I have an 82 gsl. The coolant temp gauge only goes up to about a 1/4 to 1/3 of the way when up to temp. Is this normal for an older rx7 or is the gauge or sensor faulty.

 

welcome to the board.

the short answer is yes, it's normal. i've seen S2 cars sit anywhere between 1/4 and close to 1/2 the way on the stock gauge.

the long answer is:
1. cooling system maintenance is always money well spent.
2. i have learned to trust the stock gauges only so far as to keep me informed of trouble relative to "perceived normal." outside of that, you're always in the dark.
3. if you want precise and reliable information, you should probably get an actual gauge.