Hi all. we live in Arroyo Grande CA. about half way between LA and SF. We bought a 1980 RX7, the engine died, we shipped it to South Carolina to be rebuilt. got it back, installed, and can't get it going. and can't get anyone to work on it. The local mechanics don't want to work on it for any price. It's has run, it has been driven, but now it seems like the timing is off and it's not firing at all.

We are ready to give up. This car was garaged for 12 years, and we bought it running, drove it back from LA and drove it for about 5 months, when things started to go wrong. I don't know what to do now.

Do you have any advice? Anybody know someone who can help us fix this car?

Signed frustrated.

 

we have a ton of advice to give you here! but could you be more specific? not firing at all? so the engine turns over, but there is no spark? does that mean turned the engine over with the plugs out and they were grounded? what color are the plugs insulator (white when brand new, tan is good, black or brown is too much fuel fouled and not firing, red is too little fuel.

have you checked the distributor? distributor cap? rx-7's are pretty simple

garaged for 12 years? gasoline goes bad, low molecular weight hydrocarbons evaporate, leaving a sticky resin. one trick that i use is after verifying the spark plugs are sparking, i pour 1/4 a cup of methanol (fas gas, yellow plastic bottle ) down the carb. engine starts after a few cranks, billows of smoke from all the crap that was in there. if this works for you, but the engines doesn't keep running, then it is a fuel problem.

again, specifics will help.

 

If you don’t mind who in South Carolina rebuilt the engine?