5k: Rotary Powered: 1979 Mazda GLC ‘Sport’ Hatchback
I may have watched one too many cartoons with my kids, because every time I see a Mazda GLC (Great Little Car), I break into a stirring rendition of I Wanna Be A Good Little Witch and, let me tell you, it can be embarrassing for all parties involved. This can happen in a school parking lot, at work, during a golf game, or even at a funeral — but when I see that little rotary powered crapbox, I can’t help but singing. Perhaps I need to binge watch some Top Gear re-runs or permanently ban my children from possession of the remote…but in the meantime, channel your inner freak and enjoy this 1979 Mazda GLC ‘Sport’ Hatchback offered here on eBay
for $6,500 buy-it-now or make-offer, located in Antioch, CA with 1 day to go.
‘Cause I wanna be a great little car
Give me a chance and I’ll be a star
Just give it a chance and it’ll make a switch
It wants to be a good little hatch
<slap> Okay, much better now. The 3rd generation Mazda Familia AP was released around the world as the
323, but in North America as the GLC…short for Great Little Car. It
wasn’t a bad combination for a subcompact — a sporty rear-wheel-drive platform and powered by Mazda’s 4G32 inline-4.
This GLC has had its engine replaced with a Mazda 12A rotary engine that is fed with what appears to be a carburetor larger than the actual rotary parts. It is a Holley 465 cfm carb attached to Racing Beat intake manifold, and while that may seem like a lot of air for a 1.2 liter engine — remember this is a rotary, so it needs about as much fuel as stage 3 of a Saturn V rocket booster.
Normally this is where I bitch about roll cages being dangerous in street cars because your head isn’t covered in a helmet…but here we’ve got a 5-pt harness already installed, and this thing isn’t legal for California streets anyway…so put on your best Evel Knievel outfit and go driving. Just don’t let your cape get sucked into that carb.
See a better car for getting your freak-on? tips@dailyturismo.com
Captain Pedantic here, iirc the 4G32 was a Mitsubishi engine…? I admittedly know nothing about the GLC aside from trying and failing to get one started in high school so we could do snow-donuts while my friend's parents were out of town. Did Mitsu share that engine with Mazda in this instance?
I might have messed up the original engine for this particular car, but the (Always 100% Accurate(TM)) wikipedia article says the Mitsu 4G32 was OE somewhere when these were new.
OEM: Cast iron block, light alloy head, five main bearings, solid valve lifters, overhead-cam, 1415-cc, 65 bhp at 5K rpm, 76 lbs. ft at 3K rpm, 1970 lbs., $4,695 MSRP ($16,284.23 in 2015 dollars).
These were indeed Great Little Cars. This car is something else entirely and I can see how it would appeal to a certain kind of person that would use it for a certain purpose.
youtube.com/watch?v=jBVTk_iEk4k
Yeah, love RWD rally cars, the videos of the old Ford Escorts are better than Japanese porn.
Those wheels are pretty nice. I think they are 2-or-3-piece "Weds" or something like that? They're rather sought after among old Bimmer drivers.
Bought a brand new Glc in 1980 as a very cheap 2nd car. Orange with 4 on the floor, a tiny buzzy engine, mats no carpet, only drivers side sun visor. Loved throwing it around on the skinny tires.
"engine doesn't smoke"
It's a rotary. Where does he think the oil is going?
Piston engine goes boing-boing-boing, the Mazda goes … OH GOD, MY EARS!
The old GLC was pretty much on a par with the Toy Starlet, but of course at this point in time it hardly matters how rude and generic the platform was thought to be at the time, anything small and RWD is a Good Thing.
Not so rotary-inclined as all that, though, but a Miata BP or even a 2.3 Duratec might go damn well…
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Hey i found my frisbee nice air cleaner !
i need that front grill. where can I get one from?