Hello 1st Gen Owners!

My name is Matt, and, in short, I might be suffering from Rx7-fever (of sorts).

A little about me:

I love cars, like, a lot. My current vehicle is a 1976 Datsun 280z 2-seater that I use as a daily-driver in the summer and that I'm refreshing/modifying as a project car.

However, for the last month or two as the temp has been dropping, I've been on a mad dash hunt for a winter "beater" ... my search has had me inspecting a 2nd gen Prelude, as well as an 89 Corolla SR5 ... I've also been looking for 1st gen Ford Probes (noticing a trend with the flip-up headlight thing?) ... anyway, my search has revealed a 1985 Rx-7 located not to far from where I live at a price I might be able to negotiably afford.

I've done a lot of reading in your 1st gen FAQ (Very helpful, THANK YOU!), and I've learned a lot about how rotaries work, but I guess I'm looking for the human factor now.

How realistic is it to expect a 1st gen RX-7 to be a reliable starter and runner in the cold? (in January it can stay subzero for weeks here in MN)

Has anyone ever handled one in the snow? (with or without snow tires)

Oh, before you answer that, here are the specifics of the car I want to go look at:

The chassis mileage indicates 200k+ however the engine/tranny are swapped, so their mileage is unknown, presumably a bit lower (it is however, correct as far as I am aware, 12a, 1.1L, carbied). 5-speed manual tranny.

Rust is supposedly minimal as the seller has taken a lot of time cutting out the rusty stuff and welding in new metal. The whole thing has been painted primer gray.

The seller also said he was having trouble getting it started, and he suspects that a rich condition has fouled the plugs...

What are trouble signs I should be aware of?

Oh, also, if I do a compression check, I understand that it's supposed to be in the lower sparkplug hole... what should the compression tester read?

Any other advice? Thanks in advance guys, this site rocks!

... and I hope I haven't greatly offended any purists who are amazed that I would even THINK of driving a first-gen RX7 in the snow and salt ... I know that my buddies over on the Z-forums would be.

 

Welcome to the forum and the Darkside. You will run into 2 problems driving a 1st gen RX7 in the snow. As with most of the Japanese cars of that era, rust protection is minimal at best, similiar to the early Zs. Since the body is in primer, it will rust even quicker as opposed to having a 'real' paint job.

If you've driven your Z in the snow, expect similiar handling qualities since they are are both both lightweight rear wheel drive cars. If the previous owner has done a proper job of repair and restoration, it may hold up well in the salt, but don't count on it. The last link in my sig line shows some of the work I've done on mine. Doing a proper job for long term preservation can be quite extensive.

In all honesty, 1st gen 7s don't make good winter 'beaters' if one wants to keep the car for long. Since you live in a rust belt area, you will have the same issues that your Z presents. Many members store thier 7s for the winter and enjoy them during the warm weather months.

As far as driveability during the cold months, they perform fine. I use my 2nd gen as a year 'round daily driver, but it's also FI. The 1st gen widebody also gets out occasionally during the cold weather, on nicer days. Even though the Datsun Zs outsold Mazdas 7s, the 7s are easier and and cheaper to find than the 2XX Zs. Since you have an early Z, you may also be familiar with BlackDragonAuto.com, which is one of the few suppliers that cater to both the Zs and 7s.

Check out my sig line for links to the online FSMs, carb manual and my little 'toy'.
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I live just north of you in thunder Bay, I actually like them as a winter car, mine doesnt see snow any more but the previous ones did,rust check it, plug it in and treat it good. it will start in -40 C with no problem if its pluged in, if the auto choke still works I wont be a problem at all.

 

I drove a 82 FB last winter in Chicago. It started up everytime, but rust is another story.

 

An rx7 would be my last choice for a winter car. I love the cars, don't get me wrong, but for winter use? Really there are a number of much better choices, namely anything Japanese with a front wheel drive...

Interestingly enough, the best car I've ever driven in the snow was a '80 280 ZX with 4 snow tires on it. Unbelievable handling, I used to pray for big snow storms...

 

Welcome to the world of rotaries.

If I had the cash for a second car for a winter beater, I'd definitely get one. However, funds don't allow. So, I'm forced to drive it in the snow. The only thing I can do to "help" with minimum rust accumulation is by taking it into those big DIY car wash facilities and use the power washer on the underbelly of the car thoroughly. But, with new tires, the car will do exceptionaly well in grip, due to their weight balance, even on all season tires. I've had to drive the car through the snow season twice. It goes through it like it was born in it. Providing you can drive properly. No hot ******* it and be light on the gas.

For a compression check, there is a ghetto check you can do. Here's how you do it.:
1. Disable your ignition system. This is done by removing the plug wires from your ignition coils.
2. Disable your fuel system. This is done by removing the fuse from the fuse panel marked 'Engine'.
3. You can remove either the top or bottom spark plug on the rotor housing.
4. Crank your engine over for no longer than 10 seconds to avoid wear on the starter and excessive battery drain.
5. If your engine produces 3 even puffs, compression is good. If it presents a puff, or puffs, that sound uneven compared to the rest, the apex seal is worn down beyond its limits. Rebuild time.
6. Put that spark plug back in and then repeat for the second housing.

Good luck!

 

Hey everyone,

Thanks for all of the advice!

I would like to start off by saying that I do not have my heart completely set on an RX7 as my winter vehicle... it's purely a matter of coincidence and convenience that I might be considering one. I agree that it would make more sense to be hunting for a more cliche front-wheel drive japanese car, but everyone seems to think that if something has an 'H' or 'Toyota' stamped on it then they can ask more for it... and they're right...

So as a result I've been looking at Mazdas and Fords (at least the ones that got Mazda goodies... Escort GT anyone?) ... I can't seem to find any good examples of 626's or B-series trucks, so my search led me to RX7's ... and there are a surprising number of first-gens for sale up here. I've found at least 4 examples for sale for less than $1k.

As a Z-owner I am familiar with Black-Dragon auto (they're not my favorite, but they're ok for Z parts), I was unaware they had an RX7 catalog, but I guess now I'll have to check that out.

Also, I think it's sort of funny that a 280zx worked out for you as a winter car! (Kentetsu) If I could find one that would probably be my first choice... seeing as I can pretty much work on the L-28 engine in my sleep... but finding 'beater' Z's for sale up here is sort of rare. The only 2nd-gen Z I know of for sale is one of those gold anniversary ones, and that would just be criminal.

Actually I have another question... the rotary engine in this car has ... two rotors... right? ... So that means 4 sparkplugs? ...

Thanks for the continued help everyone.

 

Yes. 4 spark plugs. 2 per rotor housing. One is leading (bottom), the other is trailing (top).

Check the FSM in Trochoid's signature for all other answers.

 

Yes. unfortunatly I'm also forced to drive my 7 in the winter, but it was winter drive before by the previous owner, so I'm not to worried about it, just gotta be light on the gas. You can also find a cheap geo, or something like that, they make great winter beaters, plus if you ever get stuck, just call a buddy and carry it out of the snow...

 

Fwiw, I have an 84 300ZX for sale that was stripped down nearly as far as the widebody for restoration. It's nearly finished with new paint and interior.

 

If i had no concern with rust, i would drive my 7 all through winter. It never has "broke down" on me in the time that i've owned it.

 

Welcome Matt

 

if you want a great winter beater, look around for a late eighties/early 90's mazda 323/protege. Front wheel drive, great handling, and you should be able to find one in rough shape for under a grand. My buddy bought one that ran for 500 bucks. The blown shock on the right rear makes it really fun for drifting, twitch the car right to load up the left shock, then hard turn left to spring unload the left side and presto...you look like you are driving FormulaD (all the sideways minus the smoke)