Hello Alexa, you have very good taste! We have the following…
H236 PRD
Chassis # NA6CE148733
1600 (OR ACTUALLY 1599) CC
ENGINE # b6???
MANUFACTURED 1991, IMPORTED TO Uk JULY 1998.
Now, she is something of a cosmetic restoration project! I bought her for my wife about 5 years ago @ about 134,000 KMS (= 83,750 miles), since which we have done roughly 20,000 Kms (so now roughly 156,000 Kms (= 97,500 miles). These figures are from memory because she has been locked away in our garage and unused for many months - but I can check if you require true, accurate current,
We have always looked after her well in terms of mechanics and chassis. Such as a cam-belt major service @ 85,000 miles + various ball joints / discs etc. replaced over the next 10K miles, as required.
She is about as basic as you can get! Manual windows, no air-con etc., but she is an absolute delight to drive.
However, she is really a ‘vintage’ style drive - she reminds me of the cars I loved to drive about 40 years ago! With no power steering and massive wheels / tyres, she’s quite a ■■■■■ to park at low speeds. BUT, anything over 10 mph is magnificent - perfect road feel, predictability and a true joy.
A couple of years ago, I went on a ‘fun’ Rotary Club retro-vehicle club tour in France, and actually this was supposed to be a ‘timed’ event - so whoever got round the track consistently in the same time as they rounded the track on their first run would win. I, and several others, really went for it. It was merely a 2 kilometre track with a couple of short straight, then multiple hairpins, but the Maz (with me at the wheel) won!
I have no driving skills - as I said when I was awarded the fastest track win, I said it was the car that did it, not me! I was up against, among others, a Dutch / German (apparently) ‘formula racing trained’ driver in a tuned and race-prepared Fiat 2.0, so I shouldn’t have stood a chance - and he was screeching and tilting every tyre!
I didn’t even try particularly hard. H236 PRD took it as if she knew precisely what she was doing and, who ever set up her suspension, the shock absorption and the considerable negative camber for the rear axle / wheels / tyres really knew what they were doing. Faultless handling and very drivable @ over 10 mph.
My wife now approaches her '70s and I am mid-sixties, becoming arthritic and now find it tricky to enter & exit PRD. Her problem is that she was covered (pre-ownership) with a red vinyly-wrap. I hate it & wish she was tri-baked cellulose, but I think it’ll cost about £2.5K to do this. She was originally red (as the door shuts / engine & boot bay show) and she needs to be brought back to that in cellulose to demonstrate her pedigree.
I understand that you would prefer a perfect example rather than something that requires
extensive renovation (& possibly great expense) to get right. However, your budget is up to £6K - now that should buy you a really good one! You will be offered one for that price which will undoubtedly be lovely - they are around.
But - just on the off-chance, if you’d like something raw (with original leather!), please don’t hesitate to contact me.
She’ll come with hardtop (as pictured) - but I don’t think this is original Mazda, but it fits snuggly.
Perry.
PS: Sorry, don’t know how to attach photos to this! But, if you’d like them, please contact me. peregrine.langton@gmail.com
PPS - We’re in Falmouth, Cornwall - quite a way from you. But, we are due in Hampshire / West Sussex / Surrey soon (by end of May) and would be perfectly happy to meet you somewhere between where we are then and you for you to view and drive.