sugea

What is the difference in the GSL-SE from various countries around the world. That is manufacture options and dealer accessories.

peejay

The GSL-SE was only North America. Other countries got the Turbo, or nothing special.

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

Didn't the Ausies get GSL-SE rims and brakes on their 12A cars?

wwilliam54

i think so

hornbm

Actually from what I hear, outside north america every S3 rx7 got the gsl-se suspension

peejay

GSL-SE suspension was the same as 12A suspension, just a different bolt pattern and larger brakes.

S2-13BT

Yep, aussie S3s had the bigger brakes, and different bolt pattern. There were other differences as well. Bigger rad, crappier oil cooler etc.

We didn't get the fancy dash the GSL-SE had.

peejay

The large radiator/shitty oil cooler was on our S3 12As. And that crappy dash ("fancy"? ) was on all S3s too.

But our S3 12As maintained the Mazda bolt pattern, for what that is worth...

I am starting to wonder if people outside the US have the impression that all US-market Series 3's were GSL-SE. They weren't. The GSL-SE was a very small percentage of total RX-7 sales, I think on the order of 5 percent or thereabouts. However since it has "enthusiast value" (and they were friggin' expensive when new) they tend to be better kept and so a larger percentage of GSL-SEs have lived this long, as opposed to the standard cars (S/GS/GSL).

S2-13BT

I must admit, when I read GSL-SE I assume it's your version of S3. When I read GSL, GS or whatever, I think S2. Then when the year model is mentioned I get confused! Then you say FB, and it get's worse!! Haha.

I can't say for sure, but in Oz, we didn't even have different spec models with the labels, S/GS/GSL or anything like that. I may be wrong, but I've never seen anyone talk about them. Our cars are always, S1 or S2 or S3, and nothing else.

It's interesting the way Mazda sold the cars around the world.

Down here, it doesn't really matter what model the car is. If it's in good nic and has a 13BT or a big ported motor, that's all that counts!

peejay

Yah, our stuff has been weird - drum brakes and open diff right up till the end of production, unless you have a GSL (S2 and S3 only) or a GSL-SE (S3 only). And even then, the GSL's maintained the standard front brakes (tiny vented) and the solid rear discs, and as before all 12A cars used the 25mm offset 4x110 wheel pattern.

I'm sure if Mazda USA spec'ed the 4x4.5 bolt pattern for all S3's then there'd be a lot fewer people gutting GSL-SEs just so they can get easier access to aftermarket wheels!

I have a Brooklands road lest compilation book, they did some weird things in Europe and South Africa, too. I forget which country it was, but it was an S2 with an instrument panel that looked more like something Subaru would do (tach on one side, speedo on the other, light cluster in a strip down the middle) than what would be in an RX-7!

Then again they might have got the pictures confused... another one of those tests shows an "above engine bay" shot that is obviously of a 626 or somesuch... the incorrect location of the cowl venting and the FOUR CYLINDER ENGINE were a bit of a giveaway.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

the only 2 options on the usa gsl-se, were power steering and leather. this bumps the price from 14ish to about $16,600, which in todays money is like $32k. the rx8 is a comparative bargin at a mere $24k (for a model with the least bs crap)

Mills

iTrader: (1)

They had 3 options, the 3rd being the glass sunroof.

peejay

That's not an option, that is a dealer-installed accessory, like the rear spoiler.

You bought it after-the-fact and the dealer installed it for you.

bouis

GSL-SE's were 27% in 1984 and 19% in 1985.

Edit: According to AutoZone anyway

Saru

Those are other things we didn't get in Oz - power steer and leather - on any 1st gen.

Further to what s2-13bt said:

The s3 (84/85s) came in at least two spec levels in Australia: "Sport" and "Limited". "Sport" is quite rare as they were fairly stripped out. I have a road test from the time that says they didn't come with seats as you were supposed to put aftermarket race seats in. The Limited was actually pretty standard. As has been said, the interiour was the same as the s2 (ie basically 81-83) with slightly different seats and material. The only options were the sunroof and two-tone paint, usually seen in silver-and-darker-silver and gold-and-brown.

Also, all Aus delivered cars had back seats, not the boxes the US got.

kleinke

Many RX-7's arrive at the port without air conditioning, or with no sunroof at all (even 1994 RX-7 in this condition). The importer or dealer installed the sunroofs and airconditioining from a kit which Mazda provided. If it is a Mazda part be it spoiler, air dam, air conditioning, sunroof, rear seat, then what is the difference between accessory and option? It is the same result. You pay all the same.

You remember Mazda (the Japanese company, actually Toyo Kogyo) had a different arrangement for selling cars than other car manufacturers. The distribution scheme in use at the time allowed the importer in each country to pick what options/accessiories/whatever.. the RX-7s would be shipped and sold with. In other words, it was the importer who determined what type of brakes, wheels, etc., and whether the cars would have headlight washers, power steering, full-size spare, rear seats, etc. The "importer" was either a distributor in the case of Mazda North America or the dealer scheme in the UK and some other countries at the time. That is why they could be sold in all these seemingly crazy combinations. There was an item not available everywhere: the 84-85 dash. They did not make the later dash style in a RHD version. I don't remember why not. If anyone knows the reason why please say so.

Manntis

There's no way RX-7s were delivered to the dealer with solid roofs, with the dealer adding a sunroof from a 'kit'. The factory sunroof requires specially shaped roof bracing and gutters welded in at the factory that don't exist on the solid roof versions.

Ilesha

My 79 LE has a "factory" pop-up roof with both solid and glass panels. It has (knock on wood) never leaked with either roof. Is the dual pop-up common?
Ilesha

peejay

Which is why 12A cars are listed as being like 200lb lighter than GSL-SE's - the GSL-SEs were *all* loaded to the gills, while the 12A cars had accessories like A/C installed at the port of entry. The "official" weight is the weight of the car as it goes on the boat.

In reality, a GSL-SE is only about 100lb more than most 12A cars, since most 12A cars came loaded down too.

Because it sucks?

cosmicbang

WTF happened with that dash anyway? Everyone knows white on black is the best instrument color scheme and the tach goes in the middle. They changed the dash and actually made it worse. What do you think sucks about it?

peejay

GREEN on black.

Green is a nice neutral color, it doesn't glare like orange, it's lighter and thus easier to read than red, and it doesn't diffuse heavily like blue.

On the cars where I had green backlit gauges, I didn't have to look down to read them, I could easily tell where they were at in my peripheral vision. With these here red gauges, I have to keep looking down...

bouis

I'm honestly not sure why, but red seems to be the preferred color for light sources in important places or for important situations.

bouis

Oh yeah, now I remember, it's easier on your eyes at night. Helps you keep your night vision.

SERIES 1 XLR8

where did th SE Limited come from then, and why is it so special. (check my avatar for pic)

peejay

And how does it help you keep your night vision?

...by being damned hard to see!