New with a '88 323

[azarashi]

Funny, dad gave me the car and the oil wasn't changed for bout 8k miles. Changed it and now it feels like it runs better at highway speed, atleast ridding around at 70 mph feels better. Also trying out "Gum Out" its a fuel system cleaner saw it at my work and check around online and for $4 it was worth a try to see if it actually does anything.

I want to grab new seats since the ones in it are torn and have crappy little seat covers on them. When I search around craigslist for car seats is there a specific size for seats or are most cars/hatchback seats the same size and dont need to change out the railing, etc.

also damn driver side seat belt broke, wouldn't pull out was stuck in like if I slammed on the brakes or something. Played with it forever till I had to actually remove the interior to get to the seat belt and mess with it. Now it pulls out but wont roll back up so buckled up with a bit of slack better then no seat belt right now. Called local mazda dealer and they said they would look at it, of course this happens just as I am about to leave town for 3 weeks bah.

 

[BEC]

That's definitely an '89 with the body-colored grille.

I had (until last week) an '88 323 base hatchback. Unfortunately it was totaled in an accident on the freeway (even more unfortunately, it was my fault). It had 316,009 miles on it at the time. It did have the transmission changed over to a five-speed in the middle of its life, though...so was more comfy at highway speeds.

The seatbelt retractors in mine were always weak, and one other '88 I looked at as a replacement had a similar problem.

Where in Washington are you? I can recommend a great Mazda specialist shop that I've been doing business with for nearly 30 years. They're in the south Puget Sound area (Kent).

 

[azarashi]

I live in the Redmond/Bellevue area. Getting a 5 speed would be great for highway speeds did you get one out of another 323/car or pick it up new?

 

[trailbrake2088]

I really dig your car looks like a rally beater to me in a good way. Rally cross?

 

[azarashi]

haha I would love to set it up to rally but I dont have the money for that and its my daily driver hah. But I plan on keeping it even after I buy a new car in the future as a project car for just that.

 

[azarashi]

Gah car is just being a pain lately, few weeks back the seatbelt broke so it wont spool back up only pull out so it has a lot of extra slack. And now the driver side door lock cannot be operated from the outside of the car. Stick the key in and try to turn it left or right and it wont unlock or lock the car.

So right now stuck to unlocking from the passenger side until I can run down to a local mazda dealer to see if they can do anything.

Also one of my headlights burnt out, but easy fix just all this happened in like a spawn of one week, not gettting any love from my car :<

 

[BEC]

I live in the Redmond/Bellevue area. Getting a 5 speed would be great for highway speeds did you get one out of another 323/car or pick it up new?

My mechanic, Jerry Wright (Jerry's Little Car Shop in Kent) got it from a wrecking yard....I think from Roy-Y Auto Wrecking.

Worn out door locks happen. I think the one on the drivers side was replaced three times and the passenger side twice on my late, lamented '88.

My mechanic pointed me to an '87 he saw on a lot in Auburn (with barely 120K on it) and I have since bought it and had him bring it up to date. I had to replace the drivers' door lock in it as part of that. A new cylinder, keying and installation is about $150 IIRC. No idea what Bellevue Mazda would charge for such an operation.

Headlights are easy - I keep a spare 9004 bulb in the spare tire well.

Wimpy seat belt retractors are also common. My new-to-me '87 actually surprised me with how well they work. If yours is really broken (not just tangled) you will want to get it fixed because that's all that keeps you from smashing into the wheel and the windscreen if you should have a misfortune similar to my recent one.

 

[azarashi]

The door lock fixed itself, I assume my occasional key jiggle fixed it somehow.

next week going to get my seat belt fixed as well as see if my exhaust manifold/exhaust is loose or has a leak too.

 

[sethro_GT]

Give it a squirt of penetrating lube to keep it from binding again.

+1 on the seat belt, I'll have to check my GT's operation since it only has 127k on the clock.

does the exhaust sound worse when its cold?

 

[azarashi]

Uh I wouldn't say it sounds worse when cold not noticeably.

There is a few times when I start my car that my engine clicks like one of my cylinders isnt firing but after a few seconds it goes away, my room mate said it might be a cold cylinder.

Im taking it in next week for a check for an exhaust leak, as well as a radiator flush (seat belt too) so Im going to ask them about it.

Car still runs perfectly fine, driving it around I don't feel or notice any lose in performance yet.