A coworker of mine has 2 1984 rx7's, He said they both run.

now the bad news.
Car A : has a rear that shakes when they get to about 20mph. Something about running over a fence post, 5 speed with 140K miles on it

Car B: needs breaks replaced. has 120K miles on it

both machines have not been ran in over a year and half-2 years. Steps were not taken to remove fluids except possibly the gas as his answer to that was "I think so" so assuming no or they may have removed most gas but not 100%

It was too cold out to look underneath and wasn't able to check the status of the rust bins though is that an issue with the 84's or did they fix it after earlier models?

I have an '81 with an automatic tranny that has a locked up motor(completely locked can't turn it at all even by hand or with tools) that I could use as parts for some things.

I am split. Part of me doesnt mind throwing 400$ at one of these cars to try and get it to run. Another part of me tells me to walk away. Another part is telling me to offer him help readding fluids and seeing if the motor will run and check compression before I do anything even if it means he will want more for the car.

So I'm asking for thoughts, comments, tips, susgestions? I'm thinking of parting out my 81 anyways to move to a 5spd or newer '7

 

First thing I always ask for in assessing a car online is price, details and pics. Car A may simply have a bent wheel, or it could be as bad as a bent axle. Wheel is more likely. Brakes are one of the first things I tend to go through on any new vehicle. If I can't stop, there's no point in going.

Before going through the fluid changes, grab a fresh battery, disable the fuel and spark and do a compression test. Even though the #s will be low on a cold engine, that should give a general idea of the internals.

The rust issue is pandemic through out the 1st gen line, got somewhat better with the 2nd gens.

 

Drain the old swill if your gonna try to start it in addition too above said. Gas lasts 6 months without stabil and a year with.

As far as brakes... they just like every other used car so just take it to a brake shop if you don't know how to work on brakes.

 

if he selling both and it sounds reasonable to u get both then u have daily and a parts car....

 

I would go with the one with the best condition motor, and the least about of rust damage. Parts are easy to change, but motors and bodys are not

 

Are you looking for a project or a car you can get in a drive without much work? These cars are cheap and it's not hard to find one that runs well and is in good shape (especially here in rust-free Colorado) for not much money, even if it's 5x the price of one that needs work, we're not talking about much money.

Keep in mind, a car that needs alot of work can cost much more than the purchase price. A good used car that costs more initially can be much less expensive in the end than one that needs work to get back on the road.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something to bring back from the dead because you like a project, who cares what's wrong with it?

 

Car A is in ok condition exterior but inside would need lots of work. Panels and such due to failed speaker and stereo install,

Car B is ok inside but exterior has dings and driver side door is some reason bending the wheel well when it is opened. (possible side impact from something perhaps?)

I'm not looking for a long project car. I lack access to a garage. Looking more for something that would require a month's worth of weekends and getting it on the road.. Someone pm'd me the susgestion if this was my first rotary to wait for different car rather than digging in from the start.