this should be fun! just curious to know what everyone's favorite thing or things are about their GSL-SE. is it color, power, handling or maybe the something mechanically specific? i have a laundry list on what i like about mine. so, what do you guys like?

 

Just because!

 

no choke!

 

13b fi

 

yeah it would have to be that it's fuel injected.

 

Bone stock, its top dog. It was the best you could buy in 84-85 if you wanted an RX-7.
It will fetch more $ should you ever sell it. And its far more rare than a 12A 1st Gen.

Don't get me wrong, I own a Mint 83 12A with 74k on her, bone stock and love it, but its no GSL-SE

 

Definately!

Everytime I start my 12A in the morning, I wish it was my 13B FI.

Mike

 

the best thing about an -SE is that there is no way to increase the fuel system. the MAS, the injectors, thats all it really needs. a better fuel system. i've owned an 84 -SE and a turboII

 

The best thing about my -SE is probably the fact that it is FI, it's kind of nice. But, i'm really just happy that it runs properly (most of the time)

 

grabbing second uphill at about 7500 rpm

 

its the best car mazda made, until the miata. they dont break, and are lots of fun to beat the $^%^#(* out of

 

i personally have owned 2 gsl-se's and i would have to say, i like the 4x114.3 bolt pattern the best, second is that they put what motor every first gen SHOULD have had from the get go in the gsl-se, the EFI was decent, but very limited as far as modifications go. but hey, it was pretty pimp for a mid eighties car!
ive actually got the 13b from my old gsl-se that got totaled (rearended, ****** bitch on a cellphone) but its got a mean weber 48 on it and i must say its alot more powerful than when it had the efi on.

 

Its easier to swap a TII motor into. ; )

 

Not so true, S5 intake. And a Haltech!

 

The two best things about the SE are1) the extra power available to kick it out of a turn exit , and (2) no bogging on the highspeed freeway when a slope is encountered.

As for (1), most of my winding driving now is on the shortcoupled mountain roads near here which don't require the SE power. So I actually enjoy my 12As a little more as it requires me to setup my turns better to maintain good roadspeed (and drop the brute-looking BMW on my tail). I learned good turn setup by riding my bicycle quickly down these roads when I was younger: nothing like having a no-power vehicle passing cars on steep downhill mountain roads to teach good passing skills. Adroitness CAN best mere power.

That leaves (2), freeway power, which I would dearly love to have more of in my 12As, and which I hope to get from Sterling carbs.

 

What do I love about GSL-SE's?.....................

Raping them for parts!!!
Seriously,the vast majority of them were well taken care of,since they cost a lot more and appealed to the more "discriminating" customer,when new.
Subsequently now 20 years later many,even the junkyard examples, are in great shape,ripe for pickin'.

 

13B and EFI gotta love it

 

I only paid 400 for it!!!!!

 

the 14" wheels, 4 wheel discs, 13FI, the fuel tank,etc...need I go on!

 

My favorite thing about the GSL-SE is the long engine life. This is definitely the most reliable and longest life rotary Mazda has ever built. Feel free to disagree, but my opinion is that this is due to two things:

1. The -SE is the first rotary with oil injection directly into the chanbers.

2. The -SE is the last rotary made with the 3 mm apex seals.

This is the most bulletproof combination of components. Some will want to argue about all sorts of exotic, lightweight apex seals, which may in fact be better for racing. But for stock factory motors driven on the street, no 2mm seal will be as reliable and long life as the factory 3mm seals. Many GSL-SE motors have run 200,000 miles, and some a lot more than that. Of course someone will have a story about a 2nd gen car with high mileage, but on average, of all the thousands of these cars that were built, there is no question the -SE is the best.

 

I'd have to agree with Stilettoman on the apex seals as being a major contributor to engine life. Even though Mazda designed this car with slightly heavier rotors (and wider for the 13b), they did it right by also giving it direct injection oil squirters to the tops of the housings where the apex seals are sure to pass. Prior designs only squirted the oil into the intake path and relied on air turbulence to mix it with the intake air charge.

The housing-mounted oil squirters were a lesson learned that have kept these engines running a very long time.

The other thing that I love about my -SE are the amenities inside that make it a much more comfortable car to drive; the cruise control, the electric mirrors, the larger vented F+R brake rotors - you name it, Mazda thought of it to set it apart as a driver's car.

There are really to many things to list,

 

i'll agree with you LongDuck, too much to list. every time i get in my SE, i feel as if the car is an extension of myself. i dont really get that with my 80 LS. dont get me wrong, its a wonderful machine, but its no SE. the brakes are great (especially for a 21 year old car) the steering is responsive, the clutch has a fluid take-up the car has an almost panoramic view. and really, there arent a lot of cars out there with a removable roof. sunroofs yes, but that "sunroof" is almost the whole roof. its a wonderful beast that i am privelaged to own. its definatly my favorite road trip car. it goes everywhere with me and still runs like a dream with a "lofty" 93K on the clock.