I was reading an article that mentioned a particular RX7 as being a "unique example" since it survived a 500 mile trip. Can this be true? What's the big deal about surving a 500 mile trip. Do we actually have cars that can't be expected to hold up to driving that far, which, actually, ISN'T that far.

 

Was it a UK article? I've noticed that magazine articles from over there treat cars as incredibly fragile things and they act all amazed when they manage to handle the simplest things. "it started right up on the first try even though the car was covered with snow! After meticulously waiting for the power unit to full warm-up..."

RX-7s were born long distance runners. I used to drive 30,000 miles a year in my car no problem whatsoever. Even used to drive up from Columbus to Cleveland and back twice a week.

 

500 Miles? ****, my 7 does 3 times that every few weeks!! 14 hr drives! non stop except for fuel and ****. usually 2 times a month! but dont forget, In the UK and europe, a 2 hr drive will get you across the country! whereis in Oz or America, it will only get you across town

 

What kind of ficticous bullshit are you reading Beware of the Fla. water front property for sale in the classifieds. My car has 200k on it never had a premature problem

 

thats a fact, especially if youre from los angeles area.

 

i just drove mine to the track, 584miles total with about 130 of that being on the track, i didnt even have to open the hood. the odometer reads 233,9xx miles

mike

 

Wherever you heard that, they clearly didn't know anything about rotary engines. In fact, the rotary is such a reliable engine design (after initial problems with the RX-2s losing apex seals) that this is one reason why the owner of Mazdatrix switched from piston engines in his racecar to rotary engines. In the Mazda RX-7 Performance Handbook, the author quotes a story wherein the guy who owns Mazdatrix had spent time building a piston race engine only to blow the engine on the track day. While waiting in the pits, he hears RX-7's running out on the track, lap after lap. He walked over to find out what kind of car they were running and the rest is history.

For a testimonial closer to home, my dad who previously owned my 84SE used to drive this car from Phoenix to San Fransicso several times a year, which is about 1200 miles round trip. He never had a problem with anything on those trips, and they were mostly non-stop driving. To this day, the car runs great with minimal maintenance and is now at 170k miles. My 80LS SCCA Solo II racecar made it to 220k miles before the engine overheated and went out (sucking coolant through the side seals).

If this information is out there and spread around by ignorant folks, that only keeps fools from buying RX-7's and then showing up on these boards to complain about their inability to keep their cars running. More power to them!

 

It's also why I am into rotary engines. I got tired of cracking cylinder heads and looking at connecting rods from the outside of the engine. For some reason I have never driven a piston engine more than 27,000 miles before it converted itself into scrap metal. Usually took a lot less time than that, actually.

 

yah, about 15 cars showed up to this track day, about half were s13/s14's not to bag on those guys but they all had problems, and just for the record the sr20 broke twice

mike

 

What the hell are you feeding those Pistons?

 

I dunno, man.

My 429 died a sad death. It felt... funny so I pulled the intake manifold off. Ever see cam lobes worn round? About a third were completely round and the rest were worn through the hardened surfaces. Crap. So I throw it back together and drive it home. Started running hot on the way home, was knocking a bit. Holed a piston or something. ****! So i parked the car, drove it occasionally so it didn't look abandoned, one day on the way to work of of the connecting rods decided it wanted some fresh air so it exited the block. I was able to drive it home, easily topping 100mph, on the primaries only, no coolant and only running on 4 or 5 cylinders.

Subaru was mostly a mercy killing. The radiator leak got so bad that it wouldn't hold water for more than five minutes, and I was late for work, and the car wasn't worth a new radiator (rust, it was a ten year old Japanese car...) so I just drove it to work. Car's top speed went up 5mph (from 87 to 92mph), probably due to reduced parasitic drag from having no coolant in the engine, and the oil was so hot it was registering zero pressure. Temp gauge was about 1/4 way past the H mark. For some reason when I got off the highway, it wouldn't idle and it was puking blue smoke. I guess all aluminum engines don't like to be run hot?

The Isuzu was a mess. I simply couldn't keep a cylinder head on it. Kept cracking the exhaust ports under the valve seat. Way to go Isuzu, using siamese-pattern exhaust ports in the middle right where the (too small) turbocharger bolts on. No wonder the heads kept cracking there.

Then my next Subaru overheated even before i got it home. I really wanted it, too ('85 RX Turbo 4-door, the WRX's granddaddy) but after spending all my cash on the car I couldn't afford to repair it. So i gave it back to the guy!

Then i got another Suby for my mom. They drove it a while, then one day she says it stopped running and it has an oil leak. Drive down to visit them, and the power steering pump (mounted front and center, Boxer engine donchaknow) was pushed into the radiator and there's bits of con rod sticking out through the hole in the case. Well, damn, how did that happen, Subarus are bulletproof. I brocked the throttle on my dead '88 for about half a minute and it ran at valve bounce and wasn't hurt any worse than it already was. Go figure.

I loaded way heaps more abuse on my rotaries (I even managed to run the '85 out of coolant a couple times in one day, it's still soldiering along) and never have this kind of trouble.

 

hahaha

Anyway, I paid $500 for my car which had 155k miles on it and then I drove it 2000 miles across country. No problems here!

 

it wont be long now before the Only Piston Powered cars i have will be Diesel engines - or my wifes car! and the bike.

 

My friend who recently got into a crash recieved about 11 grand for a new car (he originally drove a nice A4, but it was totalled). I immediately knew what to suggest to him... A rx7

He knows I have 4 rx7s and love them but the first thing he said was: "I hear those engines only last about 60k miles."

Let's just say I basically **** my pants. I showed him the reading on my odo's, but he was still skeptical...

That night, all I could think about was the fact that so many people have been blinded from the truth about rotary engines...

FS

 

I don't think I'd have any problem with the Turbo 12a I am currently running for a coast to coast drive. HOWEVER, the premium gasoline would absolutely kill me at 15-16mpg highway.

If I had to do it, I'd switch back to the stock exhuast manifold, run a air filter off the carb bonnet, plug off the oil line/return & coolant lines, and run a custom pipe back to the rear muffler and when I get to my destination, throw the turbo components back on. I know it would be slightly better with 87 octane and free breathing normally asperated I bet. Lean out the weber jets a little.

Yeah, I guess I think any 12a, 13b, can make it VERY far just fine, its the MPG that concerns me most. I'd rather use the '88SE RX-7 that gets me 25-28mpg highway.

 

I loved my '82 as a highway cruiser. It got decent mileage, around 24mpg and it was effortless to tool down the highway at 75 mph. My '79 hasn't had a road trip yet, but if the suns align, I may be driving down to Cali next year for SevenStock.