vlad1990

Whats up everyone!! im new to this forum.
I been looking in to getting this really nice red 1987 Mazda RX7 with a turbo
the guy that im trying to get the RX7 from put a lot of money(like 50k) in the car back in the 90's the best racing stuf that he could find. he's trying to sell it cuz he dosnt drive it anymore well hes getting old hahah. the car is been sitning in hes back yard for some time now like 3 years. i know all of you have own a RX7 so i wanna know how hard is it to work on this kind of car, and all the info that i can get about this car before i get it. so please help me hahah

The firs time i saw a RX7 i was in love with the car, the guy is giving me a good deal. so i think im gonna get it but i would like to know about the RX7.

Thanks for all your help!

Vlad.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Sounds pretty interesting. Do you need to worry about emissions testing? If so, does the car pass or do you have a work around?

Read the 2nd Gen FAQ thread stickied in these forums and the Buyer's Guide in that thread.

mar3

iTrader: (8)

FC + turbo = 2ndgen RX-7 = real finicky car = really hard to work on = $$$

Not for the faint of heart.

Evil Aviator

You can post some pictures of the car and list the modifications on this forum if you would like an assessment from the rotary peanut gallery. A lot of the the stuff from the early 90's kinda sucks by today's standards and many of the parts are probably toast by now, but some of the parts may still be useful. If you are getting a good deal and you are willing to put some time and money into the car, then it may turn out to be a nice project. The 86-88 models are my personal favorite.

It is a rear wheel drive sports car, so it is pretty easy to work on. It's not like it is a front wheel drive with the entire drive train crammed under the hood, or one of those Volvo or Mecerdes puzzle cars that were purposly designed to discourage user maintenance. On the down side, not many shops fully understand the rotary engine, and an engine rebuild kit is about $1,200. Several online vendors sell engine rebuild videos. The rest of the car is pretty standard and does not require a specialty shop.

Many aftermarket parts are available, and since it is a real sports car so you don't need to deal with trying to make an econo-box faster or better looking.

Oh, it's not that bad, and you can still get used engines and transmissions pretty cheap from the importers. The FD RX-7 is the one that is a nightmare. Actually, even the historically-inexpensive SA/FB RX-7 is getting more expensive now that parts are getting hard to find, although it is still easier to work on than the others.

However, I do agree that most cars that are over 20 years old will require a lot of maintenance and money, regardless of the make and model.

D Walker

iTrader: (1)

I am in Denver, so if you are local I will be glad to take a look at it with you.

Alex_n/a

iTrader: (1)

what part of colorado are you at? i'm going to guess co. springs, just like every other rx7 owner in colorado lol

and i don't see how someone could spend 50k in an fc, i mean where did all that money go.... pics?

D Walker

iTrader: (1)

In the 90's it was easy to spend a lot, unlike today where pretty much everything is cheap.

vlad1990

Thanks everyone! Im from a small town in Colorado New Castle. Not Colorado springs!! > jk anyway, I when to talk to the guy today but he's out of town so i will find out about all the modifications that the car has.
The car has 60000 original miles. he install a new engine and the engine only has 26000 miles he has all the paper work and all the good stuff.
I took some pictures today i will post them!! well when i find out how to do it :o haha

Evil Aviator

A 13B engine should last at least 120,000 miles before it needs a rebuild. You should ask the owner why he had to replace his early because there may be an existing condition that could also kill the current engine.

You may already know this, but at your high altitude you should always get a turbocharged sports car. Non-turbo cars are going to suck wind in your area.

vlad1990

Thanks Evil Aviator.
i do l do live in high altitude, how much power do you lose when your in hight altitude and how much boost do you need to get it back?
well here some of the modifications that the car have!!

Ground effects.

Bigger turbo .96
and Inercooler

Adjustable suspension.

Extra Fuel Injectors.

Turbo Timer Lean Rich Gauge.

Adjustable Boost in Cockpit EGT Gauge.

Momo wheels.

Shifter.

Steering Wheel.

Camber Castor Kit.

Roll Cage.

HKS exhaust.

Please let me know what you guys think please. Pics coming up when i find out how to do it lol

Thanks vlad.

D Walker

iTrader: (1)

I figure about 3% loss per thousand feet over 5000ft elevation. When running the Pikes Peak Hillclimb I know the Honda powered Sprint car I once sponsored started the race with 200whp and by the time it hit 12k ft it was more like 125.

Interesting list of mods for the time period, pictures would help.

Back when these cars were new it was not unusual for them to have motor issues due to inexperienced "tuners" or just bad mods.

Offer stands to look the car over for or with you.

Cheers,
Don

vlad1990

thanks D Walker i will let u know r u cool driving 3 hours just to see the car with me?
how do i post pics in here. sorry guys first time in a forum. x_X

Vlad

D Walker

iTrader: (1)

Anything is possible! Although my time does get limited.

Easiest way I have found to post pics is to upload to photobucket or similar and post image links.

vlad1990

http://s1141.photobucket.com/albums/...cpZZ1QQtppZZ16

Thats the link to the pics of the car!

Please tell me what you guys think!!

D Walker

iTrader: (1)

Cant really tell much, the wheels are an older style and so is the rear wing, beyond that theres not much to see Paint is in bad shape but if your getting a deal on it and have the funds to fix it up, it might be a good buy.

Evil Aviator

The typical lapse rate is about 1/2 psi (1"Hg) and 3.5degF per 1,000 feet. Therefore, at 5,000 ft a naturally aspirated engine would usually lose about 15% horsepower from its SAE J1349 rating. Ignoring temperature and just looking at the pressure, a turbo would only need to supply an extra 2.5 psi to normalize the engine to sea level performance.

However, this car is turbocharged and not turbonormalized, which means that it is intended to produce positive boost pressure rather than to just maintain sea level pressure. In theory, a turbocharged engine will produce its rated power level until it reaches its critical altitude (the point at which the turbocharger can no longer compensate for the pressure loss). The wonderful thing about a turbocharger is that it will take it upon itself to stuff air into the engine until it runs out of steam, so it is possible to have no significant power loss at altitude.

Rather than concern yourself with the power differences, just keep in mind that at high altitude Naturally Aspirated = suck, Supercharged = good, Turbocharged = best.

^ LOL, outdated old school mod, but it does work if controlled properly. The car must have some type of fuel controller on it. If it is old school then it will have an "AIC" (Additional Injector Controller) which is not so great. Ask the owner what kind of fuel controllers and/or ignition controllers it has, because that will make a big difference when you ask future questions on this forum.

^ If the aftermarket turbo is water cooled, then this mod just offers fancy lights, an extra point of failure, and makes it easier for somebody to steal your car. If the aftermarket turbo is a cheapie dry bearing type, then the turbo timer is probably a good idea. The way to tell the difference is to look and see how many fluid lines attach to the center section of the turbo. One inlet and one outlet = oil only, two inlets and two outlets = both oil and water.

Mmm, could be good or bad. Ask the owner if it is (or was) legal for SCCA or NHRA/IHRA events. Autopower is good, custom may or may not be good, Cusco sucks. If it doesn't have padding then I highly recommend that you put padding on it immediately so that you don't maim or kill yourself in a minor fender bender. FIA Type A padding is the best, and the SFI padding is also very good, but regular high-density cellulose padding will work if you don't want to spend a lot of money. Once you know the size of the bars you can order padding at online dealers like Jeg's, Summit Racing, and Racer Parts Wholesale.

^ Nice to have. Ask if the Rich/Lean gauge is a "narrowband" or "wideband" type.

^ Woohoo, Big Win!

Ask what type of turbo. The .96 number is just the A/R ratio, which doesn't mean anything without the other statistics. (BTW, the correct spellings are Caster and Intercooler)

Also, many brands of adjustable dampers (shocks and struts) have a lifetime warranty that is only good for the original purchaser. Therefore, if the dampers are shot, see if the seller is willing to replace them.

Evil Aviator

Looks like the old Momo Ferrari-style 5-spoke wheels (I forget the model name) and the Kaminari body kit. That was top dog back in the day. The body kit is still excellent by today's standards, although it's gonna cost some big bucks to fix that paint.
http://kaminari.com/prodphotos/K070040.jpg

Main link to Kaminari RX-7 kits:
http://kaminari.com/catalog/24

The SCCA Pro Solo 2 sticker indicates that the roll cage is most likely to SCCA specs. That would be a good thing.

Need under-hood pictures!

vlad1990

Evil Aviator thanks for all your help!!!!
Thats a lot of info!

D Walker i will get some more pics of the interior. and i will look under the hood!!
Cant wait to buy it!!

One more question tho.

how much do you guys think the car with all that stuff is worth?
i wanna know to see if i'm getting a good deal.

Thanks vlad!

Evil Aviator

Unfortunately, that is one of those things that depends on what you like and what you are willing to pay for it. Also, there has been no mention about the mechanical condition of the car. Does the exhaust have holes? Does the engine run properly? Are the tires and brakes worn out? How much rust does the car have? Does the turbo need a rebuild? What kind of turbo is it anyway? Are the springs and dampers shot after all these years? Is it a stock engine or does it have performance modifications? Too many questions unanswered here.

If you just want a basic range, assuming that it runs OK I would put the value somewhere between $3,000 and $6,500.

For comparison, this super-clean 87 RX-7 Turbo II had an asking price of $6,500 without the aftermarket navigation system.
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=925167

D Walker

iTrader: (1)

Agreed- I actually would not go much over 1500 if its NOT RUNNING. And if it is not running and has not run for a while DO NOT try and stick a battery in it and hope for the best. There is a right and wrong way to start a rotary thats been sitting for awhile, so do not allow haste to cost you more money.

Based on what I can see, the car in non-running condition is not worth much. I base the value of non-running cars on what I could part them for. Since we do not know the condition of the parts OR if they are even still there, the car simply is not worth much. If the parts are there, you still need to weigh how much it will cost you to get the car usable. If you can perform the work yourself, its cheaper. If you cant, then you have to pay someone to do it, and its not cheap. Just make sure if you buy the car you can afford to buy it AND to fix it, as the forum is full of people who bought a "great deal" and then encountered major repairs they could not afford. If it does not run factor in the cost of an engine freshen, possibly a turbo, and a recondition of the fuel/electrical/etc subsystems. You might get lucky and not need ANY of that, but if you plan on it you will be prepared should you need to do it.

vlad1990

Ok every one i can get the car for 2000 is that a good price??
we start the car like 2 weeks ago everything was working fine he was asking 3000 back then but know hes telling me that he was trying to start the car but now it wont start. he talk to some guy and he can get fix it for 300 so now he just wants 2000 for the cur because he knows that i will have have to get that fix. i will ask the guy whats wrong with it, may be you guys can tell me how to fix it and i can save 300 lol thanks for all the help!!

vlad

martinhickey

iTrader: (3)

do you really want to spend 2000 on a non-running car? How much in headache and effort and $ will it cost you just to get it to your house? Sure, he might get it running for you, but it will most certainly stop running again because it has been sitting and the reason for it not running now will pop up again - old gas, etc. Steer clear of this one unless it can be bought for 500 - 1000. Non-running car = $ and/or a lot of effort ( which is no big deal if you get it for 500.)

Evil Aviator

No, a non-running car would normally go for only $50 to $800. Tell him you will give him $3,000 when it is fixed and running well, and that you will take it to an auto shop for a check-up just to make sure everything is OK.

The online advice is free but you may not be able to afford the parts. Here is what you could be looking at:
Engine Rebuild: $1,200 to $6,000
Turbo Rebuild: $350
Replace springs and dampers: $800
Replace exhaust: $900
Replace tires: $300
Replace brake pads and fluid: $100
Replace brake master cylinder: $100
Rebuild brake calipers: $75
Replace brake flex lines: $85
Replace fuel pulsation damper: $140
Replace fuel filter: $20
Replace fuel pump: $110
Clean fuel injectors: $100
Replace radiator: $325
Replace coolant hoses: $160
Replace spark plugs: $40
Replace fan belts: $45
Replace fan clutch: $225
Replace air filter: $20
Replace vacuum hoses: $75
Replace clutch: $300
Rebuild clutch master and slave cylinder, replace line: $70
Rebuild LSD clutch pack: $800
Replace driveshaft: $275
Rebuild halfshafts: $175

... and this just covers the typical repairs. There is no telling what else is wrong. Less common required fixes would include engine mounts, transmission rebuild, wheel bearing replacement, brake rotor replacement, mounts and bushings, sensors, weather stripping, electrical, fuel and brake hard lines, etc. Even if you get the car for free you could still be looking at over $10,000 in parts and labor just to get it running safely. It is very difficult to determine the condition of the car if it doesn't run.

wjk0817

iTrader: (3)

2g on a no running is gonna give you hecka lot of stress?
and I don't know if things were more expensive then now, but if I put 50K in a FC, ooooh man it'll look so much better.
anyways do what you feel is right, just be wise

Deshi13

From my limited knowledge, I would say $2k for a non running rotary seem like a bit much.

It could be a simple fix but more than likely not.

Offer the guy, like stated above, $500-$800 for the car in as is condition. If he declines, offer more for a properly running car. If he declines yet again, there, in my opinion, means he knows something and doesnt want to tell you.

Id steer clear at that point.