Remembering my 323 GT

[1988323GT]

Hi all -

I've never visited this forum before, thought I'd poke around and see if there are any 323 GT's still alive out there. Today marks 22 years ago that I bought my first new car - 1988 323 GT sedan, Sunrise Red, with sunroof, A/C, and electronic instruments. I owned it for 7 years, 166,000 miles before it got into a fight with a Pontiac and lost. Broke my heart - it was the most fun car I have ever owned. Never EVER saw them on the road. How many were brought to the States? Anyway, just thought I'd drop in and say hi, and if I can figure out how to post a picture, I will. We still have a nice 1988 RX-7 GXL 2+2, also Sunrise Red, 5-speed. 49,000 miles, all stock and original.

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[CorkSport]

Thanks for posting up pictures!


-Derrick

 

[sethro_GT]

Thats a sad story man, though that RX7 is gorgeous. I have a GT I'm working on and I worry about it suffering the same fate. Its safe in the garage for the forseeable future.

Rumor is 800~1100 were brought over and I'm guessing less than 200 remain. The one I have I tried to buy but someone got it before me then two years later I found it in a tow trucks yard for $250 and a blown engine. I've never seen another here in Boise, or Idaho. There's a red one for sale on sturtevant's site in SLC right now.

 

[sethro_GT]

Duuude!

http://eastoregon.craigslist.org/cto/1754906708.html

red GT in oregon for $1800!

 

[88323GT]

Wow, those look uber clean in those photos! There was just shy of 800 GT's imported to the states. I enjoy mine when Im not driving the speed, but its still my fav.

 

[Pmpkinhead]

I don't remember my Vogue Silver 323GT Turbo having foglights. I'll have to look at some old pics.

 

[CorkSport]

I don't remember my Vogue Silver 323GT Turbo having foglights. I'll have to look at some old pics.

I think it was a dealer option for the foglights.

-Derrick

 

[slp950]

I have a Junk Yard find '88 323 GT, slowly coming along and being to prepared for weekend use. Once I get it together again i'll post up the pics of it currently.

It has tinted taillights, turn signals, corner markers, wheels & tires,S-10 front lip, old school momo steering wheel, Toyota MR2 seats (adjustable slide/tilt/recline/side bolsters, and match factory blue interior) vintage 8-ball shift knob, sandblasted valve cover and polished intake pipe. Lots of stuff mechanically fixed too, just waiting on turbo upgrade and suspension.

 

[azarashi]

Turbos make everything better. Are you going to hammer out the trunk dent or just get a new one?

 

[CorkSport]

I have a Junk Yard find '88 323 GT, slowly coming along and being to prepared for weekend use. Once I get it together again i'll post up the pics of it currently.

It has tinted taillights, turn signals, corner markers, wheels & tires,S-10 front lip, old school momo steering wheel, Toyota MR2 seats (adjustable slide/tilt/recline/side bolsters, and match factory blue interior) vintage 8-ball shift knob, sandblasted valve cover and polished intake pipe. Lots of stuff mechanically fixed too, just waiting on turbo upgrade and suspension.

Good Find! It doesn't look in that bad of shape

-Derrick

 

[1988323GT]

These are cool stories and pictures - thanks guys. The fog lights and trunk spoiler were dealer accessories. So was the A/C - I had it added during the prep. In May of 1988 I was working as a salesperson at a Mazda dealer outside Rochester, NY and we had this GT in stock. It never sold because the sticker on it was over 13K with no A/C and, of course, a manual transmission which is the only way the GT's were sold. I loved the car the day it was delivered on the truck and decided to buy the car just before moving from the area. I got it for cost, which was around 11.5K with the A/C, then added the spoiler, fogs and a twin outlet chrome exhaust tip (also a dealer OEM accessory). Later on I bought a bra for the nose but did not keep it on all the time - I would use it for road trips. I have a photo album on this forum which shows it in a picture. I loved this car more than any other. Back in the day when it was new, I used to race IROC-Z's and Trans Ams all the time. They would get me off the line but I would eat them for lunch by second gear. Really pissed them off! This car was the ultimate sleeper. No one knew it from a garden-variety 323 except the few who owned one. That's one of the things that made it so much fun. I raced everyone, no matter what they drove, and won most except for the Corvettes and most Porsches. 924's and 944's were no match, and that REALLY made those guys mad! The day I crashed it was like losing a loved one. After I made sure all my appendages were still on and working, I mouned for my car. I never quite got over it! Even with 166,000 miles, it went to the scrap yard with the rest of the body panels polished, the wheels spotless, the interior nearly perfect, and the original clutch! The car never left me stranded and ran perfectly throughout.

 

[CorkSport]

Here is a quick vid on my 323 GTX speaking of memories.

http://bit.ly/3mozoV

No bagging on the wheels, they were borrowed from a co-worker.

-Derrick

 

[sethro_GT]

That is an awesome video. Not a stock engine I take it?

 

[CorkSport]

That is a BPT swap with an HKS FCON Pro for the engine management. The BPT is stock with a few bolt ons like a CorkSport downpipe and a bored throttle body.

The BPT generates torque so quick drifting like that is super easy.

-Derrick

 

[mazkam]

Hey Derrick what is the exhaust setup on that gtx? I love how it sound (first).

 

[CorkSport]

Hey Derrick what is the exhaust setup on that gtx? I love how it sound (first).

It is a mutt. Apexi FC3S muffler from a GT spec exhaust, resonator, piping, and resonated tip from our Mazda 3 exhaust, CorkSport BPT downpipe.

-Derrick