After sleeping on their ’80s and ’90s hits for decades, Japanese carmakers have woken up to their classic models’ followings in a big way. Vehicles that were formerly up a creek without a throttle position sensor are now supported by renewed parts supplies, and in the case of the acclaimed first-generation Mazda Miata, factory restorations that can run up to $40,000. In 2021, Mazda will extend some of its love for Miata owners to beholders of its previous sports car success, the RX-7, by offering almost 100 parts to keep those old rotaries running.
Prior to the Miata, otherwise known as the MX-5, the Wankel rotary-powered RX-series of sports cars was the face of Mazda, achieving 340,000 sales across the second-gen “FC3S” RX-7 and timeless third-gen “FD3S.” Despite the daunting cost of classic car ownership in Japan, some 24,000 remain registered and on the road there, and many thousands more in caring hands abroad. To keep these cars (and thus ties to the rotary’s heyday) alive, Mazda consulted brand specialist mechanics across Japan for the wear items most in need of replacement, compiling a 91-part catalog already viewable on Mazda’s Japanese website.
Most of these continuation parts are comprised of basics needed to keep cars held together, and running in peak condition—sensors, hoses, gaskets, and fasteners, from clamps to screws. More will follow after Mazda puts the whole array on sale in Japan come February 2021, at which point someone will surely invoke The Fast and the Furious and have some overnighted to their garage.
That’s assuming Mazda doesn’t relaunch its parts supply in the U.S., however, and we’ve reached out to Mazda to see what its plans are for selling these parts here. We’ll update this space when we hear back.
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