Forums » Grassroots Motorsports » Because turbo Mazda! 1 2

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  May 28, 2011 7:37 p.m. mndsm SuperDork

  I figured I'd share with you kids my latest folly. Tis a 1988 Mazda Mx6.

  

  200xxx miles. Some rust, one small hole in the trunk floor. Mostly solid, easily repairable. Interior is MINTY, especially for 200k on the clock. All the electrics work... including the oscillating center vents. Coolant system needs to be bled, it blew a hose and was quick repaired right before I bought it (I knew this). Valve cover gasket is leaking, but, 10 bolts and a needlenose and i'm done with that. Has the electronically controllable suspension, appears that the shock are SHOT though. Shifter is notchy between one and two, trans was reportedly rebuilt by PO.... clutch isn't the greatest, but isn't slipping. Not real suprising at 200k. All the glass is good, no huge body damage (couple hail dents, one good dent in a rear quarter).... and it does this-

  

  All in all, not bad for $400.

  To do- figure out boost issue, fix valve cover gasket, bleed/fill coolant system.

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  May 28, 2011 7:48 p.m. Caleb New Reader

  They can be pretty fun cars with a few key upgrades

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  May 28, 2011 8:28 p.m. Billy_Bottle_Caps Reader

  That look like a whole lot of fun for $400

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  May 28, 2011 10:35 p.m. mndsm SuperDork

  Billy_Bottle_Caps wrote: That look like a whole lot of fun for $400

  This. It's why I bought it. The guy I bought it from wanted it to go to someone who'd treat it the way it deserved to be treated, hence the purchase price. It's probably worth closer to triple what I paid for it given condition.Eventually, it may make a trip to challenge, depending on how much it costs me to sort it out. I know for a fact i'd be top 10 drags for under a grand if I could figure out what exactly the boost issue is, and either A- fix the turbo, or B- strap a s00per sekrit turbo I have that i'll be getting for about 10$ to it.

  EDIT- This is all because this motor is known for being ok with huffing the spray. Quite enjoys it, in fact. Stock ones have been into the 12's on a 100shot.

  Go fast or go broke.

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  May 29, 2011 7:11 a.m. BoostedBrandon Reader

  I'm kinda glad I don't have a little money. 'Cause then I'd have a yard full of $400 cars like this. Beater jeeps, camaros, and God knows what else. Driving my wife crazy and being glad I live somewhere with no code enforcement.

  Turbos are like ketchup, they make everything better!

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  May 29, 2011 8:28 a.m. Toyman01 SuperDork

  Well bought. Love those 2.2L engines. The wife had a 626 with one of those. Not a turbo though. It's got to be one of the most willing engines I have ever driven.

  I'm amazed all the interior stuff on yours still works. That was the worst thing about ours. The interior was just falling apart.

  Have fun.

  The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!

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  May 29, 2011 8:38 a.m. Luke SuperDork

  mndsm wrote: Coolant system needs to be bled, it blew a hose and was quick repaired right before I bought it (I knew this).

  When the heater hose blew in my 626 (same engine, sans turbo), I ran it with the temp.needle pegged in the red for much longer than I would've liked, (until it was safe to pull over.) Months later, there was no sign of head gasket failure at all.

  Tough little critters, those.

  Cool car. $400 was a steal.

  "Just as a proverb says, one should always ny escort prepare for a rainy day." - GRM canoe

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  May 29, 2011 9:27 a.m. mndsm SuperDork

  Luke wrote:

  mndsm wrote: Coolant system needs to be bled, it blew a hose and was quick repaired right before I bought it (I knew this).

  When the heater hose blew in my 626 (same engine, sans turbo), I ran it with the temp.needle pegged in the red for much longer than I would've liked, (until it was safe to pull over.) Months later, there was no sign of head gasket failure at all.

  Tough little critters, those.

  Cool car. $400 was a steal.

  Oh yeah, the temp sensor wiring is fried. I'm just gonna tap in a cheap coolant gauge and call it good.

  Go fast or go broke.

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  May 29, 2011 9:40 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  Hrmmm... more wrong with it than i thought there would be, but still pretty damn solid for $400.

  Want me to talk to the guy i sold the Thomas Knight Turbo setup to? I sold the downpipe separately, but they're easy to find.

  Show me pics of the fried temp sensor wiring. That may be an easy fix, though i don't find the factory gauge real accurate in the first place.

  Notchy shifts from 1-2 are somewhat normal. It's not crunchy or grinding, right? I can't slam the 1-2 shift on mine, and everyone who's driven it says it's one of the better H-Series trans they've driven.

  What's your boost issue?

  Bleeding coolant system is easy on this thing. They take 2 gallons. You'll probably only be able to stuff a gallon and a half in it off the bat. Once you do that, run it until the t-stat opens, then the idle will probably start to surge. Shut it off, let it cool, top it off, then roll.

  Valve cover gaskets are about $7. I did one on mine Friday night.

  I VERY MUCH APPROVE OF THIS THREAD!!!!

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  May 29, 2011 11:01 a.m. mndsm SuperDork

  92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Hrmmm... more wrong with it than i thought there would be, but still pretty damn solid for $400. Want me to talk to the guy i sold the Thomas Knight Turbo setup to? I sold the downpipe separately, but they're easy to find. Show me pics of the fried temp sensor wiring. That may be an easy fix, though i don't find the factory gauge real accurate in the first place. Notchy shifts from 1-2 are somewhat normal. It's not crunchy or grinding, right? I can't slam the 1-2 shift on mine, and everyone who's driven it says it's one of the better H-Series trans they've driven. What's your boost issue? Bleeding coolant system is easy on this thing. They take 2 gallons. You'll probably only be able to stuff a gallon and a half in it off the bat. Once you do that, run it until the t-stat opens, then the idle will probably start to surge. Shut it off, let it cool, top it off, then roll. Valve cover gaskets are about $7. I did one on mine Friday night. I VERY MUCH APPROVE OF THIS THREAD!!!!

  The the wiring is hacked right at the plug for the temp sensor... like I said before, NBD. Not worried about the coolant thing either, i've done that a few times before.

  As far as the boost issue- I dinno. it just does not feel like it's building power. Feels slower than the MINI, and that shouldn't be the case. Def. feels slower than my ms3, but that's a given. I'm kinda figuring the turbo is just all gummed to E36 M3. When I get some time, i'll hook a cheap boost gauge to it to check, and then start going through it. The shifter isn't crunchy or grinding, it's just NOT a shift you can slam real easy.

  As far as the Knight system, that'd be hot, but I would prefer to get the car running proper before I go attempting to break it.

  Go fast or go broke.

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  May 29, 2011 11:59 a.m. JamesMcD Reader

  Look for a tear on the throttle body boot. It's a common failure on these cars, and tends to happen previous to 200k. You can still get them from Mazda but they are about $80.

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  May 29, 2011 7:47 p.m. MA$$hole Reader

  Nice score, one of the cars I will someday own.

  2008 Civic Si sedan (torqueless wonder). 1988 Starion ESi-R (toy)

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  May 30, 2011 9:29 a.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  mndsm wrote:

  92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Hrmmm... more wrong with it than i thought there would be, but still pretty damn solid for $400. Want me to talk to the guy i sold the Thomas Knight Turbo setup to? I sold the downpipe separately, but they're easy to find. Show me pics of the fried temp sensor wiring. That may be an easy fix, though i don't find the factory gauge real accurate in the first place. Notchy shifts from 1-2 are somewhat normal. It's not crunchy or grinding, right? I can't slam the 1-2 shift on mine, and everyone who's driven it says it's one of the better H-Series trans they've driven. What's your boost issue? Bleeding coolant system is easy on this thing. They take 2 gallons. You'll probably only be able to stuff a gallon and a half in it off the bat. Once you do that, run it until the t-stat opens, then the idle will probably start to surge. Shut it off, let it cool, top it off, then roll. Valve cover gaskets are about $7. I did one on mine Friday night. I VERY MUCH APPROVE OF THIS THREAD!!!!

  The the wiring is hacked right at the plug for the temp sensor... like I said before, NBD. Not worried about the coolant thing either, i've done that a few times before.

  As far as the boost issue- I dinno. it just does not feel like it's building power. Feels slower than the MINI, and that shouldn't be the case. Def. feels slower than my ms3, but that's a given. I'm kinda figuring the turbo is just all gummed to E36 M3. When I get some time, i'll hook a cheap boost gauge to it to check, and then start going through it. The shifter isn't crunchy or grinding, it's just NOT a shift you can slam real easy.

  As far as the Knight system, that'd be hot, but I would prefer to get the car running proper before I go attempting to break it.

  The trans is probably normal, then. The 1-2 shift is impossible to do fast, but you can slam the others pretty good. How are the shifter bushings? If it needs them, there's a guy that does some custom delrin-ish ones on mx6.com.

  What JamesMcD said about the throttle body boot. Check for boost leaks. Can you hear the turbo? Check it for shaft play as well, might be time to start hunting for a T-bird turbo out of the junkyard and make yourself a hybrid.

  The boot does run $80 new from dealer, but there's usually a few of them floating around the forums for way cheaper, or... $80 is about half what i've got in my FMIC + hardpipes setup.

  Now it just needs some Lover Souls!

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  May 30, 2011 10:39 a.m. mndsm SuperDork

  Thats the worry with the turbo, I can't hear squat out of it. I took it for a quick jog to the store to share my enjoyment with the wife, and it probably isn't as down on power as I thought, but it doesn't feel...right. I don't feel any spooling or anything like that. I'll probably yank the turbo when i'm in there doing everything else and just check it out. if it's all full of oil and crap, i'll clean it out, worst case scenario, new turbo time.

  Go fast or go broke.

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  May 30, 2011 2:05 p.m. JamesMcD Reader

  I forgot to mention that when looking for a tear on the throttle body boot, you need to take it off and inspect it. It usually happens on the underside of the boot, near the smaller of the two clamps.

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  May 30, 2011 4:10 p.m. coll9947 New Reader

  Ugh this thread is not helping me. Here's a 100k mile example in my area that has been tempting me all weekend: MX6 turbo It looks to be exceptionally clean.

  I might make a trip out to look at it this week, can you MX6 gurus give me a quick buyer's guide?

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  May 30, 2011 6:43 p.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  mndsm wrote: Thats the worry with the turbo, I can't hear squat out of it. I took it for a quick jog to the store to share my enjoyment with the wife, and it probably isn't as down on power as I thought, but it doesn't feel...right. I don't feel any spooling or anything like that. I'll probably yank the turbo when i'm in there doing everything else and just check it out. if it's all full of oil and crap, i'll clean it out, worst case scenario, new turbo time.

  If the turbo doesn't work, it'll be REAL slow. This motor MIGHT make 90hp without the turbo.

  Turbo isn't real loud from factory.

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  May 30, 2011 6:47 p.m. JamesMcD Reader

  @ coll9947 Here's your buyer's guide: Buy that thing NOW.

  You WILL NOT get a better bang for your buck than that car.

  I bought one of the ones I've owned in '97 for $6400 with about the same mileage. I drove it for 16 years, up to 275k, before mothballing it. I beat the crap out of it through high school and college and at 275k it still runs pretty good, but it was getting raggity looking and rust was starting in a few places so I'm letting it sit until I can restore it.

  These are very special cars. Comfortable, reliable, quick, good looking, and interesting. I can't say enough good about them. Parts are cheap these days, and there is a large knowledge base. I can answer any specific questions you have, as can 92Celica ^.

  Worse thing about that one is the motor mouse seat belts. If you want to put in the effort you can swap out the bits from a '88-'89 to put normal seat belts in there. The '90-'92 also had upholstery that wasn't quite as nice looking as the earlier cars. And the wheels were not as rich looking in my opinion. But still, buy that damned thing! Oh, how I wish I could...

  I want everyone who can to buy these cars and love and cherish them.

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  May 30, 2011 6:48 p.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  coll9947 wrote: Ugh this thread is not helping me. Here's a 100k mile example in my area that has been tempting me all weekend: MX6 turbo It looks to be exceptionally clean. I might make a trip out to look at it this week, can you MX6 gurus give me a quick buyer's guide?

  That car looks great!

  Buyer's guide is really standard fare. Check for rust, make sure the clutch is good, watch the trans for any grinds.

  See if it stumbles before boost or hunts for idle.

  Check the front control arm bushings and tie rods, just look for play where there shouldn't be.
  

  Oil leaks, obviously, but at 100k miles, the only thing i would REALLY expect to be leaking would be valve cover gasket or possible cam seals. Both are easy to fix.

  If all those things check out, just buy it. They're REALLY bulletproof, and about as trouble free of a 20 year old turbo car as you're ever going to find. (Sounds tongue-in-cheek, but it's really not. They're VERY reliable.)

  Put it this way... if mine has survived me and it's POs... that one should be fine for another 150k miles. Minimum. Lots of people with these with over 300k miles.

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  May 30, 2011 6:50 p.m. 92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork

  James beat me to it! What he said. If it runs and drives, just buy it. At that mileage, it probably won't need anything. If it does, parts are cheap, and they're CAKE to work on.

  Get it, and call the second gen guys posers.

  

  SCAVENGE THE SEA FLOOR FOR NUTRIENTS

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  May 30, 2011 7:33 p.m. mndsm SuperDork

  Join the club! Applications for the mx6 Mafia are available by email, fax, or snail-mail.

  Go fast or go broke.

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  May 30, 2011 7:55 p.m. JamesMcD Reader

  Ah, I see on that one on CL, that they cut holes in the door panels to fit lame looking speakers. What a shame. Still, buy it. You can find another set of door panels. Ones with 200k look the same as ones with 75k. It shouldn't be a problem to find a nice set.

  Buy it buy it buy it buy it buy it!

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  May 30, 2011 7:59 p.m. Luke SuperDork

  I think this is what they call 'enabling'.

  Quick side-bar question: these are an interference engine, right? What's the timing-belt change interval? (I had so little invested in my 626, that I never even bothered.)

  "Just as a proverb says, one should always ny escort prepare for a rainy day." - GRM canoe

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  May 30, 2011 8:09 p.m. JamesMcD Reader

  

  Oh, and I have 4 NOS '88-'89 wheels, as well as 4 NOS '90-'92 wheels, which I may be convinced to part with.

  Jus' thought I'd toss that in there.

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  May 30, 2011 8:12 p.m. JamesMcD Reader

  Luke wrote: I think this is what they call 'enabling'. Quick side-bar question: these are an interference engine, right? What's the timing-belt change interval? (I had so little invested in my 626, that I never even bothered.)

  Non-interference engine. Timing belt interval is 60k. But it's a good idea to change out the water pump and crank/cam seals while you're in there. All the parts are cheap cheap cheap, and the job is pretty easy. I can do a timing belt only in about 45 minutes with hand tools.

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