Everything!!! This car was complete junk. It was a cute and fun little car, but it spent more time in the garage being fixed than being driven by me.
I'll never buy another Mazda. The upkeep is expensive at best and they just don't stand up to cars like a Honda.
I don't know what you are talking about. My father had a 1982 GLC that he kept for 242,000 miles and it ran fine. It was a well built subcompact and I am surprised and disturbed that you call it junk. Maybe somebody messed it up before you bought it. It should be known that the person to whom we sold it still has it running well and the car now has over 250,000 miles!
I have no idea what the heck you are talking about. Honda standing up well and Mazda a piece of junk? The Ford-based Mazda Trucks (Navajo and B-series since 1994) have been Mazda's only quality sore spot and the Ford-influenced 626 (93-02) has a lack of personality.
Sure early rotary Mazdas, the R100 and RX-2's had quite a few engine problems in America due to the American motorist's complete neglect of something called auto maintenance (like oil changes!), whereas the cars lasted forever everywhere else.
Also, nearly everything you wrote sounds like it's from a person who hates Mazda and never owned one. First, you state it was a 2.0 automatic. GLC's always had a 1.5 litre engine, never a 2.0. Then, you buy a seven year old car with 175 miles?! And keep it for four years and put a meager 50?! It just does not add up.
My 1982 Mazda GLC has 302,504 miles on the original engine, manual 4 speed transmission, and clutch. There are so many original parts on this car I can't list them all. I still get over 30 mpg with such a high mileage engine. Sure it's getting tired, but it's the best car I've ever owned. Martin.
Having now owned seven different Mazdas, including a 1982 GLC, which I bought new, you simply don't have a clue when you call them junk. I put over 50 thousand miles on the GLC in the first year alone. I was either standing on the gas, or the brake the entire time. Other than a torn CV boot (my fault for running over debris) I never did anything to the car, but routine maintainence. I also had three of the "bad" early rotarys, all RX-3's, which were absolute pocket rockets! Since I have sense enough to check and change the fluids, no problems! Also had a new '83 B2000 pickup, a new '83 RX-7, and my most recent purchase, a sweetheart: a 1990 RX-7 convertible; a world class sports car! I would NEVER buy an overpriced, over-
rated Honda in place of a Mazda. They give more car for the money, than pretty much any other make. Having personally owned more than 50 cars over the last 26 years, and having spent 13 years in the car business (primarily selling Japanese cars) I think I have a great perspective on the various manufacturers. I am now eagerly awaiting the release of the new RX-8; one of the first ones will be in my driveway!
I find this review to be either a complete falsehood or, more likely, a case of the car being abused before the purchase by the current owner. Mazda's are known for their low maintainence longevity, and the GLC is the epitome of this. While often succumbing to rust, these cars nonetheless last for 300K and cost very little to buy and maintain.
I have had a really good experience with my GLC. It is the little 1981 2-door, front wheel drive, with factory air. It is still on the original engine and tranny and just turned over 265,000. Everything still works, even the dashboard clock. Still getting about 33 mpg. I have owned it for the past 14 years and would strongly recommend Mazda to anyone.
Bought my GLC when I was 15 for $150. Parked it for 2 years, then fixed it & drove it for another 2 years. Car was done in when cooling system was neglected - otherwise would have kept on going!! Not bad for $150???
Would not hesitate to buy another Mazda, but when I bought my Integra Mazda didn't have a 2-door coupe available (*now* they release the RX8!!). Maybe when my lease is up...
I agree completely. I had a '78 GLC - purchased new - that began falling to pieces within 6 months, despite being well maintained and not abused in any way. The timing chain jumped the sprocket one morning, sounding like the engine had exploded. This required a 40-mile tow to the dealer to repair, which took 3 days. The upholstery on all the seats disintegrated in less than a year and the clutch gave out at less than 20,000 kilometers. By the time I got rid of it in '82 it had already started to rust. This car was truly a piece of crap.
I bought a 84 Mazda GLC 5spd for $150 ten years ago and last week it was run over by a semi. : (it had 323,000 miles. The most expensive rapair I ever had was when I put tires on it.
I live on a small island in the Carribbean called Curacao. I own a 1984 Mazda 323. This car was never sold in the usa. It's a front wheel drive GLC, but with a 1.3 liter engine instead of the 1.5.
The car is full of dings and dents, but is otherwise in great shape. I recently overhauled the engine. Had the block sleeved etc. This car runs like a dream. It sees a lot of abuse since the roads here are full of potholes. I would like to throw a miata engine in someday.
I bought an '82 Mazda GLC 4 door sedan about a year ago, and it only had 112,000 miles on it I think it will run for years and years, until I finally run it into the ground.
I recently bought and installed new shocks and a CD player. Although expensive, my additions I believe to be worthwhile and it is a great little 1.5 liter 30+ mpg car.
I completely disagree! When I used to live in Puerto Rico, where there are a lot of hills, I had a Mazda GLC '85. My mother bought it brand new and after 10 years she gave it to me. I used it for 3 more years until I sold it because I moved to the US. It was the best car I ever had!
Rogelio Velez
I had an '85 Mazda GLC from 1997-2004. Alternator had to be replaced, another with other minor problems. Had to sell it in the end as a cylinder had gone, it stalled on left turns, and other numerous minor flaws that were just too much to deal with. It just couldn't handle a long and steep drive to work daily. Sold it with over 325,000 kilometres on it. I still miss it, and am already onto my second car since it, and about to go onto another. I miss my cute little Mazda with the sunroof, even if the cover broke, and it was a pain to open! At least it lives on, in a teenager with a short commute.
I don't know how some one can say that the mazda glc is junk and dosent hang with honda's. well let me tell you something all you need to do is some work. lets start with my glc that smokes 92 mustang 4.6 gt's.rebuild the motor
with 9;1 comp. pistons atc stage 2 clutch. than go to champion carberators get a quadrajet 2bbl carburetor. than take it to get port and polished get an intake headers and exhaust and at the end you have 205 hp and 199 ft. pound lbs. and all that in my primer 4 door mazda glc...
My family bought a brand new 1984 GLC for my high school transportation needs. Since then, I had moved on too many other cars include BMWs, Jaguar, Lexus and infiniti. While I still owned both Lexus and Infiniti, I have sold all other cars, with only one exception, my GLC. It has always been my old faithful. It has been sitting in my father's drive way for almost 5 years now. Recently, in fearing of my mother's intention to donate this car to a charitable cause. To prove to her that this was a worthy car to keep, I started it again. Without hesitation, it cranked over on the very first try. Now, if that does not denote a mark of a great car and a well engineered one, I don't know what does. Certainly these qualities did not exist at the advanced stage of both my BMW ownerships. I look forward to drive it again as soon as I have it tuned. It would feel like I have been transported to the summer of '84... Aha, what a good, carefree year.