Maahes' new car! It needs work.

[Adym]

I got a car!

Sadly, it's a little beat up and all stock. So I call upon you, DaD, to assist me with this. Surely, amongst the group of skilled and amazing people that visit this site, one of you know something about the performance tuning of automobiles. So... Here are pics and specs.

1989 Mazda 323 Hatchback
3-door (this includes the back)
1.6 Liter Engine
5 Speed Manual Transmission
Front Wheel Drive
Everything is stock

The engine runs decently, I managed to take it up to 120 mph (193.12 kph, for all of you whom measure speed that way.) but I'm really looking for more performance. I'll soon have a job *crosses fingers* but I'll still be on a tight budget. It'll take me a while to save up for larger upgrades, and any long bouts of maintenance will leave me incapable of driving.

   
   
   
   
   

(attachment limit reached, more pics to come)

Also, please no dissing or unintelligible babble. I'm really looking for constructive criticism and knowledgeable advice. If you don't know anything about what I should do, feel free to post. Just make your post something of assistance. Suggest a website, a parts store, something helpful. I don't need my car to be dissed on for being a hatchback, I don't need someone to tell me to "throw a tank of NOS in the thing, and you're good!", and I don't need people telling me to buy a new car.

Thanks for your time!

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(told you there would be more pictures)

   
   
   
   
   

[Bee]

Well, I'll refrain from the insults, so my post will be rather short.

Mazdas aren't build for speed. It isn't a V-8, rear-drive torque-monstrosity.

First thing you should do is purchase a service manual for your car. It covers a complete teardown and rebuild of that particular car, as well as outlining common repairs and how you should properly do them. Chiltons makes a great manual, and every time I get a car, I grab a Chiltons manual(current one on my shelf is for a 1990 Ford F-350 Diesel).

Second thing you should do is a basic tune up. Do an oil change, replace/rotate the tires, throw in a bottle of fuel injector/carburetor cleaner, replace the air filter, spark plugs, and belts. This won't increase your horsepower by much, if at all, but it will ensure that little engine keeps ticking.

I can't recommend offhand any Mazda-specific parts, but for performance parts in general, I can offer a few tips. get a Jegs, a Summit, and a JC Whitney parts catalog. Each is free, and each offers performance parts for a wide variety of vehicles. If you throw enough shit at the wall it'll stick eventually.

For performance work, crack open your yellow pages and look for a reputable machine shop. They'll help outline a good course of action for your engine, with the most obvious courses of action being to overbore the engine, balance the rotating assembly, milling the cylinder head, and boosting the compression ratio. But keep in mind, you gotta pay to play. These are more serious and involved modifications, so save your pennies if you want to run with the big dogs.

Nitrous Oxide on a factory engine is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE Idea. It isn't meant to run like that! If you want a spectacular explosion, strap a bottle of Nitrous on that factory engine. If you want to run Nitrous, you'll need a forged rotating assembly and new piston rings.

Turbocharging or Supercharging a factory engine is also a bad idea, since boost is increased pressure, and increased pressure on an old engine WILL lead to damage. Any and all serious performance parts should be done on a engine that was prepared to handle the abuse.


I've worked on everything from the lawnmower to 4-cylinder fuel-sippers, to big, beastly V-8s, to thundering Diesels. My current workhorse is a 7.3 Liter non-turbo IDI Diesel engine. It doesn't make much horsepower, but it makes plenty of torque, and it will run until the end of time.

Purchase yourself a tachometer, and search online what the maximum RPM is on your engine. Mark that point on the tach. NEVER get near it. That's another good way to see parts fly through your hood.

and keep in mind, if you build your engine, you have to build your transmission, too, otherwise you'll still be stranded.

[Adym]

Well thank you for refraining from the insults, Cowboy ;) I can't imagine how long your post would have been with them installed. I get it, my car sucks.

Actually, I already have a Chilton's for it, and it was a big help when I did a standard tune-up.

Now as for the engine, I already have plans to replace it. The '89 323 also came in the CSX edition, a performance engine which came with a turbo. One of my friends also suggested this because it would be good for adding on performance parts. Once I find one of them, I'll have it rebuilt then have it installed. I know this'll be expensive, but I know that I need to because the engine I'm running now has seen enough action. It belonged to my dad right off the line.

I have a local pull-and-pay so I might find some cheap fix-up parts there. And I have a gear head uncle and cousin who will help me do anything to my car as long as they get to drive it once around the block when we finish.

On the off hand, what insults did you remove your post? =3

[Bee]

"There isn't an engine in that car, but squirrels on a giant hamster wheel."

"It's not a pussy magnet if you get flipped off by kids in car seats."

"I smell burnt rice."

"Who left the weedeater running?"

"Put stickers on it. Stickers make it go faster."

"You'd have a better chance picking up chicks if you rode Psycho Backlasher around town like a little horsie."

Really, I could keep going. And I'm half-asleep to boot.

[Adym]

No, No That's fine, Heard it all before anyways. ^^ Believe it or not, I've gotten more chicks numbers in the last week that I've had this car than I have in months because this car is, and I quote "cute".

[Frisk E. Coyote]

I think it's a nice car! ^ ^ So what if it's not "the best" one out there? It's better than not having one at all, yes? Also, it is kinda cuddly, in a vehicular sort of way. X3 From what Cowboy sez though, it sure does sound like you'll be busy with it!

[Lady_Rahl]

Having any kind of car (as long as it runs) is better than not having one at all for many things in live, getting girls is only one of them.

I don't know a lot about cars, but I do know this, no matter what they say about the performance of them... Never ever ever ever get a Holly carburetor. My first car had one that someone had put in it, and they are impossible to keep in tune, and fail really easily. Replaced it with the one the car should have had, and it still runs even though it's older than I am.

[Bee]

Holley carbs work just fine if you don't fuck them up. The Power Valve in them is very sensitive to things like backfires. But they don't make a Holley carb for imports, and I'm almost certain that's EFI, so it doesn't matter.

Personally, I prefer Edelbrock carbs anyways.

[Flo-Flo Chique]

Ooohhh it's such a sexy car I hope it is good car for you. I own two Chevrolet trucks. And I love them!