Practically Classics Forum

My latest addition and this ones a keeper!
It was bought as a retirement present, by the previous owner and 22 years later, he gave up driving at the age of 85!
It has covered 74,000 miles and has a full service history from the garage it was originally brought from. I have every mot and tax disc from new and every bill (Which runs into ££££'s) He traded in a Peugeot 205 XS and I have the original sales invoice, which states they gave him £5495 as a trade in.

This is one of the forgotton hot hatches. The engine is an absolute gem. 1.8 litre,16V Twin Cam. Mine is a v rare pre cat example and kicks out 140 bhp. It has a forged crank,rods and oil sprayed aluminium pistons. these in turbocharged form can be taken to 400bhp on the stock internals. The handling is fantastic, corners flat and is totally predictable.
All I'm going to do is tidy up the bodywork and enjoy it



Start/Straight finish at Goodwood 'Sushi Sunday'

It looks so sweet and innocent.

but just so naughty
i used to run a frogeye 323, it was an ex driving instructors car with new front & rear panels.. slightly rotten in the middle which was soon sorted it was a brilliant car id love another.. ype798t where are you now??

Mr DVLA wrote: Date of Liability 01 04 1990
Date of First Registration 27 02 1979
Year of Manufacture 1979
Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1272cc
CO2 Emissions Not Available
Fuel Type PETROL
Export Marker N
Vehicle Status Unlicensed
Vehicle Colour BLUE
Vehicle Type Approval Not Available

I suspect it is now a few dozen washing machines but it is possible someone has it stashed somewhere.

I always had a wee chuckle at the description of the original 1st generation RWD 323 in Car's "GBU", it said:

The good, the bad and the ugly wrote:You could use a Mazda as a taxi in a salt mine and it wouldn't rot away.

And there I was thinking that the (3) survivors around here owe their present condition to the absence of salt on the roads when all the while they've been preserved by keeping them away from direct sunlight down that salt mine. I didn't even know we had one of those!

Hmm, bit of artistic licence with the not rusting
Mine has a few scabs, but he had it regularly waxoled and the inner arches and underneath were treated at Mazda on a regular basis. It's just the usual suspects. Sunroof, spoiler mounts and bottom of the arches. luckily it's all cosmetic.