Hello all,

Im new to the forums here and i was wondering if i could get some input on this rx7.

im really interested in this car, becuase i was hopping i could use it as a somewhat daily driver, but mainly a weekend warrior kinda thing

ok, heres some info on her,



it has a new rebuilt engine from a 87 rx7, 13B ( fuel injected) that was professionally swapped and the car even has a stamp of the engine vin # which is in DMV records.

it has lightened rotors, an aluminum light flywheel, its balanced, and has a dual port stainless header from racing beat.

the exhuast all the way back has only 800 miles and has a newly rebuilt transmission, that has good sychro's. the car shifts like "butter"

the rear end is from a 87 gsl-se, so it has 4 wheel disk brakes, and there are also long studs all around the car to race with spacers.

It has a new road race pressure plate and cluth, so its pedal is about 75% stiffer than stock,

The car is also gutted out with no interior, it only has the dashboard and driver seat. it also has a MOMO steering wheel.

and for all this the price for her is $2700....

So, is it worth it? i would like to get it at a lower price but the private seller seems pretty firm about the price....i was hopping 2k-2.5k or in the middle.

here are some pictures.



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...t/DSC00667.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...t/DSC00666.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...t/DSC00665.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...t/DSC00663.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...t/DSC00654.jpg



I just saw the car today and some cons that i found where...

sum minor rust spot behind the left tail light

the popup headlights and wiperblades wouldnt close or work

and the car wouldnt pass smog in its current state.



so what do you all think? Any input, comments, or anything at all would greatly be appreciated and helpful.

Thanks for taking the time for hearing me out too.

~El Presidente~

 

It won't pass smog and you're in California. That means you're open to being raped. It's an open ended liability......you don't know what it will take to bring it into compliance. Might be cheap and easy, but also could be expensive. On top of that, the price they're asking seems high. I think you can do better.

 

Thanks for the input trickshot,

so should i just push this one aside and look for another?

 

too much money. WAY too much money. no cats = not smoggable = no tag = no DD. rust there means rust in other, much much worse places. check behind the bins for rust. there was no GSL-SE in '87. Does it have a rear end and motor out of an '85? That doesn't look like a FC UIM. offer him 700, and don't pay over 1k.

 

good race track toy, but a nightmare to put into shape for california. No smog here, and I'd only give a grand for it. A little more and you could find a half decent gsl se instead.

 

^.^ i see i see,

Thanks alot for the info guys, i've been really struggling about considering it. now i can balance and see where i can stand IF i got it.

 

It is a S4 UIM.

It seems to be way too much money though.
No upholstery and gutted interior.
It might be ok if you wanted it for a track car.

 

not a bad package, but too much $$$$!!!!!

try asking 1500 or lower, because that is what it is worth.

 

I offered him 1500 when i first saw it, he still declined =\

 

i forgot to add it has a roll cage...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...t/DSC00655.jpg

Also, it doesnt have a catalytic converter, could putting one up fix the " not passing smog" issue?

Thanks again.

 

It not only has to have the converter but the smog pump and all of the emission control devices for the S4.

 

hmm i see...

wow there sure are a "Ship" load of things huh

 

That is a track only car. For what he wants for purchase and for what it would take to make it even close to street legal, you could have one hell of a nice 1st gen. This car however is not it. I also see no evidence of it haveing a 2nd gen irs.

Keep looking, you can find more car for less money.

 

damn it does look nice in the pics, but im not familiar with the prices they go for there... if you dont get this one make sure you get another

 

I found another first gen rx7 and its a 84'.

dont they come equiped with a 12A?

and is it possible to put in a 13B from a 89 rx7? or some other fuel injected engine?

how much would all that be btw...

Thanks for the posts guys, keep em comin'

 

My brother got his '79 for $420. It has a good body and tons of race mods. The only thing better about that car is the 13b over the 12a. Look elsewhere for that price.

84 Rx-7s come with a 12a. The only 1st gen without a 12a is the GSL-SE. It is possible to swap in a 13b form an S5, but you'll need the EFI components, transmission, and a custom driveshaft.

NOt sure on the cost, but it is certainly not too great of an undertaking for a competant driveway mechanic.

 

If you are wanting to buy a 1st gen with a 13b then you want a GSL-SE.
Buying a car then going and modifying it right afterwards will not be much fun and it sounds like you would have to pay someone to do all of the mods which would be very expensive.
I recommend that you really take a hard look at what you want in a 7 then how much you have to spend. Then buy based on that information.

 

84-85 was the 1st years of the Se with the 13b.
You don't have to run a S5 trans with the S5 engine, you can run a S4 and change the tailshaft housing or run a 81-85 trans that will also bolt straight on. With those 2 options you do not have to have a custom driveshaft.

 

im not sure if the 84 rx7 I found has a 12A or 13B, cause the guy didnt post any pics up. I yet still have to go and see it in person.

He stated "GSL-SE model with bigger 13A engine "

13A?

 

I read that 13A engines are from a front wheel drive car in wikipedia.

the private party selling the 84 rx7 also stated that it is fuel injected.

 

front wheel drive 7? kinda sounds fishie. but thats me. i've never heard of one.

 

I got lucky with my RX-7. I picked it up for $2000 The body was good, Engine runs well, and tranny is in good condition (1982 "S" model) The only issue you have with the older RX-7s is that sometimes it is hard to find parts. I am running into that with my 82. There are a lot of parts available for the GL models, and 13B parts are pretty easy to find, but 79 thru 82 12A's aren't so easy. It may be something to think about.
Now, if you can find one in pretty good shape to begin with, then there is a chance. I grade a car's worth for restoration by it's beginning condition. If it is rough to begin with, then it may not be worth it.
Personal view, start with decent and make it great, don't start with terrible and make it decent. Take budget into account, and what you plan to do.
I am planning for a restoration with minor modification (sound system, spoiler, exhaust, and maybe rims). But the engine, drive train, and interior, for as much as possible, I am trying to keep stock.

 

Wow, ok, I feel like an idiot!

I BOUGHT THIS CAR a week ago and just found this thread while doing research on 1st gens.

Luckily, I bought it pretty much as track/autox/rallyx only, to share and beat on with some friends, but I still feel like a fool for probably paying more than I should have. I offered $2k and he declined. After thinking it over and checking out some other options (among them an e30 325ix--sweet awd setup with viscous coupling center and rear, but that guy wouldnt go lower than $2500 and the car wasn't even registered with dmv...) I talked to him again and ended up forking over $2400. Stupid?

I've driven it around a bit, taking care not to arouse the attention of local cops. (The straight pipe exhaust is LOUD and annoying, it'll get some noise reduction fixes soon) It is fast, and I put in a pair of racing buckets and harnesses. Also laid down some cheap carpet in the footwells and over the transmission tunnel.

The car has Tokico blues all around, and as someone suspected it is indeed an 85 engine and rear end, no irs. I picked up a pair of Tokico Illumina adjustables off craigslist for $80 to put on the front when I swap the springs out (suggestions for heavy rate springs? All the aftermarket ones I've found are rated under 200lb except the ground control coilover setup, where I can pick the rate-- is that my only option?)

The engine is solid, revs quick and free and has plenty of power. The transmission feels great, as does the clutch. I also slapped some sparco pedals on it with the gas and brake moved a bit closer together for better heel-toe action.

Overall I still feel pretty good about my decision. After all, if I was looking for a straight commuter car I'd have picked up a nice civic or something along those lines. And I'm definitely not looking to restore this one.
I suppose I should have just been more patient and considered more options though. Just this week some deals have popped up that have me kicking myself, such as an 88 in good condition with some track prep for $2k.

So am I an idiot? What's the verdict? Hopefully when I sell it I can find a sucker like myself who'll take it for close to what I bought it for...

Anyway, sometime in July it'll see it's first trackday up at thunderhill-- we'll see if it was worth it then.

I should have posted here sooner!
In my defense I had not found many other options suitable for track or auto/rally cross use for around the same price. The bay area is expensive, and there's a large enough market for track cars here to justify higher asking prices. Honestly, before I saw this thread I thought I got a decent deal!

 

what matters is if you feel you got what you wanted for the money you paid.

 

I'm pretty happy with it. But if I could've had a nicer track car for less, that'd be more money left for suspension work!

Ah well, I've had my fair share of good deals with bicycles and motorcycles, so I guess this is just craigslist karma balancing things out.