Rocketing down Hwy 82 (mile 100 out of Gr. Falls) in NE Montana on the way to a shoot last week and passed this sitting on a driveway beside the highway. House is empty (as in no one living there). SA is dead I'm guessing. Reg on plate has expired. Suspect anyone who came by and towed it away would be doing the owner (ex-owner?) a favor...
Note the who-cares rare steel wheels.
Body was solid, make someone a nice track car shell, being the lightest stock RX7. No accidents except a small hit on rear quarter. Seemed quite rust free, though the usual gremlins I'm sure.
Kind sorry-looking out there in the middle of the prairies....

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

Not a bad looking car.

 

Nice...

 

well Stu you know what to do!!! in the middle of the night... TOW that baby home! No I'm just kidding but the thought is reasonable if it is abandoned.

 

get the vin off that thing ...

 

lien!! lien!!

 

You could get a abandoned title like im doing for a 82 RX7
nobody must like these cars

 

I wouldn't recommend just towing it away... if you can find the owner they will probably be thrilled to get $200 for it, plus I'd feel weird about a car that I just picked up off some abandoned lot. If you can't find the owner you can probably get an abandoned title and tow it away legally.

 

i'd try and find out who the owner is and see what they want for it. mention that you'd do them the favor by towing it away at no charge to them. seems like a nice car. i personally wouldnt mind having it.

 

didn't the SAs and S2 FBs have different interiors? That interior looks exactly like mine.

I would say get it the legit way, you never know if the owner will track you down and charge you with stealing his car.

EDIT: door panels and center colnsol look different, but the dash threw me off.

 

What makes it an sa-s what is the criteria? I have an 85 rx7 with no letters on the tail ,like gs and stuff. does it say it on the vin,title ? where? and what makes it rare? I know that there are not many like my rx3/4 wagon.

 

Go check with the police to see if it is an abandoned vehicle. When my dad dumped his Harley, we had to leave it on the side of the road over night, so all we did was notify the highway patrol so nobody would tow it. Usually in a situation like that the authorities could tell you whether or not you can tow it.

-Matt

 

An SA is just a '79-'80 1st gen. In the US the '81s have modern 17 digit VINs with "JM1FB" as the start whereas the '79-'80 have old school 11 digit VINs that start with "SA22C". More differences than any of the other mid-generation changes. Interior, fenders, bumpers, wheels, gauges, the whole rear end of the body including taillights and badges, were all different, and there's no GSL model. Mechanically the ignition, brake plumbing, exhaust and transmission all differ too although the basic engine is the same.

Model lineup for 1st gen:
S: No sunroof, A/C less common (any 1st gen could get it since it was QAC/dealer installed but S's got it less)
GS: Most common model, has sunroof, not sure about leather availability
GSL ('81-'85): GS, + Rear disc brakes, rear wiper, power steering option, premium stereo, LSD rear end, cruise control, leather interior option
GSL-SE ('84-'85): GSL, + 14" wheels + better bolt pattern, EFI 13B

AFAIK the only model you can tell from the VIN is the GSL-SE since the 13B engine has a different engine code. Otherwise you just have to look at the equipment.

 

Thats interesting, cool thread, hope it finds a home somewhere, too nice to go to waste- It looks lonely

 

let me add to your list for the SA.

S-4 speed trans standard(although you could opt for a 5 speed), 2 spoke steering wheel, no rear anti-roll bar, no dead pedal, no sunshade on the windshield, no intermittent wipers, no cargo hold down straps, no hatch release, no glove box light, no map pockets in doors
GS-5 speed trans standard, sunroof optional, alloy wheels, no leather option until 80 on the Leather Sport, rear anti roll bar, sunshade, dead pedal, 4 spoke steering wheel, better am/fm cassette deck, and all options listed that the S model does not come with.

 

little hope for that car. thats desolate country up there.

 

I would say nab the J109's and the coils, but oops... SA's were points ignition. Uh... just get the 8 track player. Haven't seen one of them in a while.

 

I had to clean the snow off it to snap the pix, so its been sitting for a while. you can read the plate number if someone wanted to trace the car's owner thru DMV? Can do that here in Alaska...
The fact the house it was at was EMPTY inside (no furniture) suggests the owner has abandoned it, but, yeah, just hooking it up and driving off wouldn't be a swift idea. Certainly would never get a title for it that way, just parts. I remember in The Good Old Days when this was the situation with R100s. My buddy and I (each owning an R100) would find "dead" R100s everywhere - gas stations, apartment parking lots, back alleys, etc. All dead. No plates. If we found the owner nearby they would usually just say "take it" or maybe $50. Those we couldn't trace to anyone, we just towed them home (ah, to be young and stupid!). Musta done this with a dozen or more of the Little Bastids. Had a garage _stuffed_ with spares. Man, with our Puerto Rican brothers paying $3K+ for dead R100s these days on ebay, I wish I had them now!! Sold mine - running! for $300!!
ook.
Well, the SA gives me one more chance not to be STUPID - so this time I WILL keep it forever

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

LOL, I like that last comment. I hope you can get the car. I heard you can tow it home and then apply for title thru abandoned vehicle act?


My postman has "repo-ed" about three cars this way. He just got a 98 Honda Accord for nothing. Applied for abandoned vehicle, sent certified letters, after 30 days with now answer, DMV cuts him a new title.



Jerry

 

get it, the rotary Gods will thank you(if you dont want it sent it to CT, ill take it)