626 GT

Anything special that would differentiate a 626 GT from an MX6 or PGT? I just found a 1990 626 GT for under $1500 that looks to be well taken care of. Is the suspension the same between the big hatch and the smaller two doors? With mild modifications am I going to shred the transmission (manual)? Do they all have 4ws?

Japanese, 80s, Turbo, Hatch, Goodness

Not all have 4WS, as a matter of fact 4WS 626's are extraordinarily rare. It is a pretty cool system, they actually have a second hydraulic rack back there, unlike the electronic systems in most other cars. AFAIK, all the suspension is the same as the MX-6. The trans is no more or less reliable than any PGT/MX-6, just run good fluid and don't beat on it and it should be fine.

Holy crap a 5-door? Get it already. Theres a few guys here that knows about f2t power and im sure theyll reply soon.

If you don't buy it, I will.

Already have an email out to the seller

My best friend has owned 3 F2T Probes and I'm a little familiar with them. I'm not really sure about the similarities between the MX6/Probe and 626 but as far as modding them, have fun... Your best resources are going to be mx6.com and performanceprobe.com. According to my buddy, the trans that came attached to the F2T was one of Mazdas best FWD transmissions. The aftermarket is almost non existent. If you cruise around those 2 sites I mentioned you will find write ups on how to build a hybrid turbo using the IHI from a t-bird TC and the stock IHI VJ11 or how to plumb in an EvoVIII intercooler amongnst others. You can also find members who can tweak your ECU or weld T3 flanges onto the stock ehxaust mani.

These cars can be surprisingly quick. The stock HP rating of 145 is way underrated. The last F2T car my buddy had was pretty well modded. When he first got it he added a cone filter, tweaked ecu, and a 2.5" catless straight pipe from the o2 housing back. With those mods, the car kept up with my Intake/Catback Ion Redline, which dynoed at 208 with just the intake. He lated added a "T-Bird hybrid" turbo, Ported exhaust mani, Evo VIII intercooler, Custom 3" o2 housing and straight pipe combo, manual boost controller, Walbro 190, Southbend DXD clutch. The car was pretty quick, but he never really got to play around with it much due to issues with the IHI turbo's and the engine started smoking bad after being run at 19psi. He ended up having someone offer him a running and driving Bronco straight up for it and he didn't hesitate to make the trade.

My advice would be to stay far away from the garbage IHI turbo's. It's too much of a hassle hunting down the necessary parts from a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and then having to have the whole thing balanced, only for it to barely last. Your best bet is to go straight for the T3 flanged mani and go from there. You're going to have to get creative with exhaust and wastegate fitment, and will most likely have to ditch A/C..... which requires finding a rare AC delete pulley.

Hope it helps.

HOLY CRAP that thing looks clean! Buy it already. I am so jealous! How many miles are on that? That is a highly sought after body style amongst GD(the chassis code)-aficionados.

-Suspension is the same between that car and 1st gen MX6s/Probes.

-The wheel base is longer though, so the exhaust is different.

-You won't shred the trans with mild mods if you aren't an idiot. You might with non-mild mods though.

-A warning, you may come to love that car dearly...They are awesome and can become a mental disease / obsession.

CelicaHalfTrac will be along shortly to further prod/educate you.

My wife had a turbo 626. We had that car for over 200,000 miles before giving it away. Great car. Since then she has had two more Mazdas and won't even consider another make. HP was definitely more than what it was rated. Torque steer was my biggest complaint. I'd take another one of those over a newer heavier family sedan in a heartbeat. Specially considering you can't find a sporty family sedan with a proper manual gearbox any more.

That's a sweet Touring! I bought an '89 626 LX 5-speed new and proceeded to drive it for 14 years. Couldn't afford the touring or the turbo at the time, but I lusted after them. That car was so good over 14 years and 170k miles, that it helped make me the Mazda fanatic that I am today.

So buy it already!

shelbyz wrote: My advice would be to stay far away from the garbage IHI turbo's. It's too much of a hassle hunting down the necessary parts from a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and then having to have the whole thing balanced, only for it to barely last. Your best bet is to go straight for the T3 flanged mani and go from there. You're going to have to get creative with exhaust and wastegate fitment, and will most likely have to ditch A/C..... which requires finding a rare AC delete pulley. Hope it helps.

seconded on the hard to find ac delete pulley. I had a 90 626 lx (same engine no turbo) and the compressor froze. tried every belt size at the parts store to find that none fit without going over the ac pulley (tried to bypass it rather than get a new compressor on a crappy car), and the delete pulley might as well have been nonexistant.

I had one of these cars for over 100,000 miles and here is how that went;

I had a spark plug exit the head after some "spirited driving" and I pulled the head, had it machined and a few of the HLA's replaced at the same time, new OEM camshaft, etc. Put about 90,000 on the job and it never failed again, but be very careful pulling the plugs. And don't get anything but the factory recommended NGK's. I also had the transmission rebuilt, twice, the second time by a fly-by-night joke of a shop. I should have been more careful on that one. If you're in a more urban area than north east Kansas you may be able to find a better rebuild shop than I did, some group that's actually seen these before, I imagine asking around on the right forums would help if you do have trans issues.

I would just get a drop-in K&N or similar, these cars run a somewhat restrictive vane airflow meter, and I didn't want an open element grabbing heated air. In related news, the intercooler is rather small and restrictive, so a front mounted decent replacement could be a good idea. The catalytic converter matrix started coming apart around 120,000 miles, so I hollowed it out, shame on me I guess. These are not sexy sounding cars at all but perhaps an aftermarket exhaust would be worth a look.

This car probably has the electrically adjusted KYB shocks. They're non-cheap, I think they were about $150 each from a dealer 15 years ago, and if I had one of these cars today I would work hard to get something aftermarket in there instead. They could also use a little more spring heft but I wouldn't bother lowering, personally, I don't think they "need" it.

The story on power goes that the factory, for some bizarre reason, rated the turbo cars using wheel horsepower instead of at the crank. This sounds very suspicious to me but the car definitely runs harder than 145hp & 190lb/ft would suggest. And the trans, in my experience, is not really up to the task.

They're wonderful cars and even today make more modern family sedans seem silly (I went from an 88 626 turbo sedan to a 99 Olds Intrigue and it doesn't seem like a step forward, at all); they're rather spacious inside and the fold down trunk pass-thru is huge! Good on gas, great power, etc etc. The seats are supposed to be unbadged Recaros and I believe it, they're the best seats I've ever spent real time in. Just beware the trans.

I have a delete pulley lying around. Brand new if interested In reply to corytate:

Huggybear: I may be interested if he isnt

The delete pullies aren't that hard to find these days. Just put out a WTB on either MX6.com or ProbeTalk. I've had 2 of them come through here. (I can't fit the delete pulley on my car because... ermmm.... things.)

That thing looks very clean. Buy it.

The trans isn't the strongest thing in the world, but treat it well, and it'll treat you well. Strangely, they seem to last BETTER with a big turbo vs. the small IHI crap that it came with.

As for power ratings, underrated. The 145hp/190tq that it makes on paper happens to be exactly what i've seen all stock ones make on the dyno to the wheels. Even after 200k+ miles.

The motor will not die unless you've tuned it badly or ran it low on fluid. Virtually indestructable. Mine has 187k miles on it (original motor), i push it hard, and i'm pretty far from stock. (Read: horrifyingly fast on 20psi+)

The suspension, don't sweat it. Don't bother trying to get the factory replacements, they're expensive. Decent shocks, but expensive. Throw GR2s or Tokico HPs in there at a minimum. If you want adjustables, the 2nd gen MX6/Probe parts bolt on up front, require minor modification in the rear. I'm currently running all second gen springs/struts on my car, with 1g strut mounts. Works fine, and is CHEAP. ($340 shipped - $200 i sold the servo motors for = $140 out of pocket = challenge friendly.)

These cars are ridiculously reliable, the build quality is incredible, and they're an absolute joy to drive. In my opinion, they're one of the best cars Mazda ever made.

I'm quite literally the 14th owner of mine, it's been abused all it's life, and it might be the worst example of a GD-chassis Mazda i've ever seen in my life. It still runs obnoxiously well, drives great, and has a great way to break up my boring morning commute. (Loud pedal = better than coffee.)

Parts are cheap, they're easy to work on.

Oh, and gas mileage is good, too. Expect high 20s combined, over 30mpg on the highway.

Oh, a side note. Find out if it's 4ws or not. The 4ws is cool, but i wouldn't personally buy one. Parts are hard to find, and the rear suspension IS different. Mine is just my DD, and i prefer the simplicity of the 2ws to the cool factor of the 4ws. YMMV. I'm not telling you pass it up if it's 4ws.

i would love that thing. let us know how it goes.

huggybear626 wrote: I have a delete pulley lying around. Brand new if interested In reply to corytate:

thank you but I bought my kia and gave the mazda to my sister when she was in need of a car. It spontaneously combusted in a parking lot. lol
we ended up getting a junkyard compressor that spun freely and it worked out, at least until the car ceased to exist.

Oh, and for the record... the 626 GT Touring like what you've got there...

Is possibly one of the most ludicrous sleepers on the face of the planet.

That car.... plus:

http://youtu.be/U0sQ6mDa3C0 (Ridiculously simple setup, i rode in this very car and about pooped myself)

And on the somewhat more insane side of things..... This is a stock motor: http://youtu.be/s6XnQ9ODnjo

BTW, I can tell you that that car does not have 4WS.

What kind of MPGs have you F2T drivers been pulling down? And how heavy is this the 5door hatch?

I get about 27-28mpg combined.

Worth mentioning that my car is somewhat heavily modified, i drive it hard, and it's not running right. (No o2 sensor wired into harness, so it runs REALLY rich and pulls a bunch of timing.)

I would expect 30mpg+ combined if i would get off my ass and solder two wires.

Got a few pictures of the actual car, planning to take a test drive later this week. Looks to be in good shape for 150k, except the paint down the center of the hood and roof are starting to wear though. Interior looks good and no signs of rust.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I get about 27-28mpg combined. Worth mentioning that my car is somewhat heavily modified, i drive it hard, and it's not running right. (No o2 sensor wired into harness, so it runs REALLY rich and pulls a bunch of timing.) I would expect 30mpg+ combined if i would get off my ass and solder two wires.

If you don't cut it the F out, I'm gonna roll my pennies to up my combined gross worth to about $500 cash and two white children(whatever they're worth on the open market these days), light my Subaru ablaze, and hit Craigslist worldwide until I find a 626GT or MX6GT.

Then I'll get 92CHT tattooed on my neck.

So please, for my sanity, the sake of my utterly destitue finances, my children, my landlord's patience for leaky cars... stop.

In reply to ValuePack:

Did I ever tell you about the time I drove from Portland to NE Kansas in one sitting in my 626 Turbo? The seats in these cars are AMAZING. These cars eat highway miles like they're going out of style.

Nitro, that thing looks incredible. BUY IT.

ValuePack, deal with it.

I also know of a very solid quite quick 88 MX6 GT for sale about 30 minutes away from me. I drove it 3 hours ago, and it was a riot. Stock turbo, had no problems lighting up 2nd gear at will, sometimes 3rd.

Valuepack, you know you want to. Best value under 1500$ on the market today. I paid $400 bucks for mine, it'll be at 2012 $Challenge.

Also- Nitro, that thing is SWEEEEEEET. Get it. NAO.

Elect F2T's to the trinity in 2012!