Hi. I'm new here and I don't actually own an RX7. However, I'm thinking about getting a 2G FC as a weekend racer that's occasionally street driven. I used to drive my friends 88 FC and I liked it a lot. I always hear from other people (non-FC owners) that the rotories need a rebuild after 100k miles or so and most of the used ones out there have well over that. I want to hear from you guys/gals who actually own FC's to give me your knowledge on the reliability of FC's. How long does the motor last before it needs a rebuild? I'd like to know the reliability issues for both the NA and TurboII models as I'll look for both. HOwever, I've been told that turbo rotories have many more probs than NA ones. Is this true?...considering I've heard the apex seals don't take much HP increase and the fact that rotories generate much more heat then conventional piston engines. I've read thru many posts in this forum and haven't found much on reliability/durability. Thanks for your help and knowledge.

 

My 88 gxl rex has 91,000 miles on it and it is still pulling strong,
The only thing i have to say about my 88 rex, is that the plastic pieces are the most annoiest thing in the world being that the break so easily.

 

Welcome to the world of rotaries

I have a few RX-7's, so I'll explain how each run etc...

the first of my collection is a 1st gen, 82 GS that is totally stripped It is going to be a project rally car...but that is another story..

Back to FC's:

I have a 1991 White convertible that I used to have pretty modified. I recently over the past 6-9 months have returned it to fairly close to stock to maintain its originality It still can put the smack down on some of the local rice when it needs to, but it is mostly a commuter/reliable car now. It is pretty much bullet proof. It has over 107K on it and looks like it has about 20K on it. The most recent compression check reveals that the motor is barely worn, and still meets the high end of the specs for engine compression.

My other FC is a 1986 Sport model. It came stock as an N/A, but since then I decided to make it a track car, and did things like install a 13BT J-Spec motor, full TII drivetrain (required to do this swap) T04, etc.. etc.. etc.. It also has things like upgraded brakes, rollbar (soon to be full cage when I get the time to weld it in!) zero interior, etc. This one is not quite as reliable due to the nature of the car. I drive the living hell outta it every time I sit in the seat

I really think that how long your FC lasts depends on a few things. One it depends on the condition of the car and engine/drivetrain when you buy it. It also depends on how the PO drove it and maintained it. It depends on how you maintain it. it depends on how you modify it.

N/A FC's have lasted as long as over 350K miles when maintained correctly. Then again some peoples TII's have lasted 5K miles if they upgrade it without knowing what they are doing.

If you do your homework before you buy, and upgrade in the correct steps then you should have a fast reliable car. If you don't, then the car could blow the engine pretty easily.

As far as apex seals not being able to handle hp gains, that is totally false. Some popular drag car racers use 2MM stock sized apex seals and run over 25lbs of boost. Others have used their stock seals and run 15lbs of boost reliably. It just depends on how you mod your car, and if you do it right.

 

bhcvc,

Here's the general average before a rebuild is needed:

1986-1988
base/SE/convertible/GXL - 200-250K miles
gtu/sport - 180-220K miles
turbo II - 160-180K

1989-1992
Convertible, base, GXL - 180-240K miles
GTU/GTU-S - 160-220K miles
Turbo II - 140-160K miles

 

Thanks guys! What do you think about ads that say "new motor"...does that mean there was something wrong considering a lot of them say that they replaced it around 100k miles? I've found some 86-89 FC's going for $400-$900...what should I look for to make sure I'm getting a good car? Those deals seem too good to be true. Thanks for all the help.

Oh, and do you guys think a turbo FC would hold up a long time if I use it for hot lapping and other track events maybe 10-15 times a year? Thanks.

 

pulling 168k right now on my car

have owned it for the last 10k miles and every single day I have to rev it to atleast 7500k rpms it seems. the motor is still ticking strong.
I am pulling 0-60 in around 7.2-7.5 according to my butt-o-meter

mine is an 87 sport

the only prob I have had is the clutch and tranny area.... broke a clutch into 3 different pieces.... damn shifting at 7500rpms on a worn clutch

and the tranny.... prolly the same thing

 

I'm about 600mi shy of 127k on my 88GXL and it is still pulling strong.

 

bhcvc,

"New motor," "recently rebuilt," and "low engine miles" means your getting even more longevity than a high miles motor.

For track events, you bet. Sine there's no pistons to break the rotary loves high revs. My neighbor loves to race those 84 & 85 1st gen rx-7s with the 13B (2nd gen) motor in them.

I'm assuming whatever event's your enrolling in allow turbos? Most 2nd gen race cars are stripped GTUs (non-turbos) with ported engines.