Void

Hi. I'm sort of new around here, thought I've been lurking for a while. I'm hoping to get some advice on possibly purchasing an FC. I've had some seriously bad luck in the past with my Stealth, so I'm looking to try something different. I really want an FD, but I'd rather get a cheaper FC to learn my way around rotaries first.

I've got a pretty solid mechanical background from my Stealth, so turning a wrench is no big deal to me. I've heard horror stories of rotary engines, and I'm wondering how much truth there is to them.

What I'd really like to know is what can I expect from say, a fairly high mileage Turbo II. I've found a couple of seemingly good deals, but I need a better idea of what I'm getting into before I commit to anything. I'm not looking to have any sort of 10 second drag monster, but I would like something I can upgrade a little and that will handle well with some work. If anyone can give me some honest, real world experience with these, I'd be forever grateful. Thanks

defylogik

turbo 2 motors generally need to be rebuilt at like 125-150k. non turbo motors will run typically almost up to 250k miles on them before they blow.

make sure you change the oil regulary and about at MAXIMUM 2500 miles. watch the oil levels cuz rotaries burn a little bit of oil.

overall the FC is a snap to work on. everything is straight foreward and non confusing. get a haynes manual. i dont know a lot about stealths, or 3000gts, etc.. cuz ive only owned rotary engines, but id say the mazda is easier to work on.

scott

stickgoat

The non-turbos can be quite peppy with small mods. Ofcourse the same can be said with the Turbo.

My fiance has a 88 non-turbo and it's very reliable. Easy to work on and is quite quick.

Whatever you choose to get you'll have fun with, and yes keep a close eye on the oil level.

Taranis

Find a good rotary shop in your area and have them do a Buyer's Inspection on the car you're interested in.

Oh, and read these:

http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobinette/buyaused.htm

http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/

Powridah

get a compression test done ! I cant stress that enough, if the guy isnt very informed about his rx, take it for a drive then try to start it up after about 15 mins of driving, if it has hot start issue's u might be able to knock down the price,

Void

I'm still trying to get ahold of the owner to get some more information on the car. Do you guys know of any decent shops in the Cincinnatti area that could do the compression test?

Thanks for the help so far. The links that were posted were extremely helpful.

Void

What would be the proper compression numbers for an 87 Turbo II? Apparently the owner has the car at a mechanic who did some maintenance and tests on it, so it's no problem to get the compression test numbers.

One thing worries me though. He said the mechanic installed some sort of fuel pump switch that would prevent the motor from flooding on startup. This doesn't sound normal to me. He'll let the car go for $3000, but depending on the compression numbers and the presence of this fuel switch, I may try to talk him lower once I see the car. Thanks again. Keep the comments coming

Erik

usually if a fuel pump switch is installed it means the injectors are leaky and would cause the car to flood after its shut down. so its my understanding that u have the car running, flip the switch, and it cuts the fuel, and the engine dies. and when you walk back out to the car...flip the switch, and then start the car. i "think" that could be fixed by new or rebuilt injectors...but maybe the dude didn't wanna take the time to send them away.

also, for compression numbers...if you are going by psi i was always told anything above 90 psi still means the motor is in good shape. if its tested at mazda i think they do it in kg/cm3 or some measurement like that. it should be at least 6.5-7.0 or above in that system.

Taranis

Lots of people have the fuel cut-off switch to prevent flooding. It's a bug in the ECU of all FC's, but it does raise the question of leaky injectors. Here's how you check:

Start it up and let it get to normal operating temps, then drive it for about 15 min. Park and shut off. Wait about 5 min, then try to restart (all without using the cut-off switch). It should start right up. If not - the injectors definately leak, and it's a good bargaining chip. You'll need to either replace them or have them cleaned and ballanced.

By the way, the car WILL flood if you just start it cold, move it about 10 ft, then shut it off again. This is normal. Always let the car run about 5 min before shutting it off.

vaughnc

Void,

Hey welcome to the forum.

Bought my 1991 Turbo II with 140K miles and it's 2nd engine to guarentee reliability. The 86-88 Turbo IIs usually need a rebuild @ 160-180k miles and the 89-91 Turbo IIs at 140-160K miles.

For better reliability, most people either pay a premium for a new/rebuilt/low engine miles engine or buy their Turbo II for dirt cheap with a blown/going engine and rebuild themselves.

The rebuild's fairly easy, well documented, and there's videos & books on doing it yourself.

If your thinking about upgrades - you'd got a bazillion to choose from. As the rotary engine's are REALLY good about handling MASSIVE HP very reliably, there's allot of performance upgrades. The 2 rotor Turbo II engine takes ~450+HP and the 3 rotor ~650+HP without sacrificing much engine life.

Your right, the best thing about the TIIs are they're SUPERCARS that have exceptional handling. Mazda designed the car around the rotary engine to fully utilize it's performance advantages - so you get a stiff frame, tight cornering, low drag, lightweigh chassis, bulletproof drivetrain, and a firm but smooth ride. All this adds up to great performance numbers and a smile behind the wheel They're a tuners dream come true

As the 2nd gens were an international hit amoung sports car fans, this means you have allot of upgrades to choose from (performance, bodykits, accessories), allot of knowlegable people & websites to pull from, and plenty of salvage to choose from. You also can still get OEM and aftermarket parts new as well.

Any other questions??

-- vaughnc
1991 Turbo II RX-7
1989 Convertible RX-7

Void

No other questions right now. Thanks for the info so far. The owner says he has someone who is possibly buying the car Wednesday. The soonest I can go down there is Saturday. If the car is still available, I'm going to get it unless I find some glaring problem when I go see it. Even if it does sell, I'll keep looking. The FC really seems like a car that will meet my needs perfectly. If anyone knows of a black Turbo II for sale, let me know

vaughnc

Also check ebay, the mazda rotary section on thepartstrader.com , and of course autotrader.com. I spotted 4 TIIs, 6 convetibles, and a slew of hatchback NAs (non turbos) in Atlanta last week