the best advice i have ever heard and you can probably ever get on a rotary, is DONT LET IT SIT!!!!!!!!! keep it running, at least once every 2 weeks, then any rotary you have will last you forever.

 

I had my '80 sitting for three months, started it every week, and it STILL lost compression. Took a month of driving before it came back up. I was REALLY relieved when the compression came back, but for those first few thousand miles it felt "soft" and compression was down a lot.

Best thing if it's going to sit, is use some Fogging Oil (follow directions on can) or fill it with about half a quart of ATF before you store it.

 

wankelboy~

The GSL and SE probably shouldn't be compared head to head, because I think they were drafted for different goals.

The SE is more refined, it was basically Mazda's transition into the late-80's cars. All the differences between it and the GSL were just to make it feel better. The torque-biased ratios, and a 5th gear that could take a little better advantage of the bump in HP! The brakes were bigger, and to some extent, better, but I would dare say that the difference is not THAT significant. The SE feels more torquey, and that makes it a bit better for daily driving, not to mention the extra power made it a better contender with the competition. However, I think the better power delivery was more important than the power increase itself. The 30+ HP increase alone would not make me go for an SE over a GSL, and I believe that all the other differences were technical, so if you didn't know they were there, you probably wouldn't notice them.

I think the decision should come down to what your future plans are. The SE's are not a plentiful as the GSL's, but if you plan to heavily mod your car, especially if fuel injection and forced induction is in the mix, you should probably hold out and get the SE. It just makes a few things easier, that's all.

If all you want is just to have an Rx-7 and maybe some light mods, then it doesn't matter if you get the SE or the GSL. This is just my opinion, and I understand that others may disagree, but I think GSL's are just as good!


1

 

The '84-85 GSL is a GSL-SE with a 12A, smaller brakes, and 13" wheels. How can you go wrong?

 

Guys, wankelboy posted this about a year ago. Chances are he's decided between the two by now.

 

My 12a can and will smoke a stock GSL-SE, I guarantee!!!!

 

DITTO!!

So your MODIFIED car will beat a STOCK one?
What a Suprise.