Well, I have a new lawn ornament until I can sort a few interesting electrical quirks out... But the chassis is rust free and the engine and tranny operate properly. What more can you expect for $2000 offa CraigsList/Facebook Marketplace.
Here's the rub... As far as I can tell this thing SHOULD NOT EXIST.
What I have is a Mazda6 5-Door/Hatchback.
She's got the "Sport Package" that all 5-Door/hatchbacks came with as per the brochure:
It's also got a mileage discrepancy in the paperwork. Someone swapped out the gauge cluster or futzed with the paperwork at the DMV. The "Luxury Package" is supposed to have some special electroluminescent lighting to the gauges.
Whatever. It's an almost 20 year old car... Sometime throughout that history, someone's bound to have swapped some parts with things salvaged from the scrapyard. parts swaps don't bother me.
The REAL CONFUSING thing for me is that every document online and from Mazda says that this thing SHOULD NOT EXIST.
Service manuals, Owner's manuals, guidebooks, brochures ALL show the 5-Door hatchback as being a 2004 Model year thing. Not only that, it was a late year model introduction, as early 2004 brochures say that the Wagon and 5-Door hatchback are COMING SOON!
This car is a 2003.
It's production date is March 2003.
The VIN and Title show it as being a 2003.
The Carfax history report shows is as having been sold at a dealership in May of 2003.
The engine block has a date label of 2003 and it's got an Aluminum valve cover indicative of an early model year 2.3L MZI. (All the later 2.3s I've seen have plastic valve covers.)
Weird.
Any other hatchback owners have a 2003 model year car? OR did I get the first one ever made?
Here's the rub... As far as I can tell this thing SHOULD NOT EXIST.
What I have is a Mazda6 5-Door/Hatchback.
She's got the "Sport Package" that all 5-Door/hatchbacks came with as per the brochure:
- 17 inch wheels with 215/50R17 tires.
- Rear spoiler
- Tinted headlights with built-in foglights
- Side sills/skirts
- Stainless Oval exhaust tips
- "Titanium look" window switch trim
- Anti-Lock brakes with Electronic Brake force Distribution
- Traction Control System
- Anti-theft alarm
- Side impact and curtain airbags
It's also got a mileage discrepancy in the paperwork. Someone swapped out the gauge cluster or futzed with the paperwork at the DMV. The "Luxury Package" is supposed to have some special electroluminescent lighting to the gauges.
Whatever. It's an almost 20 year old car... Sometime throughout that history, someone's bound to have swapped some parts with things salvaged from the scrapyard. parts swaps don't bother me.
The REAL CONFUSING thing for me is that every document online and from Mazda says that this thing SHOULD NOT EXIST.
Service manuals, Owner's manuals, guidebooks, brochures ALL show the 5-Door hatchback as being a 2004 Model year thing. Not only that, it was a late year model introduction, as early 2004 brochures say that the Wagon and 5-Door hatchback are COMING SOON!
This car is a 2003.
It's production date is March 2003.
The VIN and Title show it as being a 2003.
The Carfax history report shows is as having been sold at a dealership in May of 2003.
The engine block has a date label of 2003 and it's got an Aluminum valve cover indicative of an early model year 2.3L MZI. (All the later 2.3s I've seen have plastic valve covers.)
Weird.
Any other hatchback owners have a 2003 model year car? OR did I get the first one ever made?
