MoodsR4Cattle

Hello!

Can anything be done about excess interior condensation? My '82 gets dripping wet - and it's ruining the dash as well as soaking the floor in spots. Both windshields (front and rear). Any suggestions are very much appreciated.

I've searched for similar posts, but came up empty - I hope I'm not repeating a recent post.

Thanks!
Moods

Aviator 902S

Does your heater and fan work? Even if they do you'll still get condensation if the climate control is set on "Recirculate." Set it to "fresh" and see if that helps.

Also, if you have water seeping into the passenger compartment condensation will be the result, especially with the heat and fan on and a passenger breathing the same air, and especially on wet and/or cold days.

MoodsR4Cattle

Yes, the heater and fan do work and will eventually dry up what's left after I wipe everything down with 4 or 5 paper towels. The condensation happens overnight. Mostly over the drivers side of the front windshield and the upper half of the back.

Thanks for replying!

Aviator 902S

Check under your carpets too, and under the storage bins. You'll need a screw driver and five minutes to remove the storage bins and inspect under them. Sometimes corrosion allows water from inside the rear wheel wells to enter here and that water has no place to go. It then evapourates, fogging up your windows.

MoodsR4Cattle

Thank you!

... I'm off to yank out the bins!

IanS

iTrader: (4)

Could also be bad door seals, or maybe even the hatch or sunroof seal (if you have that)

r0taryluv

It has to be a seal somewhere. If you have AC still hooked up drive around with it on and it will put some moisture out of the air, if you dont have the AC unit any longer go to the store and get some Damp Rid and leave it in there at night for a few nights and see how much moisture it draws. If it collects alot then you might want to start by replacing the door weather strips like Ians said. How to tell if you door weather strips are bad you can do this two different ways, when drive about 70mph you will hear wind coming in from the sides, of you can use a water hose and spray the winds around the edge....when you open the doors you will see water on the door jam runner. Hope this helps.

Vern

Bob Holton

plug in a dehumidifier in the car at night,empty it in the morning. this will dry out te car so you can start over hunting, where do you park at night?

MoodsR4Cattle

Thanks for the replies, guys.

It's been raining like an sob so I won't be able to mess with it until this passes.

The poor thing is sitting out in the rain. My logic might be warped, but I wanted to keep it out of the sun (the clear coat is peeling right and left) so it's in a rather shady area. I put new door seals on it a year ago. The rest of the seals are in good shape. The sunroof is fine, but the place where the 'hinges' goes into the front is heavily rusted - I had to use 3/4 of a tube of clear culk just to keep the rain out. One of the little plastic parts it inserts into may be cracked and still allowing water in, so every time rain is predicted I have to cover it with plastic.

The darn thing is in desperate need of lower ball joints (tires have about a 3.5" side to side wiggle when you jack the car up), I think it was in a hail storm from the dimples in the hood, the wipers don't work (a real 'fair weather' car), it has some 'see through' rust in the bottom outer corners of the doors, But I love it!

About a year ago I bought the RX7 off eBay sight unseen (except for some fuzzy photos and a promise from the owner that it was in "good" shape) and when we picked it up... the truth came out. It sat unused and exposed to the elements for over a year. It was neglected long before that. So I put a battery in it, drove it 450 miles home and have been slowly fixing it up since.

So until I can afford the ball joints, I'm trying to work on some of the small annoying problems. And I really appreciate your taking the time to help me out!

Aviator 902S

Yikes. I'm not sure what you paid for the car (hopefully not much), but if you're hoping to restore it to decent condition and run it as a daily driver you'll have spent upwards of 6K for the body, paint, leaks, wipers and ball joints alone. And if it needs that much done to it, what's the rest of the car like? What else will need to be repaired or replaced in the near future? Not to make you feel bad or anything but this car sounds like a lost cause.

For $3000 you can get a very nice '84 or '85 GSL in pristine shape that needs nothing, or a reasonably nice GSL-SE--- the one most of us 1st gen enthusiasts would sign away our 1st born child for. Never mind emotional attachment to your current ride--- it will disappear as soon as you find another one in far better shape.

At this point I'd recommend keeping your current driver as a parts car and then scanning the forum and Buy&Sell/ Bargain Finder publications for a decent car. Stay away from ebay (home of over-priced junk and shyster seller types) and avoid dealers, they're just as bad for the most part. Never put down even a dime until you've seen and driven the car, and have had it checked out by an independant mechanic (YOUR mechanic, NOT the seller's!). Or better yet, bring a forum member with you who knows these cars well. Most mechanics don't know as much about these cars as a well informed and experienced owner does. Best of luck with this and keep us posted.

MoodsR4Cattle

The car was cheap, really ($600) and other than what I mentioned, the car runs great. The engine was replaced not too long ago and only has 60,000 miles on it. I do drive it - almost daily (when it's not raining) ... although it was a learning experience to drive with such play in the wheel.
The car isn't entirely a lost cause. I'm not out for a super hot drive, just a piece that fits my sentimental journey. If it gets me from A to B it's good for me. I've got the time and as I gather a few bucks here and there, I'll fix up this and that. So don't give up on me just yet.

Aviator 902S

That's good news. I'd prioritize those ball joints though. If one of them lets go you have no steering. The laws of physics don't care how nice a person you are--- they'll still point you right into the grill of that oncoming semi if a ball joint fails at the wrong place and time. I had mine replaced the day I bought the car. Cost including labor and taxes came to around $550, but that also included new brake hoses, and I can't recall how much of the $500 went to those. (Although parts and labor of around $200 sounds typical--- this would leave $350 for the ball joints).

Even once you've replaced them, expect to still have some excess play in the steering. These cars have recirculating ball type steering boxes that wear over time, and re-adjusting them is a temporary fix at best. Most of us who are familiar with 1st gen RX7s refer to this condition as "wonder steering" because we're always wondering where it's going to take us.

BTW, how was the body behind those storage bins? If it wasn't rusted, and if the body rust you mentioned earlier was limited to the doors (which can be replaced with better ones) this car may yet be a good candidate for a full restoration--- especially considering that rebuilt engine.

MoodsR4Cattle

I checked under the storage bins ...
the drivers side had a bit of rust, about the size of a quarter and pretty flaky, but I poked around with a screw driver and it didn't go through. The passenger side had one smaller than a dime. What do you think?

I have yet to find anyone selling doors. But like you said, the ball joints come first. The Mazda dealership quoted $475. (before taxes). A local tire place quoted $450. I'll go with the Mazda parts from the dealership because who knows what the tire place will use - although he said he'd do the labor for $250. if I bought the parts.

Thanks!

Aviator 902S

Those prices sound a little on the steep side. Did they include labor and taxes, or was that just the price of the parts? Prices for car parts here in Canada tend to be higher than they are in the states, and my total including labor AND front brake hoses came to $550 installed. That was two years ago in Vancouver, BC. No matter which side of the 49th parallel you are on, inflation did not spike that much in two years.

It's unfortunate that there are still many in the automotive business who will take you for a ride if they think you may not be well informed, and these guys seem to have the "old boys' club" mentality that because you're a woman you're an easy target. Hopefully that's not the case, but just for grins, why not have a male friend call these places back (from a different phone) and ask for a quote? If he gets a better quote than you did you'll know who not to give your business to. Take that same strategy to whoever installs them for you.

If the quotes are the same, continue to shop around. Call Napa and see what they can offer. Their components are as good as manufacturers' OEM parts in most cases, and sometimes better. Ball joints aren't something that they'd cut corners on quality-wise, no matter what some Mazda service rep tries to tell you. Dealers use those same scare tactics when trying to sell you brake and other vital components too, but that's to be expected of them.

As for the rust in the storage bins, that's very common with these cars. It's hard to say without actually seeing the damage, but yours sounds repairable. For now, I'd simply take a grinder with a sanding disc and go to town on it. Then spray primer on both sides and plug the holes with tar or some other undercoating material to keep it in remission until such a time that you can prioritize a permanent repair job. You'll need to remove the rear wheels to gain access to the outside of this area and prep it as well. This rust starts from the wheel wells and works its way inside to your storage bin areas.

When you get to the point where you're ready to replace the doors, best bet is to find a complete parts car that someone wants to get rid of for $100 to $300 or so. Confirm the doors are in sound condition, then buy it and strip off everything you think you may someday need. Then call the wreckers to take away the shell.

MoodsR4Cattle

I always feel like I'm being taken advantage of when it comes to cars. :sigh: Those prices were parts and labor but without taxes (9.25% here). The $250. was labor alone.

I will sand and fill the spots as you suggested when the weather warms a bit.

I see many parts cars in the classifieds here - even one my year and colors! Hopefully there will be another when I'm ready (and somewhere near me). But first things first.

And yes, I was convinced that Mazda parts were the only way to go. Silly me. Your advice and time you've spent detailing answers for me is greatly appreciated and won't go to waste.

Thank you!

BTW, I changed my avatar to my 'Lil Blue.

Aviator 902S

Your welcome. And yes, I was wondering if the car in your avatar was the one we're discussing. It actually looks to be in good shape, at least on camera.