Next Monday I'm going to look at what appears to be a near-immaculate low-mileage BG 1.6 GLXi.

Is there anything particular on the BG that I should check for, before buying?


Thanks!

S

PS: Before anyone asks, yes I still have both BAs, and no I'm not getting rid of them!

Hello Serena

You've definitely caught the buying bug too!

Rust is the main thing. Floor (just like the BA). Rear arches , front of, where it meets the sills.

The GLXi is the injection model (facelift model after May 1991), before that it was SE etc with carbs. So make sure it's a pukka facelift one, not a bodged mix. The internal trims are different, the electric mirror control was moved higher up the dash, the Auto became 4 speed (not 3), and the badges became the logo style.
There were both ABS and non-ABS models of the GLXi, make sure everything tallies.
Hope that helps. Feel free to pm me for any details.

Excellent, thanks Peter! I'll take that info with me.

The seller approached me at a show on Sunday - he's trying to find a good home for it after the owner's death. I've always said I'd consider a nice BG if I ever tripped over one.

It's an Aug 94 reg, so one of the last. 1 owner, 31,000 miles! (mileage verifiable by the MOT history)

The main hurdle to buying it is finding somewhere to keep it (or probably Sundance - I need somewhere to keep him dry for the overhaul).

It's definitely not an auto -



Dash:



If I don't get it, then I'll advertise it through the club on behalf of the current seller - he wants to find someone who will appreciate it as the late owner did.

S

Hi Serena,

Great; from those two pictures it looks like the real deal, i.e. the seat trim is correct for the facelift model, and the electric mirror switch is in the correct place, i.e. up on the lower right dash, (instead of the pre-facelift position of just in front of the gear lever).
That mileage is amazing for a 27 year old car!
As mentioned, if it's for you then take a rug, torch and mirror if you want to check out the floor rust from underneath. The seller may not appreciate too much poking around, but ideally look inside under the carpets as well, but that's a lot more difficult to do!
Enjoy. If I had the space then I'd have a whole fleet of "Fs" already, but my space is already full!

Cheers, that's great to know!

The main thing standing in my way is where to store it. Sundance needs to go into dry storage while I overhaul him, and then I'd keep the BG here with the V6, but right now I can't find a unit to rent

S

Seen the car ... mmmmmm

However ... the power steering cooler pipe in front of the rad is rusted to **** and leaking VERY badly (Power steering. Why does it always have to be power steering????!!! )

BUT! I just got the part number off the Mazda online EPC, plugged it into eBay UK and amazingly a Mazda dealer in Watford was having a clearout and selling a brand new pipe for £30. So I snapped that up. If I don't buy the car then the new owner can buy it off me.

@Jinglebells - ever fitted one of these, if so, how easy it it/not? Looking at the EPC, it looks like you just plug it into the rubber hoses on the inner end and then bolt it on.

S

Hello Serena,
As mine was automatic I'd always assumed that pipe was the ATF cooler! But I just checked and you're right. I never had to fit one, but I guess it's as you say, but you may have to bleed the PAS system afterwards.

Bought! (well, deposit paid until pickup).

Arrives next week ... god help me, 3 Mazdas




S

^^^Mazda nerd!! (in the good way)

Edit: you have some PAS fetish, i'm pretty sure of that..

Loverrleeeeee! The BG looks best with the lights on!

Fog light fetish as well!

Does it have a name yet, er based on the film, this one will have to be "Kid"

Oh don't I'm not naming it, as I don't know if / how long I can keep it as I'm juggling parking spaces. Primarily, it was a rescue job to prevent any old Harry wanting 4 wheels from buying it and trashing it. I'm perfectly placed to find a properly appreciative owner for it through the Club.

And it has forced me to get off my rear and find somewhere covered to work on Sundance.

But yes, naming would have to continue the tradition. If it stays, then in time I'm sure something will suggest itself. Until then it's strictly just "the BG"!

S

Well done Serena, that looks great.
I like those fogs what make are they and do you think they were dealer fitted.
I have a full interior to match that if any one wants it.

The fogs were dealer fitted (it's on the original sale paperwork). There's no maker name on them, but the lens says "Made in Austria".

S

What's the procedure for removing the front bumper on these things - where are all the screws/bolts, and is there anything I should know?

I disconnected the leaking PAS pipe without too much trouble, but the pipe is a weird shape and there's no way I'm getting that out, and getting the new one in, unless the bumper comes off.

S

Hi Serena,
Not had to do that myself, but if you open the bonnet then the pipe is visible from above, doesn't it fit though the gap?

No, it has angles in it, and it's tucked away beneath pipes and other stuff including the air con. You can't lift it out (upwards) and the angles mean you can't twist it out The only way to release it is to draw it all the way forwards towards the front of the car, and I can't see any way of doing that without removing the bumper.

S

Hi Serena
Do you have the Haynes manual - I know it's only for the saloon, but there may be some tips in there that apply to the Fastback. I can send you those if you need.

I'll be following the bumper removal closely, as I need ot remove mine to replace it as soon as I find a nice one in better nick!

Any images of the removal would be a godsend

Great to see the stunning BG getting some love Serena

So I've found a set of screws and a set of small bolts for the front bumper, which I've removed, but I've discovered that the main bolts seem to be under the indicator units (I'll add a proper guide post later).

Indicator units, like the BA, are held in with one long screw. Typically, one unit came straight out when I unscrewed it, but the screw for the other is jammed (because Mazda decided to seat it in a metal clip that after 27yrs has corroded and warped and won't let go of the screw ) After wasting an entire afternoon trying to get it out, I've decided it needs radical action (hammer or pliers) but accessing from below is a pain, so I think I'll have to remove the headlight unit - anyone know how to do this?

S

Hi Serena

There are several pictures on this site that might help you work out where the screws are:

https://www.b-parts.com/en/store/produc ... 1993-1994/

https://www.b-parts.com/en/store/produc ... 1993-1994/

I seem to recall I had to replace a bulb once, and the handbook says take off the top cover (i.e. the body-colour one) but I couldn't get the screws off!

So I popped the lights up and took out the screws you can see from the front, and withdrew the unit out of its cradle by pulling it forwards, i.e. towards the front of the car, then I could get at the bulb.
But it was about 25 years ago ..... so my memory might be slightly fuzzy.

Thanks Peter, that's really useful! I've saved all the images for future ref, for changing bulbs/units

In the end I didn't need to go that far (I discovered, just in time) - the bumper is now off.

There is one set of screws to remove, and two sets of bolts.

* The screws are at the pointed rear edge of the bumper, inside the wheel arch, one each side (same as BA, but far easier to get out as they dont have a plastic sleeve that then breaks off). You will also need to undo the lowest bolt on the wheel arch liner.
* Bolts #1 are underneath, one either side on the underside of the subframe almost level with where the screws are. These are 10mm hex bolts, and they secure the end of a metal bracket on the bumper. Look under the front corner of the car, follow the bumper bracket to the end, and you'll find them.
* Bolts #2 are under the indicator units, two per side. These are chunky 14mm flanged hex bolts (I had to use a 15mm socket for one of them, the head was heavily rusted).

That's it!

TOOLS REQUIRED

* A metric socket set. In particular you'll need 10mm and 14mm sockets, possibly 11mm and 15mm if the bolt heads are heavily rusted. You won't need any "deep" sockets, but an extension bar or breaker bar might be handy, for leverage on the big 14mm bumper bolts.
* Medium crosshead screwdriver (a stubby is best if you have to put pressure on the indicator unit screw, to get it out). Also for undoing the arch liner screw.
* WD40 or your choice of penetrating spray
* Pliers, 2 sets, to grip and pull apart electrical connectors that haven't been undone since the car left the factory. Plus a soft cloth to cushion the connectors from the pliers, so you don't break the plastic casing if you have to resort to the pliers.
* Possibly a pick set or some small flathead screwdrivers to pry off the metal clip on the back of the indicator unit screw fitting
* Possibly an impact screwdriver to loosen the screws on each side of the bumper
* Possibly your car jacking-up equipment, if you need to get to the back of the indicator unit from underneath. You won't need to remove the front wheels.
* A torch will be handy, essential if you end up underneath the car trying to undo stubborn stuff. A head torch or magnetic torch will be most helpful, as you'll have your hands full.
* Lots of shop roll/cleaning cloths and a soft brush, to clean up penetrating spray and to brush debris out of the light unit wells. Degreaser is also useful (I use "Gunk" degreaser).
* A magnetic tray or any high-sided container to keep the bolts/screws in, that won't tip over/blow over. Don't lose any of the bolts/screws, bag and label them as you take them off!
* Tea. Lots of tea.


STEPS

1) Remove the fogs and fog brackets if you have them, and unplug the fogs.

2) Remove the indicator units - one long screw in each one (like the BA units), but they may be stuck, as they pass through one of those folded metal clips that Mazda were so fond of. If the clip is rusted (one of mine was), you'll have to jack up the front of the car and access the clip from behind the light unit (partially raise the pop-up light, manually, so you get some daylight in there). There's pretty easy access from below/behind, but you'll have to then fiddle around with WD40/freeze spray/a pick set/small screwdriver to derust the screw and/or clip and pry the screw free of the clip so it releases. It may take a while ... it took me half a day! You will need patience, and you can't do it through the gap between the pop-up headlight and the crossmember. You'll have to do it from underneath/behind (this is why I thought I'd have to take the entire headlight unit out).

The units are connected with one electrical cable, you'll need to undo the connector. If that's difficult and you need more room to get good purchase with pliers to undo the connector, you might want to unclip the squeezy white cable tidies securing the cable behind the light well (see photo), to bring more of it out and give you more to play with.

Below: rear of the offside/UK driver side indicator unit.



Below: end-on view of the unit. Note the screw. It won't come out of the light housing (unlike the BA one, which just falls out).






Take care not to slip with the screwdriver and scratch the unit's plastic light lens as you repeatedly test with a stubby crosshead from the front, to see if the screw is now free. It's pretty easy to pry from the back and try the screwdriver from the front at the same time, you'll have to reach round with each arm, basically hugging the bumper, but even I managed it. You must have the front end of the car jacked up though, or you won't be able to get underneath to see up into the engine bay, towards the back of the light unit.

Below: After indicator light unit removal (offside/UK driver side) - note light connecting cable, and the two big bumper bolts underneath. Note rusty clip!



Below: After indicator light unit removal (nearside/UK passenger side) - again, note rusty clip!




3) Remove the set of bumper screws, one screw on each side. These may need an impact screwdriver and a lot of WD40 to get them out safely. Also undo the lowest bolt on the wheel arch liner.

Below: Location of the bumper screw (nearside/UK passenger side), looking up at 45 degree angle towards the pointed end of the bumper. The dark area on the right is the wheel arch liner.



Below: Bumper screw, one one each rear corner of the bumper.



Below: Arch liner bolt fixing point. This is the front of the arch, looking towards the front of the car.






4) Remove bolts #1 underneath, the ones attached to the metal bumper brackets. Unbolt them at the CAR end, NOT the bumper end, the brackets will then come off with the bumper. Take care, as they are very thin, will probably be corroded and might break. You can ease them off the bumper later and clean them up before the bumper goes back on again. If you've taken off a BA bumper it's a very similar bracket scenario (and the BA brackets get just as rusty).

Below: A very grubby bumper bracket (this one from the nearside). If you take them off the bumper, note which way up / which way round they attach to the bumper.



Below: Bolts #1. This view is taken looking back from the front of the car, towards the front nearside wheel. The oblong thing marked with a red dot is the end of the metal bumper bracket. The black thing behind that is the bottom of the loosened arch liner. These are flanged hex bolts with a 10mm head (you might need an 11mm socket if they're badly rusted).






5) Remove bolts #2 under the (now removed) indicator light units. Very easy, though they might need an extension bar on your socket for leverage. They will have small white plastic washers on the ends, take care not to lose these.

Below: Bumper flanged hex bolts (14mm head). Note the plastic washers.



6) With a careful tug, the bumper should pull straight off. It's much lighter and easier to handle and carry than the BA bumper.

Below: Result!





S

Brilliant Serena, a useful guide.
It's great to have good pictures too.
These things were obviously not meant to be unbuilt!