New member looking at getting a 1983 RX-7
02-13-07, 07:09 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
New member looking at getting a 1983 RX-7
Hey Everyone,
I am hoping to join the RX-7 community by getting a 1983 RX-7. Checking out the car on Friday. It is silver and has a couple dents and 2 small quarter sized areas of rust. I'm looking for a fun project so I don't kill my already very fun daily driver (2005 Subaru Legacy GT). So my body work skills will get a test. I have a thing for non-standard engine layouts and a friend of mine had a 1988 RX-7 in college so figured why not get one now!
I am hoping to join the RX-7 community by getting a 1983 RX-7. Checking out the car on Friday. It is silver and has a couple dents and 2 small quarter sized areas of rust. I'm looking for a fun project so I don't kill my already very fun daily driver (2005 Subaru Legacy GT). So my body work skills will get a test. I have a thing for non-standard engine layouts and a friend of mine had a 1988 RX-7 in college so figured why not get one now!
02-13-07, 07:42 PM
#2
Newbie
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Orlando, Florida
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RangerMan, Did you get that gen1 RX-7? I am about to list a 84' RX-7 GSL-SE; 13-B fuel injected in good shape with 115k miles. It needs some paint work on the bumpers and the header panel (piece between the headlights) and a nickel size spot of rust behind the left wheel well. Other than that it's all original with no modifications and runs great. Let me know.
dddarrow3@gmail.com
dddarrow3@gmail.com
02-14-07, 07:25 AM
#4
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks! I hope to find one that works out for me as well. Friday I look at the '83. My hope is that it runs well enough to drive home...it is 50 miles from my house so that is a real concern.
A couple of my coworkers think I am crazy. I was looking at getting a classic (Pre 1970) Mustang but the prices for those are ridiculous...cheapest I found was $2k for a shell that needed body work and paint (and engine, tranny, rearend, wheels, shocks, etc. etc.) I never wanted to get the classic Mustang to build a "performance" car, I wanted one for the history, looks, style. My Subaru is already faster than most cars and it only takes a little $$$ to mod it for some decent high 12 sec type power. Or mod my wifes 2002 Mustang.
Either way my quest for a project car has never been about creating a fire-breathing monster. Even if I did a classic Mustang I was planning on just a mild 289 not going all out trying to create some 347 stroker or the like and try to have a solid 12 sec car when I could just sacrifice some reliability and streetability of my daily driver and have the same effect.
No. My goal has always been to have a car that I can resurrect. I also wanted it to be something that had a high level of fun factor...something that really made you feel more like one with the car. I also wanted to stay away from EFI and get a carb'd car so I could learn more about carburetors. Don't get me wrong, the quest for power will be there...it always is! The RX-7 looks like a perfect match for what my car goals are and learning how to make a rotary engine sing is just a plus.
A couple of my coworkers think I am crazy. I was looking at getting a classic (Pre 1970) Mustang but the prices for those are ridiculous...cheapest I found was $2k for a shell that needed body work and paint (and engine, tranny, rearend, wheels, shocks, etc. etc.) I never wanted to get the classic Mustang to build a "performance" car, I wanted one for the history, looks, style. My Subaru is already faster than most cars and it only takes a little $$$ to mod it for some decent high 12 sec type power. Or mod my wifes 2002 Mustang.
Either way my quest for a project car has never been about creating a fire-breathing monster. Even if I did a classic Mustang I was planning on just a mild 289 not going all out trying to create some 347 stroker or the like and try to have a solid 12 sec car when I could just sacrifice some reliability and streetability of my daily driver and have the same effect.
No. My goal has always been to have a car that I can resurrect. I also wanted it to be something that had a high level of fun factor...something that really made you feel more like one with the car. I also wanted to stay away from EFI and get a carb'd car so I could learn more about carburetors. Don't get me wrong, the quest for power will be there...it always is! The RX-7 looks like a perfect match for what my car goals are and learning how to make a rotary engine sing is just a plus.
02-14-07, 07:59 AM
#5
Rockin' the suburbs!
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Posts: 499
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You'll definately love driving a first gen! You really do feel pretty much one with the car.
Now power is actually a pretty simple task with a rotary engine and the stock drivetrain will handle a pretty good amount. Also the issues you have to work on on a piston car to put more power through it is rediculous. On a rotary you can gain decent power with just bolt ons.
Now power is actually a pretty simple task with a rotary engine and the stock drivetrain will handle a pretty good amount. Also the issues you have to work on on a piston car to put more power through it is rediculous. On a rotary you can gain decent power with just bolt ons.
02-14-07, 09:14 AM
#6
Assuming the 83 you are looking at is in decnet shape I would definatly go for it. These cars are a blast and also very easy to work on. And they are definatly the type of car (at lest for me) that you become one with. Once you set it up to your liking you'll love it.
Trending Topics
02-14-07, 03:20 PM
#8
Too old to act my age
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Tulsa, Ok.
Posts: 3,164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by RangerMan
Hey Everyone,
I am hoping to join the RX-7 community by getting a 1983 RX-7. Checking out the car on Friday. It is silver and has a couple dents and 2 small quarter sized areas of rust. I'm looking for a fun project so I don't kill my already very fun daily driver (2005 Subaru Legacy GT). So my body work skills will get a test. I have a thing for non-standard engine layouts and a friend of mine had a 1988 RX-7 in college so figured why not get one now!
I am hoping to join the RX-7 community by getting a 1983 RX-7. Checking out the car on Friday. It is silver and has a couple dents and 2 small quarter sized areas of rust. I'm looking for a fun project so I don't kill my already very fun daily driver (2005 Subaru Legacy GT). So my body work skills will get a test. I have a thing for non-standard engine layouts and a friend of mine had a 1988 RX-7 in college so figured why not get one now!
I'm kinda partial to the carbed version, as they are relatively simple to work on, and can be made to have a little extra power without breaking the bank.
I love driving my 83, even if it isn't the fastest thing around.
02-16-07, 04:00 PM
#10
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Unfortunately I did not buy the car. The car just wasn't worth buying. Too bad because I even got out the cash and was ready to buy.
The pictures of the car were taken with a camera phone...so what I thought was low picture quality was actually the paint. Well no real paint to speak of the roof and hood were dirty bare metal.
Windshield was cracked.
Tires were nearly flat.
Doors creaked when open likely due to a sagging frame as the hinges were fine and not rotted.
But I was still willing to look a little further in case it had a solid drive train...
Before we did anything I turned the main pulley by hand and checked the oil and coolant levels to see that the engine wasn't seized up. The only thing that WASN'T seized up was the engine. The battery was dead (I tried to jump it with my car) but the clutch cable was frozen so you couldn't depress the clutch. Couldn't jump it.
Interior had been pretty well gutted. Door panels were removed. Looked like either someone had lost the key and tried to hotwire the car or some other electrical monstrosity where there were wires and connectors running around the car and into the engine bay.
The rats nest had already been removed. Too bad it was only a 1983 and still requires an emissions inspection in my county in TX.
Did I mention that it wouldn't start, the clutch pedal wouldn't go in and the brake pedal went to the floor?
Maybe for $100 and if I had a trailer it would be a decent project to make into a dedicated race car but for my purposes it just didn't work out for me. Too bad, I thought I had found something for $700 on craigslist that ran and I was going to offer $500 and see where it went. At the end I wouldn't have wanted the car even if it was free...
I recommend that he try to part it out. He was asking $700 because that was about how much the last mechanics bill for it had been. He wasn't a mechanical guy so having a fix 'er up 'er cost him a fortune. Too bad, real nice guy and I really wanted to want to buy the car but it wasn't in the cards. I'll keep looking though!
The pictures of the car were taken with a camera phone...so what I thought was low picture quality was actually the paint. Well no real paint to speak of the roof and hood were dirty bare metal.
Windshield was cracked.
Tires were nearly flat.
Doors creaked when open likely due to a sagging frame as the hinges were fine and not rotted.
But I was still willing to look a little further in case it had a solid drive train...
Before we did anything I turned the main pulley by hand and checked the oil and coolant levels to see that the engine wasn't seized up. The only thing that WASN'T seized up was the engine. The battery was dead (I tried to jump it with my car) but the clutch cable was frozen so you couldn't depress the clutch. Couldn't jump it.
Interior had been pretty well gutted. Door panels were removed. Looked like either someone had lost the key and tried to hotwire the car or some other electrical monstrosity where there were wires and connectors running around the car and into the engine bay.
The rats nest had already been removed. Too bad it was only a 1983 and still requires an emissions inspection in my county in TX.
Did I mention that it wouldn't start, the clutch pedal wouldn't go in and the brake pedal went to the floor?
Maybe for $100 and if I had a trailer it would be a decent project to make into a dedicated race car but for my purposes it just didn't work out for me. Too bad, I thought I had found something for $700 on craigslist that ran and I was going to offer $500 and see where it went. At the end I wouldn't have wanted the car even if it was free...
I recommend that he try to part it out. He was asking $700 because that was about how much the last mechanics bill for it had been. He wasn't a mechanical guy so having a fix 'er up 'er cost him a fortune. Too bad, real nice guy and I really wanted to want to buy the car but it wasn't in the cards. I'll keep looking though!
02-16-07, 04:43 PM
#11
Rockin' the suburbs!
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Dayton, Ohio
Posts: 499
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey keep looking. Though they are getting more rare they are out there and for the most part you can get them for a good price.
We're all here for you looking and ready to give advice.
We're all here for you looking and ready to give advice.
02-16-07, 05:27 PM
#13
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Guys!
A little disapointing since the money was burning a hole in my pocket...
Worst part was he basically told me his minimum price he would take when he said, "I got the alternator and distrubtor replaced for $450"...saying he wanted at least $450. But no point getting a car that won't start and you can't drive for $500, then have to have it towed 50 miles (and your buddies suburban with the trailer gets 10mpg and it would be a 100 mile round trip) then trying to find either a rats nest or a way to make it pass emissions for one year...
A little disapointing since the money was burning a hole in my pocket...
Worst part was he basically told me his minimum price he would take when he said, "I got the alternator and distrubtor replaced for $450"...saying he wanted at least $450. But no point getting a car that won't start and you can't drive for $500, then have to have it towed 50 miles (and your buddies suburban with the trailer gets 10mpg and it would be a 100 mile round trip) then trying to find either a rats nest or a way to make it pass emissions for one year...
02-17-07, 07:41 AM
#16
Sorry you didn't get it, but there are more out there. You've posted in my project thread, so you're aware of the kind of project I'm willing to tackle, but I'm not sure I would have gotton that one you are talking about (unless it was just for the shell or or parts etc) I like to start with a complete car, and if the interior was removed, that could take quite a bit of searching about to find all the pieces to replace it, and that gets expensive.
Keep looking and you'll find something worth buying, while they are getting rarer you should still be able to find something in your price range that meets your needs. Good luck!
Keep looking and you'll find something worth buying, while they are getting rarer you should still be able to find something in your price range that meets your needs. Good luck!
02-17-07, 08:17 AM
#17
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
82transam, those were my thoughts exactly. I'll tackle a project because I want to learn to paint, etc. and not screw up a "nice car" but at the same time I don't want a money pit. The fact that it didn't start so I couldn't drive it meant that the engine, transmission and rear end conditions were unknown. The clutch cable was either frozen or worse, interior pieces were missing and the rats nest looked to have been just yanked off.
Too many black hole type areas.
As a parts car it would do okay. Had a new radiator and alternator on it. Decent doors, roll up windows and rear hatch. Front winshield was cracked.
I'll keep looking!
Too many black hole type areas.
As a parts car it would do okay. Had a new radiator and alternator on it. Decent doors, roll up windows and rear hatch. Front winshield was cracked.
I'll keep looking!
02-17-07, 11:16 AM
#18
Just for future info these cars all use a hydraulic clutch setup, so chances are all the fluid had leaked out. My first project car a few years ago was one I got from a junkyard, and while it ran poorly and was clearly owned by someone who didn't give a crap about it, everything was there (with exception of a few minor things) It took a lot of work to bring it back to life and make it look good, but I didn't have to source tons and tons of parts. Thats what you want, you'll find it!
