Mazda 121 - NOW FOR SALE

[garycox]

This has been hanging around for a while, I keep meaning to get on with it but time and money issues are getting in the way.

 

I love this car. It looks silly but it's great fun to drive, nippy enough with good handling etc.

 

The full length electric roof is great in the summer, and it can be controlled from the front or back. It has electric front windows, power steering and all that.

 

Room for 4 in relative comfort, nice little MOMO leather steering wheel, I'll be really sad to see it go.

 

Bad points are - it needs a cluth and it's been standing for a couple of months and the brakes are now stuck on. It'll also need a radiator soon, and I've recently had the battery out to charge it, I can't see how to connect it back up without the bloody alarm going off.

 

There's a few little dents and scrapes, the worst being on the bonnet and driver's door.

 

I've known this car for years, I got it from some friends who had it since it was about a year old. I've got a load of old receipts, MOTs etc to go with it, the milage is now about 80,000.

 

Tax until end of November, MOT runs out in a month or so, but it will need trailering away due to the clutch and brakes.

 

I'd like £200.

 

Thanks.

 

[Station]

They look like those Corsa 'sedan' things. Don't see too many about, obviously based on another Ford (Fiesta?).

The Revue was sold in Britain as the Mazda 121, but its unconventional compact saloon bodystyle saw it competing in a virtually non-existent market in Britain, as cars of the size had almost universally been hatchbacks for some years prior to the 121's arrival. Some buyers likened it to the Austin A35, but whatever qualities it had to offer were inadequate for attracting sales, as it was a rare sight on British roads from start to finish.

I'd go for it, it looks ace!

[Milford Cubicle]

They aren't based on a Fiesta, only the 1996-on 121 is.That's about all I know... They are pretty obscure and shite, I say go for it. Nothing to lose at scrap value

[gtd2000]

Great little cars, bought one for my mum in Hong Kong which she owned for about 10 years.

 

 

Wasn't this one mentioned recently on the board? The only thing you should be concerned about is rust - other than that, they are bullet proof cars - even have non-interference engines

 

Also built in hatchback form by Kia and sold as an Avella in Ireland and Malta in RHD and sold as a Ford Aspire in the US/Canada

 

Here's a link to a German forum http://www.autoextrem.de/showthread,t-72237.htm

[MrRegieRitmo]

Also built in hatchback form by Kia and sold as an Avella in Ireland and Malta in RHD and sold as a Ford Aspire in the US/Canada

I never knew that was the same car! Obviously with front end modifications.They are exactly the sort of car I had no time for when they were new but now have a quirky offbeat coolness to them...

[wuvvum]

Sills and rear arches rot like buggery. Other than that they're great little cars - unassisted steering is a bit heavy but other than that they drive really well, and they're quite nippy with the 16v 1324cc engine. They do actually make reasonable money in good nick, so if the rot's not too rampant on that one I'd say it's well worth a punt, whether to run about in or to sell on. I have to say I've never seen one with a body kit before - makes it look a bit like a Subaru Vivio from the front.

[Mr Lobster]

As above really, they do like to rust but otherwise are pretty decent things. Go for it, whats the worst you can lose considering you should be able to weigh it in and get your money back if its that bad!

[Claypole]

Girlfriend borrows this from work when I'm over in Slovakia - bit of a shed but stops/starts/drives ok.

 

[garycox]

I like the awful bodykit, obviously I wouldn't put one on myself but it'll be staying if I keep it. It doesn't have the roof spoiler though for some reason, just the boot one. I'll have to track one down for the maximum 90s tat look. 3 spokes too!Apparently the circley things on the front used to have foglights in, I imagine the chances of finding some are about zero though.Found out today that it's MOT'd til October, and I can have the tax til the end of November at cost, BUT it will need some welding (not sure how much) and it keeps overheating. Hopefully it's the radiator (they seem to think it is but they don't know a lot really). Will go to check it out sometime in the next week or so.

[Mad Cyril]

I ran one briefly as a company car when they first came out. They looked absolutely wild back then. Proper head turner. Bear in mind that when these were launched ages before the Corsa came out.I'd have one for old times sake. Nice and roomy, economical, odd and should be mechanically bombproof (although I don't like the sound of the overheating issues.)

[garycox]

YES!I have the keys! (not driven it yet though, as they want to use it for a couple of errands before finally letting go...)I'll book it in for an MOT ASAP, as I can drive it on my insurance until theirs runs out on the 27th and there's no point getting my own policy on it until I know what needs doing.Incidentally, GROUP 9!! It's a bloody 1.3 Mazda! This obviously equals hideous insurance quotes as I'm 23, have 3 points and an accident on my records (only for another year though!) and my NCB is on my Transit.It's still overheating for some reason (hopefully something 'nice' and 'simple') but if the 'welding' is confined to the small area of surface rust on the floorpan that was pointed out to me last night then I'd be happy. I don't think it'd even need doing, but if it does it shouldn't be expensive.Going to have a proper look at it tomorrow evening, then pick up/MOT at the weekend...Hopefully it won't overheat during the MOT!!!

[Milford Cubicle]

Group 9, bloody hell! I thought Subaru Justys were bad being group 6.

[dollywobbler]

I hope it stays cool on the test. Chap at work had his BMW fail because it overheated and they couldn't complete the emissions test...Failing an MoT on a knackered radiator. Novel!

[garycox]

Picked this up yesterday, and I'm very happy so far! The steering is actually very light, handling is great, enough power for good acceleration etc, comfortable and generally very nice to drive Bodywork is quite tinny, but I suppose that makes it lighter. I suppose the closest comparison would quite predictably be with the K11 Micra. I've had 2 of those (briefly) and they're nice but this seems to be even easier to drive, plus it feels quicker and more refined. Plus the roof's a good novelty feature, you can have it at the back, front or in the middle and there's switches for the back seat passengers to play with too.Still not sure on the looks though, I can't work out whether I don't like it because it's ugly or I like it because it's unusual... It's definitely not a looker though, especially in 'Violet'. It even has purple dials!As for the rust, I can't find anything apart from the small patch on the driver's bit of floorpan. And the 'overheating'? It seems to run hotter than it should, the fan kicks in OK and seems to help but it's definitely on more than it should be. Further investigation required but I'm confident it'll be nothing too major.Fingers crossed for the MOT! I'll be disappointed (and surprised) if it needs a load of work. My prediction is a fail on a small bit of rust, and possibly another small thing, not sure what though. Obviously I'm hoping for a pass though!I can see me becoming quite attached to this little car (as long as I don't see it from the outside too much!). My friends obviously like it, they've had it since May '96 and made me promise that I wouldn't scrap it unless it's completely unavoidable... which won't be the case... I hope.

[gtd2000]

A nice set of 15" wheels on it and a hit with a stick would transform it

[garycox]

Well it failed the MOT, but only on the tiniest amoust of welding, just inside the rear wheelarch:

 

 

I'll get that done next week, hopefully in time for a free retest.

 

In other news, the offside front wheel has started making an annoying scraping noise... Not sure what that might be, I've not had time to investigate it yet. Warped disc? Wheel bearing? Er... any suggestions?

 

I've done 200 miles in it this week, it is a fun little thing to drive (when you can't hear the ominous scraping over the rubbish stereo)!

 

I even gave it a quick wash, I'll give it a proper one when I have the time and equipment. Have some celebratory photos:

 

 

 

 

 

[Gompo]

Well done on nearly getting an MOT.Do you have any plans for it? Would definitely look better on different wheels as I am sure you know, but cant help thinking the 3 spokes do add to the cool or indeed shiteness of the car.

[garycox]

Just taxed the Mazda yesterday, despite only using it a couple of times in the last 6 months...

 

It now needs a clutch, are these a difficult/expensive job?

 

Also, in the unlikely event that anyone sees one in a breakers, please let me know, I still need a radiator (I'm surpirised it's still just about holding on...) and a few other hard to find bits.

[boobydoo]

They looked absolutely wild back then. Proper head turner. Bear in mind that when these were launched ages before the Corsa came out.

 

Absolutely right! I would hazard a guess they came about 1991(?) and they looked like nothing else! There was nothing as 'round' on the market i.e Nova, Metro, Fiesta.........Didn't they all have a sunroof?

 

It was a couple of years before the "bubble" Micra aswell and I remember looking at those when they first appeared, thinking "What The F***?"