92' Oldschool MPV

[samse]

Anyone here drive an old style MPV?
I've got an old 92 V6 MPV and just love it. One of the only RWD minivans on the market. Just great for kicking the back end out. I wish they never changed the styling of MPVs in 99(?) the new ones are just the same as all those other crappy minivans out there! The olds ones had a style of their own, and had what other vans didn't- RWD!!

[MazKid]

**** yea, we have a '92 V6 as well, Silver/blue 2 tone. It's a beauty. It's got some mechanical things needed to be fixed, my dad just hasn't gotten around to it yet.
We got it back in '97 after our '89 V6 was totalled by a Ram delivery van. Got it with like 40K miles, right now it's up to I think 100K.

It's our mothership lol. My mom drives it daily, and we use it for everything from taking home a new door to vacations down to Florida, and it's great. We've had it up to around 112mph, but the biggest accomplishment was a record 102mph with a roof-top carrier on our way to Ohio, my mom was driving and this mo-ron in a beat up Legend cut us off at 75mph within literally 2 inches, so my mom got pissed and just floored it for several miles. We only stopped when transmission fluid was coming out of the trans vents. Woke my dad up at a rest stop(he slept through the whole thing lol, attesting the smoothness of the MPV(the RWD ones are smooth as ****, the 4WD ones are truck-like), he got under it, took a look, wiped the oil off the back, we hopped back in, and headed off again to continue our vacation, and we haven't had any transmission problems since.

I hate driving it though, since it's all wishy-washy compared to my 323. But it's all good.

[samse]

wicked info man! old MPVs are just so hardcore, we use ours for so much- from offroading to transporting to towing to long distance travelling. One of my favorite things about it is i can fit 5 mountain bike INSIDE it, along with 5 passengers, and still have enough power to slide the corners. It seems like it can take any abuse, although i ripped the tail pipe off a couple years ago doin some off roading through a construction zone. I can't think of another "mini-van" i would want more. These vans are simply the best! Yeah and they do cruise at a nice speed. i think ive had mine up to arround 110mph. But cruise smoothly and nicely at 90mph.

[bryanj]

MPV=Mobile Party Vehicle right?

[samse]

Originally posted by bryanj@Nov 25 2003, 05:29 PM
MPV=Mobile Party Vehicle right?

some say it is so.......
when you take out that middle seat it makes a great second bass mobile too. just get the strobe light and your all set!

[MazKid]

MPV=Multi(ple) Purpose Vehicle, Mazda said, but Mobile Party Vehicle works too.

We don't really go offroading in ours, I can't believe you do either, but they can do it.

The problems ours has don't cause any driving issues. Mainly it's lifter noise at startup and for about 5 mins of driving. Also it has a rough idle sometimes right after start up due to this system that contains gas fumes from driving and it releases the fumes back into the engine when you start it up, and it messes with the cpu or something(my dad was explaining it but I wasn't paying attention ).

Some things we should do to the MPV would be to put on some 1st gen 929 S engine parts...since the MPV is based off of the 929(1st gen MPVs are, 2nd gen('98-current) are based off of the 626), it uses many of the same parts. The 929S was 197hp, while the MPV got the 150hp 3.0L V6(and the non-V6 MPVs got a 121hp(Yikes!) 2.6L I4). And the US MPV V6 only was availible with the 4 speed auto, but Canada had a 5 speed version. Ironicly, my copy of the 1988(for 1989) MPV New Model Information manuel shows that the 5 speed was availible in the V6. Interesting. The I4 was availble with both transmissions though(and the I4 auto is pathetically slow).

Though the same manuel lists top speed for the V6 auto as 110mph. Erm, yea, that's not right, 0-60 in 12 secs sounds slow too, I'm sure it's faster than that.
Also, they claim 17mpg city and 22mpg highway... I think we've gotten some 28mpg highway, though with the rooftop carrier and all of our stuff it nose-dived to around 17 highway. But the MPV's 19.6 gallon tank makes up for it lol.

Ours also has rear A/C, but not rear heat. My dad was also going to put on the ALL system(Auto Load Leveling, rear suspension from the V6 towing package that had air shocks in the back) on it, but never did.

Also the MPV was classified from Mazda(and Mazda made this New Model Info book, which is for mechanics(my dad gave it to me, hehe)) as a Wagon, but the 2 seater cargo version(which only came as a I4) was called a Van...same exact body style, just the cargo is missing everything from the front seats back. Wierd.

[samse]

True they can handle the offroading, but maybe im exagerating when i say we take it off roading. Its more like "i HAVE taken it offroading"- so its not something we do on a regular basis, im sure repeated offroading would take its tole on the 11year old beast. As for 0-60 times, what would you say it is? i'd say its at least 10 seconds, although ive never timed it....

ever thought of putting a turbo in yours?

[MazKid]

Nah, we aren't a family for aftermarket mods. Our MPV, my 323, my dad's RX-7, and my dad's Probe GT(and my dad owns my 323...) are all completely stock Mazda, factory Mazda replacement, or aftermarket direct OEM replacement. Now then, my bro's 3 cars('87 626, '88 MX-6 GT, '89 Probe GT) do have a couple of aftermarket parts, but not like rice stuff, just little bits of performance parts.

I think a turbo on that 3L would drive like crap. Naturally aspirated is better than forced induction anyday for driveability and longevity.

I'd estimate 0-60 in somewhere around 10.7 secs.

You wouldn't happen to be one of those folks who thinks that the power/economy switch on the shifter stem actually gives you more power or more economy are you?

I've had numerous people think that, but in all actuality, power just raises the shift points so that you don't go far below the power band, while economy is normal. I've also had to explain that the hold button just keeps the trans in whatever gear you are in temporarily.

[MazKid]

Ohh, here's some pics of our MPV.
The front:

[MazKid]

The side, so purty. I'm betting it's the cleanest '92 MPV in St. Louis, just as my '88 323 is the cleanest in St. Louis.