She's going for $500 and is pristine but for 1 thing: her Apex seals are completely blown. Is she worth it?

I was hoping to be able to do the labor myself and so I'd end up putting about $300 to $400 in for the seals. Unless doing the labor is too hard. I'm hoping not.

Is this an offer I should pass up and look for something more doable? Should I spring for it?

Just hoping for some advice.

 

Check for rust: behind the hatch bins (take out bins, look at wheelwell seams), under the rug and under the taillights inside the hatch, make sure the structure of the cab and body is not wrinkled or warped etc..

If your budget will let you buy it, and also allow for sourcing a used good, or rebuilt 12a then go for it, also consider 13b.

I would do it, especially if it is a pristine chariot.

 

full rebuild kit is about $900 wouldn't recommend it if it's your first time alone. also I agree with mxd, you might be better off doing a 13b swap, if you use an S4 13B all you need is a front engine support that RB has for sale, a GSL-SE oil pan and wat out the front plate of the 13B with the 12A plate and you'll be good to go.

 

sounds like a good deal as long as the body and undercarriage are in good shape. what year and trim level is it? got any pics? are you sure the engine is bad or is that was the seller stated? whats the mileage?

 

If the apex seal(s) are blown, you will need more than just a hard and soft seal kit. When these go, they will usually tear up at least the rotor and rotor housing. They may also take out the center iron and the one end iron. So if this is the case, you would really be needing most of the engine.

However, as Dave said, do you know this is the case? I've see people get RX-7s for cheap becuase they had a "blown headgasket". lol Nothing was even wrong with the engine. Just fuel delivery problems. Search on here for the "ghetto compression test". This will at least give you an idea if it is blown. However, you could find low/no compression on one rotor and it could be just stuck seals (seafoam, MMO, etc. can take care of that).

So, worst case, you will need to grab a good used engine or rebuild the one that you have. I say $500 for the car and another $500-$1000 to get the engine worked out, and you would have yourself a good car for under $1500. Sound like a great deal to me.

 

Ok so the deal is that I know nothing about working on rotaries. And because this one needs so much work I'm intimidated and I am passing it up. I'll go for a piston engined car instead. That's in my realm of knowledge. I'm a broke college kid going on a 17 hr week at minimum wage budget. I can't afford to mess up on something I don't know anything about.

 

Actually I lied. There's another FB going for $1500 that leaks oil but that's it. I'm going to go look at it on Tuesday. Its got 108000 miles on it.

 

we need more details on that one!!!

 

I bought her.
I think it might just be the seal to her drain plug of the pan but then again maybe not. She smokes a bit out of the engine bay where oil has dripped onto the engine block. Its not bad, she runs strong, true and solid from idle to redline without a hiccup.
I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas.