Either that or he's talking plenty of ****.

 

Regarding SE owners, was reading an old thread which said there were some who thought they had SEs but didn't. This is probably due in some cases to an honest mistake and also the fact that it is pretty easy to simulate the SE external look. All one needs are the wheels, SE rear badge and rear wiper motor and blade. The only really difficult part would be the sunroof.

The same thing happens on the Mercedes SLs, which are the 2-seaters. One can buy an old 450SL and update it to the 560SL look with the 560 wheels, front fascia, badging and 3rd brakelight. As far as this 450 to 560 "conversion" goes, it is like putting diamond earrings and lipstick on a pig.

pmartin

 

Well, considering the the SE wheels are not bolt-on to a NON-SE car, it is quite difficult to "copy" an SE.

The bolt patterns for the SE's are different from the regular line of RX-7's, and a person needs to change the rear end, brakes, front suspension, splindles, etc.

*ALOT* of work, although a few people have done it for the larger availablilty of aftermarket wheels.

 

Dfreak,

Good point. Didn't realize they weren't bolt on.

pmartin

 

no,no,no,no...that was a typo..it had a sunroof, guess I need to proof read before I let it go...yes, I know, all se's have a sunroof, along with all the other options. the only option on a SE was the power steering and........something else but it is escaping me.....boy ,you guys don't miss anything...and I am not embarassed MAR3....cjf

 

PMARTIN: I do noththink it is easy to duplicate a SE, the wheels are a definite give away. Unless you take a rear end off a SE and put it on a GSL or lesser model, its a dead giveaway. YOu can't interchange the SE wheels onto a GSL or lesser model.....and directfriek, no s--t here...just trying to be helpful and informative.

 

cjf,

The only other option on the SE in 84 was leather, which cost just over $700.

pmartin

 

thats it...leather......cjf

 

cjf,

You said that "I need to proof read before I let it go". Yes, you do - "proofread" is one word. HAHA!!. Couldn't resist - don't take it seriously.

As you said in the same post, us guys don't miss anything.

pmartin

 

ok ok ok....gotta slow down my fingers . (oh I mean GOT to)...and proofread (hows that)....

 

Original owner. Bought new in 1983. Still own. Car now just turned 11,000 miles. Still looks exactly like the day it came home.

 

Please.. post some pictures of it. Nothing like an immaculate 1st Gen to get us going.

 

Ken,

Does it really have only 11,000 miles? If so, why haven't you driven it more as that would be less than 1K per year?

pmartin

 

Yes, it really does have 11,000 miles. The story behind it's low milage is that my wife and I have always BOTH been car fanatics. Since we have been together, we have always had a number of collector cars at any given time. The RX-7 was purchase for her in 1983 and had about 4,000 miles but on it in the first two years. After that it was basiclly garaged and only driven enough to keep the seals in good shape. It was last officially on the road in 1987 and still has an expired 1987 PA inspection sticker on the windshield. It is showroom new.

I have tried unsuccessfully to post photo's. (Say's file is too large) But can email some to anyone that is interested. Or would be able to post them.

 

and the short SE options list included the glass sunroof insert

 

Ken,

I'm sure there are many good reasons for not driving a car for 15 years but let me offer a counterpoint.

My wife and I are also car fanatics and we decided to buy a Mercedes 560SL new in 1988. Due to the high cost the car was treated somewhat as a garage queen for many years then we both got to thinking that if we don't drive the car someone else will when we are dead or no longer able to. During our corporate careers in New York I didn't put on many miles due to the nature of the job and also because the car was stored during the long winter. Now that we are retired and in a desert climate I am using the 560 as pretty much a daily driver. For me the joy of having the car has been in using it. I plan to destroy the car through high mileage.

So, unless you plan to be buried in it, it seems that you are saving a car in pristine condition for someone elso to eventually drive.

pmartin

 

I agree COMPLETELY that cars should be driven and enjoyed! I believe I mentioned that in that time period we have had many other cars. ( 30+) In all honesty, cars I have enjoyed driving much more than the RX-7. Don't get me wrong, we really like the RX-7, but as a driving car we have put our milage on cars that we enjoyed more. For example, currently I have a black 1996 Viper RT-10 that I plan to drive into the ground. Before that I had a Porsche 911 Cabriolet. (911 had almost 100,000 miles when traded). Just never got around to the RX-7, so now I am selling it so someone else can enjoy it. (And drive it)

 

I am an original owner. I still have the original dealer bill of sale and the original dealer key green key tags too!

I bought it new in the fall of '84.

 

What would you consider a fair market price for your car, Ken? Purely theoretical question. See my sig as to why I'm asking this....

 

Bought my 82 GSL for 14K at the end of the 82 model year.

Has ~70K on it. Accumulated some rust in the doors from winter driving and neglect in the 80s, and it sat in my garage mostly unused for the better part of the 90's. Everything but the antenna still worked.

The car is currently up on blocks. I'm attempting to return it to showroom condition for looks, and better than stock mechanically. Hope to have it ready for the body shop in another month or so.

 

Hard to say. I have had an offer at $6K. (Should have taken it) Realisticly, $5k should be very possible based on interest I have had so far, and I may get $6K. Keep in mind, the car with 11k one owner miles is truely like new. Sorry to hear about your car....good luck.

 

Ken,

Great to hear that you are a driver of your specialty cars. I think the trend is going that way nowdays and away from keeping them as garage queens. Took a trip back to NY a few weeks ago to see a vintage hillclimb at Mt. Equinox, Vt. which is nearby. It was nice to see a lot of old, rare and expensive cars being thrashed unmercifully in the timed runs up the mountain.

BTW, isn't it pathetic what used rexes are worth. It is terrible that your essentially new car is worth only 5-6K. I would definitely hold out for 6K.

pmartin

 

Thanks for the encouragment. I will not sell it for under 5K. It will just sit longer. I really want to sell it to someone who will appreciate it.

 

I am the owner of an 84' SE, I bought it when I was just about to turn 17. now I'm 23. I want to keep this car for life. it is in great condition, and I have just passed 240K kms (I bought it at 160K). I store it every winter (painful), solo 1 & 2 it, and hope to see 1 million kms in it

I have a brochure / magazine article a friend gave me, saying the SE was $21,000 CAN when new. crazy. good thing I only payed $2700 for it.

later
Leigh

 

Im a second owner, when I got my 82 it had 85,000 on the clock.

The original owner bought it new and drove it for like 5 years, then for some reason he put it in storage until 2000 then he gave it to his daughter. She hated it and so he traded it in for a Mazda protege at the dealership I work at. It was there for about a year till I noticed it in the auction lot. It had gone up for auction 4 times and did not sell. The hood was bent, none of the gauges worked and the interior was dirty as hell.

I asked him about it and he said i could have it for 1000 + all the other **** that comes with buying a car.

It took me about a hour to change 2 fuses, wash the car, vacuume and deoderize the interior and bend the hood back.

The thing looked great and the interior is perfect.

He said that if it looked like that before, he would have wanted at least 2k for it.

score!!!