Here's the story...

Over five years ago, a friend of mine asked if he could store his white '94 RX7 on my property. He was moving to NYC, and was going to move the car within a "couple of weeks". I said OK, slapped a cover on it and parked it beside my barn. Well, it's still there...

For a while, I kept it waxed and ran it weekly. Then the days stretched into weeks, then months and then years. Numerous phone calls and promises to no avail. What a heartbreaker: the car was PERFECT when it showed up. (It was my dream car, being a former RX7 owner twice.)

After a while the cover rotted off, the battery wouldn't hold a charge and grass grew up around it. I'd drag it out with my tractor to mow under it every couple of months. I think mice have eaten some of the wiring.

This morning, I received a call from the bank (leinholder) to inform me that the car is now mine. The title is on it's way. (I had to buy the title, because there was balance owed...) Besides needing a good wash and wax, the exterior and interior are in great shape. The car is box-stock.

Now to my question: Should I try to start the car, and if so what would you do to prep it? Should I squirt some oil into the plug holes first?

If I cannot get it started I might just sell it as is, I have too many projects now...

Jim

 

Replace all the fluids first (if you can get to it, even gas). Replace the plugs (put a couple of drops of MMO in the plug hole while the plugs are out). Put in a new battery. Check all wiring harnesses for any exposed wires. Insert key, fire it up.
How did it become your car? Did your "friend" just sign it over to you?

 

just curious as to how many miles are on it.

 

Yes, he did. He knew he owed me big time, and he was never going to get anything out of it. So he agreed to sign the title over to me.

It has around 54k miles...

 

wow... don't sell it. Use it as your own! 54K? After some good prep work (maybe a lot of work though), she should be good to run.

 

I'll post some pics as soon as I get them. Thanks!!

Jim

 

With the apex seals sitting in one spot for at least two years (the last time I ran the engine), what sort of damage can I expect? Are these engine pretty durable? ( The last one I owned was a 1988 NA...)

I found lots of mouse nests and chewed rubber when I started cleaning it up last night. Lost of rust on the pulleys, too.

The body and interior cleaned up real nice, though!

 

if nothing else, put some pre-mix or tranny fluid in the plg holes and let it sit for a day or so, and spin the motor with a breaker bar (with no spark of course) or not...... just an idear from the not-such-a-noob-but still fresh fella... lol

 

Thanks Comet! That's what I'm planning to do. What about the turbos? Will they be ok?

 

mine was in storage for 4 years, it ran fine no prob. Some sludge come out when i change oil though.

 

At only 54k you could still have a lot of carbon sitting in the engine. Starting the car and letting it idle from time to time isn't good enough. That actually creates more carbon build-up than anything else. Reason being is that rotarys by nature aren't that efficient when it comes to fully combusting the fuel/air mixture. Because of this, carbon will form really fast while idling and when the car is granny driven around. My 84 GSL locked down from carbon lock after sitting up for 4 months with 134k. My situation was so bad that I actually had to pull the engine and rebuild it. Here's a pic of all the carbon below.

Anyways I would recommend that you pour in some oil in the spark plug holes to lube things up. Then manually crank the engine over to make sure that the engine doesn't bind. It should turn smoothly. If it doesn't you could have some stuck seals and carbon flakes that are interfering with the engine rotation. Initially manually rotating the engine over is much safer than using the starter because the starter has a lot of torque. Also any stuck apex seals will easily break with the starter(especially the 3 piece design with it's smaller top piece) if they get jammed from carbon. If the engine turns over smoothly then it may be safe to try and start it.

 

t-von, is there any way to chuck the carbon build-up in the engine/housing w/o dismantling the engine?

 

damn man lucky break what was the balance if you don't mine me asking? hope eveything works out for you.

 

Let's just say it was well worth my while. All the phone time, letter-writing and hand -wringing paid off. I feel sorry for the former owner, (and we are still friends, btw), but it was for the best for him too. He couldn't afford to even start to restore the car, (unemployed for a long time.)

 

I also picked up an FD that has been sitting for 5 years. I did what they said by changing all the fluids, plugs and wires, fuel and fuel filter, flushed coolant and added some MMO. Installed new battery, turned the key and she started right up. It smoked or a while from the back cause of the ATF and from sitting but cleared up. Also had some burning smell from the engine bay but that was from the dust and mice **** on the pipes and intake. Engine and body has 25,057 miles on it and runs smooooth without any smoke.

Just do those things and it should startup and run fine.

 

Yep! Look for my post near the bottom and the link I provided.

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/stuck-apex-seals-need-advice-452324/

 

Hi,

I would change everything that everyone has been mentioning, ie: fluids, etc. and do start up as they have indicated.

But furthermore, I would personally even go as far as changing all the rusted pulley's, belts, and any wiring that can be noticed as chewed by the mice.
After all this is done, then I would try to start it up. It may take some more time, but that is what I would do, and probably you would be happier in the end knowing that you did it right.

Chris

 

Thanks guys! We had originally planned on selling the car, but after kicking around this site a bit, we changed our minds! My wife had been eyeing a new RX8, Nissan Z, or possibly her best friend's Vette, when I pointed out that we had something way more exotic and cool IN OUR DRIVEWAY! So, whatever it takes, we're going to restore it and drive it!

I'm sure I'll have LOTS of questions as this project progresses! Thanks guys!

Jim

 

Well we had second thoughts... I just cannot take on another project! So, we are going to sell the RX7. Here's a pic... I'll post this in the proper forum.

BTW: I was wrong about the mileage, it only has 49,931 miles.

Jim

 

check pm's

 

New plugs, new oil, new battery and some Marvel Mystery Oil down the lower intake manifold should help you out abit.. Only a ounce or two..

 

Here's a link to more pics...

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...=1#post4713981

 

beautiful car man...sorry your selling. cool story though

 

Thanks! I hate to sell it, it was always my dream car. But I have 3 boats, four cars, nine dogs, two cats and 13 acres to deal with. I just don't have the time to give it justice. I know that someone on this board could do it right...

 

why dont you just take it up as another project...you dont have time to fix it, and it dont drive. Build a barn or something on all those acres, and keep the car in there while you work on it. Even if it takes you a decade to make run again - think how much a mint condition white RX7 with 45k on the clock will be worth in 2015!!!!!!!

Thats what id do for sure if i had the space.