I think I found an 89 gtus. I couldn't beleive it. It sitting in a junk yard with a straight body. The rear tail lights are missing and the wheels are missing. But everything else is there. I'm thinking about buying it but I don't know how to tell if it is a true gtus. Does anybody know of any signs to look for or numbers to look for? I'm clueless. I know these cars are very rare. I never thought I'd see one of these cars or get and chance to own one. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

one way is to look for power options
is there a sunroof
are there power windows
are there power locks
is it series 5 (check for automatic seat belts on A-Pillar), same color mirrors and side mouldings.
they only come in red white and black

 

To ID a GTUs: no power, no sunroof, manual tranny, TII rims (guess that doesn't apply here), AM/FM 6-speaker radio (NO tape), cloth only, TII seats.

IMO, unless you've got lotsa money to throw around, I don't know whether this one would be worth saving. Most likely, unless it's got a really nice interior/exterior, it'd only be good as an ITS racecar (but what a schweet racecar it'd be!!!). It'll probably need a new engine, and maybe a tranny (though my friend and I disagree about whether the GTUs had a ribcase or smooth-case transmission - gurus?). If I were you, I'd just snag the differential and leave it be... There are still some for sale here and there (if you don't mind travelling...)

Brandon

 

I thought I found one last summer myself.

Things to look for:

Sticker GTUs (small s)
Aluminum hood, there is a weight differance you can feel.
5 lug wheels
dual piston front brakes
single piston rears w/ 10.75 inch rear brake rotor
Red, black, or blue interior
If the stock radio is still there, usually no radio or a basic radio, No fancy sound system.
No cruise control.
Manual transmission

If you peer into the differential, you will see the Vicous <sp?> plates for the LSD (this and cruise control is how I figured I was looking at a fake although cruise was also a dealer installed option so if that is the only thing that doesn't match up I wouldn't be concerned).

 

I want a engine-less/trannieless GTUs to make into a project car
Oh if I only had the time space and money
paint it black-green and bring it up to "spec" if anyone catchs my drift

 

Oh, Node... if I had a nickel for every want or plan of yours, I'd not have had to take a loan to get my '7 And what sort of sick freak () would repaint a GTUs? That's blasphemy! Also, Node, you have much to learn of the ways of the GTUs - you most certainly do not want a tranny-less GTUs. They had a special 5th gear that's WAY shorter than even the straight N/A gear. Combine that with the 4.33 rear-end, and you've got MAD top end acceleration (I've driven a GTUs-trannied-but-not-differentialed N/A, and top-gear acceleration is nice).


Time, Space, Money: pick any two.

Brandon

 

Oh yeah one other thing, the GTUs had 3.09 turns lock to lock on the steering wheel, while the T2, GTU, and GXL had 2.7 turns.

 

lol i like that one, "Time, Space Money: pick any two."
and why not save a GTUs from a junkyard?
it would still get a rotary, and not like im shoving a V8 or V6T in it.

 

Uh... you may want to double-check that TIIs and N/As had different steering ratios, as well as between P/S racks and series. Don't have the numbers handy, but I'll look 'em up if you really want

Brandon

 

They only had differnet lock to lock in the series 4 cars. The 87-88 w/o PS T2 had 3.5 turns lock to lock, but the 89-91 all had 2.7 and PS.

 

They have the smoothcase trans. like the other n/a cars.It is the fifth gear ratio that is different.

 

The surest way to determine it's a GTUs is get the VIN and call Mazda of North America. They'll tell you exactly what the car is. They verified for me that the car I parted out was a '90 GTUs.

The next best way was the is the rear end. If both wheels were off the ground there's an easy way to tell if it's a 4.30.

With a piece of tape, or shoe polish, or whatever you got, put a mark on the flange that connects to the driveshaft. Next move the mark to the 12 o'clock position. Then spin one of the wheels one full time around. If the unit is a 4.10, then the flange would have spun 4.1 times around leaving your mark a little past the 1 o'clock position. If it's a 4.30, your mark should be closer to the 3 o'clock position

 

wow, someone with a brain.
never even thought of that method :-D