Ok, I've bothered you good folks several times on other RX-7's I've found. You have given great advise on what to look for problems wise. Now, I think I've finally found the winner! The current owner inherited it 3 years ago, and doesn't know much about it. It's a 1984 with 132K on a 13b, he doesn't know what model it is?? He just listed it today and is asking $1200. The body looks great. The interior is in good condition. It starts and runs fine. I would like to know what model it is though? It's got stainless pannels , window level, behind the doors? I've never seen that before. Was this specific to a certain model in '84? If not, what else can I look for to tell me what it is?? Also, this seems like a good price compared to others I've looked at...any input from the experts would be appreciated!. One more thing, how many miles is a 13b good for on average?? Thanks much

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/216641350.html

 

Its a gsl-se

 

^^^ True

 

Thanks, that is what I hoped. How can you tell?

 

The wheels(and thus the big brakes/lug pattern) are specific to the SE.
Its also the only 1st gen with a 13B and fuel injection.

Basically,its the greatest,most loaded,most powerful 1st gen ever offered in the states.Its also the heaviest,but that still isnt saying much compared to many other cars.The SE engine is notoriously sturdy,a well cared for SE 13B can run perfectly well past 200K,as is true for the 12A.The EFI can be a bit finnicky sometimes,but thats true of most early 80's EFI.

The roof Targa Band is a goofy,non functional item seen on the last 1st gens.Id be a little worried about the oil leak.1st gens are known to have a few,easily fixed oil leaks(pan,OMP,sensor,hoses)....but theres one leak thats not fixable without an engine teardown.Its a leak that develops near the distributor,between the engine housings.Its much more common on the 12A,but I wouldnt doubt if the 13B gets that leak occasionally too.

Good price....

 

Thanks, great info. Is there a way I can tell it's the "bad" leak without tearing it apart?

 

The current owner said he got a quote of $400 to get it fixed....is this most likely the bad leak you speak of?

 

Not a chance.Engine removal,teardown and replace would be in the thousands....

Most likely its the oil cooler hoses,although it could be the oilcooler itself.The 1st gen coolers are prone to spliting,usually when someone changes the hoses and isnt careful when turning the wrenches.
Either way,its an easy fix and there are plenty of cheap fixes for the cooler and lines.Having a wrecking yard in the area makes lots of moderate/major repairs on our cars,cheap and easy..... for those inclined to do their own wrenching.

 

Aye, agreeing with the possibility of oil cooler hoses. Could also be the oil pan. Bunch of screws to remove, clean the filter, replace the gasket, bolt it back up... not so bad. If it's been parked in one spot for a while, is there a pool/puddle beneath the car anywhere?

 

I'm not sure. As of now, I've only seen pictures. I'm going to take a look tomorrow, money in hand. If I do see a pool/puddle of oil, should I inspect the oil cooler hoses first? Would this justify lowering the price?? (always good!)

 

Anything is possible,but thats a good price for a nice car with an easy fix.

Should be easy to spot where the leak is coming from.Typically,the oil cooler lines will only leak when the engine is running.Any puddles that form when the car is sitting, would just be from residual oil running off.
If it is the oil cooler hoses,get it fixed soon.Any other leak is just a nuisence,they dont usually get worse than just a leak.If the cooler line/s fail altogether,the engine will be fried in an instant,unless you are quick enough to shut the engine down before all oil pressure is lost...

 

You better buy that car, for the work that is probably involved, that is a steal.

 

This posting has been deleted by its author.

 

Woo Hoo!! Bought it! I offered him $1000 and he took it. I think I got a pretty good deal. Now for the concern about the oil leak. I didn't see any oil pool/puddle under where it was parked. However, I had to drive it ~20 miles home and she smelled like burning oil when I got here. Apparently he would only drive it 5 minutes to work on occation so this is the longest trip it's seen in a while. Temp. was ok when I got here. Oil cooler and hoses look good too. I really want to be driving it now, but am worried about what "should" be checked first. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Don't want to blow it up on my first day!!

 

Pics!!!!!

 

No new pics as of yet, but here is the ad for it. I'll get some interior pics soon.

http://denver.craigslist.org/car/216641350.html

 

Well, first off congrats on getting ahold of a GSL-LE. As far as what to check? Do the normal stuff. Check the oil level, obviosly. Then check it again after you put a few miles on it. Just remember, that these cars are designed to use oil, not leak it!. Most of the common oil leaks you can fix yourself. Again, welcome to the dark side!

 

As I said before,

This posting has been deleted by its author.

 

opps! Sorry, I'll get some pics on soon and ask for more expert advice.

 

nice man my friedn was actually looking at buying that rex. well looks like we gotta find him another...even if he doesnt want it....must convert more rotorheads... yes pics plz that car looked like it was in really good condition.

 

Ok, attempting to attach pics. Still learning this forum stuff, so if it doesn't work, let me know what I'm doing wrong. (Pics from the original sales ad, better pics to come)

 

if you're still looking for your oil leak, give this thread a read, might point you in the right direction(s).

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...postid=2836336


Also, lots of good information in the FAQ part of the Archive board.

 

Looks like a great looking car. If it just needs a new oil cooler, or new hoses or something of a minor fix, that is a steal.

 

Congrats on the purchase. The "bad" leak we refer to is one that is readily visible while the engine is running. Start the car and bring the engine to operating temp.

Now open the hood and observe the areas on the drivers' side of the engine where the engine's aluminum and cast iron housings are joined together, particularly just below where the "Mazda 13B" is stamped into the upper portion of the aluminum rotor housings.

This area should be dry and oil free (although there may be oil present under the oil filler neck from spills during filling, as well as oil under the oil filter from sloppy filter changes). But if you can see fresh oil seeping out from between the housings and dripping down the side of the engine (in the area of the spark plugs) you have tha afore-mentioned "bad" leak.

What has happened is the oil galley o-rings, which seal an oil passage that runs fore and aft at the upper left side of the engine, have deteriorated with age and heat cycles. They are now brittle and no longer expand/ contract with engine warm-ups and therefore allow oil to leak.

The good news is that this is not bad for the engine and it will continue to run just fine as long as the oil is topped up and changed regularly.

The bad news is that this leaking oil (like all oil leaks) gets swept back under the car in the slip-stream while driving and constitutes a fire hazard. The only fix is to replace these o-rings, and that requires a teardown.

BTW, one of the leading causes of oil cooler leaks is from amateurs trying to save a (very) few bucks by re-using the oil line crush washers when the re-install the oil cooler and/or oil cooler lines. The old crush washers don't seal very well because they are already crushed and age-hardened. The amateur compensates by torquing the living **** out of the connection. This causes hairline cracks in the oil cooler attach points, which then continue to leak profusely.

The good news is that these cracks can be successfully welded by a competent radiator shop for a nominal (ie: one-hour or so labor rate) fee if you're willing to do the re and re and bring the cooler to them.

 

^ Should be mandatory reading for anyone with air/oil coolers. I paid $45 for repair of one bung. If the PO had spent maybe $5 on crush washers, I wouldn't have had to. Both -SE coolers I've picked up at boneyards had harline cracks, probably for the same reason. One of my RX-7 pet peeves.