hows it going everybody? Im new to rx7s and thinking about getting one.
Ive been looking for something a little more fun than my 91 626, and ive always liked the idea of a rotary engine. my friends dad is looking to sell his 83.
i went and looked at it today, and here is what i found:
1983 Mazda RX7 GSL
78,000 Miles on the Odometer
--Good:
no rust anywhere on the car
Paint is in good shape
Interior is in good shape
New alternator, cap, rotor, plugs, and wires
It has never been driven in the winter, and it shows.
--Bad:
Fuel gauge does not work
Driver side power window does not go down.
It has a small oil leak while running
The owner brought it to a non-rotary mechanic who said it needed a new rear main seal as well as internal seals.

After being jumped, the car started up right away. we waited a few minutes then turned off the choke, and it idled very smoothly.
Price: $2000

I want to know what you guys think. Is there anything i should look for in this age of a rex?
Also, does anyone know how i can find a rotary mechanic to look it over?
Any input would be appreciated!!

 

Depending on the condition of the motor that could be a little high on the price but not much, sounds like a fun ride. If it has good power and does not smoke like crazy the internal seals could be fine. 12As will go and go with nothing more than simple maintenance. Good Luck with it

 

Where is the oil leaking from when its running?

 

as far as i can tell, the oil comes from the rear of the engine.
one more thing:
all the fluids in the car have been changed in the past year

 

Well if you DO buy it make him come down on the price a bit.....then once you get it...REPLACE ALL THE FLUIDS AGAIN!!!!! lol......always keep these engines properly maintaned!

 

I say just buy it and then realize what you got yourself into like the rest of us.

 

are u saying that theses cars have tons of problems?
if purchased, the goal for this car would be a fun daily driver. (that hopefully has a little bit of get up and go)

 

Welcome to the forum. ^yes and no. The engines are amazing and reliable when maintained properly. My bud has drove his 7 the past 4 years as a daily driver and goes to redline about ten times a day. He takes care of it! I think NG is saying you'll will get hooked and that when you get it, it can become a money pit. If theres a problem, which I dont have a lot, I would say a sign of age. I got a 83 mazda rx7 also in almost mint condition for 1,800. He wanted 3k for it. There's a oil leak on mine that is a dowel pin leak where oil leaks between the rotor housings. Sooner or later from this I will need a rebuild. Thats how I got him to bring it down, because it will need a rebuild later. Check out the faq page, archives and use the search button as much as possible. These will help you and us out often. If you get it, you must post pics.. a rule . God bless

 

Hey here is a head up for you on the CURE for that dowel pin leak WITHOUT doing a rebuild. Use LUCAS OIL STABILAZER on your next 3 oil changes consecutively. Your dowel pin leak will slow down tremendously and eventually go away. Mine did I love that stuff!

 

^Ya, I know about that man, thanks. Next oil change I do, which will be soon, I'll put a full quart of that lucas stabilizer in, then the other oil. probably do an oil change within the next 2 weeks.

 

If it has that low of mileage and the paint, body, and interior are clean then $2000.00 is a great price.

As long as the engine has good compression, go for it!

 

This car is definately a fun DD. Just be sure to check the fluids and redline it atleast once an outing to keep the compression up.

 

i would check to see where the oil leak is from, the O rings on the oil filter pedistal are a common place for leaks, and a faily simple fix. but your looking at a rebuild if its something other than the pedistal. so you should definitely get the price down some then.

 

Post pics. That will give us a better idea of the overall condiition. Since you're in the rust belt, go over the body with a fine toothed comb. Jack up the rear end, remove the wheels and check the inside of the wheel wells for rust, along with the underbody, under the battery tray and pull the storage bins. If any is found in the wheel well area, that's a bargaining chip.

Find out exactly where the oil leak is. If it is a dowel pin leak, go 500 lower. Only way to permantly fix a dowel pin leak is a rebuild. If the rear main seal is bad enough, budget for a new clutch.

Window is not a problem, the mechinism and track may simply need lubed or the switch contacts cleaned.

As far as being a problematic car, it's 24 years old, yes, it will have issues and needed repairs just like any other car that old. As long as the engine and mechanicals have been maintained, it will be no worse than any other 83.

If you need someone to look it over with you, post in your regional forum and see if somone will volunteer to come along.

While all of the fluids have been changed within the past year, oil and filter should be changed every 3 monthe/3k miles.

Welcome to the forum and the Darkside, hopefully. In my sig line is a link to the online FSMs, carb manual, etc.. Read and download whatever you need.

 

Sounds like a good deal to me, especially a MN car not driven in snow with low mileage. The few minor problems you have are easily dealt with, either by a good mechanic or DIY. For example, the door panel is easy to remove and you can easily check and/or repair the motor and mechanism. If you really need a new one you can get it cheap at a local Pick n Pull or in the classified forum on this BBS. I might even send the spare I've had kicking around in the bin ever since i had a false alarm a couple years ago before I found how easy the power window is to repair.

Almost any problem you might have has been solved many times by this BBS. Most of us 7 owners are cheap and enthusiastic, so you'll get the right answers promptly. You'll probably also find guys near you who can help: I know there are several in MN.

Change all your fluids and use good stuff like Redline MTF in the transmission, Redline gear lube with LSD additive in the diff, etc. Check the brake pads.

Rotary engines should never be allowed to overheat, but sometimes it happens, and you AT LEAST fry the 4 ORings in the oil pedestal and possibly the 2 ORings in the intake manifold. You can tell if this has happened because when you start it up in the morning it will emit a cloud of white coolant smoke from the tailpipe. Also, the coolant will start disappearing, like a half cup a week. Preventative maintenance is to replace the goofy double-bend 5/8 heater tube that goes from the firewall to the oil pedestal. Best to get the custom bent one from mazdatrix.com (an excellent outfit) for $42. Some guys have found hoses that are almost right at the autostore, and I've actually fitted a standard piece of 5/8 heater hose off the shelf, but it's tricky. Also, you may need a new radiator soon, best not to wait. they're only about $120 delivered to your door from radiators.com or rockauto.com, and takes about an hour of easy work to replace. I've replaced all the radiators on my 4 rotarys now, even the 83k 85GSL. I always install a $6 Prestone Flushkit plastic tee from the autostore in the lower heater hose where it comes out of the radiator on the passenger side: makes draining, flushing, etc., easier.

 

Get us some pix!

Actually, $2000 sounds good for that car. I've contemplated more for low mileage 7s I've looked at. My 85GSL was a steal at $1700 (49k on the odo) and I couldn't pass it up. The owner was looking for a new home for the car and figured I'd provide it when he saw my 83GS. Now, after performing some deferred maintenance and using it as a DD for 3 years I'd be willing to sell it for $2000, but no less, for sure.

Any 20+ year old car is going to require some maintenance expenses, but they are pretty low as you approach 100k. Everything on the 7 except the engine is traditional established art and technology. Any mechanic can fix brakes, clutch, radiator, wiring, etc. Only the engine internals are peculiar, and the engine oughta last 300k if properly taken care of.

 

well, im pretty good with a wrench myself. however i have no experience with rotary engines. i can figure out if the rest of the car is good, i just want to figure out if the engine will need enough work to be a deal breaker.
if the engine needed work and i still bought the car, i would be the one putting in the wrench time.