Bdland

Hi all,

I recently purchased a completely bone stock 1 owner 1985 rx7 12a auto that was sitting in a field for almost 20 years. I was originally planning on using it as a parts car for my 81 but something very unexpected happened while I was digging around after I got the car.

I tried cranking the engine after putting in a battery, and it turned over. Sounded healthy and it wasn’t cranking slow either. I messed with it a little more, (drained and filled with fresh gas, new fuel pump because I knew the old one wasn’t working, freed up the butterfly valves and throttle linkages because they were seized) and I ended up getting it to start for about 2 seconds off of starting fluid. After messing with it more I can’t get it to run off its own fuel (new gas and pump, flushed fuel lines). I believe it’s flooding, but I don’t really know much about the Nikki carb since my other 7 has had a dellorto since I got it. I’m pretty sure the carb still has the factory settings and adjustments but I might’ve accidentally messed with something while getting the throttle unstuck.

Now I’m left with a difficult decision, here are the options as I see it.

Get the car running/driving and sell as is
Sell the whole car right now to my parts guy
Take the parts I want and part out the rest myself

Thoughts?

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

Well first off check the bin rust. Cars sitting in fields tend to be rust-tastic so even if you get it running it might not be streetable.

That said, if I was a betting man I'd say the carb is just gummed up with old gas. I bet if it was rebuilt you'd probably get it running. My car had been sitting in a driveway under a tarp for 5yrs when I got it and the carb *definitely* needed its rebuild.

Pop a new fuel filter on there and use the FSM procedure to make sure you're getting enough fuel flow up at the carb. The fact that it runs on starting fluid means that your ignition is working, and if you're getting enough fuel at the carb then you're probably just a rebuild away from running. There's a "Carb Manual" on foxed.ca that helps a LOT. Make sure not to adjust the floats. They're set properly at the factory and once you mess with them it's damn near impossible to get them right again. Use the stock needles and seats since the ones in the rebuild kits are notorious for being shitty and sticking.

Then its up to you at that point. At a bare minimum you can demonstrate a running engine so it'll be worth a bunch even as a parts car since the buyer can see that the engine, ignition, and fuel delivery system are all in good shape. Running cars are getting harder to find. If the car is salvageable, it would be a shame for it to just be parted out, though it IS an auto...

Jon

GtiKyle

iTrader: (5)

I second this sentiment. Ultimately it's up to you how much you want to invest in it to get it ready to sell, but I think it's pretty tragic how few of these cars i see running anymore. I see certain salvagers on the facebook groups ripping apart running cars for profit and it makes me a little sad. Hopefully someone can find good use of a mostly complete car.

Bdland

I have to agree that it would be sad to see it parted out. This car really does have everything, and it’s actually in very good condition for a car that sat outside so long. There is no mold in the interior, almost all of the electronics work, and there was only one small mouse nest in the interior.

While going through the glove box, I found service records and all of the booklets and manuals that came with the car, as well as some receipts that showed the car got some sort of ppf and chassis coating in the 80s.

The exterior paint is still shiny in a lot of places and the underside of the car is surprisingly clean. Almost cleaner than my 81 that was garage kept.

That said, yes, it is unfortunately auto, and it’s also a gs, so it is definitely a less desirable car in that sense. I would also have to go through the process of getting an abandoned vehicle title if I wanted to drive this thing.






I’ll try to keep you guys updated with the car and what progress I make with it.

Toruki

One take on it being automatic is that the slush box doesn't stress the engine as much as a manual, so maybe the 12A has had an easy life so far?

And you're right, the interior is pretty good! Lots of folks have had good luck recoloring the plastic with the SEM dyes and such.

VA RX7

I second this, all of the engines that I have seen out of auto cars seem to have higher compression and run better than manuals with similar miles.

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

I noticed this a long time ago. It only makes sense as the majority of auto's were sold new to older and / or female owners who drove less aggressively. But even if one was driven hard, the shift points are so low they didn't see much high RPM running.

Bdland

I have good news! I was doing some searching this week and got a few more ideas of how I could troubleshoot my situation, and I ended up unbolting my exhaust after the reactor. The car started and ran for roughly ten seconds on its own! It still sputtered out and died but this is a step in the right direction.

Now that the engine can actually breathe, it’s running super lean. Before I take the carb out and rebuild it I want to mess with it a little more, I’ll test the fuel pressure and make sure the check valve isn’t clogged.