The 1980s were a glorious time for Japanese coupes, as evidenced by the wonderful features of today’s Nice Price or No Dice 626 Turbo. Let’s find out what turning back time should rightfully cost.
In the 1970s, General Motors entered the subcompact market in North America with the Chevy Chevette, later spinning that off into the copycat Pontiac T-100. These cars were based on GM’s global T-platform, which likewise sired the Opel Kadett C, Holden Gemini, and the Isuzu I-Mark. That latter model was also made available to North American car buyers as the oddly-named “Opel by Isuzu,” sold through Buick dealers.
Speaking of T-platform Chevettes and Buicks, we had a 1979 Chevy Chevette with a Buick V6 and five-speed stick come our way on Tuesday. Unfortunately for its seller, you all didn’t think the hot-rodded car’s $5,995 price tag fit it to a T. When all was said and done, the votes earned the Chevette a decisive 75% ‘No Dice’ loss.
Ah-Capella
It’s quite remarkable that Chevy’s RWD Chevette stayed in production all the way until 1987, soldiering on while almost all of its competitors were updated and shifted to FWD layouts. That didn’t just occur at the small end of the market, either. The 1980s saw a tidal shift in most car lines to the more space-efficient, if dynamically less exciting, FWD format.
Today’s 1987 Mazda 626 Turbo is one of those cars that made the shift. Prior to this, the mid-sized Mazda, called the Capella in its home market, was built on an RWD live-axle platform. The earliest of those in the 1970s was sold in the U.S. as the rotary-powered RX-2. Introduced in 1982, this third generation switched to the increasingly common transverse engine, FWD layout featuring independent suspension all around, another first for the model.
The new model proved to be a hit, earning Motor Trend’s nod as Import Car of the Year for 1982 and selling gangbusters in markets all around the globe.
Thar’ she blows
This handsomely styled coupe is outfitted in the most desirable fashion, with the top-of-the-line turbocharged SOHC 2.0-liter inline-four. With its snail at full spin, the engine makes 120 horsepower and 150 pound-feet of torque. No, that’s not a lot by modern standards, but remember, this was the 1980s. Over at Ford, the Mustang GT 5.0 — which was still clawing its way back to performance status — only made 225 horsepower this same model year.
This Mazda has a five-speed manual to make the most of those ponies and drive the front wheels. Those wheels, front and rear, are factory alloys that look awesome on the car.
According to the ad, both the engine and the transmission work without issue, as does the cool “auto-adjusting suspension” which features rebuilt struts. That lets the car be set to sport or normal modes and is just one of the amazing ’80s features offered by the 626.
Bells and whistles
Other neat features include a factory moonroof, grippy cloth upholstery on heavily contoured seats, an amazing modular stacked stereo in the center console, and a digital instrument cluster that the current owner has added. Naturally, on a car of this age, there are some flies in its ointment.
That stereo, which looks incredible, needs servicing and new speakers, according to the seller. And that digital dash? While it appears to work without issue, its mechanical odometer is a liar, having come from a car with far fewer miles than this 626’s 170,000, so it reads incorrectly. The seller will include the original cluster, which shows the mileage at the time it was pulled, so they are being fully transparent about the discrepancy.
Other issues with the car include a couple of small cracks in the dashboard, a grody soft-plastic shift knob, bubbling tint on the rear window, and, on the outside, the abject failure of the clear coat on all the horizontal surfaces. Aside from those aesthetic issues, the car supposedly works as it should, with functioning power windows and locks, and even working A/C.
Non-op
Oddly, while shown in various locales in the ad’s pictures, the car has been sitting on no-operation registration for what the seller says is two years. It does appear to have 2024 tags, so that claim is backed up by the pics. Whatever the reason for the car being benched remains unexplained in the ad. Fortunately, there are no back fees to pay, as there were on the VW GTI we looked at earlier this week. Also, this Mazda’s title is clean, so transfer and insurance shouldn’t be a hassle.
To take advantage of that low-hassle transfer, a buyer would need to come up with $6,750, or something close enough to get the negotiations going, as that’s the seller’s price for this rare bird of a car.
What’s your take on this well-equipped and seemingly only visually-flawed 626 at that asking price? Does that feel like a good deal to get an eclectic taste of the 1980s? Or does the failed paint throw a blanket of doubt over the idea of paying that much?
You decide!
Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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