I'm am attempting to save a very badly neglected 83 GSL. It has sat as a garbage can out in the open for about two years. I've been doing a lot of searching/reading and the following list is the fruits of my effort as far as things I need to do before turning the key:

-a thorough cleaning inside and out
-oil change (using Castrol 20w50)
-oil filter change
-new gas
-new fuel filter
-new plugs
-new plug wires
-new disty cap and rotor
-put some ATF in the combustion chambers to lube it and clean it up
-new battery
-new air filter
-coolant change
-new thermostat
-check all belts, replace as needed

If I can get it started I'll also change all fluids (brake, clutch, power steering, tranny and differential) pronto.

Is there anything specific to Rotarys I should do or in general I've overlooked?

 

Just some more info. on the car. It belonged to a former coworker who lived near me. It basically got left out in the weather for two years and only served as a storage shed of sorts. About 4 months ago I decided to see if he'd be willing to part with it, and after a lot of waiting (I basically gave up about a month ago) he finally gave it to me. I only ended up paying about $50 to get it out of the wrecking yard it had been towed to since it was all but abandoned.

I always thought when looking at the car that it "deserved better", and now is my chance to give it just that. Just cleaning it up has done a lot, although the interior and the paint have certainly seen better days. I've always been a fan of RX-7s and rotarys, albeit vicariously, and I look forward to being an owner and a member of this board as I am on Probetalk.com

Sorry for the long winded story hour!

 

Wow man, sounds JUST like my 83 GSL also!

I wish you the best of luck with your project man. It sounds like you have it all under control for the most part. Click the picture a the bottom of my post to see my 83 GSL that I rescued from the junk yard, from the begining to the "end" . You might appreciate it coming from the same place .

~T.J.

PS - Welcome to the forum man!

 

Looks very nice! I only wish my interior had survived in as good a condition as yours. It's awful what 2 years with the sunroof cracked out in the open will do.

I'll use it as inspiration, though!

 

Haha yeah. Well what color is your interior, and what do you need. The local junk yard here by me sells stuff cheap. Maybe we can work something out .

~T.J.

 

Well, it looks like you did your homework. Welcome to the forum and good luck with the revival!

 

Hey! Well you know there is an RX-7 a lot like that I saw in the junkyard around here! The body is in great shape though! No idea about the motor... a lot of the parts have been pulled off.... no shift ****, a bunch of the hoses, probably the carb., I don't really remember. It was an 84 though I don't remember the model. I thought it might be fun to pull it out of there! Also, if the clutch is basically stuck disengaged, what does that mean? The clutch pedal is stuck down on the floor, although when I pulled it back up I could still go through the gears.

 

Probably clutch hydraulics messed up.

~T.J.

 

Yeah, your list sounds good... Just remember to make sure to turn the engine by hand before trying to get the starter to turn it. I know it sounds silly, but I've heard of people just trying to start it outright and causing some damage!

If you have any troubles, feel free to post, or message me, I'm rebuilding an 84GS as well, and could share experiences

Jon

 

Yeah!! one more post to make 100!! oh wait, I guess this is it!?

hehe, I love this forum, you guys have all been so helpful to me, and to everyone

Thanks Guys, Happy Driving (and Happy St. Patrick's day!)
Jon

 

Just curious, when standing in front of the car, which way does the engine rotate, clockwise or counterclockwise. I guess I could go look in the Haynes manual but I'm feeling lazy right now.

Jim

 

The engine rotates clockwise when looking at it from the front.

 

Welcome welcome welcome !Hope you have many happy Rx7 miles.
Take out the spark plugs first,and squirt some ATF into the rotorhousings to free things up a bit.Turn the engine slowly clockwise,(standing in front of the engine).
Listen carefully for any abnormal sounds.Leave the ATF inside for a hour or two,and then try to start.