Just a couple questions??
 

I'm interested in buying an 1984 RX-7, I've found a seller who is willing to sell one for $900 CDN, and ofcourse there are a couple problems with the car... I was wondering if I could get some advice as to whether or not this is a good buy. I've been told that the car needs and replaced front LH fender, and that the paint is faded, as well the fuel and speedo gauges are not functioning properly. The car has just recently under gone a transmission swap from Auto to 5-speed, and the transmission has only had about 5000km put on it. Other then that the engine is running fine, with 180,000km. I was just wondering if anyone would possible be able to give me an idea as to how much it would be to have the gauges fixed, and to get a new fender. I found a website that I'm able to purchase a fender off but I still don;t know what the total cost after shipping would be... http://www.victoriabritish.com/featu...-Mazda-RX7.htm
Any help would GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks

good deal.. just go to the wreckers pick up a cluster and LF fender with no rust slap that on and give it a paint job for about 2000-4000. you would have a hot ride. Just guessing but fender $50.00 from wreckers and cluster around 50.00 its possible your speedo cable isnt connected at the tranny after the tranny swap that could post a problem. maybe your cluster is fine.

what about the fuel gauge? that wouldnt have anything to do with the speedo cable not being connected?

true.. just get another one at wreckers. U will need 22mm socket wrench to take off wheel philips to remove shrouds and cluster should come out with some wiggiling. go to wreckers and offer them 50 for the cluster. try to get it around the same mileage as yours..

the faulty fuel gauge is probably an issue with the level sender in the tank. I've never bought an asian car (that has sat) that had a working fuel gauge when i got it.

but yeah.. fix it up, and make sure the OMP works.

edit: oh yeah: if the speedo isnt connected, how does the gear oil stay in the tranny? make sure the gearbucket isnt noisy.

how would you suggest i fixed that up, whats involved in fixing that? should i have a mechanic do it? and if so any idea how much that will cost to have repaired?

fixing the sender isnt hard, it just requires removing the tank (which is usually a requirement on these cars..)

once the gas tank is out inspect the electrical connector atop the tank: is it corroded?
yes=clean and retry
no= remove the sender unit and inspect the float and resistor assy.. look for corrosion and the sweeper not contacting the nichrome wire. clean off the rust and bend the sweeper back into place (GENTLY) and then test it outside the tank by attaching it to the tank connector and moving the float up and down with the car on (but not running of course). the gauge should move with the float (give it time, it takes up to 20s to respond to a full swing input)

or you could just replace the sender. to check the gauge and the wiring, short the connector going to the tank, the gauge will read full.

was the car sitting at all?

I have no idea of the history of the car, I guess I should check into that.. Really I don't know alot about this kind of stuff with cars so I would most likely have someone else fix this problem... I guessing it wouldn't be suggested for a 'newbie' like myself to attempt fixing this problem, so do you have idea as to how much this would be to have a mechanic fix both the guages? :)

You don't want 99% of mechanics playing with your car. They just don't know them. Your signature doesn't say where in Canada you live (it would be helpful if changed that). There's probably somebody on here that lives nearby who whould be willing to help you out.

More harm is done to these cars by people other than owners messing with them than just about anything else. There's lots of experience on the board. Just make sure you search first before asking questions or you are likely to get blasted when you ask something that's been answered a thousand times before.

These cars are not particularly difficult, just you have to get familiar with them. Best advice is to start reading in the archives and the posts.

edit: If you're looking for a car that you want to just be able to bring to the local garage for repairs, these may not be the best choice for you. There are lots of people here willing to help, but you've got to be willing to do the work. If you read a lot you'll find many posts of people who have brought their cars to a garage, and now they're all scrwed up.

I have to agree with Whanrow, these cars are 20+ years old and having a mechanic work on them is an easy way to part with your money. There aren't a lot of mechanics out there that work on these on a regular basis so you'll have to hunt down someone reliable. Your best bet is any other Canucks on this forum that live near you that can offer recommendations. All of the problems you listed are typical with our cars. My speedo and fuel gauge are not accurate and haven't been for about 10 years! Not sure I even care at this point, I just watch the rpms for my speed and the trip OD for when to fill up :-)

...I'm broke, and almost finished exams (read: free time)

drive over to brampton and ill fix your car.