1988 323 GTX - $750

https://mansfield.craigslist.org/cto/d/1988-mazda-gtx/6698357902.html

Im trying to think of reasons not to buy this other than I don't need any more cars and I don't like body work. 

In reply to EvanB :

Didn't those things have a glass transmission which is basically unobtainium? They're cool otherwise.

In reply to The0retical :

This and center differential is made of the same material and strength. If their drivetrain was stouter I'd rock one over a BG chassis. 

Yea, I know of those issues. But they are so cool. 

I'm actually a bit surprised there isn't some go-to solution at this point for swapping a better trans/center diff.  There are plenty of other things with transverse engines and AWD, so you would think something else could be made to fit, but I guess there just aren't enough of them out there that anyone's bothered.

I do have a spare Miata to be a complete drivetrain donor. RWD 323...hmm. 

In reply to EvanB :

Personally, I wonder how far forward a 13B would sit if it were attached to a Subaru transaxle...

EDIT:  Googling gets me about 22" from the axle centerline to the front of the engine with that setup.  Somebody measure a 323!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

In reply to EvanB :

Personally, I wonder how far forward a 13B would sit if it were attached to a Subaru transaxle...

Now I wonder too. Do it for science?

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

I’ve heard of Celica Alltrac trans/center diff swaps before to solve the problem, but IMHO, if I’ve got a Alltrac to do the swap, I’ll just keep it in the Toyota.

I have a complete GTX driveline on a rack in my shop.  Tinworm took my GTX from me so I harvested as many organs as I could.

Just in case anybody gets any crazy ideas...

And clean rear quarters that I never got to install.  FYI the metal in the front of the GTX chassis is thicker that a regular 323.

road cars were better back in the groupe A rally days

at one point you could buy the JDM market trans and X-fer for those cars they were bullet proof-ish

Rock some 900 treadwear 145mm tires to preserve the drivetrain and on the body work, just don't do any of it?

I so miss mine...  Same color as that one...

One of those once won FTD at the Challenge autocross.

tdrrally said:

road cars were better back in the groupe A rally days

 

at one point you could buy the JDM market trans and X-fer for those cars they were bullet proof-ish

Still can. I'm pretty sure the BPT is mated to a stronger trans, and they'll still pretty easily sourced AFAIK.

I miss mine, it was a very cool little car.

On the left a 13B motivated parts car, on the right, 323. You guys are shiny happy people. 

I did get a response from the seller so this will probably end up in my driveway in the next week or two.

captdownshift said:

In reply to The0retical :

This and center differential is made of the same material and strength. If their drivetrain was stouter I'd rock one over a BG chassis. 

There’s always that Aussie BG chassis Escort that used GTX running gear. 

Maybe a later gtr 1.8turbo drive train could be adapt and provide realiability?

In reply to physician :

The GTRs can be imported now for around $6500 to the door, it's almost not worth getting one as a donor. They're go to about 240-280HP before they pop, the real solution is a PAR box for New Zealand, they run nearly the cost of a GTR though. 

I was expecting a build thread by now.

After a rainy morning mounting my winch on the trailer and a rainy drive 80 miles each way, including loading a car in the rain, the GTX is now in my driveway. And I'm not unloading it until it stops raining. 

It has some rust in the rockers and the front of the floor pan but is fairly solid. The interior is also in fantastic shape, I'm always amazed at how well 80s Mazda interiors hold up. It has 115k miles and is all stock.

In reply to EvanB :

Awesome!!!

Nice!