'85 GXL-SE is that the Holy Grail of 1st Gens??
 

Just like it said......I have not looked at first Gens too much as I wound up buying an '89. But My Buddy at Kragen jut bought this beater '85 and I now learned that those had the 13B in them. I was just wanting to ask is this the hot set up for first Gens??

Also, if any of you race in the Pro7......do these 13B 1st gens qualify for that class??

Remember I am asking your opinion so anything is fine with me.....I'd like to hear all the different thoughts.

Yep, top o the line. big motor disc brakes limited slip fuel injection(if you're into to that sort of thing) Little bit heavier but most consider it worth it.

That is the kind of thing I was asking for. There always seems to be something.......like the newer car with more HP is way heavier and slower yadda yadda yadda. Just wanting to hear some words on it.

My impression was that it would be a really nice racer, once you open the exhaust and get some HP out of it.

Just like Alex-7 said, top of the line. 13b, nuff said.

^^Ditto

and it's GSL-SE not GXL-SE

To me nothing beats that feeling when you score a nice FB at a great price, then it really does not matter what model it is. My first one was a base model that was kinda of like that lost puppy that follows you home. Well a couple years ago it met its maker and I bought a SE, at a premium price at that, because it was the "Holy Grail". Now that I have had it for awhile, I came to realize it will never compare to my first one, even with all the upgrades.

I've got a gsl-se so yeah its the holy grail all right.

BTW, its not pro7 legal. It can run in SCCA ITS where its not very competitive. :(

new GSL-SE (13b) went for $35K in 1985, while the base FB's (12a) were $21K.

Your 1989 FC is a heavier car with more refined civilized handling (independent rear suspension), or it is more of a upper end luxury sportscar aimed right at the porsche 944 market.

There's good music and bad music....I like the good music.

Naw, the holy grail of first gens is the cheapest, nicest paint, rist-free-est one you can find.

In canadian dollars, my project breaks down like this:

Car (85 GSL, 12a, LSD, no sunroof): $2800 -> too much, but didn't want to buy out of US.
-SE 13b engine, trans, harness, ECU: $750
Sell 12a: -$300
exhaust and header: $500
Wheels and tires: $150
Black interior from '83: $200 -> from a parts car
Selling parts from parts car: -$150 and counting
New paint: $1800

My point is that if you find a solid base, anything you want can be added to it relatively cheaply and easily, but paint and body are expensive.

^^^ well if you put it that way the real "Holy Grail" is the FREE REx with 28k that your Grandmother kept in the garage..........but that is not my point.

And also, I am not comparing the 85 ot my 89....Hell my 89 is a convertable Automatic.....the slowest RX around. I just wanted to look at the older models and get some ideas on what was the best, you never know when a good deal comes knocking and if you don't know your RXs you may pass on the Holy Grail when somebody is trying to hand it to you for free. (long sentance)

that feeling...like scoring an '85 gsl-se for $800??? getting 30mpg hwy(dont know how), and only having to replace the fuel pump and oil cooler(together totalling under $150). yeah...i like my "grail"!!! not perfect yet... but makes me smile.

Seriously?? Seems a little high for 1985 dollars.

Right on.

I think that's what an obscure site said. I recall a huge premium for the 13b.

And convertable FC? One was in the movie "Bad Influence"....terrrific movie! Set in Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, and near the La Brea Tar pits in Los Angeles.

Watch the movie, and you will love your FC convert for it!!

To me, the "Holy Grail" is my '83 GS that I picked up for $500. Rust free, fairly new paint, full stainless exhaust, new tires on 15" alloy wheels and many other little "extras".
500 for the car, and less than 200 on registration, and a couple little things it needed, and been driving it daily since the day I got it tagged.
With a 12a and second gen tranny (taller 5th gear) it gets around 21-23 MPG average, and is a blast to drive. Far funner than my nissan pickup, and about the same MPG, which one would you choose to drive?
Sure the GSL-SE has all the bells and whistles. More stuff to go wrong, in my opinion. Does that mean I would pass one up, at a good price? No. I also would not pass up a base model at a good price, either.
With these cars (1st gens) being a minimum of 20 years old, there's just not a vast choice of available cars, so we have to take what we can get, when one in good shape is available.
My thoughts exactly. More like $10-15K for the higher end.

It is actually the least desirable model for a race car, since all GSL-SEs came with a sunroof. Other than that, the various model designations are just option packages, and the individual components can be easily added or removed.

Most of you are missing the question.

Lets make believe that we have All first gens lined up before us....... they are all in the same shape and all have the same miles.....bone stock and they are all selling for $XX00 (put what ever number you think)

YOU DRAW the short straw so you get to pick first......which one do you pick???

The 'Holy Grail' is the 1985 GT-X. The stock performance of 140mph, 15.3 1/4 mile was outstanding at a cost of US$8870. Even now few cars perform so well.

It came with the12A turbo efi engine, and was the best of the four RX-7 models with that engine. Just a pity they did not export them, so the US was stuck with the heavy gsl-se, the poor man's 944.

If you still can't afford a GT-X, buy an early SA/FB with a worn out 12A and drop in a replacement 13B 4 port. The options are wide open , port, turbo or even go efi.

I'd rather have my "poor man's 944" since I can stomp a 944 on the racetrack whether it be straight or curvy.

imo the 84-85 GSL and GSL-SE would be the holy grail of 1st gens... GSL had everything the SE had minus the bolt pattern and 13B FI, and its rear end had 4 clutch thingers where the gsl-se had 3(not sure exactly why this is better i just know it is! lol)... and the fact that the swap to the 13B isn't too tough(if u carb it), it the GSL really is a great model... only thing i wish mine had now would be the SE bolt pattern, but honestly i think i'd rather have the 5 lug FC bolt pattern(which hopefully i will one day, planning on a ford 9" or 8.8" rear end, not sure which... which ever i can get with limited slip, if thats even an option), then i'll probly just run wheel adapters on the front, or possibly swap for TII brakes... we'll see... thats all in the future lol

Both the GSL and the GSL-SE share some features, like the LSD and the 4 wheel disc brakes. The SE goes beyond with wider wheels and low profile tires, the better 4x114.3 bolt pattern, a more robust fuel pump, and an anti-slosh fuel tank. I beleive that the trans, clutch, springs, and shocks are all heavier duty than the normal FB gear.

Also pricing: The GSL-SE was just over $16,100 new, while the GSL was just under $11K, the GS at $10k, and the bare-bones S was just a hair under $9k.

My 85 GSL-SE listed for $16,800 and had a "dealer market price gouge" of $1100 selling for $17,900

$35k for a new car in the 80s? lol

although they were $44,000 when new the last year they were sold here, 1995...

You are way off on your numbers ! I bought a new '85 RX-7 GSL and an '86 B2000 truck (there never was an '85 B2000 model year. They sold the 86's in '85 ) on the same day for 22,000 for the pair. I could have had the GSL-SE for 14,500 by itself, but I went for a red GSL with charcoal interior. So, you're 20,000 dollars too high !

don't forget the torque the 13b gives you! it definately is the holy grail to me...better bolt pattern, cooled disk brakes (gsl doesn't have this) and to top it off...NO CHOKE TO PULL WHEN STARTING HER UP :D

Trans and clutch aren't any different than any other 1st gen. Not sure on springs, but I beleve the shocks were the same across the board also. Pretty sure springs were the same too, but like stated, not sure.