canonize-ryda

i have this guy selling a 79 fb that from what he says only needs a tune-up and will be back to near new... needs need interior iit says(not a problem for me) and has from what i can see most of the stock parts i.e. the rims, windows and hood and such. he wants 700 and only lives a about 1.5 hours away. should i purchase this fb if all it really needs is a tune-up? thanks guys

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Whenever someone says "It just needs a tuneup" it means "Something really expensive is broken, or I have no idea how to fix it". Does it run? How well? Mileage? Overall condition?

Why does it need an interior? If it "just needs a tuneup" it should be in good shape. These are questions you need to ask.

Keep in mind that SA RX-7 interior stuff is getting very hard to find.

canonize-ryda

its dirty interior its need cleaned.. missing driver door panel... does run and unsure on actual mileage yet... rear hatch stuck shut... this guy got it from somone who let it sit for a few years befre he got it(he drove it for a few). so in order with tuneup may wanna change fuel pumps in my opinion.. ill post more when i get more info on it

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

Look on the bottom of the car for rust outs, any leaks, check to make sure all the gauges are working and if they are that the temps and pressure are where they are supposed to be. When you go to look at the car it should be relatively obvious if the car was beaten on by the owner/owners over the years. Try and bring a compression tester. It comes down to what the car really needs and your budget. I'm sure if you buy it you will find things wrong with it you initially didn't see or know at first.

canonize-ryda

yea like my 86 got way outa hand with what needed replaced and repaired... but im not shure i possess enough money to buy it i just hate to see some none rx7 guy buy it to trash it out.. i wanna give it a good home... its runs nicely but with a little smoke..

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

If you like it a lot maybe you can buy it and save it for a future project, work on it here and there when you have the money just make sure you aren't getting in over your head. I've found myself in that position a few times with cars over the years since I started driving. I know what you mean though, about people who know nothing about rotaries buy them and just beat the crap out of it and scrap it. It's different if someone buys with the intent to restore it and learn. The 12A on the first gens is carbed, I never worked with them. For all I know it could be a whole different ballgame but smoke usually means a worn or blown seal. What color is the smoke? white or blue?

canonize-ryda

now its down to 600 and says it only smokes upon start up and he belives it just cause it been sitting for a while.(which i asumme is less than a year since hes had it for a year or so. it seems like a ok project but i am also starting a na converison to turbo project and this one will have to wait

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

If it smokes on start up it could be unburnt fuel in the exhaust or condensation in the exhaust. It also could be the problem I have with my N/A 13b engine I'm about to drop in my FC, A worn oil control ring. I'm sure there are other options on why it would smoke on start up. As for your project going from N/A to Turbo2, buying a Turbo2 engine, ECU, wiring harness, etc. would be a lot easier and more successful project than trying to custom mount a turbo to work with the N/A engine. The Turbo2 engines have lower compression ratio's over the N/A because of the fact that it's turbo. I've read up on the project myself and found most people who do it are more or less unsuccessful and if you were to succeed you would be seeing like 5 lbs of boost at the most if you don't want to blow your engine. I'm just giving you a heads up but if you feel you really want to do the N/A to Turbo2 by all means try it.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

a tune up will NEVER put a 30 yr old car back to near new. and 79 is an SA. more often than not the smoke is from the oil control O rings. it's more up to u if it's even worth the drive to go see it. but i agree, look it over for rust. especially under the storage bins. and take a magnet with u also to check to see how much body filler is in it. he's already come down 100 so u might can get it even cheaper. if u do get it, i suggest u tow it home. worst thing that can happen is it loose an apex seal on the drive home.

13x

yeah SA dangit, any photos of this thing? warning/tip all 79's are not the same and if it needs even just interior parts if you are trying to make it "right" you may have issues finding parts. the engine is an SA is not the same as an FB.

example I need to find the "right" dash and have not seem one, never mind trying to find the right plaid to redo my seats

Storage bins?? I may have learned something mine does not have storage bins like a FB, that area is enclosed with a piece of stamped metal that is screw in place closing that area

So if I were you I'd ask yourself what would you intentions/goals be

(with pictures, production date or last 6 digits of VIN we coudl shed more light as to what you are looking at)

canonize-ryda

i found a turbo kit that bolts directly to the na block, the only problems i am having is finding injectors a upgraded fuel pump, and ecu such as rtek. and the sa as it is is away so i cant tell u vin at the moment. me and the owner are working out some tradeing, maybe my no title 84 300zx and some stereo stuff/what not for it. we will see but u really dont think it will be up for just a hour drive home? its not very thick smoke and he says it runs good enough to start sriving it right away..

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

There might be a kit for it but you are definitely at risk of blowing your engine. There is also some difference with the housings, I believe there is an extra oil port or something on the Turbo2 models. That is why it is a bad idea to build an N/A engine with Turbo2 housings, vice versa. As for an upgraded fuel pump, you can use the Turbo2 fuel pump or an FD RX-7 fuel pump and you probably can use Turbo2 injectors too depending on the impedance of them. Smoke can also mean a worn housing, that would mean a rebuild with new housings making the price MUCH more.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

getting injectors? u do know the sa has a carb right? but if u mean u want to go FI u'll need to determine how. tbi would probable be the easiest. i didn't mean that u would loose the engine on the drive home, but it's a possibility with the mileage that's probably on it and if it's still on the originan one. don't rely too much on what he tells u, check it out for urself.

canonize-ryda

the turbo conversion is for my 86 na fc, not the carbed sa. and as far as finding out ive been out more than that before so at least ill ahve a shell of a seven.. any seven in my eyes is my favorite car. i wanna save her and hope i do end up getting her.. as far as blowing my engine witch only has 10k on it its not rebuilt its brand new, and with the turbo ill have some fun before she pops, like arron says its a rotary and they all have the chance to detonate anyways... i wanna try it to prove maybe those kits do work, maybe prove to some others that it doesnt, either way ill have a great time.. unless soeone can find me the worst beat to **** turbo 2 for like 1500 then ill do this and post for all to see

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

I know the turbo is for the FC not the SA. I am just giving you a heads up that there are some major differences between the N/A and the Turbo2 engines. That's why 99% of people who go from N/A to Turbo2 just buy the Turbo2 parts they need in order to do the swap. People have done it before, I've seen it on this forum but like I said they are basically unsuccessful and end up blowing their engine. The engine rotors are different compressions for a reason, N/A has too high of a compression to be able to withstand a turbo for too long. I would just save your money and get your ECU chipped, get a after market exhaust, do some fuel upgrades and have a more fast N/A that is more reliable then a turbo engine. In the end this is your decision I would rather see you succeed then spend all the money and fail.

canonize-ryda

i have full exhuast and fuel is least my worries as i run rich as i am now. arron cakes high compression turbo is over 400 hp, i would be happy to achieve 250. and i still am looking into ideas here, still have a few months to think it over, but i think imma have a friend of mine buy this sa for 500, i talked him down to it, and if its decent thats ore than a fair price for any seven, so hopfully it works out ok.

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

I believe Aaroncake also used a Turbo2 engine or 13brew FD engine with a port job of some sort. Both of those engines are turbo charged from factory and can handle the turbo without risk of blowing the engine. He has spent a lot of money to get his car to be as fast as it is. The entire engine bay is filled with custom made and after market parts . You can barely see anything that came from factory in his engine bay. You can achieve the 250 and more hp goal easily by doing the true Turbo2 swap with bolt on mods. If you were to ask some one who knows more about rotaries than me (Aaroncake, rotaryrocket88) they would tell you the same thing. Taking an N/A engine and trying to turbo charge it is going to leave you spending lots of money with little or no success and it'd be more successful with the real Turbo2 swap. As for the first gen. $500 doesn't sound too bad for it just make sure you still look over the car really well to get an idea of what it needs and its problems. Good luck

canonize-ryda

he did turbo charge his 6 port na s4 engine out of a 86 just like mine, ask arron, lol im not bustin your ***** but i am considering the swap simply since it may be cheaper more str8 forward and leaves me with a 13b na with less than 10k to sell to make my money back. do they sell engines here on the club? i cant find engines or tranny type stuff anywhere in classifieds.. and after i do the turbo swap i will be adding a new turbo and intercooler and going bigger than 250 if im gonna pay for a swap imma pay for the extras as well... so in your opinions would u do the swap before or after restoreing to car? mine id getting lots of hate and i dont wanna be completly despised by the forum members, i mean its ok to me(i wanna str8ing my front lights) besides that its not all that bad..

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

It suprises me he took that route, it really is much simpler and cheaper to do the Turbo2 swap. He also has tons of knowledge and experience with these cars so it kind of doesn't suprise me at the same time. There are engines for sale on the forum but you really have to look around for them, there are no vendors that sell engines and transmissions on here sadly. What do you mean by restoring? Doing an engine swap would be a step in the right direction for restoring as long as it's done right. Since your car looks fine I would work on the engine swap first but it depends on your budget. Swapping a turbo onto the N/A or Turbo2 swap will run you some cash, like minimum $2,000-3,000 I would guess.

canonize-ryda

i can get evreything but the fuel pump for 1500 inlcuding ecu , harness engine and tranny, the only other oxpensises would be driving my van to pick the engine up since i will not pay for shipping when it would be cheaper to run and get it. so yea at most i hope im looking at 2000, but at that price im look for a decent turbo 2 that needs restored for possibly around 2000, if not i will have thought thid threw for many months and the only other thing i can think i wanna do is swap my na radiator for a aluminum one, get efans, new alternator(fd), new body kit all around, swap hood, change rims, get headers, get a wing(stock one) and then repaint the car by the end of the summer. gonna do all red with black mirrors, hood and wing. but even so i would love to get my na to at least 200 and atm i would say i may be at 160-180, but so unsure without dyno testing witch i will also be doing this summer. what do u think? stay na and pimp out the outside and stuff or go for power?

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

It sucks you live in Wyoming because close to where I live there is a shop who sells Turbo2 complete engine swaps minus the differential and other small parts for $1,500. If you just save your money and wait I'm sure you'll find someone selling a Turbo2 that needs work for cheap. There was one being sold really close to my area for $500. I was going to buy it but someone beat me to it by a day or two. You can also get your engine half bridge ported, do some fuel mods, full after market exhaust, stand alone ecu, intake, aluminum radiator, new springs and struts, upper and lower control arms, slotted rotors, ss brake and clutch lines, and camber kit and probably swap in an LSD from a Turbo2 or GXL. Lol thats basically what I'm planning unless I find a cheap Turbo2 or do the swap.

canonize-ryda

dont i already have a lsd? so why would i want a t2 one? and i figured i would port me engine (which ever one i have) when its blows so im not just pulling apart my first engine just to port it. the standalone ecu is expensive imo but maybe a cheap used one would do fine? i have full exhuast minus headers, i have intake with customish box, i have new plugs and 10.2 mm wires, air pump activated ports, s5 alt, but i dont see any major things to do to a na besides porting and getting s5 rotors.... im just in a spot where i want more power!! tired of minivan keeping up with me..............also cab u no how to fix the lights to make em fit better, i pulled em out and they go back in the same way everytime, crooked....

cab91089

iTrader: (3)

Depending on what model FC you have, you might have an LSD. I'm pretty sure only the GXL models had them other then the Turbo2 so if you have a GXL then yes, you have an LSD. By full exhaust I mean headers or downpipe (turbo), pre-silencer, and aftermarket mufflers. Yeah you can use a used stand alone ecu without any problems you just have to adjust everything to where you want it or the car will run like ****. Porting definitely adds decent power, the bigger the port the more power you will see depending on mods. You can go true dual exhaust and you'll see some more top end power but you will lose some low end. If you go into the second gen. archive and look through there, there are some posts that give you some good ideas on how to make a faster than stock N/A as well as some write ups on how to make your N/A engine a Turbo one as well as the Turbo2 swap.

canonize-ryda

i no this and i have looked i have most of the gxl options and i tested my rear end and one tire spins so i have a lsd im pretty sure. anyways im thinking im going to fab on a s5 uim to get 10hp and maybe more torque than that, im gonna do headers for sure, and later when i need a rebuild imma do a half bridge im thinking, but with time i wanna do the suspension but not quite yet, i would like to swap these ******* rims for some smaller rims since rim size affects acc. im not sure if the extra 100lbs of audio equipment should go or not, havent decided...

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

both tires spin with lsd. and why do u need 100lbs worth of stereo equipment? when it comes to speakers, bigger isn't always better, or even necessary.