The USDM Mazda 929 was sold from 1988-91. The flagship 929 sedan version closely realated to the JDM Mazda Luce or 929 which were also offered their own sedan & hardtop versions. USDM series I (Zenki) model appeared to us in 1988-89 models (87-88 Japan) with a single cam V6. Our series II (Kouki) models were sold in 1990-91 (89-90 Japan) with both single & twin cam 3L motors. It is also refered to by the chassis platform code "HC".
My 89' series I is a rare example that has a factory equipped 5 speed 'R' type transmission borrowed straight from the S4 Turbo II RX7 along with gear ratios. It's paired with the smooth revving JE 3L SOHC 18 valve V6 making 158HP @ 5500RPM & 170LB-FT of torque @ 4000RPM; more power than later found in the first Mazda MPV's. Redline is set @ 6250RPM. Those were respectible numbers at time of production in late 1987 for US/Canadian markets when rival brands were going with front wheel drive layouts and smaller V6's. Suspension is independent all around, disc brakes & ABS fitted at all corners. Stock test figures by Road & Track Magazine for the single cam 88-89 proved a 17.2 second 1/4 mile run & 9.4 second 0-60 time for the 5 speed model. Compared to the slower automatic model at 17.5 & 10 seconds.
Mazda 929; no other 4 door Japanese luxury import on the domestic market was offered with a 3L 6 cylinder engine matched with a 5 speed manual and RWD configuration till the G35 & Lexus IS300 came into production well over a decade later. In my opinion the Mazda 929 & the (1989-92) Toyota Cressida paved the way for popular luxury Japanese cars like the Lexus LS400 & Infiniti Q45.
USDM series II models are identified by updated bumpers, lower body aero mouldings, & bolder more pronouced grill as pictured above. Inside has updated seats, steering wheel with integrated cruise control & faux wood center console trim. The "S" package includes the JE27; 3L DOHC 24 valve V6 making 190HP @6000RPM & 191LB-FT @4500RPM. Redline is set @ 6500RPM. Rear differential is an open unit & LSD was only offered in JDM Grand Turismo models. The suspension was upgraded with stiffer spring rates, larger front & rear stabilizer bars, & vented rear disc brakes. Lower profile 205/60/15 tires wrap 15x6" mesh alloy wheels. An noticible exterior distinction is the blacked out trim around headlamps & tail lights. 1990-91 929S figures were 16.9 in the 1/4 mile & 9 seconds 0-60 (R&T). USDM series II models were also sold on the Korean market as the Kia Potentia from 1992.5-97.
In Japan the sedan verison is least popular while the hardtop models are most present & can be badged as either a Luce or a 929. The hardtop version sports frameless doors, shorter bumpers, & boxier front end. Also offered in Japan are 5 engine choices, most noted is the series 4 RX7 13B turbo (180HP/182TQ) & 2L JFT V6 turbo (145HP/170TQ). The 3L JE26 (198HP/192TQ) is found in the Grand Turismo model. For comparison below are JDM Mazda Luce's, a 1987 series I Royal Classic with 13B turbo in the foreground & a 1990 series II Royal Classic in the background.
"9ine Deuce" was orginally purchased in Vancouver, in January of 2003 with 175,000kms on the odometer. She was in mint condition for a 14 year old sedan with no accidents & orignal paint. Allegedy the first owner of this car was said to have belonged to the brother of Mazda Canada President at the time. Mazda's Canadian headquarters is located here. This might explain why this 1989 model has a extremly rare manual transmition. Most 5 speed 929's are 1988's, even so, 5 speeds are very rare in that year. Mine is optioned out ordered with; sunroof, digital dash, full power, heated seats & mirrors, ABS, & (AAS) auto adjustible suspension. Other particularly rare options Ive seen on a few other loaded 88-89 929's are extra chrome moldings along doors & full body paint. Ive driven mine all the way across Canada & back twice from Vancouver to Halifax. Two 12,000km roundtrips in the first two years of ownership. This was achieved without any breakdowns or major problems & only routine maintenace. Daily driving includes a regular trips up to redline, this is a solid underated car.
--------> 1989 series I 929 5spd, Gentle Maroon Mica Metallic/series II 929S Tan leather, 252,000kms (RIP) :
Mods List - [custom] cold air intake w/ 3" piping, K&N 3" XL cone filter, rear muffler & resonator deletion w/ 2.25" [custom] cat-back w/ Sebring resonator & twin-tip VIP style muffler, NGK platinum plugs & 8.5mm wires, Davidson heavy duty battery, PIAA 9004 4000K extreme white headlights, [custom] PIAA extreme white city lights, G&E amber corner lights, G&E super bright front & back marker lights, 1991 Toyota Camry clear bumper lenses, Frosted orange signal bulbs, PIAA exteme white interior & trunk lighting, PIAA super white LED license plate bulbs, MOMO cobra shift knob, Broadway wide-view mirror, Series II 929S OEM woodgrain center console & armrest, Series II 929S OEM tan leather seats swapped in, Autometer 3.5" 8000RPM white-faced tach, Agos 320mm wood grain race wheel w/ Momo hub & horn button, Clifford Alarm system, Alpine CDA7995 MP3 head unit, JL Audio 4" door speakers x 4, Pioneer 6.5" 3 ways on rear Dynamated decklid, Alpine MRV F-300 V12 amp for mids, Alpine Type R 10" sub, Alpine MRV T-707 V12 sub amp, [custom] double stacked front air dam painted gloss black, AAS replaced w/ Monroe Sensatrak shocks, 3-3/4 coils cut up front for 3.25" drop, 1.5" B&G rear springs, DIY red calipers, 3 piece DP Motorsports Enduro wheels - 16x7 +35mm front & 16x8 +30mm rear, 195/55/16 Dunlop SP3000 DSST front & 245/45/16 Dunlop SP9000 rear, 50% 7 window tint.
Mods are limited due to the choice of car & lack of aftermarket support, none of which is availible here. There are some hard to find parts still availible in Japan which are out of reach for now. Horsepower improved significantly by installing a cold air intake & freer flowing exhaust system alongside other minor mods. Ive added all the typical bolt ons as I could without spending major funds. Future motor planned; 13B turbo or an all motor JDM JE26. Coilovers can be found in Korea. For some shoes a set of low offset aggresive 18" staggered wheels. British Racing green paint is what im feelin but time will tell...
--------> The Timeline :
August 2006, closing in on year two of storage, I manage to get a few more mods in before the Mazda Madness car show in Langley, BC. The rear B&G 1.5" springs are settled; finally that ass is dropped. I also cut another 3/4 coil of the front springs for about a 3.25" overall drop. I installed a used Agos 320mm wood grain wheel & Momo hub & horn button.
Stock 15x6" saw blades before she went underground, looks like a sleeper.
Just as summer was ending I find this pristine 1990 929S Series II in Tranquil Blue Mica Metallic with dark blue leather & only 65,000 original kilometers. It's equipped with the "S" package & 190HP/191TQ twin cam motor. I plan to use this as my future daily driver after some VIP styling dumped on nice fitting wheels. Currently its also sitting in underground storage awaiting modification.
July 2006, two minutes after the last bolt is put on when rear stock springs are swapped for B&G 1.5" springs. Big improvement over stock; accelleration & cornering is better even though up front cut springs are too soft.
June 2006, shortly after I mounted 195/55/16 Dunlop SP3000 DSST front & 245/45/16 Dunlop SP9000 rear tires replacing 5 year old Dunlops. Toyota Camry clear lenses replace OEM amber lenses, frosted oranage turn bulbs are added. Ion yellow city lights are swapped for matching PIAA super whites.
May 2006, after 9 months of storage 9ine Deuce hits the streets with a fresh tune up & staggered 3 piece DP Motorsports Enduro wheels. These lightwieght rims are made in Japan & originally date back to 1992 where they spent their previous life on a turbo RX7. The front rims are 16x7 +35mm while rears are 16x8 +30mm, Tires are Dunlop ZR rated 205/55/16 & 245/45/16. BBS rims hit the used market & I dont look back. The loud N1 muffler was tossed in favor of a new twin tip VIP style muffler via a Sebring resonator.
June 2005, after the first year of storage. More coils are cut for total of 2.5 which yields a 2.5" overall drop. Custom city lights are added in the inner headlight cluster & ion yellow PIAA bulbs are fitted.
Engine bay shots after degreasing & spraying down. Cold air intake shown with K&N filter tucked away in the lower fender. Custom cat-back exhuast system with 2.25" piping & old N1 muffler.
The sweet spot, it aint much but horsepower peaks here, all estimated 185HP (flywheel)...
East Coast winter set up rockin 195/65/15 Pirelli ICE 210's & 205/60/15 Toyo Observe. OEM 30 slot rims were resprayed gunmetal & the lip was left silver. Last of the real winters...
March 05', Citadel Hill, downtown Hali, keepin it fresh before before BBS's are thrown on.
November 04', downtown Halifax docks. 6 months of winter ahead.
Fake ass 'S' badge ! didnt last long...
Oct 04', old skool Westin Grand/VIA rail station downtown Hali. Underground spot where the 929 sleeps during dem Scotian winters.
August 04', east Van, what. BBS centers get some fresh black paint. Wasted dough on some shitty 215/55/15 Kumho Ecsta 712's which lasted less than 10,000kms of cross-country asphalt. Monroe shocks were fitted & 1.5 coil was cut out front springs, I might of got .75" drop, shoulda went for more. I also doubled up on an additional OEM air dam which I bolted to the original & sprayed gloss black.
Series II 929S tan leather interior & woodgrain console trim swapped in. The drivers seat loses 10+lbs in the process of upgrading!
Interior & trunk set up with Autometer LED lit white-faced tach, Alpine ICE.
May 04' ready for the coast to coast return run.
February 04', 40" of snow breaks 100 year old records. Winter is the real deal. First ghetto mods pictured with gunmetal stock rims & Silverstar headlights. OEM exhaust loses the primary muffler & I straight pipe it from axle back to a 3.5" resonated tip.
OG interior shots before the swap. The OEM butter camel brown leather seats were showing their age.
June of 03', chillin beside my bro's old modded 88' Mazda 323GT turbo during a RS meet. 15x6.5" +40mm BBS rims from a FC RX7 convertible are bored out to fit properly.
February 03' the first DIY modification to the ride. A 3" intake piping originally for CB7 Accord cut to fit. The CAI really helps the V6 breathe much better.
Photochopped image with appox 4" & 3" drop on 15x6.5" FC BBS rims & cleared out corners.
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Jan 2002 - Jan 2003
My 91' Infinti G20 before I sold it. A great sports sedan powered by the SR20DE motor. Within a year of ownership I added a few mods to it. The ICE consisted of Alpine Type S 12" sub & V12 mono amp, Pioneer DEH7200 head unit & JBL GTO door speakers. Under the hood were NGK platinum plugs & wires, a [custom] short ram intake with K&N filter forcefed with cool air via ram air tubing in lower bumper. Timing was advanced to 18 degrees & a Sebring fireball style muffler & axle back help exit exhaust gases. Finally I added a fresh clutch and lightened flywheel. All this lead to a decent boost in the top end, with enough power to keep up with GSR's & SIR's of the day. Stock 14x6 rims were painted gunmetal grey since I was a broke ass. The engine took so much abuse with at least five 7000RPM+ pulls a day for a year straight & it never broke, everything else did which led to why I sold it.
June 2002 NorthwestNissans Richmond meet.
My Bro's Pearl white 91' - Tein 1.8"/15x7.5" 0mm Riken
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