Buying first gen - common problems?
 

I'm looking at buying a 1984 SE with 130, 000km on it this weekend. Are there any major deal-breakers that I should be looking for when I see it ie, rust in common areas, any major recurring problems under the hood, etc?

I Have Had Problems With Rust Under The Battery Tray And By The Rear Control Arms

I didn't have any rust problems. but i would check the starter and plugs, wires you know all of that stuff like you would on any car. and test drive it. make sure that it has no sputtering, no smoke. well probably know all of that stuff but tring to help. :bigthumb:

the biggest problem can be wheel well rust... The bins come out after removing 6 phillips screws and is well worth it just to see what kind of damage is done in there. Some people have had major problems with this. Other then that take it for a good test drive, make sure it goes smoothly up to 7000 rpm's and make sure it likes to shift smoothly. Listen for any abnormal sounds or anything like that... Good luck

My '83 had huge amounts of the rear wheel-wells completely rusted away. Definitely the biggest problem on my car when I got it. It turned out that was relatively easily fixed with some clothes hangers, some duct tape, a fiberglass kit, and a lot of rhino liner.. But if the metal is rusted away in areas where suspension components connect (particularly the lower-link) you'd have to do more extensive work to fix it.

I also had problems with a leaky hydraulic clutch and REALLY bad brakes. Still haven't figured out what's up with the brakes though lol

Make sure that the car wasn't already warmed up when you go to look at it. If it is, be wary. This is often a sign that it has a problem with start-up. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to warm up an RX-7 to operating temp, so there's little reason for the owner to warm it up for you as "a courteous gesture" or whatever. And if you didn't know already, don't be suprised if there is some smoke on start-up. This is normal. However, if it still smokes after it's warmed up then there is something wrong.

Thanks everyone! I'm heading out tomorrow morning but will check in before that if anyone has anything other useful information. Much appreciated.

1.) Rear wheel well/underbody rust. Pull the bins and look behind them. DO NOT buy the car without dhoing this. It's almost always fixable, but you can talk comeone down a lot of $$ if it's rusty.

2.) Check for electrical problems. 20 year old wires get brittle and usually there are at least a couple pf small problems

3.) Rubber seals, hoses, belts, gaskets, etc. Rubber gets old a brittle too. Again, usually not a big deal, but you should know what you're going to have to replace.

4.) Make sure the sunroof crank works.

5.) Rear hatch pistons (can the trunk stay open by itself?)

6.) Engine - These are the biggies...
a)Pull the top sparkplug from one of the rotors, and spin the engine by hand. You should hear 3 strong puffs. Repeat for oher rotor.
b)Check for regular oil changes

7.) Take her for a spin and check for odd noises (banging, clunking, whinning, etc.)
How does it feel?

In my experience the biggest problem is the previous owner(s). MAKE SURE THE FUCKING THING RUNS OR WALK AWAY! problem 2 Check for oil leaks around the side plates, and not just on the oil pan. 3 Rust at wheel wells and rocker panels. other then that, subtract about $500 for each thing I named and thats what its worth. I LEARNED the hard way.

Vibation in transmisssion is bad. Also vibration at higher revs may indicate fatal rotar trouble. Other than that all cars are the same. Rust is standard. So are bad shocks & springs, idler arm, etc - not to worry. Pretty much anything ouside the engine is cheap to fix.

Easier to bring a qualified RX mechanic to diagnose the car before the purchase. its worth it. Just like buying a home wherein the agreement is subject to a property inspection.

I'm happy to go with you to look at it if you wish :)

All of the above posts are very valuable, especially the one about bringing someone who knows these cars with you. But there are a couple of other points not yet mentioned:

1. check inside the radiator and overflow for evidence of oil contamination and check under the oil filler cap for evidence of white sludge, which indicates coolant in the oil. Also check bottom plugs of each rotor to make sure they are tan or grey and dry rather than oil-fouled or shiny and white. Plugs that have been steam-cleaned white + oil in coolant + white sludge under oil cap = warped engine due to overheating. This requires an engine replacement.

2. Check for clear title and no liens! If the seller won't produce a driver licence for ID, sez he's selling the car "for a friend whose out of town" or gives some other lame song and dance--- leave immediately.

No truer words have ever been spoken. But I haven't seen or heard of one of those ( qualified RX mechanic ) since my Granny had raptor shit on the bottom of her tennis shoes.

Hey Dave were they were they Chuck Conners, or the old Sears brand, Winner III ?

:rlaugh: :rlaugh: :rlaugh: :rlaugh:

No, they were tattered Converse all-stars. Looked good with the Sears Toughskin For Her side zippered pants and a Goolagong sweater. Hell, I'd hit it !!! :rlaugh:

The fact is, most RX7 enthusiasts know more about these cars than the average mechanic does. Therefore, the definition of "qualified RX7 mechanic" is best defined as someone who has owned at least one or two of that generation, has torn down at least one rotary and does all of his or her own work. By that time an owner knows what to look for and what to look out for in these cars. :cool:

isnt the white sludge also due to engines sitting too long and that "snot" being water vapour mixed with the oil. this and the fact the filler tube is so long condensation seems to happen a lot at the top.

While this may be possible, the likelihood that it's caused by leaking water jacket seals means that if you're thinking of buying this car you'd best do a cooling system pressurization check to confirm those seals are ok before buying.

my passenger wheel well behind the bin is a little rusted should i do anything about it or what can happen. what so bad about it

Yeah, but a Mazda Certified Mechanic w/ papers on a rotary is hard to find. Shit, you can't even get an oil change on a 7 at your local Mazda dealership. Good luck.