Alright, I'm just trying to figure out what all is different from the 1984 model to the 1985 model.

I have an 85 - SE and I just picked up an -84 this weekend and I've noticed a few slight changes.

First, my 85 has plastic molding along the back edge of the door and around the wheel arches that the 84 doesn't.

Second, the 84 has an actual leather (or fake leather) wrap that it stitched around teh steering wheels, whereas the 85 has a molded plastic wheel, that only looks to be stitched,

What other changed were meade between the 85's (build date 12/84 on mine) and the 84's (build date 1/84)

Thanks!

 

The '84 might just have a wheel from a leather-equipped car.

I don't think any RX-7s had plastic molding like you describe... aftermarket maybe?

As far as I know everything was carryover from '84 to '85 with minor exception of some emissions detail changes and people report the '85 SE had larger injectors.

 

I have heard they are virtually the same...no difference. as for the moldings you have, someone added it. If you have a leather steering wheel,(not a wrap but real leather ) you should have leather seats and door panel inserts. If not, someone added the leather steeringwheel. Never heard there were any emmison differences.

 

hmm.. well both cars have leather seats, so I figured the wheel would be the same as well.

So we have a maybe on injectors, and a maybe on something in emissions, and I've heard rumor to a mid 84 year *slight* change in gearing, any truth to that?

 

Yeah, there was a minor change in gearing in mid-84. The gears are so close that it doesn't matter - Mazda experimented with fine tooth gears (possibly a noise issue?) but went back to regular stuff. I know that 12As went to 3.933 gears for a few months in '84 then went back to 3.909. GSL-SE did a similar thing.

The emissions detail I spoke of was 12A-specific. Not too sure on the GSL-SE.

 

The injector thing is still kind of a mystery I think.

I've got two injectors out of an 85 in my 84. Same part numbers but the 84's ran 680cc and the 85 ran 720cc.

Runs Ok, but i've had some flooding trouble. Not sure how much of my problems are related to the injectors.

Rhett

 

Vehicle Year 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Axle Fina
RX-7 GSL-SE 84 3.622 2.186 1.419 1.000 0.758 4.083 3.097
RX-7 GSL-SE 85 3.622 2.186 1.419 1.000 0.715 4.077 2.914

 

I read somewhere that the snorkel that goes into the air box on the GSL-SE is different between 84 and 85. Something about the snorkel running in front of the radiator all the way over to the battery on the 85 and apparently the 84 didn't have this?!? I can't remember which website I saw this on. Can anyone verify that?

 

I can check when I go home... how about that?

 

there is a diff in the air snorkle because there is a hole next to the batt. in my 85 se parts car but not on either one of my driveable 84 gslse's

 

ok, after playing with my cars tonight I've added a coupel other observations.

1st, both the 84 and 85 have the long snorkel tube for the intake.

There is in fact a gearing difference. The 85 is at a solid 3,000rpm at 70mph in 5th, whereas the 84 is pulling 3.5k at 70 in 5th.

Also, if anyone cares the PS dipstick is different between the two....

 

I had heard the snorkel (intake) was moved to the battery side on the 85 because of water getting splashed in on the 84 (snorekel in front of radiator).

Made sense, but I've got 2 85's and one has the snorkel in front of the radiator and one is next to the battery. The build date on the radiator snorkel is 3-85.

I thought maybe a motor swap but couldn't verify one.

jeryj

 

There's an intersting story behind that.

Part of the snorkel blocks the view of the A/C system's sight glass. To view the sight glass you have to remove part of the snorket. Well, many mechanics never bothered to put the snorkel back on...

It's not an issue of "year to year" but rather who worked on it.

 

the 84's have the 4.09 rear gears, the front left passenger seat is a stud and a nut, the ac pipe that runs on the fire wall is black (or black oxide), the ac sight glass is up front, the intake snorkle only oges about 2/3 of the way across.

the 85's, have the 3.933 rear gears with the taller od (its like 3k rpm @70mph), the front left pass seat has a bolt, the ac pipe is left natural alumium, the intake snorkel goes all the way over and through the radiator support to the battery, and the sight glass is moved over by the passenger side of the firewall.

4/85-6/85 these cars, if they are white, burgandy, tender blue, silver, or black; get bronze tinted glass, and body color mirrors. they also have a bac valve filter added (it was a kit)

mike

 

Shouldn't. That is the gear used on early '84 12A cars. Not only shouldn't any -SE have that, but no '85 should have that either. From the factory, at any rate...

 

whoops, i meant the other 3.9

mike

 

No -SE should have 3.909 either.

The two -SE gear ratios were 4.083 in early '84, and 4.077 for the rest. The difference is in the tooth count... the early one had much finer teeth than the later one. Same with the 12A cars... the 3.933 had much finer teeth than the 3.909. Apparently moving to fine teeth was a step in the wrong direction.

 

hmm... another observation.

My friend with an 85 GS model also runs 3k @70mph

so from my tests... All @ 70mph in 5th
3,500 rpm 84 GSL-SE
3,000 rpm 85 GSL-SE
3,000 rpm 85 GS (stock 13" rims, not 14's)

I thought that the 12a cars had different gearing as well?

 

The later 12As have a much taller 5th.

 

so the only SEs with body color mirrors were built between April and June 1985?

 

according to the parts fische, yes. you can still buy the mirrors, but most of the glass is nla

mike