I used to be a huge 2nd gen fan when i had my 87 BUT i totalled it two months ago and the guy who convinced me to switch from honda to 7s has once again convinced me to go from 2nd gens to 1st gens. Now i've been looking to buy one for some time now and I've found an 85 with 109K mi with a broken key ignition (gotta hot wire everytime) and a broken choke cable for a total of $1000.

the ignition thing sounds kinda sketchy but the guy sounded decent so i figured i'd take a look at the car first (i'll do that in a week or so). And i have no idea what a choke cable is for. Carb? somebody explain and gimme replacement prices please. oh yeah and theres a minor dent on the bumpers.

thanks!

 

the choke might not really be necassary in cali. im in arkansas and i never used it until i couldnt start my car on a 45* morning, lol and as for the ignition, i dont think the switch would be that expensive or hard to replace. i could always start mine with a screwdriver or a canadian dime

 

ohh okay so it's just for warming up. I remember when i owned my carbed crx i had to pump the gas before starting several times when i started on the coldest mornings in socal (55 degrees!!!). Is that sort of the same thing as the choke?

 

Yes, the choke is controlled by a switch in the back of the water pump housing. And yes you need to use it to start the car when it (engine) is cold. Not a real major to replace but first you have to find out if the switch is just bad or more common the wires break off. The choke asssembly in the car is an electromagnetically (mouth full),lol controlled system.
Could be also that the cable is disconnected.
As far as the ignition lock cylinder being broken. You can disconnect the electrical portion of the switch which is located to the left side of the steering wheel by undoing the one screw.
remove the switch and use a screw driver to turn the ignition. There is no need for hot wiring. The replacement of the steering lock assembly is not too bad. You have to remove the 2 security bolts located on the top. This is done by taking a hammer and chisel and cutting a head into the top and using a screw driver to extract them. When you get a used lock asembly you just take it to a locksmith and have him cut a key for it if it does not come with one. The only thing they usually require is a valid registration and id to do this.

 

so, sounds like a good deal or no?

 

Well if that's all that's wrong then yes. If the body is ok and the interior is ok and the motor runs good yes. Any rx7 with lower mileage and the above mentioned is a good deal.
But run a car fax report, the broken ignition lock bothers me.

 

well the body, theres a dent on the bumpers (guy said he was bumped from behind at a traffic light and his car bumped into the car in front of him). he says the paint isnt even chipped from that traffic accident. the motor runs fine, no smoking (like my 87 always did).

 

When you go to look at try and get us some pics up if you can. check for rust under the car, behind the storage bins, etc. make sure everything works good mechanically.