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I came across this 1979 Mazda Rx-7. It seems to be have been sitting in this garage since 1993. Whether the guy did not drive it for that long or something broke, I have no idea. All I have is photos of the car, and I was wondering what I should look for such as, certain rust spots or other places of concern on the car. I only have photos and I have no idea what the inside looks like, but I will be looking at it on August 4 and I also want to see what it's worth if you guys have any opinions. Thanks, Colin.
No mention of price! that will tell a lot.
Body:
Rust in NE is obv a concern, and RX7s can rust with the best of them. Check:
-under battery tray
-fire wall in engine comp behind/below both the BRAKE and CLUTCH Master cylinders: wet or rust means these have failed and need replacement
-lips of rear fenders. The inner fender is seamed under here and rust forms btw the 2 panels
-bottoms of rear fenders - a particular rusts-first spot. Even the WEST coast cars rust there, so its almost a given. Guy in the UK makes replacement panels.
-general undercarriage rust, esp exhaust. These are hardy, over-built units, but if rust is really taken hold, you cannot buy new replacements any more, tho excellent, pricey ($1K) aftermarket pieces exist (Racingbeat.com).
-bottom of doors! these have drains but if plugged, the doors will rot out starting down there.
Bottom line here is even a cheap car can put you underwater if it needs thousand$ in rust repair. Never mind the repaint that must follow.
Mechanicals: this applies to any old car one is looking at-
-the big Q is HOW did the owner prep the car for long-storage? Did he drain or treat the gas? (guessing from pics: no). It will likely mean dropping the tank as it will have rust issues inside that will create havoc for fuel delivery. If you DO get it, do not be tempted to "just try to start her up" without thoroughly going thru the fuel system first!!! Be a shame to pump putrid old gas thru the whole motor.
-likewise antique coolant will have long-since expired any useful life. Hopefully not to the point of becoming a corrosive internally. Be prepared to have the coolings system flushed, rad pulled and cleaned and all new hoses.
-rubber (like above hoses). Presume most are past their due-date and buy new ones. The wrong water hose failure (especially the heater hoses in this model of RX7) can easily kill a motor.
-rubber, as in Tires: tires have a useful life of 5-6 yrs. They are actually dated, so unless the owner can pull an invoice proving a recent tire-buy, allow for a new set. Cheep Chinese are running about $250 on ebay, the good euro-stuff, double that. Do not risk your life on tires that "look ok" but have aged out. You will be driving a Time Bomb.
-Rotary engine:
like any internal combustion engine, if properly put to "bed", long term storage in not a big issue. First thing you should check is: does it spin? If there is a battery and power, you can spin it that way. We are trying to see if it is locked or free-spinning. Disconnect the spark plugs here! we do NOT (I would suggest , others may disagree...) want to start the car!!
OR:
If it will NOT start, bring a 19MM socket wrench and manually spin at the MAIN pulley (under the water pump, lower left-ish side of motor). The idea is to see if it even moves. Rotation is to the right (clockwise).
It is not unusual they are locked, and this can simply be from carbon build up that can be mitigated with additives like SEAFOAM and some coaxing.
OR- they may spin OK, but have no compression in one or more combustion chambers because an apex (rotor tip) seal is stuck down. Again these can be released without disassembly.
OR- these seals may be shot and it will require a rebuild.
-check the coolant. Is there any signs of OIL in it? this indicated a break between combustion and cooling chambers (failed water seal) and means a rebuild.
Point is you really won't know, and should be paying (or not?) accordingly.
Inside the car:
Just be aware that virtually ALL the trim (except some seat cover patterns and carpets) are no longer available. That said there is a wealth of used parts available, eps here on the Forum. Note the 79 Bronze (this one's color) has some pretty unique seat covers and these no longer exist. Likewise trim color were in many cases unique to 79 RX7s. later stuff will FIT, but mostly just avail in Black.
Ask for:
-all service records!!!! any paperwork he has!
So. If I haven't scared the Crap out of you? carry on! we are here to assist....welcome.
Ask why the car was parked in the first place. Not a bad idea to see if the engine will turn over by hand or is locked. Might want to bring a little Marvel Mystery Oil to squirt in the spark plugs holes first before attempting to turn. As Stu says, the fuel in the tank / system will most likely be turned to gunk. Might as well expect to drop the tank, replace the filter and pump and go through the carb to get it running smoothly. Other things may also need addressing as encountered. I bet it cleans up pretty nice however and can be made road worthy again without a huge investment, as long as the engine is still in basic running order.
I would also check for rust under that rear spoiler and in the truck area. The spoiler is something that was added after the fact and more then likely holes drilled. Also check for water in the spare tire area. Remove the spare tire and check under it.
Definitely looks like a bronzie to me. Post up more interior pics when you get there. You've gotten sage advice from 3 long time SA enthusiasts here (7aull, Banzai and KansasCityREPU). Patiently awaiting more details and better pics.
No mention of price! that will tell a lot.
Body:
Rust in NE is obv a concern, and RX7s can rust with the best of them. Check:
-under battery tray
-fire wall in engine comp behind/below both the BRAKE and CLUTCH Master cylinders: wet or rust means these have failed and need replacement
-lips of rear fenders. The inner fender is seamed under here and rust forms btw the 2 panels
-bottoms of rear fenders - a particular rusts-first spot. Even the WEST coast cars rust there, so its almost a given. Guy in the UK makes replacement panels.
-general undercarriage rust, esp exhaust. These are hardy, over-built units, but if rust is really taken hold, you cannot buy new replacements any more, tho excellent, pricey ($1K) aftermarket pieces exist (Racingbeat.com).
-bottom of doors! these have drains but if plugged, the doors will rot out starting down there.
Bottom line here is even a cheap car can put you underwater if it needs thousand$ in rust repair. Never mind the repaint that must follow.
Mechanicals: this applies to any old car one is looking at-
-the big Q is HOW did the owner prep the car for long-storage? Did he drain or treat the gas? (guessing from pics: no). It will likely mean dropping the tank as it will have rust issues inside that will create havoc for fuel delivery. If you DO get it, do not be tempted to "just try to start her up" without thoroughly going thru the fuel system first!!! Be a shame to pump putrid old gas thru the whole motor.
-likewise antique coolant will have long-since expired any useful life. Hopefully not to the point of becoming a corrosive internally. Be prepared to have the coolings system flushed, rad pulled and cleaned and all new hoses.
-rubber (like above hoses). Presume most are past their due-date and buy new ones. The wrong water hose failure (especially the heater hoses in this model of RX7) can easily kill a motor.
-rubber, as in Tires: tires have a useful life of 5-6 yrs. They are actually dated, so unless the owner can pull an invoice proving a recent tire-buy, allow for a new set. Cheep Chinese are running about $250 on ebay, the good euro-stuff, double that. Do not risk your life on tires that "look ok" but have aged out. You will be driving a Time Bomb.
-Rotary engine:
like any internal combustion engine, if properly put to "bed", long term storage in not a big issue. First thing you should check is: does it spin? If there is a battery and power, you can spin it that way. We are trying to see if it is locked or free-spinning. Disconnect the spark plugs here! we do NOT (I would suggest , others may disagree...) want to start the car!!
OR:
If it will NOT start, bring a 19MM socket wrench and manually spin at the MAIN pulley (under the water pump, lower left-ish side of motor). The idea is to see if it even moves. Rotation is to the right (clockwise).
It is not unusual they are locked, and this can simply be from carbon build up that can be mitigated with additives like SEAFOAM and some coaxing.
OR- they may spin OK, but have no compression in one or more combustion chambers because an apex (rotor tip) seal is stuck down. Again these can be released without disassembly.
OR- these seals may be shot and it will require a rebuild.
-check the coolant. Is there any signs of OIL in it? this indicated a break between combustion and cooling chambers (failed water seal) and means a rebuild.
Point is you really won't know, and should be paying (or not?) accordingly.
Inside the car:
Just be aware that virtually ALL the trim (except some seat cover patterns and carpets) are no longer available. That said there is a wealth of used parts available, eps here on the Forum. Note the 79 Bronze (this one's color) has some pretty unique seat covers and these no longer exist. Likewise trim color were in many cases unique to 79 RX7s. later stuff will FIT, but mostly just avail in Black.
Ask for:
-all service records!!!! any paperwork he has!
So. If I haven't scared the Crap out of you? carry on! we are here to assist....welcome.
Stu Aull
1980 GS
AZ-AK
Thank you so much! I do not know the price till I get there, since it's at an estate sale. I will have in mind all of your advice when I look at it. Thank you guys.
I agree with the above, start low and work your way up. There's a good chance you can score this gem for pennies on the dollar. It does seem like a nice Sonic Bronze example. That car will clean up well. The paint looks great in the pictures. A goo cleaning and buff would do wonders. Stu covered everything I would check, so keep us updated on what you decide to do.
My brother in Connecticut contacted the estate seller and they want $800-$900 for this car. No title. He said if someone wanted it they could pick it up anytime. I tied to talk my bother in to getting it but he's not interested.
The price isn't awful, but the fact that no title is available really would kill the deal for me personally. Here in Ohio, you must have a title to register the car. They will not allow any bill of sale and obtaining a title would be a nightmare.
The price isn't awful, but the fact that no title is available really would kill the deal for me personally. Here in Ohio, you must have a title to register the car. They will not allow any bill of sale and obtaining a title would be a nightmare.
Agreed. I'm not going get it. Here in New York it's hard to get another.
07-29-18, 03:02 PM
