I found an 84 GSL in the paper for sale and went to see it today. Now I have a dilema to deal with.

The good:
The car is an '84 GSL with 111,XXX miles. It's a manual, cloth interior, all stock. Tampa area car so it's in good shape from a rust standpoint. It cranks right up and the motor feels alright. Idles fine and smooth. It's black with 23 y/o paint, so it's not in all that great a shape, but has the targa band which is a plus. Maroon interior in decent shape with newer Grey seats (oh well, I have two maroon ones at the house from the track car). Overall, in fair condition. I'll take pictures tomorrow and post for more optinions.

The not so good:
The owner recently changed the clutch master and slave, but the car still has a clutch issue. I don't know what it is, the clutch feels very soft, and nothing engages. So, I couldn't drive it. You can see the slave cylinder move though, so I have no idea what's up. I have a new clutch at the house I'll more than likely have to put into it. Not a big deal. The car has sat for 8 months in his garage due to this and he really wants to just get it out of his garage. He'll be glad to tow it to the house.

Also, the A/C doesn't work. The compressor doesn't engage, but he did tell me that it worked before so maybe there is a switching issue or something. I've got to get the A/C working if I buy it. South GA in the summer is a few degrees cooler than hell.

Aside from the above and a few cosmetic things, it's in prett good shape. New aftermarket stereo, newish tires, and new brakes.

My dilema, (yes, you're going to laugh at me), should I buy it? To a 1st gen enthusiast, it's a fantasic deal if I can get it on the road again. Wife said sure and I have all the parts to pretty much fix it up. I definitely don't want him to get rid of it at a junk yard.

My options:
1. Buy it, fix it up, and make it another daily driver with the RX-8 and have fun. (Wife isn't too keen on that, but may be swayed). I've always wanted to have 3 rotories at the house
2. Buy it, fix it up, sell it for a few hundred bucks more. At least this way, it'll go to a good home. I'll sell the whole car, not part it out. What would a good running GSL in decent shape go for? I'll go back and take pictures tomorrow.

Anyway, help is appreciated.

 

minor annoyances. buy the car, sounds like a sparkling balck metallic car. make sure to post pics.

 

Perhaps the owner, not knowing any better, failed to properly engage the tip of the slave cylinder pushrod into the dimple in the clutch actuator arm. It's easy to do. So you have to undo the slave and redo the installation.

Even a properly installed master/slave can be soft because of a worn flexihose, so that should automatically be replaced.

Even with all new parts properly installed it is tedious to get the system bled properly. It may take several attempts and a lot of fluid. Some guys use a Power Bleeder to force fluid thru the system. One time there was a long thread about cheap ways to make your own Power Bleeder.

 

She's bought! I went back there today and took more of a look at her. Have some pictures to post as well. The slave is connected and you can see the clutch actuator arm moving. Maybe the pressure plate is siezed or something. I'll have to remove the Tranny to see.

One thing that's great. It even had the Mazda preinspection sheet from back in 11/83 when it was bought! I hope to get it on the road ASAP. I'm excited now!

I'll need the forum help for the A/C though. The A/C clutch will not engage, so no A/C. I'll get the car today and start troubleshooting.

 

I've seen the same type of clutch issue and the cause was the pivot ball that the fork clips too had broken. Another possibility is a bent/cracked clutch fork. When it comes to the 7 family, what's one more, lol.

 

I have another transmission in the garage. I should be able to rob parts from that if the fork is broken can't I? When I open it up, I might as well replace the clutch/pressure plate/throwout bearing.

 

yeah, pull the trans and replace the clutch disc, pressure plate, and t/o bearing. the pivot ball is interchangeable for sure. you made the right choice.

 

Sure, both the fork and pivot ball are interchangeable. Also make sure the pushrod in the slave is installed correctly. I've seen them reversed and it can have the same result.

 

Here she is next to her twin. Engine is great. I had her up on jack stands and that way I could engage the gears without the resistance of the car on the ground. I could then got through the gears without the clutch by matching revs.










2 main issues to deal with:

1. Clutch not engaging. Slave cylinder is working, and pushing the actuator. The clutch inside isn't being pushed out. I'm assuming I'll have to pull the tranny to check that. Anything else I can check prior to that? Everything up to the slave is working as ideal condition. I have a clutch and pressure plate in the garage ready to go in if needed.

2. A/C compressor isn't engaging. I jumpered the clutch magnet and was able to get the compressor to engage and run for a while, but no cold air. My assumption is the pressure is too low which won't let the clutch engage due to the pressure relay. Next step... take it to an A/C system diagnosis shop.

Once I work through the clutch issue, she should be a great car. Interior looks good, exterior is straight and clean (except for the grill like stuff along the bottom of the car... not my thing).

Not bad for $600. I'm happy.

 

That's a hell of a clean 7 for 600 bucks, nice score.

 

Fixed the links. Pictures are back up.









The really cool thing, is that he even had the pre-delivery checklist from the Mazda dealer from back in 11/83 when it was bought. That's really neat!



I have a question for you body work folks. I have a small (about a quarter) size hold in the back panel, a little below the glass hatch. The previous owner closed it up with silicon. How can I patch it? Should I just take it to a body shop and let them do it? Since the paint is 23 years old, I don't really mind if it doesn't match exactly.

 

thats the first horn button in red that i've seen thats actually still red and not brown/greed from sun fade!!! the car looks great!! keep us updated with your progress and if you need anything dont be afraid to ask!!!

 

the clutch fork is very proably broken. should be able to tell pretty easily from it wiggling around. find a new one and strengthen it (i have 3mm plate steel welded to either side of mine) not worth pissing around with it not being strong enough as it is a PITA to fix.

looks very nice and tidy. gl with it!

 

congrats on the find man. i had the same a/c problem in my old 85... ended up being a hole in a hose, so i just said **** it & got all the hoses replaced, as well as a new expansion valve in the evaporator case, and a new reciever/dryer. my dad works for a car part store so i didnt exactly pay full price. Plus my car must havegone years not having any freon, the reason for replacing the ryer & expansion valve. anyway good luck with it man. believe me, a first gen w/ a/c is baller status to the max, haha