So I had been planning on selling my car this year so I can buy my old man sports car as the RX7 is a younger mans car, and I'm not that guy anymore. I had compression test done, all the documentation, photos, and most of the videos done and I was waiting for my dashcam to arrive for the drive along video. I had forgotten to take any photos of the interior/exterior lighting so one night awhile back after dark I went out to the garage to get some photos taken and find out my tail lights don't work, and neither do my dashboard lights. First thing that came to my mind was that my RX7 that I've had for over thirty years must have figured out my intentions, and knows I can't sell a car that is in what we called in naval aviation "partial mission capable (PMC) and is down for nights ops. It's alway a 50-50 proposition when removing forty year plastic panels for troubleshooting this gripe got the column surround off ok however, the lower left dash panel was a different story. The reason I wanted to remove this panel is because years ago the dash dimmer switch died and I wired around it rather than replace it because it was impossible to reach the connector it was connected to and I didn't want to mess with the lower left panel to get at it. In hindsight is was the best decision because when I was removing it the tab on the left of the panel that the vent panel screws into broke off which then required a visit to Riggs Rotary eBay store for a replacement panel and I also bought another dimmer switch so I could fix it right this time. No voltage at either tail light or dah light connectors, battery voltage at fuse panel, fuse is good none of the wire read open so a reasonable man would suspect the combo switch at this point. The tail lights worked once during the numerous hours I spent troubleshooting and I when I armed the Viper system went out and when I tried to get the lights to work again they wouldn't. So off to a Auto stereo store to have a guy verify that there are no issues that are related to my current situation as I didn't install the system and had no schematics. He found a well installed twenty-year old system and not the problem, so home I go to ponder my next move and the next day I'm reading wires and checking everything for like the fourth time with no joy. It's hot, and miserable in the garage and I said f$%k it and went in to make a sandwich and cool-off, an hour later I go back out to the garage and the tail lights and side markers are working on my car and I'm thinking WTF? I had left the switch in the parking lights position when I went in for lunch so I turned them off and back on and they didn't work, this is where I smartened-up, I turned the the switch back on and sat done an waited. In about 3-5 minutes the lights came back on and I cycled it several times and they worked but eventually failed again. So now I know what my problem is however, I'm not crazy about buying an overpriced "used" combo switch off ebay (and there are virtually none that have the cruise-control function available. So back to Google and I find a new combination switch for the 1984-85 RX7 for $383.00 on Walmart's website supplied by Parts Geek. I knew I could probably fix my OEM switch but wanted to have a new switch on hand before I started taking the switch apart just in case, I took my OEM switch apart flushed it out, lubed it, put it back together and plugged it back in and op-checked for fifty cycles with no issues. In the final analysis $160.00 for the panel and switch, $383.00 for the combo switch, $60.00 to verify Viper installation and $25.00 to have the replacement panel dyed as there were no burgandy panels available however, all lighting systems working 4.0 and my 1985 RX7 GSL-SE in full mission capable status (FMC) priceless!

 

Thats a sweet looking 5 letter there chief. Really dig those panasports. The interior colors look spot on too.

 

Thanks tg, the best part is there not Panasports, there Rota wheels, and at a "very" affordable price, I have never spared the expense where my 5 letter is concerned however, as long as I have owned cars (almost sixty years) I've had a hard and fast rule where wheels are concerned. I won't pay more that $200 per wheel period, especially living in an area that's "pothole" central most of the year. Took me twenty years of looking to find what I believe is the best looking wheel for my car, with the correct 4 lug pattern, and offset and at a reasonable price. I failed to print the online receipt when I purchased them but they were $139.00 per-wheel which in my view was too good to pass-up, the center caps sucked but I found a guy who 3D printed a set for me that work. Don't get me wrong I have always loved the panasport rims and dreamed of a set of gloss black, polished lip wheels for my 5 letter but somewhere around $2000 a set is a deal-breaker for me. Besides the money I saved buying the Rotas gave me the money I needed to buy my MTheory rack and pinion kit.
:-)

 

I'm feeling this pain...I'm trying to work out why the pass window on my FC decided to stop working. All of the usual suspects of have been ruled out, however I feel better having looked through some of that stuff... But you're right, once it's all working that feeling is priceless.

 

This 7 is always looking good!
So what is the magical price to won this beauty?

 

My bad, thought they were panas. I have Konigs on my SA and they were very reasonably priced and I agree about wheel pricing. My tires cost more than the wheels.

 

My old-man sports car is going "no reserve" as I type this on Hagerty, kind of makes me wish I had sold her, but after having my butt kicked by my five letter, and I spent some quality time with her it became obvious she has no desire to leave. Truth be told I'm not ready to let her go either. I was coming back from audio shop the day I had the alarm system checked out and this car rolls by in the turn lane at a traffic signal and a guy sticks his out out of a back window and hollers "man, your car is sick" and gives me a big smile and thumbs-up. How do you put a price on that? My old man sports car link below.

(https://www.hagerty.com/marketplace/...880ed5adb10291)

 

Keep it! Selling will only make you regret it later.

 

To be clear, you're keeping the Rx7, right? You're in Buckeye and I'm up near Anthem. We should get together one of these days once it cools off. Misunderstood your post... Keep rotoring!

 

LongDuck, the XLR that was for sale is in Buckeye, My RX7 and I reside in Indianapolis, and yes, I'm keeping the RX7.

 

I'm glad to hear you are keeping your RX-7! Its such a beautiful car and you've had it for so long that its like part of the family. I'm not sure I could have let it go if it were mine. I've sold many of my RX-7's over the years and I really truly regret selling quite a few of them. Every time I sell a car I have to really soul search and make sure its the right decision. They become part of the family to me.

 

If I sold her I think my daily-driver would stop speaking to me. :-)

 

*shudders at the mention of PMC/FMC*

For some strange reason, I suddenly need caffeine.. great looking car! And I don't think she's quite ready to get rid of you yet!

 

You absolutely kept the right car. I have an '84 GSL that I bought new and an '08 Porsche Cayman S, which I also bought new. Despite the Cayman being like an RX-7 on steroids my RX-7 is more fun to drive.

 

Good to know iowa_hawk1, I had been looking at used Cayman S models as a possible replacement if I had sold my 7 however, what am I going to find that is nice as what I have now? I suffered a "momentary" lapse of judgement but then realized just how lucky I am with the two cars I do have. The dream of my old-man sports car (Cadillac XLR V) is just that, a dream, but it doesn't cost anything to dream, and I still have the rev-limit buzzer on my 7 to keep me company.
:-)