1983 (FB)
By Manntis April 23, 2003
Known as an ‘FB’ type due to its VIN, the 1983 model (P130) was virtually unchanged from 1982. A special limited edition was announced in March, with a run of 5,000 cars (based on the GS trim level) produced in a new color called Chateau Silver, accented by red pinstriping, specially styled 5.5″ wide aluminum alloy wheels with Bridgestone 195/60HR15 tires, and special badging on the rear pillar.
Other special features of the Limited Edition RX-7 included a pop-out sunroof, cruise control, “plush” red velour interior, air conditioning, and a special sound system with a four speaker ETR/AM/FM stereo/cassette, Dolby noise reduction, and seven-band graphic equalizer.
| General Data | |
| 1983 Production: Cumulative |
N/A 347,501 |
| Models: | S GS GSL LE |
| Engine: | 12A (1146 CC displacement) rotary 2 stage 4 barrel carburetor normally aspirated 100 bhp SAE net @ 6000 rpm 105 lb-ft torque @ 4000 rpm 9.4:1 compression ratio 21 mpg city/30 mpg highway |
| Transmission: | 1st 3.674:1 2nd 2.217:1 3rd 1.432:1 4th 1.000:1 5th (GS) 0.825:1 Reverse 3.542:1 Final Drive 3.909:1 |
| Brakes: | 226mm (8.9 in) Vented Disc front 200 x 33mm (7.9 x 1.3 in) Drum rear Solid Disc rear (GSL only) Vacuum assist front-rear hydraulic split |
| Suspension: | Macpherson strut front w. 23 mm (0.91 in) anti-roll bar Watt linkage live axle rear w. 18 mm (0.71 in) anti-roll bar (GS only) |
| Steering: | Recirculating ball type 38mm (1.5 in) offset 33mm shaft diameter 15 degree distortion @ 7.2 lbs-ft torque variable overall ratio 17-20:1 3.7 turns (lock to lock) 31.5 ft turning circle |
| Wheelbase: | 2420mm (95.3 in) |
| Wheels: | 13″ alloy 110 mm bolt pattern |
| Track: | 1420/1400 mm (55.9/55.1 in) front/rear |
| Body: | Unibody (monocoque) 6780 lb-ft torsional rigidity .34 Cd 4320mm (170.1 in)long 1670mm (65.7 in) wide |
| Vehicle Weight: | S (4 speed) 1065kg (2348 lbs) GS (5 speed) 1080kg (2381 lbs) GS (auto) 1097kg (2420 lbs) GS (auto) 1093 kg (2410 lbs) (Calif) |
| Acceleration | 0-30 mph 2.8 sec 0-40 mph 4.3 sec 0-50 mph 6.3 sec 0-60 mph 8.7 sec 0-80 mph 16 sec |
Submitted on April 23, 2003 in Tech & Specs.
D'Arcy (aka 'manntis') has owned several RX-7s over the years, including a 1985 GSL-SE that had once been the daily driver of Pamela Anderson. Named 'Pam' after its former owner, that car met an untimely death outside of Roger's Pass in the Canadian Rockies when the highway turned and, thanks to rain, the car didn't. D'Arcy started Rotorhead as a labour of love in 2002, tired of trying to find information on 1st gen RX-7s scattered throughout the internet.
Manntis has contributed 31 articles to Rotorhead.
