It is not often you find the combination of discreet looks, tasteful modifications, and low cost of entry. Engine swapped Japanese cars are almost universally derided for their lack of subtlety. Today's example seems to have defied all fast and furious stereotypes Find this 1994 Mazda MX6 LS on New Haven, CT Craigslist for $2795.
The second generation Mazda MX-6 and its twin Ford
Probe are a relatively rare sight on the roadways in 2016. At first glance, this appears to be a well kept, stock looking MX-6 (which is a rare sight in and of itself). The special sauce in this car is found under the hood with the addition of the JDM KLZE engine. The ZE engine also displaces 2.5 liters, but has a higher 10:1 compression ratio and different intake set up that make the motor good for an additional 36 hp over the USA spec engine.
The MX-6 coupe has a trunk versus the fold down rear seats and hatchback found on the Probe.
The LS model of the MX-6 was the luxury model with optional leather seats.
Listen to the music put out by this sweet revving KLZE engine.
(Wow...1994 suddenly seems a very long time ago!) I always liked the looks of these (in '94) better than their near twin Probe. I was really surprised to find that the curved roofline of the Mazda totally robs it of headroom. At 6'1" I ended up buying a '93 Probe instead. It always sounded like it was going a gazillion miles an hour with that rev-happy little V6, but wasn't very quick...made an amusing commuter car for a couple of years.
Between the fact that the car has been sprayed white without even bothering to do the door jambs, let alone the inside of the trunk or underside of the hood, and the engine compartment looking like it has been through the baja 1000, including that cone air filter, I have to wonder what the seller means by "meticulously maintained." Even at a sub $3000 price point.
I had a 96, in the green color that this one was originally painted. The thing about these is they are really light and well balanced...this generation was done by the same people who did the 3rd gen RX-7 and the Miata. It's not a super fast car, but it feels quick and is really snappy in the twisties, and reliable too.
This particular car though, I'm not sure I'd mess with...the engine bay is a bit of a mess, that doesn't build a lot of confidence. You can find stock ones a lot cheaper, and get an KLZE cheap too, and put it together yourself and know what you have.
Commenting Commandments: I. Thou Shalt Not write anything your mother would not appreciate reading. II. Thou Shalt Not post as anonymous unless you are posting from mobile and have technical issues. Use name/url when posting and pick something Urazmus B Jokin, Ben Dover. Sir Edmund Hillary Clint Eastwood...it don't matter. Just pick a nom de plume and stick with it. III. Honor thy own links by using <a href ="http://www.linkgoeshere"> description of your link </a> IV. Remember the formatting tricks <i>italics</i> and <b> bold </b> V. Thou Shalt Not commit spam. VI. To embed images: use [image src="http://www.IMAGE_LINK.com" width="400px"/]. Limit images to no wider than 400 pixels in width. No more than one image per comment please.
It is not often you find the combination of discreet looks, tasteful modifications, and low cost of entry. Engine swapped Japanese cars are almost universally derided for their lack of subtlety. Today's example seems to have defied all fast and furious stereotypes Find this 1994 Mazda MX6 LS on New Haven, CT Craigslist for $2795.
I sew LS swap and was thinking of something else entirely,
ReplyDeleteMe too, I was wondering how they were going to pull that one off...
Delete(Wow...1994 suddenly seems a very long time ago!) I always liked the looks of these (in '94) better than their near twin Probe. I was really surprised to find that the curved roofline of the Mazda totally robs it of headroom. At 6'1" I ended up buying a '93 Probe instead. It always sounded like it was going a gazillion miles an hour with that rev-happy little V6, but wasn't very quick...made an amusing commuter car for a couple of years.
ReplyDeleteHuns -- 1994 WAS a long time ago!!
DeleteYeah, I know...weren't you a brand new driver in '94, but thrilled to be driving the slowest car that any teenager could ever hope to own?
DeleteBetween the fact that the car has been sprayed white without even bothering to do the door jambs, let alone the inside of the trunk or underside of the hood, and the engine compartment looking like it has been through the baja 1000, including that cone air filter, I have to wonder what the seller means by "meticulously maintained." Even at a sub $3000 price point.
ReplyDeleteAll that on a empty Tank WOW !
ReplyDeleteI had a 96, in the green color that this one was originally painted. The thing about these is they are really light and well balanced...this generation was done by the same people who did the 3rd gen RX-7 and the Miata. It's not a super fast car, but it feels quick and is really snappy in the twisties, and reliable too.
ReplyDeleteThis particular car though, I'm not sure I'd mess with...the engine bay is a bit of a mess, that doesn't build a lot of confidence. You can find stock ones a lot cheaper, and get an KLZE cheap too, and put it together yourself and know what you have.