SGT_OKINAWA
Member
- :
- 2010 Mazda CX-7
Mazda5 owners, the other rides (current and past)
- Thread starter coolmazda5
- Start date
Um, I can't read Japanese. Does me no good at all. Thanks anyway though. LOL
I envy you guys. It must be nice to get to own those many cars.
We had only 3 cars that so far served the family.
1. (1985-1996) MAZDA323 1.3 Liter, 1983 4 door. Company issued. Desert environment. Best feature the car has, is the A/C. Like the poster said above, this car do not die.
Underpowered with A/C on, so I rigged a pushbutton switch to temporarily disengage the A/C compressor when I needed more power. Poor man's turbo. Worked like a charm.
2. (1997-2006) Buick Skyhawk 1.8 liter Turbo 2-door. Handed down by cousin. This car had everything going wrong when I got it. Overheating, wiper that was always on, etc. Fixed them all and turned me into a fearless weekend mechanic. This car had no problem passing other vehicles in the highway.
3. (2006-Present) Mazda5 2006 GT. Replacement to the dying skyhawk.
I guess it was just pure luck that we ended up with the MAZDA5.
This mazda5 is a keeper..
I wish it had turbo.
We had only 3 cars that so far served the family.
1. (1985-1996) MAZDA323 1.3 Liter, 1983 4 door. Company issued. Desert environment. Best feature the car has, is the A/C. Like the poster said above, this car do not die.
Underpowered with A/C on, so I rigged a pushbutton switch to temporarily disengage the A/C compressor when I needed more power. Poor man's turbo. Worked like a charm.
2. (1997-2006) Buick Skyhawk 1.8 liter Turbo 2-door. Handed down by cousin. This car had everything going wrong when I got it. Overheating, wiper that was always on, etc. Fixed them all and turned me into a fearless weekend mechanic. This car had no problem passing other vehicles in the highway.
3. (2006-Present) Mazda5 2006 GT. Replacement to the dying skyhawk.
I guess it was just pure luck that we ended up with the MAZDA5.
This mazda5 is a keeper..
I wish it had turbo.
The number of cars owned is mostly a product of age. 1st car bought in 1979 for 100.00
We have three now because the dealer wasn't interested in taking any on trade, and Canada had a pretty crappy clunker program ($300 to 1200).
Our M5 was 2 years old when we got it. My last (and only) new car was 22 years ago.
Not much different than starting with a 2 year old Toyota and keeping it for 11 years
We have three now because the dealer wasn't interested in taking any on trade, and Canada had a pretty crappy clunker program ($300 to 1200).
Our M5 was 2 years old when we got it. My last (and only) new car was 22 years ago.
Not much different than starting with a 2 year old Toyota and keeping it for 11 years
I thought I've had a bunch... I am definitely not alone here 
PAST
89' Mazda 323 SE - 1st car
78' Chevy LUV
95' Honda Civic HB CX
95' Honda Civic HB DX
89' Mazda MX-6
88' Mazda 626 LX
88' Mazda MX-6 GT
01' Toyota Camry
88' Mazda 626 GT HB
87' Mazda Pickup
89' Mazda Pickup
88' Mazda 626 LX HB
01' Toyota Tacoma 2wd
91' Mazda 323
CURRENT
07' Mazda 5 sport - Hers
03' Mazda Protege5 - His
88' Mazda 323 GT - The project in the garage.
PAST
89' Mazda 323 SE - 1st car
78' Chevy LUV
95' Honda Civic HB CX
95' Honda Civic HB DX
89' Mazda MX-6
88' Mazda 626 LX
88' Mazda MX-6 GT
01' Toyota Camry
88' Mazda 626 GT HB
87' Mazda Pickup
89' Mazda Pickup
88' Mazda 626 LX HB
01' Toyota Tacoma 2wd
91' Mazda 323
CURRENT
07' Mazda 5 sport - Hers
03' Mazda Protege5 - His
88' Mazda 323 GT - The project in the garage.
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
Don't forget the Millenia, a Miata, a CX-7, a CX-9, a Mazda3, a Mazda6, an RX-8, or even a Tribute...
I'll post some pics of these If I can find em.
PAST
89' Mazda 323 SE - 1st car
Loved this car worked on it extensively and was the reason I decided to go to mechanic school. Should have never sold it, but needed the money to move out of town. My brother drove it till it had 240k miles then it got rear ended. Dad bought it from the insurance and sold it. Some guy rebuilt it and as far as I know its still driving around in Montana.
78' Chevy LUV
(I drew the design on the photo, thats what I planned to do...)
A rust bucket and rebuilt the engine while in mech school. Had a Weber two barrel and no emissions. Never got it running right but it was fun. Probably the first person to in Idaho to put 16" low pro Falkens (white steel wheels) on a mini-truck, that thing had a shot suspension and a street sign separating my feet from the road but it was a blast to drive. Oh yeah I put 1G Talon seats in it too.
95' Honda Civic HB CX
Loved this car, back in the day when import tuning was just ramping up. I had big plans but never any money. Kept it real clean and only added wheels, tach, some other bits. Wife drove it mostly after I got the MX6 GT. She had a 83 Honda Accord at the time which was a good car too.
95' Honda Civic HB DX Bought cheap to swap engine with my CX. Turns out the 1.6 DOHC isn't much better than the 1.5 SOHC with the CX transmission attached. That tranny would do 90 mph in third gear. If I had a turbo on it I bet I could hit 160mph before I ran out of gears. Sold this one after the swap.
89' Mazda MX-6
Fun car and still in family, didn't do much except get the itch for the GT.
88' Mazda MX-6 GT
This one I should have never got rid of, I was the second owner. Redid the entire suspension, made my own strut tower brackets, chipped it and with an all stock intake, engine and exhaust it would run 14.5 1/4's. I SCCA'd it a lot, did 100mph+ everyday to work (no tickets but since sold I've gotten 3). I really miss this one. I bought the 323GT (which I've wanted since car 1, GTX really but the GT is a good substitute, just wanted the turbo 323 in any form) and for some reason thought I didn't need this anymore. I think my wife thought I'd kill myself in it too. It popped up on craigslist and looked hammered, a pity, that thing was beautiful when I sold it.
88' Mazda 626 LX
Bought cheap and fixed it up, a nice looker. I think my stepbrother is still driving this one.
01' Toyota Camry
The family ride, got it just before our first child. Did only maintenance. One morning it wouldn't start. Diagnosed and diagnosed and took the head off to find a shitload of carbon. Oil sludge is a huge problem on these engines. Did a head job and never trusted it since. Wife drove it and was happy though.
88' Mazda 626 GT HB
Was wrecked, scrapped it out and I should have never done so. In my ignorance.... I didn't know how easy it is to get a front radiator support, this car didn't have to go to the scrap yard. Damn shame.
87' Mazda Pickup
Wanted a junk hauler, bought it to fix it up, gave up as I hate carburetors. Donated to charity.
89' Mazda Pickup
2nd try and still couldn't stand the carburetor setup. Sold this and gave up on Mazda pickups.
88' Mazda 626 LX HB
Needed a commuter and got this one for $600. Drove it for about 2.5 years, just maintenance. This thing would fly between SLC and Boise no problem, with 205k miles on the clock too.
01' Toyota Tacoma 2wd
Wanted a truck again, found out that I'm not a truck guy. Hitch and a cheap harbor freight 8x4' trailer is all I need. The Mazda5 pulls this just fine.
91' Mazda 323
So I had sold the Tacoma, and then I sold the 626 HB thinking I would get the 323GT running no problem. Well that didn't work out and I needed a car bad. Found this one on craigslist for 1k, bought it for 800, should of only paid 600. Used as a commuter and it was good. Put some escort GT wheels on it, fixed a bunch of leaks an stuff, and sold it to the neighbors down the street last week.
CURRENT
07' Mazda 5 sport - Hers
Traded the Camry in for this. We knew we wanted it after driving one for 6 months on a business trip. Kind of wish we would have waited for 08 but I rarely drive it and she's happy so its a wash.
03' Mazda Protege5 - His
I have always wanted one of these and when we decided to get me a better car to haul the kids around I started shopping. My price range was well below what I thought I could get a P5 for and they don't pop up often in Boise. Saw this listed with no price, emailed and they said 5k. Out of my budget but had to look at it anyway. Talked to them, drove and bought it, they were hard up for cash and took 4k (the top of my budget). No AC, wheel shimmy, faded paint, bearing noise, broken stereo but that all is fixed now. Couldn't be happier.
88' Mazda 323 GT - The project in the garage.
Still working on it. The interior is immaculate, the body is fairly straight with no rust and the engine had a hole. Looked like the turbo oil return hose broke and pumped all the oil out of the engine. Got H$R springs, miata 9:1 long block (long nose), tons of new parts, KYB struts (got NA strut mounts, and boxed up the AAS ones), moved the battery to the truck, etc. I'll get it running someday. I probably could get it started in a weekend but I keep putting it off, working on other things and the suspension.
PAST
89' Mazda 323 SE - 1st car
Loved this car worked on it extensively and was the reason I decided to go to mechanic school. Should have never sold it, but needed the money to move out of town. My brother drove it till it had 240k miles then it got rear ended. Dad bought it from the insurance and sold it. Some guy rebuilt it and as far as I know its still driving around in Montana.
78' Chevy LUV
(I drew the design on the photo, thats what I planned to do...)
A rust bucket and rebuilt the engine while in mech school. Had a Weber two barrel and no emissions. Never got it running right but it was fun. Probably the first person to in Idaho to put 16" low pro Falkens (white steel wheels) on a mini-truck, that thing had a shot suspension and a street sign separating my feet from the road but it was a blast to drive. Oh yeah I put 1G Talon seats in it too.
95' Honda Civic HB CX
Loved this car, back in the day when import tuning was just ramping up. I had big plans but never any money. Kept it real clean and only added wheels, tach, some other bits. Wife drove it mostly after I got the MX6 GT. She had a 83 Honda Accord at the time which was a good car too.
95' Honda Civic HB DX Bought cheap to swap engine with my CX. Turns out the 1.6 DOHC isn't much better than the 1.5 SOHC with the CX transmission attached. That tranny would do 90 mph in third gear. If I had a turbo on it I bet I could hit 160mph before I ran out of gears. Sold this one after the swap.
89' Mazda MX-6
Fun car and still in family, didn't do much except get the itch for the GT.
88' Mazda MX-6 GT
This one I should have never got rid of, I was the second owner. Redid the entire suspension, made my own strut tower brackets, chipped it and with an all stock intake, engine and exhaust it would run 14.5 1/4's. I SCCA'd it a lot, did 100mph+ everyday to work (no tickets but since sold I've gotten 3). I really miss this one. I bought the 323GT (which I've wanted since car 1, GTX really but the GT is a good substitute, just wanted the turbo 323 in any form) and for some reason thought I didn't need this anymore. I think my wife thought I'd kill myself in it too. It popped up on craigslist and looked hammered, a pity, that thing was beautiful when I sold it.
88' Mazda 626 LX
Bought cheap and fixed it up, a nice looker. I think my stepbrother is still driving this one.
01' Toyota Camry
The family ride, got it just before our first child. Did only maintenance. One morning it wouldn't start. Diagnosed and diagnosed and took the head off to find a shitload of carbon. Oil sludge is a huge problem on these engines. Did a head job and never trusted it since. Wife drove it and was happy though.
88' Mazda 626 GT HB
Was wrecked, scrapped it out and I should have never done so. In my ignorance.... I didn't know how easy it is to get a front radiator support, this car didn't have to go to the scrap yard. Damn shame.
87' Mazda Pickup
Wanted a junk hauler, bought it to fix it up, gave up as I hate carburetors. Donated to charity.
89' Mazda Pickup
2nd try and still couldn't stand the carburetor setup. Sold this and gave up on Mazda pickups.
88' Mazda 626 LX HB
Needed a commuter and got this one for $600. Drove it for about 2.5 years, just maintenance. This thing would fly between SLC and Boise no problem, with 205k miles on the clock too.
01' Toyota Tacoma 2wd
Wanted a truck again, found out that I'm not a truck guy. Hitch and a cheap harbor freight 8x4' trailer is all I need. The Mazda5 pulls this just fine.
91' Mazda 323
So I had sold the Tacoma, and then I sold the 626 HB thinking I would get the 323GT running no problem. Well that didn't work out and I needed a car bad. Found this one on craigslist for 1k, bought it for 800, should of only paid 600. Used as a commuter and it was good. Put some escort GT wheels on it, fixed a bunch of leaks an stuff, and sold it to the neighbors down the street last week.
CURRENT
07' Mazda 5 sport - Hers
Traded the Camry in for this. We knew we wanted it after driving one for 6 months on a business trip. Kind of wish we would have waited for 08 but I rarely drive it and she's happy so its a wash.
03' Mazda Protege5 - His
I have always wanted one of these and when we decided to get me a better car to haul the kids around I started shopping. My price range was well below what I thought I could get a P5 for and they don't pop up often in Boise. Saw this listed with no price, emailed and they said 5k. Out of my budget but had to look at it anyway. Talked to them, drove and bought it, they were hard up for cash and took 4k (the top of my budget). No AC, wheel shimmy, faded paint, bearing noise, broken stereo but that all is fixed now. Couldn't be happier.
88' Mazda 323 GT - The project in the garage.
Still working on it. The interior is immaculate, the body is fairly straight with no rust and the engine had a hole. Looked like the turbo oil return hose broke and pumped all the oil out of the engine. Got H$R springs, miata 9:1 long block (long nose), tons of new parts, KYB struts (got NA strut mounts, and boxed up the AAS ones), moved the battery to the truck, etc. I'll get it running someday. I probably could get it started in a weekend but I keep putting it off, working on other things and the suspension.
Last edited:
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
I see many new Mazda5 owners so a quick (bump)
My sig says almost all of the story. I drove big American cars as long as I didn't get to choose, but since then it's been small, imported and manual.
My wife drove a Dodge Omni when I met her, which died soon after, to be replaced with an '85 Buick Century that I kept on the road for a couple years past when it should have died. When I finished college my parents generously got me a '97 ford taurus, the last automatic I had. We got a '00 Kia Sephia brand new for $8600 as a second car but liked it so much that we gave the Taurus to my sister in '02. In '04 we replaced it with a Hyundai Elantra GT, which was an awesome car. Bought the 5 in December.
I also ride, and the small theme continues. My big bike is a 790cc parallel twin Triumph Bonneville (62bhp) from Britain, and my little one is a 150cc 2-stroke single LML Star (8bhp) from Iindia. I have two bicycles, an '08 Trek 1.5 and a '99 Specialized Hard Rock. That's the whole story.
My wife drove a Dodge Omni when I met her, which died soon after, to be replaced with an '85 Buick Century that I kept on the road for a couple years past when it should have died. When I finished college my parents generously got me a '97 ford taurus, the last automatic I had. We got a '00 Kia Sephia brand new for $8600 as a second car but liked it so much that we gave the Taurus to my sister in '02. In '04 we replaced it with a Hyundai Elantra GT, which was an awesome car. Bought the 5 in December.
I also ride, and the small theme continues. My big bike is a 790cc parallel twin Triumph Bonneville (62bhp) from Britain, and my little one is a 150cc 2-stroke single LML Star (8bhp) from Iindia. I have two bicycles, an '08 Trek 1.5 and a '99 Specialized Hard Rock. That's the whole story.
New Mazda5 family-- just 5 days old.
Previous cars in order:
1979 Toyota Pickup, used, sold for...
1989 Acura Integra RS, new, sold while in college
1993 Acura Integra RS, new, sold for...
1996 Honda Accord V6, new, sold for...
1998 Volvo V70 T5, new, lease ended for...
2002 VW Passat 4Motion Wagon, new, sold for...
2002 Honda Odyssey, new, totaled by semi 3 weeks ago, Mazda5 replaced it
1997 Porsche 911 Turbo, used, sold for lack of use Feb '09
2010 Mazda5 GT, new
The Odyssey and 911 win for longest ownership, and the only time we've had 2 cars. The 911 lasted 6.5 years, and the Odyssey lasted 7.5 years before an untimely death. The Passat lasted only 8 months cuz we had twins and a 5 seat wagon just wasn't cutting it. The Odyssey is the only vehicle lost to a wreck vs selling.
Several motorcycles mixed in there: a used '87 VFR700, a new 2000 VFR800 and a new 2001 CBR929RR. The 929 lasted until 2005, when it was sold.
My preferred mode of transport lately is running. Or bicycling. However when the family needs transport, the 5 is perfect.
Previous cars in order:
1979 Toyota Pickup, used, sold for...
1989 Acura Integra RS, new, sold while in college
1993 Acura Integra RS, new, sold for...
1996 Honda Accord V6, new, sold for...
1998 Volvo V70 T5, new, lease ended for...
2002 VW Passat 4Motion Wagon, new, sold for...
2002 Honda Odyssey, new, totaled by semi 3 weeks ago, Mazda5 replaced it
1997 Porsche 911 Turbo, used, sold for lack of use Feb '09
2010 Mazda5 GT, new
The Odyssey and 911 win for longest ownership, and the only time we've had 2 cars. The 911 lasted 6.5 years, and the Odyssey lasted 7.5 years before an untimely death. The Passat lasted only 8 months cuz we had twins and a 5 seat wagon just wasn't cutting it. The Odyssey is the only vehicle lost to a wreck vs selling.
Several motorcycles mixed in there: a used '87 VFR700, a new 2000 VFR800 and a new 2001 CBR929RR. The 929 lasted until 2005, when it was sold.
My preferred mode of transport lately is running. Or bicycling. However when the family needs transport, the 5 is perfect.
ljmattox
Member
- :
- 2012 Mazda 5 Grand Touring
Current:
2010 Mazda5 Liquid Silver Sport MT
1996 Miata M-Edition
Past:
2007 Mazda CX7 GT
2000 Toyota Camry
1989 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6
1987 Nissan Sentra
1985 VW Jetta GLI
1980 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
1974 Fiat 128SL
1973 Ford Pinto 2.0
1971 Ford Pinto 2.0
--high school---
1970 VW
1967 VW
1958 VW
1955 Dodge Royal Lancer 2dr HT (yeah, it's got a Hemi...)
2010 Mazda5 Liquid Silver Sport MT
1996 Miata M-Edition
Past:
2007 Mazda CX7 GT
2000 Toyota Camry
1989 Mercedes Benz 190E 2.6
1987 Nissan Sentra
1985 VW Jetta GLI
1980 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
1974 Fiat 128SL
1973 Ford Pinto 2.0
1971 Ford Pinto 2.0
--high school---
1970 VW
1967 VW
1958 VW
1955 Dodge Royal Lancer 2dr HT (yeah, it's got a Hemi...)
- :
- 2008 Mazda5 5MT Sport w/ Popular Package
ewwww, but serves the purpose
Never noticed this thread before...OK let's play...
Current
08 Mazda 5 GT AT (had for 6 weeks now)
07 Mazda 5 GT MT (for sale - will miss)
Past
04 Ford Focus ZTW 5MT (miss this one too)
96 Ford Taurus GL
89 Mazda 323 LX (don't miss this one at all)
83 Honda Civic sedan
76 Toyota Celica GT coupe (fond memories, in spite of the rust)
74 Chevy Impala (a lovable boat...gas was cheaper then)
Current
08 Mazda 5 GT AT (had for 6 weeks now)
07 Mazda 5 GT MT (for sale - will miss)
Past
04 Ford Focus ZTW 5MT (miss this one too)
96 Ford Taurus GL
89 Mazda 323 LX (don't miss this one at all)
83 Honda Civic sedan
76 Toyota Celica GT coupe (fond memories, in spite of the rust)
74 Chevy Impala (a lovable boat...gas was cheaper then)
ewwww, but serves the purpose
Randy only wants to serve.
I have to say, the Maxima was probably my best car.
Current:
2009 Mazda 5
2003 Saturn Ion
Previous:
2000 Nissan Xterra
199? Buick Lesabre - for the life of me can't remember the year
1988 Mazda MX-6
1988 K-5 Chevy Blazer
1987 Nissan Sentra
1986 Nissan Maxima
1986 BMW 318i
1981 BMW 320i
1971 Datsun 510
Current:
2009 Mazda 5
2003 Saturn Ion
Previous:
2000 Nissan Xterra
199? Buick Lesabre - for the life of me can't remember the year
1988 Mazda MX-6
1988 K-5 Chevy Blazer
1987 Nissan Sentra
1986 Nissan Maxima
1986 BMW 318i
1981 BMW 320i
1971 Datsun 510
