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1983 Mazda RX-7 Spent 30 Years in Storage, Rotary Engine Still Runs

Almost as celebrated as the Toyota Supra, the Mazda RX-7 is one of Japan's most iconic sports cars. And perhaps the most legendary production car with a rotary engine.
1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find 7 photos
Photo: The Late Brake Show/YouTube
1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find1983 Mazda RX-7 garage find
The RX-7 debuted in 1978 and remained in production until 2002. Mazda built three different generations and sold almost 812,000 cars in 25 years. The third-gen RX-7 is arguably the most famous iteration of the nameplate, but it wasn't the most popular, as only 68,589 units left the assembly.

It was the first-gen sports car that enjoyed the biggest success sale-wise, with no fewer than 471,000 examples delivered from 1978 to 1985. While far rare judging by this number, the first-gen RX-7 isn't a common sight on public roads nowadays, especially outside Japan.

This U.K.-spec right-hand-drive version, a hard-to-find version of the original RX-7, spent a whopping 30 years in storage. It's been with the same owner since 1988, but it was parked sometime in the early 1990s and it hasn't been out of the garage since.

What's more, following an unfortunate incident with the garage door, which left the owner injured, it hasn't seen daylight in about 20 years. Come 2022 and the folks over at YouTube's "The Late Brake Show" visited the owner and gave the Japanese sports car its first breath of fresh air in decades.

Long-term storage is rarely kind to classic cars, but this RX-7 was lucky enough to sit for all those years in a decent garage. While it has seen better days, it appears to be in solid condition save for some dust and a bit of surface rust.

More importantly, not only the engine is still all-original and in one piece, but it agreed to fire up. Granted, this RX-7 is not road-worthy as is, but it sure looks like it could return to regular use with just a bit of work.

If you're wondering what exactly is under the hood, this RX-7 is a Series 2 model. Also known as the FB, it was produced from 1981 to 1983 and fitted with a 1.1-liter Wankel rotary engine. In Europe, the mill was rated at 113 horsepower. The car was retired from use due to gearbox issues.

The owner, a very cool lady that used to own a Triumph TR6 and a couple of Datsun 260Zs, is actually looking to sell it. So if you fancy a U.K.-spec, first-gen RX-7 that needs some TLC, you should definitely check it out in the video below.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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