#TBT: Tips on prepping a second-gen Mazda RX-7 for street and track | Articles

First, a Little History

At the end of a rough first decade in the U.S., Mazda finally hit a big-time home run in the spring of 1978 with the introduction of their RX-7. After catering to those who marched to the beat of a different drummer, Mazda finally had a car that the masses wanted.

However, this “revolutionary” car was really anything but. Essentially, it was the same 12A rotary engine from Mazda’s RX-3 sedan, mated to a five-speed transmission and live rear axle. Brakes were disc at the front and drum at the rear; optional rear disc brakes and a limited-slip differential were not offered until 1981 as part of the GSL package. Steering was not even rack and pinion.

Still, the RX-7 worked. It looked right, ran well and, in the hands of autocrossers and road racers around the nation, captured many wins and championships. The RX-7 began to redefine the idea of a sports car for the masses.

By 1984, the cry was out for more power and more modernization. Mazda answered with the introduction of the RX-7 GSL-SE. This car came equipped with a fuel-injected version of the RX-4’s 13B rotary. Rated at 135 horsepower, this engine had a third more power than the 12A that powered the original RX-7.

Thanks to the bigger wheels, more luxurious options and a more complicated induction system, the GSL-SE was more than 200 pounds heavier than its predecessor, so performance was not that startling. Many autocrossers opted to stay with their earlier cars, especially considering the more favorable classing of those 12A-powered RX-7s.

The Second-Generation Car

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