New wheels

[vulgalour]

That Audi though.

[Electric Leyland]

How on earth did it survive?  Is there a tale to tell?  I have an '82 Mazda 626 Montrose that only survived because it was trapped in a heated garage for 23 years until the elderly owner (Wilfred) eventually died.   

 

PS. That ad is decidely dubious. 

 

PPS. Australia has a thriving retro Mazda scene. There are a couple of Facebook groups - Mazda collectors and restorers and Mazda classics. 

 

 

 

 

I had seen the car on and off for the last 3 years outside this house, and when I saw it on Monday with the price in the window I nearly had an accident, such was the emergency of my braking. Knocked on door, shown round car, quick test drive, and it was mine.

 

It belonged to the father of the guy who was selling, and he was a retired fella himself. He passed away 8 years ago and the car had rarely been used since. He bought it new in 1979, so it's 1 elderly deceased owner car, 53,000 miles, fully documented with every MOT, no welding or accidents, zeibarted underneath and garaged from new (hence still surviving), and all servicing done by the seller who is a lifelong mechanic. He had a couple of workhorses himself including an Astra that he's kept going for 25 years. Needs the garage space so his family heirloom was up for grabs. Converted to unleaded, the bonnet opens forwards, and absolutely everything works, even the clock.

 

I won't say the price I paid but put it this way I wasn’t going to do any haggling, it was a ‘2005 Top 10 eBaywatch' kind of price ;0)   

 

Also full tank of petrol, a significant portion of the price paid.

 

And she is an absolute delight to blast around in, starts on the button, just a rattling parcel shelf.

[M'coli]

That's outrageously good!  I was only thinking the other day that there was too much bangernomics on here, rather than proper autoshite - and suddenly "the management" returns to show us all how it's done!

[Electric Leyland]

Jesus wept, if that isn't winning then I don't know what is!

 

[vulgalour]

and an SM!

 

 

*DED*

[stillOrange]

Adopt me, please!

[junkyarddog]

What a cracking little car,

 

Haven't seen a RWD 323 in ages.

 

I had a later FWD one and loved it.

[wuvvum]

I bought one of these about 7 years ago - an orange auto with a blown head gasket.  Didn't have it for long - some little twunts jumped on the roof and I sold it to Utterpiffle / Scrapingscrap who was going to MX5 it, but then moved to Germany instead - I'm not sure what happened to it in the end.  It was a sweet little thing to drive though.

 

Yours looks a proper honey - not too tidy, just the way they should look.  I'm mildly jealous.

[RoadworkUK]

I love those eight-spoke steels. Disproportionately sporty steering wheel, too.

[Guest Breadvan72]

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!

 

With that line up, you are the World's Coolest Man .

 

We are not worthy.

[seth]

Excellent! Where abouts in the world was this? I saw one locally from time to time a while ago but haven't seen it for a few years I reckon.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

These are great, and the dials have nipples on them too which is a bonus

[Electric Leyland]

Excellent! Where abouts in the world was this? I saw one locally from time to time a while ago but haven't seen it for a few years I reckon.

 

Hi seth, it was between Welwyn and Codicote in Hertfordshire where it's spent it's entire life pootling around the Herts area. is that where you might have seen it?

 

These are great, and the dials have nipples on them too which is a bonus

 

Hi Bol, I hadn't noticed that until you mentioned. I'l be giving them a tweek at lunchtime.

[seth]

Hi seth, it was between Welwyn and Codicote in Hertfordshire where it's spent it's entire life pootling around the Herts area. is that where you might have seen it?

 

Well that's not a million miles away but still pretty unlikely to be the same one as I saw local to me in NW London.

[Jim Bell]

That interior is amazing.

 

I dint think cars were found for sale at the side of the road with a card in the window any more.

 

Well found!

[purplebargeken]

Simply fucking wonderful

[tooSavvy]

... as this is Auto & $hite :-

 

My sis had one, in blue, AUTO.

 

RWD exhaust 'up and over' the axle - as was the theme at the time...

 

I was pressed to work my '$hite' and repla[bodge].. fix.. the over and out backbox.

 

Scrappie scrounging furnished a selection of curves and a rear box of some description >> clamps/splints/gungum & Etviolla. SILENCE!

 

I was a youngunn then....

 

 

TS

[daverapid]

I had the pleasure of doing the MOT test and some repairs to this beauty recently

 

[mk2_craig]

Wonderful! Is it still solid enough?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

sweeeeeeeet

[Spottedlaurel]

My gosh, I missed this first time round – excellent stuff!

 

With regard to the ex-Wuvvum car, I stored this for a while in 2007/08 after the roof jumping incident. During this time I moved house, so it got relocated along with all the other clobber. SS/UP then bought it off Wuvvum (I was only ever providing storage) and got it back on the road for a year or so. It got lowered and was used regularly. It then sat for a while in his garage, with the plan being to graft the body onto an MX5 floorpan, but this was never completed and the remains were sold to various 323 owners – for example the bugeye front went to convert a later model, I believe, and a door glass went in Hirst’s direction (transported via my Laurel then Viceroy, for bonus AS credentials).

 

1977 Mazda 323 5dr auto (2008) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

1977 Mazda 323 5dr auto (2008) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

While we're on the subject of 323s, here's an oddity:

 

Mazda 323/1400 Estate and others in the paddock by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

A 3dr estate?! The 5dr version was sold here, and a 3dr panel van was probably available elsewhere in Europe, but what the heck was this thing doing in the UK?

[tooSavvy]

My gosh, I missed this first time round – excellent stuff!

 

With regard to the ex-Wuvvum car, I stored this for a while in 2007/08 after the roof jumping incident. During this time I moved house, so it got relocated along with all the other clobber. SS/UP then bought it off Wuvvum (I was only ever providing storage) and got it back on the road for a year or so. It got lowered and was used regularly. It then sat for a while in his garage, with the plan being to graft the body onto an MX5 floorpan, but this was never completed and the remains were sold to various 323 owners – for example the bugeye front went to convert a later model, I believe, and a door glass went in Hirst’s direction (transported via my Laurel then Viceroy, for bonus AS credentials).

 

1977 Mazda 323 5dr auto (2008) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

1977 Mazda 323 5dr auto (2008) by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

While we're on the subject of 323s, here's an oddity:

 

Mazda 323/1400 Estate and others in the paddock by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

A 3dr estate?! The 5dr version was sold here, and a 3dr panel van was probably available elsewhere in Europe, but what the heck was this thing doing in the UK?

3dr Estate in Australia...

 

 

TS

[Dirk Diggler]

Love when threads like this get bumped; one of my first cars was a 79 in black, bought for 70 bills that brought me to work as an apprentice 97-99; had forgotten that steering wheel (I sold it to young lads to rally in the woods and 'upgraded' to an 87 XR3i with a 1.1 engine fitted)

 

Hope the Mazda above is still in existence