Hey guys,

I just test drove the RX-7 90 GXL. It was rather disappointing.


The body was severely scratched. I can live with that because I can't expect a brand new look from a 12 year old car.



First of all, the car started without any problems. However, it seems to stutter at first. The engine reves very smoothly, however.


The stereo blew. That is fine sin I will be removing it. Passenger window switch isn't working. Fine, I can fix that too for around 100 bucks. Last, when I turned on the A/C, dead flies came shotting out from the vents into my mouth! After 5 mins of waiting, A/C was blowing heat out. My friend almost threw up by swallowing those dead flies!

What was supposed to be a 4 piston caliper is no better than a Protege LX equipeed with rear drums.

All these above, I can live with those. However, to the driving part.


I took the car out for a spin. The clutch slips like there is no tomorrow. I mean, I swear the car does 1/4 in the 17seconds range. The clutch's friction point is so high that it is only 3" from the top. This makes the car very hard to drive.

Also, maybe the car doesn't like low RPM. When I shift from 1st to 2nd at about 30mph, the car will cruise at 2000rpm. At 2000RPM, the car would stutter like hell. When I go back up to 2600rpm, the stutter would stop.
I've driven a lot of cars. None of those cars would stutter in 2nd gear at 2000rpm. The engine sounded as if had a hole in the exhaust.

Maybe I am just too picky, but are these symtoms normal?

 

sounds like a beater to me

 

NO, sounds like that one has been neglected... My GXL wasn't that bad

 

The bad clutch I can fix. However, is it normal for an N/A 5 speed to stutter at 2000rpm in 2nd gear? When I say stutter, I mean it car shakes back and fourth. This is gone when I speed up to 2300rpm or so, or downshift back to first.

 

Could be surging... sounds like it, when my gxl was kicking back and forth.

 

Are you trying to accelerate at this point or trying to keep the speed constant?

 

Both! I tried to keep the speed constant, since I was in a 30mph zone. As soon as the car shakes, I tried to accelerate. Still shakes.

Okay, when in first gear, I sped up to 3000rpm, then I shifted into second gear. At that point, the car was at 30mph and about 2000rpm. As soon as I shifted into second, the car would shake back and fourth. Not really hard. But when downshift back to 1st or speed up a little, the shaking would be gone. This is just not normal. At first I thought it was my driving skills, but I doubt it is.

 

No not normal, but perhaps a bad engine mount

 

You can fix the windows for free. Take them apart and sand off the contacts for the switch. I have to do it every year.

The stutter might be a clogged fuel filter. I never drive at 2k rpm. Rev the rotary higher than a VW 4 banger. It redlines at 7k, cruise around at 3500-4k. Mine would buck around too if I drove it at such low revs. The GXL brakes aren't that far from a TII. Perhaps if you bled the air from the braklines you'd get more response. Your synchros will never forgive you if you downshift into first often.

I missed the first post I guess, how much was the seller asking?

 

5600 Canadian Dollar!

What the hell is the problem with the stutter of 2000rpm at 2nd gear?

I shifted back to first because the stutter was very annoying.... if I try to accelerate, the stutter will continue.

 

poor thing

 

Sounds like it could be U-joints, depending on what kind of shaking.

 

Sad. Needs some love.

 

Who opens their mouths over the a/c vents?!? LOL! I'm still laughing picturing you, mouth agape as you cranked on the a/c. Too funny. Use these faults to knock down the price…if you don't mind doing the repairs yourself.

Brian

 

Hehe tel your a fly sucker!!!! Sounds like the car has been neglected for quite some time. Expect a coupel more things that you have missed to be issues. Dont pay much for that car. Youll be kicking yourself if you do. How long has it been sitting? (Figure flies in the ac its been sitting up for a bit.)

 

Sounds Like p Piece of ****.... for 5600 Canadian you can get a Nice GXL... I paid 1400 canadian for mine... (about 1000 American)... i had to put in 2500 bucks to fix it... thats including rubber... the car runs great, and i paid 3500 dollars canadian for the entire car... for 5600 you should be getting a very nice GXL..

 

Anyone know the exchange right now???? what is it 100 canadian dollars to one USA dollar????

Doesn't sound like its worth anymore than $1500 US dollars.

 

It was about 3000 bucks USD.

I am glad I didn't buy it because I asked someone what the hell was wrong with the car, they said that it wasn't my driving skill, but the car.

I would never be able to drive that car home because there is too much surging and hesitation at low RPM.


Anyways, I just need to know how to find a good RX-7. I might as well look at Supras and MR2. If none of those appeal to me, I might just get a newer midsize sedan.

If you guys don't mind, you can tell me how your car drives:

- How is it like shifting from 1st to second
- Any surges or hesitation at low RPM?
- Where is the friction point at the clutch?

 

- shifting should be smooth, with a nice snick-snick through the shifter gates, though the shifter bushings are probably SHOT. If they are, the shifter will feel "mushy" and won't have much definition between gates.
- Rotaries don't like to be lugged. If the narrow-range TPS is bad or out of adjustment, the car will surge and buck under light-to-constant throttle and at low RPM. In all the RX-7s I've ever driven, they like to be tached at about 2500 RPM or higher when driven around town.
- It varies from car to car and from clutch to clutch. Mine begins to engage about 2" from the floor, and fully engages about 4" up.

Brandon

 

Yeah. I have a 89 TII and its in immaculate shape for a 13 year old car. Of course I baby the **** outta it, and I've redone the whole car.

My friend (GZD91RX7) had a 91 RX7 and he hated it cause it was NA so he thought it was slow...but it didn't help that it was an auto.

 

I got my 90 turbo II for 1500 USD!
I have the engine stuter too! I duno why yet, maybe my bad throttle posistion sensor? or vac leak! Who knows my friends all got the same problems, maybe just the wway the motor works...Rotary is the 8th wonder of the world!

 

Sounds like you need to skip this one!

I just picked up a MINT 89 GTUs for $1800 USD. The only problems were a broken antenna, bad wiper switch, and the stereo needed to be replaced.

I'm going to look at a 1991 Turbo II tomorrow for $2000.

 

$2k..I hate you. I am the only S5 in town, and one of only 3 FCs here. All blow. No market. I got MAJORLY lucky when I got my 91. Man, all the stuff wrong with that GXl are fixable for a few hundred bucks. But wait for what you want. The $4k I spent on my n/a could have bought me a TII. You live and learn...

 

Don't do it!!!!

My '89 GX cost $1200 CAD... If you buy this car you are gettin raped a new one by the seller.... man... there must be something AMAZING about this busted a$$ car to make it "worth" that much...

DON'T!!!!
Look around, you'll find something better.... cheaper!

 

Could be an easy fix... maybe the TPS.
Sounds like it's in pretty rough shape though.
I wouldn't buy a car for $5600 that's full of problems!
Mine was (is) mint when I bought it. EVERYTHING works. New paint job, 10/10 interior.
Drove seriously tight. No rattles or anything. 125K.
When I bought it, the only thing on the whole car that didn't work was the high speed wipers. Easy fix to redo the switch.
The dealership was asking $7900, but after being patient, and haggling a lot, I got it for around $4500!
Since then, the only problem I've had was, umm, the engine seizing! Carbon locked, due to not getting enough exercise!

So... needs a new clutch, a brake job, maybe new paint, and a major tune up or adjustment.
I'd say $3000 TOPS. No more.

Oh, telus, about those questions. Unless there is something seriously maladjusted with the car, or it's just a worn out POS, none of those problems should be an issue. Well, the shifter is sortof notchy sometimes, but it's not bad.

I'm surprised you people say you've had this stutter problem. There is something wrong there.. probably a vac leak, or TPS misadjustment. Maybe dirty injectors too.