1979 Mazda Rx-7 Review - The REAL First Generation Rx-7! 

Had one myself in '86 to '87 while in HS... Fun car... Amazed I wasn't killed in it... wouldn't have been much left of me... Got it up to 117 MPH as its max speed (had 3 people in it one person laying on his side in the hatch). Pedal was to the floor and there wasn't any more. Had electrical problem in it where it wouldn't charge, but got that fixed.. Forgot to lock the sunroof and watched it fly off and tumble in mid air... Great memories of this car!

One of my first cars was a 79 RX-7. Loved it and put a lot of miles on it. I learned a few tricks that would come in handy. One being the rear hatch mechanism mentioned in this video. Because it wasn't centered, there was a linkage running to the lock. If you ever locked your keys in the car you could easily get in by removing the right taillight lens with a phillips screwdriver, reach in and pull the linkage. No scrapes, no stress. The invaluable lesson I learned was how to quickly adjust the dwell. It had 2 sets of points that could be a nightmare to adjust because there was no little hatch to adjust them like American cars. The trick was to have 2 long spark plug wires to run from the 2 coils directly to the 2 leading plugs. You can then adjust the dwell with the distributor cap OFF and the car running! I won some bets with that knowledge too. Motor heads in town would bet I'd never start the car with no distributor cap. The car would run on 2 plugs. The other 2 plugs were mostly for emissions. What the car lacked in HP it made up for with handling. It was a true 50/50 distribution with the engine sitting behind the front axle. The biggest improvement I made to the car was adding two 3-way speakers in the empty space behind each seat. I didn't have those glove boxes, just wasted space under the sheet metal. Perfect for speakers. I also owned an FC and was greatly disappointed.

Just bought my 85 gs this weekend. I love rotaries. This car is great! No rust and only 74k miles. Nice video!

8:40 that overspray though...

Thanks for the memories! My first car was a '79 and it was bullet-proof, even as I taught myself to drive a stick. The rotary was so friggin' smooth and loved to rev up to the annoying redline buzzer. I sold it with 120K miles & it was still going strong.

I had a 1979 RX-7 too! Awesome car! It started life with the 12-A, but, being the enthusiast I am, I transplanted the 13-B out of a Mazda Rotary Pick-up, and added a Holley 4-barrel carb. There was a shop in San Antonio called Alamo Rotary. The guy who owned it was Tito. He did the swap. Not sure if he's still open. That thing SCREAMED with the 13-B! I also put Koni shocks on it; I was an avid Autocrosser.

For the 79 & 80 SA series the 4 speed is in the basic S model. It also had the vinyl seats and the 2 spoke steering wheel. The GS model had the 5 speed, 4 spoke steering wheel, better console with arm rest, cloth seats (plaid in 78 and early 79 velour in later 79 and 80), RH door mirror. Options were alloy wheels and a sunroof, cassette tape deck (would go where the aftermarket radio is installed) A/C and an automatic trans. That speaker grille thing in the dash was dropped for 1980. These early cars also used the thermal reactor emissions system rather than a cat which was introduced in 81 when they modernized the emissions system.

Thanks Zack, for making such great videos! One of the best videos of the Series 1 cars. Please do more for these! Rather fitting for Mazda's 100th year this 2020. Like a complete guide of what can be modded and uprated. They are old but could sure use the newer upgrades. Thanks!

I cannot unsee the overspray on those headlight bezels.

Gotta love those first gens. Great review!

I've waited for this. Thanks!

I picked up my Yellow RX-7 in September ,1979 as the first car I ever bought. I had been saving for over a year to buy a Celica GT and on the way to purchase it I saw the RX-7 on the hill of a dealership in Newark, Delaware, It looked like a spaceship. I drove right into the dealership and put a deposit down and was told I had to wait 6 months (the one on the hill was already spoken for). I wanted a blue color, but was called the next month when a Yellow one arrived. I picked it up...and fell in love with it. On the first day, I parked it outside my dorm tower to pick up my friend. I looked down on it from the 12th floor dorm room and saw , at least, 10 college kids surrounding and peering in the car. I am so glad I took the yellow color. Perfect for a 21 year old. It was caught in the flood caused by Hurricane David a month after i bought it and found it with water up to the steering wheel. They dried it out and I never had a problem. Didn't realize I needed to change the oil so went 30,000 miles without an oil change...never a problem. Had it 4 years and out 100,000 mikes on it and it ran perfectly. I still dream about that car on occasion.

I had a white 1979 Mazda rx7 with a rotary engine 5 speed manual burgundy interior hatchback. I loved it had it for 10 years love love loved it greatest most reliable car ever!!!

Man I owned an 85 gsl-se, I loved that car! Mine was charcoal black with red leather interior, 5 speed, clarion radio with equalizer, sun roof, 4 wheel vented disk brakes. Now I wish I have that car again! If I knew then what I know now! I would have kept it!

I think mine was a 79. Light blue, tan leatherish seats, huge moon roof. I loved taking the roof section out and running around on nice days. I paid $750 in 1998. Cool car for a high school kid. Wish I still had it.

I'll never forget finding a 4 speed car and my dad just telling me this long story of his 68 Impala fb had one and it was a pain to shift

I loved my brand new metallic blue '79 Mazda Rx-7 with a 5 speed manual transmission. There was NOTHING like it on the road at the time. I had one of the 1st ones in Dallas. People would stop me asking what the car was and went crazy over the look. I kept it for 5 years and sold it with over 110k miles.

My dream car. So sad my country has less than 20.

Cool! I'm trying to convince a friend of mom's to sell me his FB. He's had it since new(or almost new), which was a big deal in comunist Bulgaria, but now it's just sitting in his backyard, completely exposed to the elements. I first saw it last fall and suddenly realized that FBs actually look great(until then I had only seen them on pictures) :D

A Navy buddy asked me to drop him off at the dealership to pick up his brand new RX7 in 1979. Wow! was my reaction seeing it for the very first time. I still think it's one of the best designed cars. It's practical as a daily driver and it still turns heads.

got one of the first of these in November 1978. same color. Now have an FC model convertible (1989) in new condition. Don't let anyone tell you differently- these are great cars. just don't abuse it. (okay maybe a little).

Never had to change the oil in my 85 Mazda RX-7 because it’s was a rice burner and I had to add oil every couple of days. I love my car!

Love the interior!

Can you do a video on the supplemental oiling system. I don’t even know what it looks like or where it is.

It’s yellow I love it!

My gen1 has a really cool red and black leather/cloth interior

The first RX7 is my dream car.

Nice carrrr😍🚙🏆

I had a 1980 SA RX-7 which used to be red but someone resprayed it black. I had to sell it for parts, it was way to rusty and so many things were broken. It had a blown apex seal, a torn up suspension on the front left and the wiring was a mess. I did get the engine to run though, it was a later „S3“ 12A with 115hp which was available in the European and JDM market only as far as I know. The us had to stick to the 105hp S2 12A

The most beautiful car ever created.

The yellow color reminds me of the badass RX7 from Shaider

Nice!!!!

Nice car. It's in great condition. 👍

Wow what a car

Me Encanta!!💪💪

Cool 😀

This was my EXACT year and color I paid $9200 for it even though the MSRP was only 6995 or thereabouts I loved that car dearly and dearly hated to sell it but by 1981 my new gal who already had one child also gave another to me with another right on the heels of that one....and an RX7 is the worst possible car even as a second car with little kids so we traded it with I think only 40kmiles on it... dang I have missed it ever since....hard to believe it had so little power and that my 2018 ND1 Miata would put it to shame now even with it's measly 154hp. I understand Mazda giving up on the Rotary but I don't get them not building something bigger and faster than the Miata....RX does not HAVE to mean Rotary if you ask me! A turbo 2.5 with say 325hp in n oversized Miata like platform? Still sub 3k LLB? For say 45k base? Could be awesome! Maybe name if the PX7R ("P" as in Piston)....ideally I think a boxer engine...heck maybe do a joint build with Subaru which could be the "PRZ" Gives me an erection just thinking of it!

This is lit

I have the same one with with a 5 speed

nice overspray

we had the plaid seats! Recaro seats meow

Yes

No accessory belt?? Smart choice! My 12a has p.s. but I choose not to use it and no a.c.

Just keep them oiled & cooled

Hey so if the 12a is so robust, to compensate for the lack of power are you able to slap 2 of those bad boys together to make a 4 rotor?

Just missing a CYM FD at 1:34 to complete the yellow Rx-7 set.

I have the same hula girl in my is300😂

Can 13b bridgeport turbos last more then 5000 miles ? Someone told.me they don't...

Beautiful SA that looks relatively unmolested, lets hope it stays that way as originality will only become more desirable as time goes by. The only criticism is that overspray on the headlight surrounds. Please please please paint these correctly as it scream shonky workmanship and cutting corners during ownership. Lets hope more respect is given to this beautiful piece of history and less shonk. Thanks for the vid!

Yo I'm first for the first time

Choke starts in the morning pissed off my neighbors.

Ok so about the 4 speed. I would much rather have that 4 speed because it was a $4,000 option to put a 4 speed hurst transmission which is basically a race trans. that's why its hard to shift because its a nice ass transmission. hope this helped.

It looks nice for a sport car down sides its 4 speed I'm wondering if you can swap the engine to a miata moter it could probably fit

There's a 5 speed sa rx-7 my roommate owns one

You forgot the r100!

I left when he said the reason there's no torque is because there's no gearing in the engine.

If you buy it call it sunny

ash tray is in backwards.... ;)

4-speed? My '79 has a 5-speed... funny they'd offer both of those!

The description says it’s an auto king :0

I have one. 1980 original owner, my wife wants it gone, but....

Owww... my ears.

My god my mom was badass 🎉😢

Instead of spending $50K on the new supra ( bm ) I would love to find a first gen rx-7 ...so fun to lost the rear end of this thing .

clock never works... ;)

Turbo2 swap a plaid seat SA

But sick ass car

That was my first car. Paid $900 (in 1995) and it had 40,000 miles. Drove it and racked it up to 170K miles with zero repairs before rear ending someone and the insurance company totaled it out. Same color and all.

Dodgeball Slant 6.

As to your full of crap statement re "unheard of red lines" EVEN TEN YEARS ahead of the RX 7 the 1969 CB750 redlined a THOUSAND RPM higher! And that was one of THE most popular best selling models of all times...WTF are you TALKING ABOUT??? Damn I hate sensationalism at the cost of the TRUTH!

Get a mic. Your audio is terrible.