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stuart in mn
stuart in mn UberDork
6/27/12 9:56 a.m.

The seat cloth was pretty weak - I had to get the seats recovered in my car when it was only about three years old, the driver's seat back was wearing thin and the top of the rear seat was already starting to sun rot. The upholstery shop used Olds Cutlass cloth, if I remember correctly; it was a pretty close match to the original stuff but it was much more durable.

I noticed the seats in the Stanceworks car above have been recovered as well.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 SuperDork
6/27/12 10:43 a.m.
stuart in mn wrote: The seat cloth was pretty weak - I had to get the seats recovered in my car when it was only about three years old, the driver's seat back was wearing thin and the top of the rear seat was already starting to sun rot. The upholstery shop used Olds Cutlass cloth, if I remember correctly; it was a pretty close match to the original stuff but it was much more durable. I noticed the seats in the Stanceworks car above have been recovered as well.

They must have worked the kinks out by 1989, because one of the more remarkable things about my '89 was how well the plush blue velour interior kept its sexy good looks. When I finally sold the car in 2003, there was nary a crack or a tear anywhere in the interior. Worst sign of aging was some fading in some of the materials. And this was a car that never saw the inside of a garage, always parked in the sun in Central Virginia's furnace-like summer heat.

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac MegaDork
6/27/12 11:04 a.m.
1988RedT2 wrote:
stuart in mn wrote: The seat cloth was pretty weak - I had to get the seats recovered in my car when it was only about three years old, the driver's seat back was wearing thin and the top of the rear seat was already starting to sun rot. The upholstery shop used Olds Cutlass cloth, if I remember correctly; it was a pretty close match to the original stuff but it was much more durable. I noticed the seats in the Stanceworks car above have been recovered as well.
They must have worked the kinks out by 1989, because one of the more remarkable things about my '89 was how well the plush blue velour interior kept its sexy good looks. When I finally sold the car in 2003, there was nary a crack or a tear anywhere in the interior. Worst sign of aging was some fading in some of the materials. And this was a car that never saw the inside of a garage, always parked in the sun in Central Virginia's furnace-like summer heat.

The GD's interior build quality is nothing short of incredible.

Actually... the entire car could be described as such, for that matter.

Get mndsm to show you pictures of his 88 today.

driver109x
driver109x HalfDork
6/27/12 2:26 p.m.

Dang it! I tried very hard not to click on this post... 626 5-doors are teh hotness!

pinchvalve
pinchvalve PowerDork
6/27/12 3:16 p.m.

Mazdaspeed 626 Wagon. AWD. Turbo. Space. 5-Speed. The best car that never was.

DILYSI Dave
DILYSI Dave MegaDork
6/27/12 3:27 p.m.

Yay oscillating center vent!

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac MegaDork
6/27/12 3:31 p.m.
DILYSI Dave wrote: Yay oscillating center vent!

Mine still works 23 years later. Might be my favorite part about the car, mainly for the reactions it gets when passengers notice it.

Woody
Woody UltimaDork
6/27/12 4:12 p.m.
stuart in mn wrote: The seat cloth was pretty weak - I had to get the seats recovered in my car when it was only about three years old, the driver's seat back was wearing thin and the top of the rear seat was already starting to sun rot. The upholstery shop used Olds Cutlass cloth, if I remember correctly; it was a pretty close match to the original stuff but it was much more durable. I noticed the seats in the Stanceworks car above have been recovered as well.

My parents' car was the Luxury version and had the corduroy interior, which held up very well. No tears right up to the end. The seat foam, on the other hand, gave up the ghost pretty early on.

Woody
Woody UltimaDork
6/27/12 4:12 p.m.

Here's one of the mega-rare convertibles:

Woody
Woody UltimaDork
6/27/12 4:14 p.m.

This is from the Sunset Coach conversion brochure:

JamesMcD
JamesMcD Reader
6/27/12 7:51 p.m.

http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/3094630731.html

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/3046829528.html

Woody
Woody UltimaDork
6/27/12 9:04 p.m.
JamesMcD wrote: http://jerseyshore.craigslist.org/cto/3094630731.html http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/3046829528.html

I was hoping those were going to be older.

JamesMcD
JamesMcD Reader
6/27/12 10:38 p.m.

Well, the "'89" is actually an '87.

I know how you feel though...

AquaHusky
AquaHusky Reader
6/28/12 9:30 a.m.

JamesMcD
JamesMcD Reader
6/28/12 11:18 a.m.

racerxr650r
racerxr650r
8/3/12 9:48 p.m.

Oops, I am over a month late to this conversation. But better late than never

Here's a pic of my girlfriend at the wheel of our 626 LeMony racer...

Travis_K
Travis_K SuperDork
8/4/12 2:51 a.m.

First gen 626s show up in pick and pull here sometimes. I have no idea how someone would intercept them between when they are complete and available for $300 or less (what they probably pay), and in the yard with the exhaust and gas tank ruined and having been picked up with a forklift, and for sale for $800+.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 UltraDork
8/4/12 6:30 a.m.

In reply to racerxr650r:

Why, that car looks practically brand new!

racerxr650r
racerxr650r New Reader
8/4/12 12:34 p.m.
1988RedT2 wrote: In reply to racerxr650r: Why, that car looks practically brand new!

It looked a bit ratty when we picked it up. But, duct tape stripes & union jack and photographing it at 75 mph did wonders :-)

You can see the evolution of my little racer at the build blog I created for our first race.

http://metroplex-not-so-mini.blogspot.com/

626's can be bought for very little money these days. Mazda was pretty serious about Zoom-Zoom once upon a time. You can collect junkyard parts to build a very competent racer.

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