

be prepared for some leaks, at least initially as a lot of gaskets and seals have not been fully bathed in oil for years. Might get lucky and most will swell back up and re-seal (thinking tranny, diff, even the motor here). Be paranoid, be thorough - and there should be no expensive surprises!

'Luck on the resurrection - post some pics!

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

^^^^ Call this guy and beg him to come over^^^^^

 

When I got mine, it sat for a long time. I had to flush the gas tank, replace fuel lines, fuel filter, fuel pump, blow out the metal lines with an air compressor, and rebuild the carb. I'm still filtering out the last bits of dirt... I'm in Pittsburgh so I'm not too far from Cleveland either. I've become quite familiar with the fuel systems.

 

I did a ground up restoration on a 85. It was fun.

 

i'd make sure it runs first...

 

id advise checking your clutch master cylinder for rust and condition of clutch as well mine was completely mated to the flywheel