New RX-7 owner, what to look for?
07-20-08, 11:48 AM
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New RX-7 owner, what to look for?
I am in the process of getting an 83 RX-7. The car has been sitting for about a year and a half but it has been moved around the lot periodically. All I really know about it is that its a 12a with a 5 speed, brown with one mismatched blue fender and it needs paint and the interior cleaned out badly. Any advice on what to check out on this thing before I put it back on the road aside from the obvious? I own a full service auto repair shop so it will get a full on inspection, just wondering if there are any normal trouble spots to look out for. thanks for the info 
07-20-08, 01:46 PM
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under the rear bins, check for rust. Also check the drivers seat pan and the rear suspension pickup points. These are the most common places for rust to form, and if the rear suspension mounts are rusted, it's gonna take alot of time to replace them. The carb will probably need to be rebuilt, and if a stabilizer wasn't put in the tank, a full system cleanout is in order, but you probably already knew that. The tanks tend to rust on these cars, so you may have to keep on replacing the fuel filter until you get all the loose flakes out of the tank.
As far as maintenance, i'd suggest that the first thing you do is drain your coolant and look for rust. the coolant tends to eat the metal around the coolant seals in the older engines if it's left in the system for too long. Normally you want to change your coolant every year so the engine doesn't get damaged. After that, i'd change all the fluids with a good quality motor oil. Some people are anti-synthetic, some people are pro-synthetic, the debate being because of the motor having to burn the oil. Personally I run Royal Purple in the engine, trans, and rear end. I noticed a huge drop in trans temperature after switching from Valvoline semi-synth to Royal Purple on my old 7 with a stripped interior. Cap and rotor are a must, as are spark plugs (NGK BR8EQ14 (stock) or NGK BR9EQ14 (hotter heat range, help combat fouling), DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT NGK's) and plug wires. A new fuel pump may help performance, as the stocker is barely adequate when new. Run a can of SeaFoam through 1/8 of a tank and run the **** out of the car until it's almost dry, and then fill up with a can of SeaFoam and drive it. The SeaFoam will clean out your engine and help it run better.
As far as maintenance, i'd suggest that the first thing you do is drain your coolant and look for rust. the coolant tends to eat the metal around the coolant seals in the older engines if it's left in the system for too long. Normally you want to change your coolant every year so the engine doesn't get damaged. After that, i'd change all the fluids with a good quality motor oil. Some people are anti-synthetic, some people are pro-synthetic, the debate being because of the motor having to burn the oil. Personally I run Royal Purple in the engine, trans, and rear end. I noticed a huge drop in trans temperature after switching from Valvoline semi-synth to Royal Purple on my old 7 with a stripped interior. Cap and rotor are a must, as are spark plugs (NGK BR8EQ14 (stock) or NGK BR9EQ14 (hotter heat range, help combat fouling), DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT NGK's) and plug wires. A new fuel pump may help performance, as the stocker is barely adequate when new. Run a can of SeaFoam through 1/8 of a tank and run the **** out of the car until it's almost dry, and then fill up with a can of SeaFoam and drive it. The SeaFoam will clean out your engine and help it run better.
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