I'm not so sure you're talking about a Mazda GLC. I drove a 1982 Mazda GLC Wagon as my first car my senior year (1990). It was already 8 years old with high mileage... and continued to run perfectly and without fail... until I managed to break off a spark plug inside the engine. It leaked oil pretty good after that, but still managed to run well enough to be a daily driver until my father sold it. This was the old Mazda we're talking about... not the post Ford buyout Mazda. Back when they built supremely reliable cars... just as reliable as the best Toyotas and Hondas. I miss my GLC.
Ahhhh, the GLC. I had a 1980 2 door hatchback, purchased new. It was Gold with a 5 Speed and A/C. It lost 5 mph each time the compressor cycled on and off. It was truly a "Great Little Car." 8 years, 193000 miles with the original clutch and two accidents. The only negatives to this car were the paint and rust, though the blame for the peeling paint lies with this wonderful early eighties paint sealant called Polyglycoat. I miss that car so much!!!
I owned a 1984 mazda glc sport and miss my old faithful friend. My parents purchased it for me in September 1983. After may years and many memories of my late teens and early twenties, I finally bought a new van, but my glc sat in my driveway for years because I couldn't stand to part with it. It had over 250,000 km on it and was reliable. It had original clutch and radiator. It was a manual 5 speed with a power sunroof that I was told only came in the first few that year... the specs said it would come with a manual sunroof. It had sporty bucket seats and I had bought almost new mazda 14 inch rims for it with low profile tires. I also installed a wicked sound system. It was the envy of my friends during the university years and everyone was in awe at how long and far I drove it. I took it to Detroit and back to Toronto for a year of university. I drove it to Chicago, up north to Collingwood... I loved shining it up and driving it. I did all the oil changes and maintained it meticulously, but the rust finally started to catch up with it. I would start it now and would still have it today if it had made it to my parents when I tried to move it. It kept stalling and I had to turn back. I meant to restore it one day. After my kids were born, even they played in it. I can't believe how many others have had a similar experiences. I miss my 1984 mazda glc sport... it was a great friend.
My dad gave me his 1982 Mazda GLC Hatchback/Wagon as my first car in high school. It had well over 100,000 miles on it when I began driving it. I drove it all over God's green earth before a maintenance mishap (yeah, we managed to break off a spark plug in the engine... never ran right after taking it to a repair garage to have it "fixed"...what a shame). This car NEVER gave us an ounce of trouble. This is back when Mazda built cars right... and when they were still Mazdas.
I bought a 1981 GLC 4-door hatchback (yes, they made them - I still have the brochure!!) brand new. For the first six months it was nothing, but trouble - there was gunk and foreign debris in much of the carb, and would simply not idle. Finally, after accusing me of putting the gunk in the lines (!!) they agreed to replace the carb and fuel lines, but I had to pay half... grrr...
It then ran great. I once got 48 mpg in a combination of freeway and HIGH mountain driving, and never averaged less than 42 mpg for the first 7 years I owned it.
However, it completely fell apart a little after 105,000 miles. I needed a new engine block, the tranny was going, and other similar items (and poor fit/finish). It simply decided to up and die.
To compare, I have a bought-new 85 Camry that is now my daughter's and has 287K, and drove a Taurus wagon til it dropped at 250K, so I know how to maintain cars.
I do believe I got a lemon. Whether it was one of many or just a handful I don't know - suffice to say when it was running well it was a very sweet little car, with MPG that would be envious today. But it didn't come out of the factory in decent shape, and didn't last worth a damn. But for those few years, very nice.
My aunt give me a Mazda GLC Deluxe in the 2005 at my 15 years old. This is my first car. It ran perfectly and don't have any engine problems. I've only replace the left door panel/cover, this is the only change in the car except by the carburetor. It have a good original paint, but my sister hit it in the front with the back of a pathfinder (I'm working on it). In conclusion this is a "great little car".
Emmanuel Rivera P.R.
My dad had a 1978 Mazda GLC and it was a great car. maybe the car was not get its oil changes and minor repairs. any car that is not maintained will most likely break down sooner or later.
I have had a Mazda Vantrend (same thing as the GLC-wagon in the states) since 1996. I sold it in 2003. It was in regret that we parted since this car has nothing to blame. It is a perfect rundabout with very inexpensive parts. I wonder why your GLC is hurting you so bad? Please be sure you read a MAZDA name plate on your car, and especially be sure that you are talking about that car.
I bought my 85 GLC hatchback new for college. It was the best car I ever owned. It ran flawlessly save for the alternator near 125,000 miles. The car was very simple to maintain and work on. It was very reliable. It was a great snowmobile with studded tires in the front. I miss the car very much.
My blue little 1985 Mazda GLC four door died the other day. I'm so sad. I've had him for over 2 years and he was the best little car ever. His name was Laddy. I never had any problems with him at all and I made sure that he was well maintained. He belonged to a friend of my Grandma's for the first part of his life until I got him. He only had 100,00 km. His body was in perfect condition and the inside was like brand new too. Even my mechanics thought he was a great car! A few days ago a woman driving a huge truck rear ended me at about 60-70 km/hr. My car was smashed and we went flying to the left, and landed on the meridian facing the other direction. For me to get a car in as good shape as Laddy was, and with such low mileage, will cost me a lot of money. I'm worried I'll only get book value. I miss him so much! Does anyone know what I should expect to get, money wise for him?
I had to laugh at the March 7, 2006 comment. I had the exact same car, a 1980 Gold hatchback with a 4 speed. You could watch the speedometer drop with each cycling of the compressor. That car had the hell driven out of it, hit once from behing by a drunk and if it had not rusted to pieces, it would still be on the road today. I still laugh about the a/c, a under dash dealer installed unit that couldn't cool an igloo cooler LOL.
I loved my GLC! My family bought the car new in '83. It was my dad's commuter car for years and we took it on a few cross-country trips. After that, it sat for a couple of years until it became mine in '96, with 92,000 miles on it. I drove it to school, to work, and in to the ground. It has 292,000 miles on it, with the original clutch, transmission, and many other original parts that weren't ruined by my "first car" phase. Unfortunately, she's going in to retirement this week. (That's why I'm posting... I think I'm going through withdrawal.) The only time I ever got stuck was once when I ran out of gas. (I understand that this is a problem that will stop any car.) This car never let me down and was always fun to drive. If I had the money and time, I'd probably restore it. (Obviously just for me... everyone else thinks I'm crazy for driving it this long...)
I purchased brand new in September 1984 off the showroom a 1985 Mazda GLC LX model for about $8,700.00 It was the best car I have ever owned before or after. The car averaged over 30 miles per gallon with a five-speed and on long trips got about 44 miles per gallon. It had the manual sunroof. At 93,000 miles I began to have carburetor problems and took it to a local shop in the suburbs of Buffalo, N.Y. He told me to put some carburetor spray in it. It ran great for another 50,000 miles. I had to retire the vehicle after 11 wonderful years when the back springs rusted through the hatch. The best vehicle ever made, I say.
I just bought a 82 Mazda GLC sport at an auction with 24,000 miles on it. Needless to say its real clean. Its 25 years old, but I hope it holds up so I can drive it to work and school. Any suggestions or thoughts?
My very first car was a 1982 Mazda GLC that my dad bought from a guy he worked with in 1992. It had 175k mile on it when I got it. The very first thing that had to be replaced was the rear struts, the car would fishtail anytime I drove it because they were rusted and busted. Then it had a weird problem, after we got the struts fixed, when I would pop the clutch in to change gears, all of my lights would go out, interior and exterior, they would come back on after I had gotten into fourth, but if I had to stop anywhere, or gear down, they would go out. We took it to our local Mazda dealer and they could not figure out what was wrong with it. Then my emergency brake stopped working, I found this out on a school band trip to Moss Lake in NC. I had parked where the trucks bring boats in and out on those ramps, put in first, and put on my emergency brake. I had gone to get ready for the parade and my friend came and told me that my car had rolled into the lake. Well that was the end of my GLC. Insurance paid me 300 dollars, I used that to put down on a Mazda pick up B2000. I have stuck with Mazda over the years and still drive a Mazda (tribute). I may have had some problems with my GLC, but it was still a great first car, I got a lot of experience in dealing with mechanics with that car...haha. But seriously, Mazda does make a great product, and it did have over 170k miles on it when I got it. When it sank it had 221k miles on it. Not bad for a car that was 11yrs old when I got it. My good ole little red hatchback.