onexenon

My grandfather has gifted me a 79 rx-7 with only 24,000 miles on it (!) with a 12a from an '81 with even less miles on it. It hasn't been run since 1985 and has been sitting in a barn for the last 20 years. I know NOTHING about cars (I drive an automatic 01 Hyundai, heh) and I'm only 21. I recently learned to drive stick on my friend's 84 Supra and I'm getting really really into it and I really want a car that is fun to drive. (the hyundai doesn't quite cut it). I want to know where I should start on learning what to do as I want to get to the point where I can tune my own car etc etc. I'm also wondering how much $ I should set aside for the restoration, it was put away running in perfect condition and had performance carbs put on it right before it was retired.

So,... in short... lemme know what I should do! Oh, and I could get pictures of it, but it's coated in a layer of dust over there. So tell me if I should.

rx7owner

first before any of the RB exhausts make sure it is running perfectly, change the oil/filter and air filter (i use K&N filters. i like them the best) all the fluids and whatnot and get the carb tuned i know its not much but it really does make the car run better and smoother too and then go for the more pricy things like new carb and complete exhaust.. rotaries need to breath and the stock doesnt let them. whatever you do good luck with your 7

Sam

ssglopezvm

Dont do anything to the car before you:

Learn everything about your model.
Research for ALL kinds of information on that model RX.
Become friends with other RX owners... specially 1gen owners.
Have a budget for whatever project you have in mind.
Write it down... plan your project.
Take your time, dont rush with this project.
It took me 3 years to finish my project... and that was after 7 years of ownership.

Good luck,

Vic

darkfrost

iTrader: (1)

And that includes the gas, especially considering how long its sat.

RotorMotorDriver

iTrader: (1)

Post some pics up! Get a short of the engine too! Since its a "newer engine" with performance carbs, theres a chance you lucked out and its got some work done inside it too (porting). Take the advice above, and before you dive head first into modding it, LEARN ABOUT IT!

~T.J.

Stevan

iTrader: (17)

20 years! that has to be a record.
Please, post pics with the thick dust.

What a nice gift from your grandfather.

onexenon

Well, since I know nothing about cars mechanically I'm going to take my time, I'm really only looking to get her back to running stock for now, my grandfather is excellent with all things mechanical (he's currently restoring a 1972 Porsche 911 2.4 in our garage) and he says it was put away in tip-top shape so I'm sure he can help me.

I love cars, I just don't really know anything about them, everything I know is related to audio etc, and I just learned to drive stick 2 months ago. How much $ am I talking about assuming there are no *major* defects (and the interior is pristine with the exception of the fact it REAKS of mildew) to get it looking fairly pretty and probably getitng a new exhaust system and such. (Would $2000 be unrealistic?)

northwoods

I've been reading a lot of web postings, being in a similar situation as yours (My '82 has only 60K but sat for 10 years) so here is a summary of things I have read and learned the last few weeks. These are some things _not_ to do, some of which I unfortunately did not follow, and which cost me time, unnecessary headaches, and unnecessary risks of injury and fire :

1. Don't try to start it with old gas in it, no matter how tempting.

Instead, purge the tank in some way--dropping the tank and emptying is the best, especially if you find it is rusted inside. Then you have a mess, and probably need a new tank. You can try to pump out the gas using the fuel pump, but it is risky and doesn't deal with any sludge or rust in the bottom of the tank.

If the fuel lines are showing signs of being deteriorated, replace all of them. This protects your carb.

2. Don't try to start it with an old fuel filter.

Again, this protects your carb, and brings you to a known state--a clean fuel filter will provide you better fuel pressure at the carb than a old, clogged one--and carbs don't like to work well without the right fuel pressure.

3. Don't try to start it with old oil in the crankcase.

It could be sludge, and if so, you don't have any oil protection.

4. Don't try to even turn it over without some lubrication to the rotors.

Pull the lower (leading) plug on each rotor, and give it a squirt of oil before trying to rotate the engine. Read about pre-mixing 2-cycle oil in your fuel too, in case your oil injection pump or lines are defective.

5. Don't expect it to run well without a lot of work.

It's an RX-7, and doesn't like to idle well if anything is not right. Expect multiple problems.

6. Don't skip determining whether you have compression.

Test this early, and determine whether you have a viable engine or not. A quick test is to use oil to gain an oil seal on each rotor face, and then cranking the motor with one plug removed on one rotor; You should get "phut phut phut phut" regularly. If one in three "phut" is missing or really wimpy, you have a stuck apex seal. Do the same procedure for the other rotor, too. To do this procedure, be sure to disable your fuel pump (pull the fuse) and your coils (pull both the high voltage leads to the distributor), and use a rag to catch any oil or gas that is spit out when you do this to minimize the risk of fire. Read up on more complicated ways of testing, and of how to get actual compression readings.

7. Don't forget or skimp on the basics.

If you have compression, and if you have clean fuel, at least do a basic tune-up. New cap, rotor, wires, and plugs. That eliminates maybe 1/4 of your headaches.

Take the time to clean all electrical contacts regarding ignition. That includes: primary terminals on both coils. The negative ground from the battery to the body and to the engine. The positive and negative battery terminals. The alternator terminal. The ignitor terminals (both). That eliminates another 1/4 of your headaches.

RTM. Order the Haynes manual ASAP and go through it thoroughly.

8. Don't forget you are working with gasoline and bad hoses and your own errors.

It was easy to end up with gasoline on the floor under the car, gasoline all over the engine, and gasoline pumped through the engine, exhaust, and out the tail pipe. I know, I have managed to do all three in a month. My point is, you are not stupid at all, but be extra extra careful with gasoline and any potential sources of ignition with this car. It is a sports car, and is designed to move large amounts of gasoline, and does so in not so wonderful ways when things are not all working correctly. Be careful, and double and triple check all fuel related things. A simple but very useful safety trick is to only start and run it out of doors (where you can afford a vehicle on fire or a gallon of gas on the ground) until you are sure you are not going to be spewing gasoline around. Do not try to start it in a barn!

9. Don't get impatient or hurry.

The Haynes manual, written in Britain, says it best, when referring to the left rear mounting nut on the carb: "The nut on the left side, at the rear, will require a certain degree of patience." Well, that applies to most of the car.

10. Don't use the wrong tool.

I found I needed six-point sockets in many cases, and have bought several especially for this project. I have used a lot of WD40 to loosen bolts and nuts.

11. Expect things to fail even though they were working fine at first.

It's an old car. It does this. Mostly this is the failure of rubber seals. I have had several things die after I bought the car a month ago, including the brakes. The unfortunate reality is that until you have replaced all rubber and plastic membranes and seals, you do not have a reliable car. Vaccum membranes may be an exception to this, but I doubt it. So when I have the opportunity, I am replacing whatever I can afford--E.g. I just replaced the clutch master and slave cylinder, and the rubber and steel line. Why? Ultimately the question was why not. I did it all for under 100 dollars, and it won't be giving me trouble for a long time, I hope.

northwoods

FYI, my budget on my 82 after purchasing costs is $2300, including a basic paint job and basic tires. Right now I doubt I will come in under budget unless I am really lucky.

onexenon

Well, considering I know *nothing* about the mechanics of a car I was going to (And I know I'm potentially going to get flamed for this) take it to a shop and pay 2-3 grand to have them get it going for me. Then once I have a working car then start learning very very slowly (i.e. the ONLY things I feel comfortable doing to my car are changing a tire, adding wiper fluid, and checking my oil).

I know it's not the 'efficient' way to do things, but I think it'd be better for the car if a professional did the starting works.

Kentetsu

First of all, welcome to the forum. You will find all of the knowledge that you will ever need at your fingertips, along with a whole bunch of wise-asses.....

Now, with that being said; you need to consider the tremendous value of this gift and treat it accordingly. Since, as you mentioned, you know nothing about RX7s, the very first thing that you should do is place this gem into my loving hands where it will be well cared for.... Just let me know when I can pick it up...

Okay, back to reality.... Check out the FAQ link on the main (1st gen) page. There you will find 90% of everything that you need. We are here for the rest of your questions... And don't be afraid of the search button either.

Considering that it is a "virgin" '79 I would be hesitant to modify it in any way without some serious forethought.... However, if you decide that you want to free up that extra horsepower then feel free. Good luck with it, and please take good care of her..

onexenon

Oh, I'm not going to go crazy modifying her. I'm just looking for a car I can have fun in. You mentioned it is a "virgin" rx7... is this little beauty better left stock? A friend of mine seemed to think that a 79 in this kind of condition is quite the find, is he right? I've always loved rotary engines and dreamed about an rx-8 but maybe I have something even better on my hands. Thank you all for the welcome response.

darkfrost

iTrader: (1)

A stock 79', if in the condition, and with the milage you say its in will be worth far more kept in that condition.

As for letting a mechanic do the work... I wouldn't take my car to a mechanic unless it was a last resort. Save the cash, learn something new. I knew nothing when I got my 7, had never even changed the oil in a car before. Boy, have i progressed far.

glewsRx

iTrader: (1)

Get gramps in on it. If he knows whats what, he's ten times better than any mechanic.
here are my suggestions.
Buy a bottle of dickels and a case of pbr. Gramps and you drink pbr and use dickels to clean all the bolts and stuff that come off the car. Appreciate time with gramps and rx. Don't worry about a mechanic. Your stereo is probably more technologically advanced than your 79 rx.

northwoods

I agree. Go for it, get your hands dirty. It isn't really hard. And if you enjoy machines, you will have a lot of fun, and learn a whole lot.

aussiesmg

iTrader: (1)

The satisfaction of doing it yourself is huge, don't give it away at $50 an hour, these guys have given you great advice here.

Change that scanky oil first.

A couple of tips from someone who just went through this process on a car that sat for 10 years.

Add Marvel Mystery oil generously into your carburetor and through your spark plug holes. My engine was stuck so I did this and let it sit overnight, the next day it turn over easily, the easiest way to turn the engine over is with a deep well 3/4 inch socket on a long rachet, onto the center bolt in the middle of the lowest pulley, this turns the excentric shaft, but let it soak first.

A simple way to clean the fuel tank is check for a drain plug, mine had one and it was so much easier, then run some clean gas through to take out the rest of the crud, replace the filter at this point and any bad lines underneath, replace the battery and remove the fuel feed line (the one without the aluminum check valve) just follow the two rubber hoses going into the carb that come up from the underside of the car. Turn the engine to crank and the pump will push the last bad fuel from the lines.

You can then try to start it and it will run rough, after you've had it going for a while you can change the spark plugs, they will be fouled by bad gas now.

You can almost bet you will need a clutch master and slave cylinder they are easy to replace, use a cheap manual (Haines) and bleed the clutch through several times,

Bleed your brakes, lube the bleeders up and then be gentle on them, work the bleeders back and forwards a few times to break the seal. Have gramps help you on the brakes and clutch as you need a peddle man. Make sure each caliper operates as you bleed them, replace any that don't grab the wheel, your rears could be disc or drum, disc is the preferred as you get a brake that can take more heat and it will have a LSD which effectively drives both rear wheels instead of just one.

All being well the car should run now, with the carb you will have deposits in it so you can either run a fuel cleaner in your gas and wait for it to clear out or take it off and rebuild it but that is a bigger job, dont be afraid of it though just be methodical and record the parts as they come out.

My radiator was bad and I had a 3 core built to replace it, but you can buy stock cheap from Radiators.com and they deliver.

Good luck

rbf41182gt

no, nothing is better left stock!!

I was thinking about leaving my 79 stock for awhile, but the modification bug got me. (plus, I had to change the exhaust system because it was rusted to pieces)

And see if your grandfather can help you. He helped me greatly!!! He knows 100 times more than any mechainic ever would, and he'll teach you too.

onexenon

The pictures, for all that asked, are here. I just took them, she still rests in the barn until I'm ready to revive her. There is a little tiny bit of rust on the hood, but none that I could see. My grandfather also told me she is a showroom LE model that he bought straight up the first time he sat in her at the Mazda showroom.












It was really hard to get good pictures, but I'll get better once she's moved. Also I gave it some thought and my grandfather and I are going to work on her together. Also, I found out, even though he said the engine was out of an 81, he still HAS the 79 12a that he took out of this one as well. So my odds of a working engine are improved as I have *two* to play with. He also suggested if one is working and one is not, that he can teach me the workings of the engine better on the one that isn't inside the car so I know what to do. I'm getting excited!

ransack

I cant wait to see that beast come alive!

darkfrost

iTrader: (1)

Wow.. that is a lot of dust!

You have the dual Weber 36 DCD carb setup from Rotary Engineering. A very nice set of carbs.

onexenon

So, now that I'm starting to work up a budget for my project, what do you hypothesize i'll have to put into it? Not counting paint.

jays83gsl

The paint doesnt actually look bad.

I'd say 3K if you get the racing beat.

jays83gsl

BTW, I LOVE that interior! I can tell that this is going to be a very nice, very fun project for you.

onexenon

Well, another question, assuming it needs the typical and it's not carbon locked, what is it going to take to get her running and road-worthy? I'm trying to figure out if I can begin the project this summer or not.

jays83gsl

You can probably have it running on VERY LITTLE money.

You will need:
New plugs (NGK)
New Fuel Filter
New Oil filter
New Air filter
New Vacuum Hoses (TAKE LOTS OF PICTUES!)
New GAS!!!! (Do NOT forget this one)
New Oil (should be common sense)
Lots and lots of cleaning agents
Some sort of interior cleaning device
New Coolant and radiator hoses
New Tires (dry rot is not good to tires)

That should be it, unless I'm forgetting something.