Hello Gentlemen,

what is your opinion about the value of a stock 1st gen, 82 GSL to be exact, compared to, i don't know, a 13b na/single/twin turbo swap.

You see i'm enticed by the fact that the previous owners took very good care of my current rx, but while driving down 87 from ft. bragg to my home i get a "this thing needs to be faster" feeling, when i see gt500 and z06s and.......bonnevilles going around me in the fast lane. Just thoughts usually, i'm perfectly content with the stock iconic rx7 feel. A guy in a huge ford f350 once flipped me off because my car only came up to middle of his muddin' tire...that hurt

The smell, the secondaries kicking in, the waiting 15 mins just to drive it after a long cold night, and the "radio-exhaust."

I just think that a stock rx7 will have much more value than a modded one in the same condition. I guess i watch too much Chasing Classic cars

Opinons, opinons, opinions!!! Gotta have them

BTW Sam Adams Noble Pils is by far the most awesomest beer i've ever tasted!!!

Thanks guys,

Roop

 

Never let anyone flip you off for the car you drive.

 

Honestly, I don't think the appeal of RX-7's is broad enough that there will ever be a big 'collector' value to them.

 

there is already a large following of unmodified RX-7's. collector values are on the rise as there aren't a ton of original unmodified RX-7's on the road today. the roblem is the current market is not in the 7's favor. i have a lot of respect for unmodified original 7's. i'm biased because i enjoy restoring 7's to original spec. i like the feel of a reliable stock 7. just something special and nostalgic about it. and as the years go by, you will see fewer and fewer 7's on the road making your 7 only increase in value.

 

Nostalgia is why i love old vws, porsches, e30, and rotaries. They smell of a different era when credit cards were given to the masses and the berlin wall was still standing.

I remember a gem of an 85 gsl-se with 75000miles, completely stock, and the guy wanted $7500.

being the engineering marval rotaries are I think they'll only increase in the market. I'm aiming for $15,000 at the Mecum...in a few years

 

bump

 

Like Dave, I'm also biased in the stock direction. But, nothing wrong with a tricked out mega HP road machine either, regardless of what vehicle it's based on. Rex's just are not currently the same kind of collector car as a muscle or exotic car. Right now, a modded up 7 would be of great intrest, and possibly worth more to the younger buyers looking for that.

I think that like all cars, the clean, low milage and well documented examples will always bring more value to the table. But currently we are still talking the low end of the real collector car market. I believe that someday, the Japanese cars will have their day. Right now, only Cosmo's and GT 2000's get serious attention. But in the future, the Z cars and Rex's could take a jump. Only then would you pristien stocker be worth significantly more than your hot rod rex.

 

like dave and banzi said i am partial to the stockers. but there is nothing wrong with a modified car either. what you have to do is to justify it to yourself are you going to regret turning it into another modded rx7 or are you ok with it. the next thing I look at is can it be tastefully modified and then changed back at sometime in the future. it may be worth your while to get a racing beat exhaust and save the original stuff and from there it is only a small jump to a holley kit again saving all the original stuff and not perm damaging the chassis when you are done you should have about a 60% increase in HP which should make you reasonalbly happy and again you haven't destroyed the car. Now if the car was a collector model ie limited edition or such or it was a significant car like the early ones or last ones or in a rare color combination or extremely lows miles well documented you might want to leave it 100% and not screw with it at all but then it becomes really hard to enjoy driving it because that could hurt it.

Just some random thoughts

 

That's whats been on my mind, Exhaust, Sterlings carb, and suspension, something trackable, streetable, and reliable.

I think i'll go with a 3rd gen for my velocity wants.

BTW I'm in stationed in FT. Bragg right now in 9th psyop battalion. what's your unit?

 

keep your stock parts so you can put it back if thats what you choose and mod it that way you get the best of both

 

Ramdom thoughts, well put Dave.

 

so you don't agree with my random thoughts?

 

Last i checked we were both Dave and I agree whole heartedly with your random thoughts I prefer to keep them stock. I think that the values are climbing now.

 

I think we're all saying about the same thing. I like a tricked out rat rod as much as the next guy. If someone wants to turn their car into a Mad Max Rex it's their business. Yes, I think some one should be pursuaded away from altering a special model or early car beyond bolt on stuff. I want mine to represent the cars as they really were in original form. For me, their is more "worth" in that than how much I can invest to trick it out.

 

i agree!

the most fun Rx7 ive had is a stock SA, and i've had everything else!

 

Well, my decision on this matter was fairly simple because I knew right from the start that I would not be selling this can. Not ever. But I still kept everything that came off of the car, and nothing I have done is "unchangeable".

Also, I think it will be a while before a completely stock (but still used) car is worth more than a well modded car. By well modded I mean improved reliability, performance, safety. Not neon lights, a fart can, and a seven foot wing on the back.


.

 

I agree with this random thought

 

Brian Earl Spilner told me that the neon light accented the wing damn it

 

answering this question is like trying figure out the origin of the universe


the only answer is to have a stock one ..... and another one to do what you ever you can think of or afford to do to

'79 Limited
'79 anything goes 7

 

with that said, why did Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize??? That makes a lot of cents...and cents make dolla's

 

My random thoughts:

- I never plan on selling my car. Therefore I don't give a crap what causes the value to go up or down.

- It's NEVER worth it to mod a car if you plan on selling it later. Sure, a fast, tastefully modded FB will get you more than a clean stock one right now... but to get it to that point you're going to spend a lot more than what you'll be able to sell it for.

- I don't like stock cars. It may sound funny, but I love that my car stinks and is unreliable and loud and impractical and thirsty (I haven't gotten to my suspension yet, but when I do you can add "uncomfortable" to that list, too). That, to me, is what cars are all about. If I didn't think that, I'd probably be driving a beige Toyota Camry (and maybe dead and on fire because of it, given recent events).

- On the other hand, I can definitely respect a stock, clean, well-maintained classic.

 

I agree on keeping a good speciman stock. Wish I had thought to replace my exhaust system and save it before it rotted out. I would rather find a worn down one later on and play with that.

 

Ehhh, stock usually sucks in my opinion. Something Chip Foose said a long time ago that I am a firm believer is "Anyone can restore a car, but it takes a real man to cut it up and modify it." I agree with the idea of leaving it stock if your planning on selling it, but I never plan on selling mine. So, I'm aiming for the 400hp mark. Just slightly shy right now

 

First off, speaking from experience, you'll never get your money back from the modifications. You have to do it for the love and pleasure you get back from the car. I really enjoy driving my blown GSLSE. As for the stock thing, I would also like to have a clean stock SA or gslse that is real clean and detailed with little investment for entertainment of it's purity as well. We all like the sweet, average looking pure girl, and that's the one most will marry, but who can resist something hot, fast, fun and willing.

 

Bottom line, up front. There is no right or wrong answer. It's up to the owner and depends on how they want to enjoy their owning experience. I see the logic in everyones post. I don't think anyone is here strickly for the investment oppurtunities. Those people are speculators and I see enthusists around here.

I do believe that the owners perspective will change over time however. The kid who wants to drop it in the weeds, muscle up the motor and make it glow in neon lights will probably someday out grow those desires. Like clothes or hair cuts, they will fondly look back and say I can't believe I did that! It's our own human nature to come full circle and see how a simple, clean and stock car in cherry condition ultimately satisfies us the most. Besides, I already think my stocker is hot, fast fun and willing!