My 1980 Mazda 626 Coupè. RWD, The car SO many forgot!
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2019
- A short video on my California born 1980 Mazda 626 Coupe. This is the 2nd year of the first generation of Mazda 626, with most thinks unchanged from 1979. Ive had this car about 7 years, and sadly only put about 500 miles on it. I admit, I need to get out and drive it. Perhaps a driving video to come! Don't forget to subscribe!
To see an updated video on this car click here! • First Drive in FOREVER...
So cool to trip over your video.
I owned a 1980 626 in the very same color, and possibly trim level. No A/C. It was 1986 and I’d just accepted a job in Detroit, MI. I traded from my unreliable Datsun 260Z to the 626 at a small used car dealer (I think I got the better end of the deal). I recall the Mazda having surprisingly good steering feel, like a good progressive weighting as you cornered. It was certainly not quick (I was spoiled from my 260Z and 240Z), but reasonable enough overall performance (for the time) and cruised very well.
I drove that car from KY to MI in February. It was probably on the original tires. The morning I started out for Detroit we’d had a fairly significant snow in KY. Took off with all my belongings packed into the car, regardless. When merging onto I75 from an on-ramp, the tires got cross-rutted in the snow, and I ended up doing a complete low-speed 360 on, and across, the highway. I’ll never forget seeing the Jeep Wrangler that was behind me pan across my windshield as I rotated. But there were no collisions!
Once facing basically straight ahead again I was able to carefully bring the car to a very gentle stop against the median. As the front bumper gently hit the median, the car stopped running. I was able to restart the car, but only by keeping a bit of pressure on the gas. I ended up heel-and-toeing the car through the snow to the nearest car dealership. The service dept was kind enough to figure out the issue, which was just that a vacuum hose had disconnected when I hit the median. They didn’t charge me a dime.
The rest of the trip was uneventful, and I drove the remainder of a MI winter on pretty bald tires 😅. I was po’.
A few months later, the company moved me to Spring Hill, TN to work at the Saturn plant. One ultra-hot summer day I was returning home from hanging out in Nashville, and the 626 overheated badly. I had to get a tow off the highway. Result of the overheating was a warped head. A coworker of mine and I pulled the head in his garage. I’ll never forget throwing a piece of rope over a rafter and tying up the cam gear to hold it and the chain aloft while the head was off.
We took the head to a machine shop and had it milled flat again, and put it all back together. It fired up and ran fine for a while with a replaced radiator, but I didn’t quite trust it after that. Ended up trading it for a new Mitsubishi Tredia Turbo 😂. I’ve had about 20 cars since. Good times 😊.
Sorry for writing a book, but your vid brought back some pretty fond memories of young adulthood.
PS: I always felt this was a very handsomely-designed car, and stole just a little bit of styling from the Jaguar XJ of the period.
Very nice! I love the color. Thanks for sharing!!!
Man! Nice looking car , always liked those. Yours is such a CLEAN specimen, nice to hear that you'll leave it stock.
Thanks! It’s way too nice to modify. Have to preserve it.
Definitely a collector car. So clean and original. A worthy museum car collection piece to be preserved for as long as humanity exists.
What a great car - this was my first car back in 1994.
Also mine in 1990
I do love my bronze 1980. Thanks for sharing!
It's not too slow if you make it slow-car fast! Find a quick two-lane road with no traffic and give it an Italian tune-up!
As much as I'd LOVE to put a side draft and a header on it, part of the alluring characteristics is how original this car is.
@@I_Do_Cars (While I did swap in a Weber eventually) I meant the more basic Italian tune-up... y'know, floor it!
@@Doctor_Robert hah, well I've done that several times. Ain't much to clean out left.
My mom had one growing up. I liked it, I wish I could find one that nice
Always wanted one of those. Was looking for one as my wife's 1st car in 1992. Ended up w/ an '84. Found an '82 but wasn't a fan of the flush headlight design. Actually still have a set of 14" Hayashi Street ll rims that were always planned to use. Those 626's also use the 4x110 wheel lug pattern. Kind of a pain for rim options. Your 626 is NICE!👍👍
Enjoyed the video a lot. I own a 1979 626 CB2 coupé in gold/bronze. But I have the humble 1.6 with the different front. Really like this car a lot, and I'm actually suprised, how nice it is. Btw, so cars with no tach have a fuel/temp gauge combination in the middle. The clock is always in the middle console between the air vents. Maybe it's interesting for you, but on the UK market, were the 626 was sold as the Montrose, there was a sporty version available, TWR Mazda Montrose. Quite a bold car :)
Hey its me again. I have a 1980 Mazda Rx7. It runs and drives but I have a few too many cars my wife says so. But I like to see more of your channel videos. I am in California and tons of cars I see around in yards, backyards and on cattle/orchard/vineyards. I am trying to get all my cars road worthy. My plan is to get my first car again...1973 Datsun 240z. I will watch more videos.
What a great find!
I own a Mazda 626 Sedan in Prestige Silver colour, 1990 model ... bought brand new in Melbourne, Australia as a gift from my father for my 18th birthday. He paid $32,000 Australian dollars for it back then! It's now 32 years old, has done 500,000 kilometres and l continue to drive it daily. Has never failed me. Unbelievable car. I cannot part with it. My first and so far, only car ...!!
People cant believe it.
That thing is super sweet 👍
I've always liked them .
They are super popular in Australia and New Zealand
love this car!! my buddy had one back in the day and we used to drift it before doing that was called drifting
Not sure if you still look at your old videos and the comments on them. I just bought myself one of these. But I'm in the EU and we only had a 1.6L (75hp) compared to the US's 2.0 (90hp). It also has a slightly different hood, the middle goes down a little bit towards the grille instead of it being a flat hood (which was needed to mount the 2L engine).
Mine's a bright green exterior with a part leather, part cloth brown interior. Absolutely loving it already, even though I won't be driving it again until like May/June when the summer comes along again and they're not salting the roads :)
I have a 79 coupe I just installed side draft carbs dcoe, the amount of power gained is incredible which makes it super fun to drive
Who's intake did you use? Lynx?
What a beauty
I had one that i hot roded out when i got it. Lowered, painted flat black fat tires and other things to make it faster. Fun car.
I have a 82 with power window no rust everything mint but took engine out for a rotary have not installed yet but love 82 626
моя первая машина! японский премиум класс, тираж - всего 2000 авто...
автор - спасибо тебе, ты большой молодец!
My dad owned a 1979 626 coupe 5 speed. Rear defroster/ tachometer. He installed a passenger side mirror. The stock driver side was powered. He sold cars and wheels/tires at the time so he put some RX-7 waffle rims wrapped in Pirellis on it. I wish I could find a similar styled wheel for my daily driver. 👍
Хорошая машина, у меня тоже 2 mazda Luce 1980 года 🙏👍👍👍
This is amazing car ! I had one in the same color!
Haralds Joelis would you have any pictures of it?
@@I_Do_Cars just one, but not in the best quality. It was 2002-2003, when i own this car.
I remember these well. Had several friends with them.
Muy bien conservado,tengo un 626 cb2 del 82 color rojo,aire acond,y muchas accesorios mas que para la época eran una novedad.
Thats such a rare car !
Buddy had an 80 coupe back in 85. Yellow with black velour interior and a 3sp auto. My mom had an 82 4dr 5sp and I would always beat him in races. He had a factory alloy wheels, not the 4 spoke but the really busy cast AL ones.
I test drove one of those back around 1986 or so... it was a 1980, maybe 82... was a four door in a light metallic blue. 5sp. I ended up buying a 1980 Toyota Celica GT (red, 5sp).
So mint I love it
Nice car always liked that model. Driving an 89 mx-6 right now, good performer, but would have rather have the earlier rear drive.
You are right in that this car was released during a great transition for Mazda. The fuel crisis arrived in the 70's and thirsty and sometimes unreliable rotaries tarnished it's reputation and the company nearly ceased. The 1977 GLC saved it and this 626 also sold well. It was one of the best cars in it's class on release in 1978. It helped brand Mazda as the BMW of Japanese cars. You are also incorrect. The Mazda 929 was also rear wheel drive and was sold long after the 626 became FWD (1983). You're 626 is probably a 2L which was also used in the 929 and this engine dates back to the dawn of time (the 1966 Mazda Luce (1500)) Maximum torque in the 1970cc 626 is developed at only 2,500 rpm. Revving beyond 4,000 rpm is a useless and noisy exercise. Don't drive your 626 with the engine cold, keep it garaged and keep it serviced and it will last for a very long time. Mr Mazda. :)
I love meeting cars
with my birth year.
Currently, this is the only vehicle I have older than I am.
I Do Cars ... It is a very nice little ride. I hv owned 4 beetles, though never really got to drive two of them. A 96 intrepid was given to me, the tranny in that yr of dodge, no bueno... had Two little toyotas , a tercel & corolla. Actually got the Corolla remodeled, but the guy ripped me off on a lie about a crate engine. The enigine was tired, shaved & refurbished to many times.... but I had an ex that had an 87 626.... but the number came up for something else & I wanted to make sure I remembered correctly.
I hv bn a mechanic most of my life, took some welding in college, cuz I wanted to be a vw mechanic open my own shop. The American dream to certain folk was a govern/mental lie.... though finally got a job at AutoZone and I managed to stay there over a year & 1/2 but due to heressmemt that was sabotaged for me along with being residentially challenged... It was one of my dream job so I stuck it out the best I could.
anyway, thank you for posting this. I wish I still had pictures of Corolla that I could show you because even Though the guy was a jerk and ripped me off he did a really good job on the custom paint job.... gol, Its original color was actually what I would've called found in a diaper gold. Lmao.
Original beetles? I really like those, such simple machines. Yeah Chrysler wasn’t known for great transmissions in that era for sure.
Love it
Love this, im about to trade my SA22 for one
My dad owns 2, a 84 sedan and 85 coupe.
The 84 is a glossy primer and built, back and front disc brakes, mazda f2 5 speed engine and reaches 150mph not kmph and the 85 coupe is burgandy but planning to build it together, same front and back disc brakes from a p12 primera, and a v6 from the mx6
Greetings from Germany. I do have the 1.6 engine model, which has a different front Grill. But it is hard to get any spare parts for it. Do you have same Problems?
I have the same car and it needs a ton of work. Were do you find parts for it?
Nice car. I have a blue 79 coupe. What part of Cali are you in? If you are in the LA area we should meet up at a show/gtg sometime.
As awesome as that sounds, I am actually in Missouri! My car still has Cali plates for picture purposes.
Had two of those, a 4d, and a 2d. Great cars, despite head gasket problems. Brakes needed an upgrade. And the rotary motor would have been sweet. But in Ontario Canada the salt eventually got it. Keep it.
Yeah they are notorious for head and headgasket issues. They have uneven cylinder spacing, which doesn't help. The brakes are pretty well taxed with spirited driving, but I don't push it to that point. Salt got them all here, this one came from california, and is kept in the garage all but a few days a year.
Emilio Iacobelli ... that could maybe hv bn curbed with a heavier weight oil... European cars take 5/40.
But I bet you could hv used 20/50... The first two years of Tiburon actually use that weight oil.
Aluminum core. 💋
I just know that a bunch of men were putting the wrong way oil in there Volkswagen Baja's.
Then I wondered why I was blowing head gaskets all the time as well. wrong oil weight. Smh.
They should have all been using 540 instead of 30. But then also,
Volkswagens don't leave oil they mark their spot. gol.
KatO 9 Tailz I doubt the oil weight would have mad much difference. I used mostly 10/40 and 15/40. The MA motors were iron block with aluminum head so that is likely the reason for the head-gasket issues.
I had one same color that I purchase new in 1980. Kepit it until I bought a mark 2 GTI in 1985.
Charles Seaton that’s awesome, I wish I had a cool story about this car or could track down its past owners.
I'd take one of those, but only with AC ;)
I had one of these as a sedan without aircon, but as it turns out was just deliberately missing the interior switch to turn it on - almost like a Tesla software upgrade for heated seats
i think i found one of these that someone swapped a rotary into it, did people do that to these in the past?
They did and do, since this car shares a lot of chassis underpinning as the first gen rx7, it’s a pretty easy swap
@@I_Do_Cars i think i saw someones old project car and i would love to see the guy and talk to him and find out if it still runs
Do you still have this car?
This second generation Mazda Capella (1978-1982) looks like a second generation European Ford Granada (1977-1985).
The Mazda 929 was RWD and was sold until 1993.
Im curious, what is the size of the engine, im guessing a 2.0, 1.6?
Patricio Ghirardi it’s a 2.0
@@I_Do_Cars ok, i have officially fallen in love with this mazda.
Patricio Ghirardi there’s another video of it, driving it too!
@@I_Do_Cars i've already watched it, xd. You shoud do more videos of it.
Patricio Ghirardi I will when spring comes around!
👍👍
I had 2 of these sigh
You are wrong... mazda 929 sports Coupe was rwd . Mine was an 87model
HondaMan Vtec we didn’t get those in the states, we did get 88-95.
929 in the U.S. was a Large 4 door sold in Mid 80's to early 90's.
And before ford started damaging the brand.
You're right there. Personally, I feel 1993-1994 was where ford really started to affect their lineup in a negative way. They made some GREAT cars in that era but 1994 marked the first year of the CD4E transmission which ruined millions of cars(and still does), The rangered B series truck couldn't compare to mazda's B series of japanese design. It was a sad turning point.