Hi, all, I'm new to the site but love all the information, ideas and opinions.

I'm (finally) going to be restoring a 1983 RX-7 ("S") that, once upon a time, had been lovingly, even somewhat obsessively, maintained. But in the past several years it has not been used (not even started - ugh!), stored outside, etc. (long story on all fronts). It kills me. In short, this will be a project.

Anyway, this car deserves to be on the road again. So, I'm looking for general advice, thoughts, suggestions, cautions, even your own experiences on what to expect and be aware of.

Is this car on the road by next spring? What am I looking at in terms of work? How much $ should I plan on "investing" in this ordeal?

A few details: car has only about 130K miles on it; new (actually rebuilt) cat converter; it's on its 3rd clutch not too many miles ago; oil, plugs, filters had been changed sooner than necessary (in the former life). Body is in okay shape at this point but definitely needs some spot work (and rust seems to be sprouting in a few select spots), needs stripping and new paint, etc. But I expect the real problems are in the engine: what should I expect? Where would you start? I shudder to think about the crud that might have built up. Finally, the interior has faded and has its fair share of charming imperfections, but those are superficial for now.

Finally, who/where in the NYC/Westchester NY area would you entrust this project to?

Thanks so much in advance - hope to see you on the road (again) in the spring!

- DougS

 

If its been sitting without being started for that long I would definately NOT try turning her over...do a search for ATF trick...try it first with MMO to see if that will get her going...make sure you disconnect the cats when doing it...

For rust, check the storage bins for rust...thats the most common for cars in this region.

If its stored outside make sure you check the engine bay for nests of anykind...when I got my car it had rats nests all inside the exhaust and engine bay.

 

 

If you are looking to restore, go to www.victoriabrittish.com. They have free catalogs and a lot of small hard to find parts, full suspension, interior, and weather stripping.....MUCH cheaper then Mazda dealer.

Good luck

 

On an engine that has been sitting for that long, you need to first drain and change all fluids: coolant, oil, gas, brake, clutch, everthing. Change filters while your at it.

You may want to pull the carb, and rebuild it, as I'm sure its got alot of gum in it by now. Perhaps just clean it as best you can with some carb cleaner. At little ATF (a capful in each rotor) can be helpful to build compression for when you start it. Unless the engine was bad when it was stored, it should be able to start.

Check and replace failing rubber parts like the vacuum hoses, fuel lines, heater and radiator hoses as needed. Get new spark plugs, and wires.

If the engine is toast (bad compression), and the full ATF treatment (do a search) doesn't help, it may require a rebuild, which at minimum will run you $500.

Good luck with your new project.