Car Hunting... Here's what you could have won...

[Ratdat]

 

Went down and fetched this from Chatteris yesterday. It drives absolutely perfectly...not a single rattle or squeek to be heard. It's the first time I've driven a BG model and I'm much impressed. Not particularly fast but then it's only 1.3, although you can coax triple digit speeds from it of you're keen. It's one of those rare cars that the second you set off in it for the first time, you're fully at home. Nothing to get used to, it just feels like your totally familiar with it right away.

 

It has a few scrapes and dings but it's rock solid with no rust at all. I good clean and polish, and some fresh paint on the wheel trims will see it looking pretty smart I reckon. 

 

 

No damage inside, just wants a clean. Period Clarion radio cassette works and check out the built in cassette holder. Absolutely no toys on this at all so nothing to go wrong. I reckon it'd be good for an 80 mile daily commute this.

 

 

 

[cort16]

Looks nice. I can't keep up with the 323 in the 90's they seemed to totally switch body shapes and add on different variants that looked completely different from each other every 10 minutes. The seats are very 90's I think I had a suite like that in 1992.

[nigel bickle]

Not your normal fare, Ed?

 

Feeling your age........

[twosmoke300]

Brother had one in the same colour - perfectly reliable car but insurance was mental compared to other cars for some reason . He got a 2.0 vectra after and it was half the money to insure .

[mouseflakes]

Neat styling - I like the way that bar across the fascia blends into the door handle/grab thingy.

[Ratdat]

Not your normal fare, Ed?

 

Feeling your age........

 Fear not... it's for Bernie. She loves these 323s. This is the sixth 323 we've had but so far the newest, although I very much doubt we'll every have a newer one as they are just so dull ...and rusty. My favourite was the 1984 BD model 1.5 GT. I really wish I'd kept that one now! 

 

[Ratdat]

Brother had one in the same colour - perfectly reliable car but insurance was mental compared to other cars for some reason . He got a 2.0 vectra after and it was half the money to insure .

 

It cost me £10.50 extra to add it to my FJ multicar policy!

[Cavcraft]

That's class, the seats look like wrapping paper for a present you got from your nan.

[cms206]

These BG 323s look class, I really like the look of the saloon ones.

[RoadworkUK]

Proper little car. I bet it's a fabulous thing to blezz around the twisties watching that tachometer needle twang around the dial.

 

Well bought.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Yom. An almost Paceresque bustle and Ogum printed seats. Quality.

[BorniteIdentity]

Chatteris eh?

 

I hope you wiped your feet on the way out?!!

 

Top Bombing.

[Timewaster]

Chatteris eh?

 

I hope you wiped your feet on the way out?!!

 

Top Bombing.

I was about to say almost the exact same thing.

 

Chatteris.... lovely

 

 

Any other Fenites around here?

[Pillock]

I don't think I've ever seen that rear end before, not entirely sure I knew these existed but the front looks familiar.

Why does the rear window have chrome corners, was chrome straight bits the upsell to the next model?

 

But like you say, classic Mazda quality plus lack of any toys means that'll be driven around the wastelands by a squadron of cockroaches, come the apocalypse. 

[Alexg]

More love for those seats here.

[HMC]

Looks to have had a quiet life, ( possibly original) Mazda dealer front plate FTW. Almost forgotten about these, back in the early 90s a PE teacher at our school had one, and had a shell suit in near enough the same snazzy fabric as the seat.

[Ratdat]

I don't think I've ever seen that rear end before, not entirely sure I knew these existed but the front looks familiar.

Why does the rear window have chrome corners, was chrome straight bits the upsell to the next model?

 

But like you say, classic Mazda quality plus lack of any toys means that'll be driven around the wastelands by a squadron of cockroaches, come the apocalypse. 

 

The black paint has disappeared from them. Seems to be a common fault on this model. The straight bits look to be plastic coated instead.

[Ratdat]

Looks to have had a quiet life, ( possibly original) Mazda dealer front plate FTW. Almost forgotten about these, back in the early 90s a PE teacher at our school had one, and had a shell suit in near enough the same snazzy fabric as the seat.

 

Yes. original dealer plates. Also included in the paperwork was a sales brochure with a letter from Westleigh Motors with a price list. This must have had some influence on the buyers choice of model and colour methinks...

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Nice one Ed! A rather more stylish thing than a Sunny of the same age.

 

I see one or two every time we go to France, probably more than I do here. Possibly even more basic spec though, as they don't have body-painted bumpers.

 

Saloons seem to have the same front end?

 

1991/92 Mazda 323 1.6 saloon by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I presume the 323F is just the same under the skin. I really liked our old one, felt like a quality bit of kit as well as being amusingly quick (if a touch undergeared). GT engine in yours would be a bit of a sleeper.....

 

1989 Mazda 323F GT by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Half-hearted attempt at making the old estate look vaguely like the new model.

 

1991/92 Mazda 323 estate by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Edit: I think we might have got a 1.8 GT version of the 3dr here. I can remember seeing one 15-odd years ago, but don't think I've photographed one.

[Bren]

That's class, the seats look like wrapping paper for a present you got from your nan.

When I first saw the seats I thought they had been recovered with hosiery from a Paris boutique.

[Ratdat]

Nice one Ed! A rather more stylish thing than a Sunny of the same age.

 

I see one or two every time we go to France, probably more than I do here. Possibly even more basic spec though, as they don't have body-painted bumpers.

 

Saloons seem to have the same front end?

 

1991/92 Mazda 323 1.6 saloon by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

I presume the 323F is just the same under the skin. I really liked our old one, felt like a quality bit of kit as well as being amusingly quick (if a touch undergeared). GT engine in yours would be a bit of a sleeper.....

 

1989 Mazda 323F GT by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Half-hearted attempt at making the old estate look vaguely like the new model.

 

1991/92 Mazda 323 estate by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

Edit: I think we might have got a 1.8 GT version of the 3dr here. I can remember seeing one 15-odd years ago, but don't think I've photographed one.

 

There's always quite a lot of BG models for sale on Leboncoin. Must have sold very well there.

 

There's a 3dr 1.8i GT on the price list which was about £2k cheaper than the 323F 1.8 GT... quite a big price difference! They also did the saloon version with a different grille, headlights and bonnet which made it look a lot more plain. 

 

I never really noticed before that the late BF estate facelift was done to make it look a bit more like the BG model but now you mention it, it's quite obvious that's what they were aiming for.

[For Fiats Sake]

There's a 323 estate around the corner from me, driven by an old gadgee.  Has a few rust spots but is in nice condition for a H reg, especially as it's kept outside on hardstanding.

 

Anything 80-90's with three doors gets my vote,  top of my want list after an AX is an old Starlet.