OK,Guys,
I need your help,So please put in SOUND advice only,..no jokes or smart comments please.
This Thread is to be added to the NEW Member Tech section as a Sticky to help The New guy Buy a Sec gen Rx7 with the Info supplied by anyone that posts In this thread.
Your Info will be posted to aid the New guy in purchasing a decent car for his enjoyment.
But,He can do that if you are willing to share your Secrets and tips on what to look for when Shopping for a Vehicle.
Thanks Guys,
Let the Fun Begin!
STYX!~

 

If I was in the market for an FC i'd take a good look at the engine first, have a compression check done to see how much compression both rotors are producing. This will give you a reasonable idea of the condition of the internal components regardless of what the seller is telling you about the engine.

The seller may tell you it's done 'this' many miles since a rebuild, it may have done, but then again it may not have!

 

1. scrutinize the electronics. go over it as thoroughly as possible and especially look for signs of ... "oh that? yeah. I installed a ..."

 

Everyone looks for different things when looking for a used 2nd gen. I can only say what I look for. First of all, I want one with a good to excellent original paint job. It can have dings and a few LIGHT scratches and rock chips. But I don't want anything beyond that. I enjoy cleaning, polishing, and waxing them back to a newish luster.

Kinda the same with the interior. No rips or stains that can't be removed or fixed. There's always broken plastic or stereo/antenna problems. Fixable stuff.

As far as mechanically, I don't want a smoking engine or one that is running on it's last leg. Although the last one I bought needed a new engine. It was rare, low miles, and it fit the rest of my needs. I got it fairly cheap. So I had it rebuilt.

I find these cars by checking craigslist every couple of weeks. I do look on autotrader and cars.com. and eBay. If you are patient, you will find what you want. I have bought cars on all three.

There are a couple of apps out there that will search craigslist constantly for what you want and then let you know when something comes up. That's how I found my low mileage GTUs.

Like I said, everybody is different in what they want and what they are willing to settle for or what they will have fixed. I like red rx7s b/c it's the only color without clearcoat. They shine up nicely. I like black also but have not found one I wanted that was black.

No rust please or chopped suspensions. I can deal with a little surface rust under the car.

 

Buy something commiserate with your knowledge and capabilities. If you don't have the money, time, or tools to repair the car, don't buy it. Keep an eye out for one that doesn't require the effort.

Do enough research that at the end of the test drive, you have a good idea what those problems are. If you'll have to smog the car, try to get the receipt for the cat and the last inspection's results.

 

Bring a friend who has experienced rx7 with you. Get the compression checked up and test drive it. BTW aaroncake and fc3sinfo both have very useful sections!

 

Signs of coolant seal failure. Look for white smoke on start up that smells sweet. Also do a bubble test and see if you have air perculating through the cooling system.

 

If the person you are buying from is knowledgeable about these cars, seems excited to talk to you about them and has a quick and real answer to your questions, usually you can be confident that the described condition is truthful, I have found. Most rotorheads aren't looking to screw over another one.

However, if the guy has no clue whats been done to it, doesn't seem to know a thing about the way the engine runs, history of it, the "well i bought it from a guy who said it was rebuilt..." and then mentions something about a timing chain... well, then buyer beware.

Pretty common sense, do your research on these cars before you get into them.

Besides the above, aesthetically I look at the interior. I find that in most cases the people that maintain the interior generally maintain the rest of the car.

Rotary specific:
1) Check underneath the water pump pulley. Does it appear that a lot of coolant has been weeping out from under it? That's a sign of a failing/bad water pump and may indicate an engine that has possibly overheated in the past.
2) Check around the ABS pump (if equipped.) Does there appear to be peeling paint below it? Often times the ABS fails and drains brake fluid like crazy. Do you want to be dropping a quart of ABS fluid a week into it? Do you want to pay the $1300 to replace the pump? Do you even want ABS?
3) Modifications!!!! Here's where it gets tricky, because there are well performed mods and poorly performed mods. If the crimps are weak, if there's an overabundance of electrical tape and random wires running off of god knows what to wherever, if it simply looks sloppy: walk away, unless you are willing to run through EVERYTHING that idiot could possibly have done to the car and fixing it.

Happy Hunting!

 

+1 on this. This is exactly what happened when I bought my S4. Though of course, YMMV.

 

I may be wrong, but I thought all non-metallic FCs had single stage paint from the factory. I know my '88 PZ "Brilliant Black" car is single stage.

When I was searching for my second FC back in 2007, my top criterion was a rust-free body. My first FC developed a very weak floor and subframe after years as a daily driver in a rust-belt climate. If you're a skilled welder and don't mind a project, I suppose rust may not be a dealbreaker, but in an inexpensive car like the FC, it's hard to justify paying somebody else thousands to fix rust damage.

I agree with Red95FD's advice on paint. Again, these cars are not really valuable enough to justify a high-dollar repaint, so you want the original paint to be as solid as possible.

Of course, all the advice on engine compression, smoking, leakage below the water pump are excellent.

 

Test the car when its cold to get a good idea of its condition. Ask them how much oil it uses, and if the omp is still functioning. Test ALL the buttons/*****/controls...ALL of them. Ask if its ever overheated. Check the wiring and look for corrosion, tape, weirdly bent/soldered cables, "extra" wiring. When you test drive it, rag on it and see how it reacts. P.S. turn the stereo off. Ensure that all the lights work. Make sure that the pass seat is bolted down all the way( i didnt realize my pass seat was missing bolts until i let my friend drive after i purchased it...lol) if you are in an inspection state ask for documentation. Enjoy!!!

 

First things first:
The RX-7 is NOT special mechanically.

The Transmission is the same as a transmission used in any other vehicle. In fact, without much trouble, one can swap the transmission between an N/A RX-7 and a Miata. Turbo models shared transmissions with some pickup trucks.
And again, differentials are a shelf item. It's common for the Miata guys to go shopping for RX-7 LSD units to put in Open Diff Miatas.

The Braking, suspension, and steering systems in the RX-7 are nothing special. They're the same as any other car.

About the only thing that makes the RX-7 unique would be the Wankel rotary engine. Even then, it's still subject to the same principles that govern any Otto Cycle (4 stroke) spark ignited gasoline engine. Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow.
The intake and fuel injection systems are pretty straight forward.
There is compression in the combustion chamber.
There is still a shaft to spin with the power generated by burning fuel.
And it all leaves out a pretty normal exhaust and emissions control system.

That being said, looking at an RX-7 is about the same as looking at ANY used vehicle, be it a Ford Mustang, Toyota Camry, or Nissan Frontier.

-Have fluids and filters been changed on a regular basis and with the correct grades?
-Is the cooling system full of muck and sludge?
-Has the drivetrain and suspension been subjected to excessive shock. (Due to driving on rough surfaces, Hard launches such as racing and dumping clutch, etc.)
-Can you check compression on the engine?
-Is there excess body rust or damage that have been covered by Bondo or other repair materials?

These are all items that one should be familiar with when checking out ANY used vehicle, let alone and RX-7. Knowing how to spot mechanical issues can help you choose a car that you want to buy. If you don't feel comfortable with checking out those kinds of items, you might want to look into getting a qualified mechanic to check it out.



Now, there are issues you can choose to accept and those that will be definite deal breakers. However, there is ONE ISSUE THAT YOU MUST ACCEPT:
You will ALWAYS buy a used 2nd gen RX-7.
Being that Mazda quit making them in 1991. No dealerships have had them on the lot in decades.
Many of the dealerships have stopped stocking parts. The only repair parts that have been available for some time are aftermarket or New-Old-Stock items that have been sitting around for 20 years.
If you want a new RX-7 you had better start shopping for a DeLorean first. (Research into the fundamentals of time travel are also a requirement.)


So... What does that leave us?

Low mileage units that were purchased by collectors or little old ladies that subsequently sat around for a while...
Those are going to be few and far between.
Not only will these examples be the highest priced, but they will also come with their share of headaches.
-Were they garage stored?
-Did the garage have high humidity? (Rust)
-Could rodents in the garage have eaten interior parts or wiring?

Sitting around does a number to rubber parts on cars as well as the sealed bearings in such things as the alternator, starter, other engine ancillaries... Windshield wiper motors... Power window motors...

Mold, mildew, and dust settle in duct work.

Plastic degrades over time.

That's not to say that a clean, low mileage car should be cast aside. Just be aware that a 1988 10th Anniversary Edition with 1000 miles is still going to be a 25 year old car. It will not be the same as it was on the showroom floor.




The remaining cars (Most of them out there) will have been driven hundreds of thousands of miles. They may have more than one or two owners.
Now consider the following:
-Do you know the seller of your car? Do you know the previous owner? Does the seller know the previous owner?
-Do you know what shady ***, non-rotary-knowing shops the previous owner(s) took the car to?
-Do you know if any of the previous owner(s) tried to do work themselves on the car?
-Did they swap any parts? (Why were the parts swapped?)
-Were any parts rebuilt by any of the previous owners? (Is there paperwork to prove it?)

Like I said above, transmissions and other parts can be swapped out.

Let's say you're going to buy a nice Turbo II or a Convertible. You roll up and see 4 lug wheels.
RED ALERT!
If you're doing things right, you'll notice that only the base models came with 4 lug wheels. All others came with 5 lug wheels and the Four Piston brake calipers.
A mechanic might not notice that because the car drives just fine on these swapped parts.

I've seen Turbo IIs that had the original engine blow, so someone found a scrapyard N/A engine and dropped it in.
Likewise, I've seen N/As where people start swapping in Turbo II parts and never finish the project.
The end result is a mishmash of N/A and Turbo drivetrain and engine parts.

So you've gotta know the difference between a Turbo transmission and an N/A transmission.
You've gotta know what RPM the tach should show when the car's going a certain speed. (Indicates changes to transmission or rear end gear ratios, or the wrong size tires.)

This is where familiarity of the parts on an intimate level comes in handy.

For every car I own, I have the Factory Service Manual and Wiring diagrams. For some of my cars, I also have the parts fiches. They show breakdowns and differences in parts from model to model.
Download them. Familiarize yourself with them. Research. Research. Research.

Remember, these cars are over 20 years old.
That's 20 years of things breaking and things being fixed.

Do you know if your Convertible has had a GTUs 4.30:1 rear end put into it because the owner wanted better acceleration?
Or perhaps your GTUs at one point had a bad differential, so the owner swapped in a new unit... But the only one he could find was a 3.90:1 rear end out of a Convertible at the local scrapyard.
Odds are you won't be able to see the differences until you drive it or take the diff apart and start counting gear teeth.

Again, I'm not trying to say that everyone's out to rip you off and sell you a car that's cobbled together. But you've gotta be aware that in 20 years, things have been worked on and sometimes things get changed from what you expect.



Now here's my two cents. This is based on my own opinion, my own experiences, and my own abilities. YMMV.
I can turn wrenches. I can rebuild a blown engine or trashed transmission and day of the week.
I am familiar with the parts of the RX-7. I can tell the difference between a Turbo and a N/A trans just by seeing it sitting on the shelf. I have my own personal stash of RX-7 parts in my shed.

I'll buy a cobbled together car.
I'll buy one where the wiring was chopped up.
I'll buy a non-running car with a blown engine where I can't even test the brakes or transmission?
I can fix all that crap. I can put in new transmissions and differentials.

I can't undo rust.
I can't undo severe wreck damage.

A clean body is a major selling point for a keeper.



The 3800 RPM stutter/Grounding problem is well known and well documented. It's easy to fix and costs no money to fix, so it's not a deal breaker for me.
The wiper switch failure is a well known and well documented problem. Also an easy and relatively inexpensive fix.
The running lights and dashboard lights are well known and well documented. Slightly more expensive than the wiper switch fix if the wiring harness is burned... But other wise it's still less than $200 to fix.

If you're buying an RX-7 used, expect to spend a couple hundred bucks and a few hours time turning wrenches on minor repairs as soon as you get it home.
If you can't afford to have that kinda money or time on hand for repairs perhaps you ought to look into another hobby.
Just being honest and realistic here.

 

the biggest problem with the FC is that people do all kinds of weird things to "fix" them. its very often people have a mix of S4 and S5 parts on the car, and or they have done a lot of weird things to make random parts work, so it makes it hard to write a guide, because the average cheap car is this collage of incorrect parts. there are never any service records or any kind of documentation either. its usually i bought it from some guy like this, he said "XYZ"

its harder to find a car that is in nice shape and has just been maintained with the correct replacement parts.

this makes writing a guide hard, because basically you need to examine everything. its not like an MG where people buy a newer emissions controlled one, and swap on the earlier carb/exhaust, its like the whole car has been apart, suspension/diff/engine

and B, how picky do we get? i see a lot of people that put the upper radiator hose on backwards

 

Try to do as much research as you can about the car before you buy it, learn about the rotary engine and how it works, and if you really want it. Another piece of input would be to not buy one unless you are willing to learn and work, if your the kind of person who just wants a "cool looking car" and doesn't want to diagnose problems when they occur or get their hands dirty, just don't even bother buying one, unless you have a lot of money to pay a mechanic. And one more thing, if possible buy a completely stock rx7 from someone older, buying a put together rx7 from a teenager probably isn't the best idea even if the price "1500 obo" looks appealing.

 

Make sure the car is cold when you go over to look at it. If you see the car has been warmed up before you went to look at it, stay away. Check tail pipe for smoke and run the car with the thermostat cap off. Check for bubbling.

 

The second gen RX-7 buying guide put together by Aaron Cake has a ton of useful details and suggestions. Is there some way we can incorporate some of that info, either by link to his site or with his permission directly here?

 

Apart from all the usefull information about the engine, I think it is important to look at the body and check for rust.

Almost all FCs i ve seen, and all the FCs I own were badly rusted underneath. Its basically the side sills that start to crumble when you put the floor jack incorrectly, add some water and time and you get a nice crunchy piece of rusty metal. You just stick your finger in there and the metal breaks apart like old chips.

This type of damage is repairable but can cost a few thousands to fix depending on how bad it is. In Luxemburg you will fail inspection if your car has rusted side sills. Some other minor rust spots are usually not a big problem as long as they are not located on structural important areas. Every car has more or less rust in some areas. Even new cars rust from the factory. I found the paint to be very good on the second gen FCs. But no matter how good the paint, if it gets damaged corrosion occurs.

 

I have never bought an fc, but have looked at many and bought 3 fb. The process is the same. With the car cold and not running I take a peek at the oil pan, the engine and cooling systems. I look for any evidence of leaks, and am very wary if I stumble upon one that has a sparkling engine bay. If it looks ok from there then I start it up and let it warm up to operating temp paying attention to the exhaust smells, condition of idle (rough or missing) as well as listening to the belts and pullies. Then I take it for a drive making sure to check it at normal speeds, freeway speeds, and WOT. Always get it as close to redline as you can during this process so that you can assess the powerband..if it starts losing power between 5.5-7k rpm it probably has a few issues to track down. These engines should pull all the way up to the redline and even a little past (don't try that!).

Next I assess the body lines and all electronics...as stated above, if the wires look molested/chopped/located improperly walk away...electrical issues are a real pita. Some people don't give a schnit about this, but I also look closely at the body lines and panels to see if it has been in an accident or had things replaced...normally the gaps between the panels will be off just a bit, the paint won't quite match, or bolts and things will be missing. Check for seam sealer on the fenders at the firewall as that will be a good indicator of fender replacement or even major body work. Lots of people and even some body shops won't put it back after doing the work...

Get as much documentation as you can and don't be afraid to get a carfax if it makes you comfortable. Rotorheads are usually pretty straight forward about what has been done and why and will normally go out of their way to make sure you are both satisfied with the sale. Some will even stay in contact and become rotary wrenching buddies with you if you let them.

The biggest problem you will have trying to get a good one is the drifter ****....not the real drifters..they are pretty cool most of the time although a little crazy...I'm talking about the guy who wants it because he loves initial d and wants a cool car, but did no research before buying it and has done every ricer mod in the book while ignoring better functioning/looking mods. I've been through that phase myself and grew out of it pretty damn fast once I got a rotary..rice just doesn't work well beyong streetlight to streetlight racing..

 

Just a few quick things that has not been mentioned.

If you're not able to get the compression checked reliably. One of the best indicators of low compression is flooding and the dread hot start issue. After doing a good test drive, shut off the engine and try to restart it right away. If it doesn't start right off and possibly floods, the engine in all likely hood has too low compression and needs a rebuild.

Since this is going up on the new guy section. To elaborate on the wiring. During the test drive if the engine hesitates at around 3800 rpm the car needs to be regrounded. I think that one is on Aaron Cakes webpage which was mentioned, just wanted to add this common problem.

Everything else I can think of is common to all cars things to look out for.

 

Beware of mystery wiring, check the wiper switch, make sure the heater core doesn't leak. Nit pick the hell outta the electronics. It's sad when thing's you didn't know that car had mysteriously start working out of nowhere.