I found a 1985 rx7 fb with a widebody kit that he's offering for 4 grand. The problem is, the interior is trashed, the car doesn't even run, the carb needs to be cleaned, it needs new spark plugs, the fuel tank needs to be moved, the radiator fan is missing, and the headlight's motor has to be fixed.

Minor things, but they add up.
As someone that's new to the rotary domain, how much should I be paying for it?

The good things it does have
-fresh 12a turbo motor
-widebody
-most of the parts (minus the carb repair kit)
-widebody
I only want to pay four grand on this car to get it running, and I don't mind postponing the interior work for when I have more cash. Also, I'm a fifteen year old high school student.

Additionally, could you give me an idea of things that often go wrong with this car? I know people say the engine is unreliable, but I've always presumed that was because of lack of maintenance.
Thanks in advance!

 

I wouldn't pay 4 grand for a car that doesn't run if I was 15....

Espcially a sports car.

get a little 2 door FWD car and wrap it around a tree.



OR find a non-running 7 that someone doesn't think its worth its weight in gold because it has a fiberglass body kit covering the rust holes.

You should be able to locate a 7 for less than 1000 VERY easly.

EDIT: I picked up mine for $1000 (it kinda somehow ran) with and NICE paint and an extra engine/trans two extra carbs and (other than the hood) not much rust.

 

Man, I picked up a non-running RX7 in VERY nice shape for $500 a couple months ago. You can definitely find better deals.

 

i can see where it would be easy to think so, but ....

 

I got mine for 1500 running, but the carb needed to be tuned. You can find a very nice one for 4 grand.

 

Four grand sounds about right for that if it was perfect inside & out , ready to tag & run, never turn a wrench.
Sounds like this guy is trying to get in your pocket big time.

 

sounds like a great project for father and son bonding.....but you say "a fresh turbo 12a engine (that isn't running)", "a carb with most the parts".....find carb parts for a +20 y o japanese sports (priceless)., "fiberglass widebody on a possibly rust bucket of a +20 y o car(like wow!)", and "the interior is trashed(?)"

 

Thanks for all the tips guys! Good thing I checked with you. I was going to haggle him down to 3000, but now that just feels stupid.

Just to clarify some things, the engine is still running fine, but the carb. is gummed up, and that's what's preventing me from driving it. I'm a little suspicious because there are a lot of little things that he could fix himself to raise the price (radiator fan, fixing the carb.)

And when I say the interior is trashed, I mean it's completely stripped of everything but the seats, the pedals, and the dash. The main column has the a/c controls hanging out of it.

 

On my craigslist right now are 2 running, inspected, and tagged fb's. Seemingly well cared for and unmolested. Asking prices are about $2200.00, which with haggling and ready cash are of course somewhat less.

 

I paid only a little more than $1,000 for mine upon purchase and it had 77,xxx miles on it, the 12a ran perfectly, interior was (and still is) mint, paint was almost flawless, and it made it into the RX7Club 2012 calendar the first time I took pictures of the car. Deals are out there, you just have to be patient and wait for them or know what you're looking for and purchasing.

 

While the idea that a stock first gen can be picked up for 1-2K is nice this car is obviously not stock. Without pics there is no way that anyone can tell you if the car is worth 4K or not. That being said the argument that because it has a widebody kit on it that means that the car is a rust is ridiculous.

Anyone came into my garage and told me that my car was a rust bucket because it has a widebody on it would not be asked to come over to my house again... or if at a meet I prob wouldn't be talking to them anymore....

Post some pics up for us and we can help you decide if it is worth it or not

 

Personally, I would spend up to $5-7 grand to get a mint FB. That would include fresh(er) tires, suspension, tranny, clutch in xlnt condition, good exhaust with no leaks, cleaned or new fuel tank/lines and radiator, interior xlnt with little or no wear damage. Fresh weather seals and a clean engine bay (actually cleaned, not just "oh thats pretty good for 30 years old").

All the FB's I've owned have been $2400-$3200 price range, all fully operation and in good-to-excellent condition. DEFINITELY running.

I strongly suggest NOT buying a car that doesn't run. You have NO idea what its condition is. You can't hear the exhaust, smell how rich its running, see how strong the engine pulls, you're going exclusively off of this guy's word. And his word is trying to sell a headache of a project that he obviously has given up on (for whatever reason - not blaming just saying).

Personally - I say get a cheaper, more stock RX7 and do the things it needs most - new weather seals, tires, suspension bushings, air filter, spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, maybe new radiator and gas tank and lines, etc. This will get you accustomed to working on the car, inside and out, you'll learn where its strong points and weak points are, then as you become more familiar witht he car you can get a much more educated perspective on where you want to go with the project. You have lots of options. Stock, ported, 12a, 13b, turbo, non turbo, carb, fuel injection, etc.

There's lots of work to be done even on a bone stock base model 12a. These cars are 30-35 years old, and as fun as it is to beef up the engines everything else still needs the same attention.

Good luck hunting! Regularly check craigslist, and don't hesitate to post a "Wanted" ad in the regional forums for your area here on RX7club. That's how I found my current gem

~Geoff

 

I guess for the mechanicly inclined it is. But for the ordianry population; no I guess you can't go and find a 7 for less than a grand.


Two 7's poped up locally around here that needed small amounts of work recently for $600 & one for $800. One needed the carb cleaned thats all (I know cause I pulled it apart in the junk yard when it didn't sell). And the other I haven't seen, in person , re-posted or in the junk yard.





EDIT: oh and to answer the original question "what problems should I expect" It all depends on how much you pay for the vehical vs how much its worth. If it looks too good to be true. IT IS. If its 4k for a first gen... it might be worth it.

And I'll get my head bit off for this, but I've never had any issues out of the non-rotor parts of an RX-7. Seems like the rotors are the major design flaw. Once you get over that your good to go and its rock solid.


EDIT 2: oh and I wasn't making a crack against wide bodies. I was just saying if I was gonna try to sell a rusty car; a wide body will cover a crapton of rusty parts. Perfect way to hide it.

 

Honestly though what 30 year old car needs "small" amounts of work?

I have yet to meet an FB that was totally ship shape - some even after much work has been put in!!! They are all gonna take a chunk of change to get into shape.

The way I look at it is: cheap up front because you have to do all the little things (plus labor) to get it up to the level of a 2000's era clean used car. Only the diff is, when you're "done" (haha yah right) with it your car will be brand spanking new, where the $8k 2000's era car is still used and could probably use the same amount of work.

 

I'll never be done

There'll always be more power needed or Al to polish.... And I'll always want more engine parts (just in case).

And when you get close to the end then you want another. Ahhh the tragedy!!!

 

as stated, i only had one issue with the part of your response that i quoted: the "VERY"-part. to take your statement at face value it would seem that these cars are the rule, not the exception - that's all.

i have a fairly small list of compulsions, but Gen I cars is on that list and that means, by compulsion, i will oftentimes look for them even though i have no business doing so. maybe i just look in the wrong places (i admit that that may be the issue), but the cars that do find for less than $1000 that i wouldn't have to spend at least another $500 to $1500 to transport home are VERY few and VERY far between ... and i am quite mechanically inclined. i'm not sure if you're taking location into account because that can easily double (or more) the price of a car if you're not fortunate enough to own a truck and trailer.

 

so true. so true.

 

Here are some pictures:
BODY
http://images.craigslist.org/3k33M33...d5e96f1f34.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3E33Ga3...bef48714d8.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3Mc3Ja3...750eb41f3f.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3E23F13...186f0e19cb.jpg
UNDER THE HOOD
http://images.craigslist.org/3Fa3Jb3...1e1a321ba6.jpg

 

I posted farther down on this thread but here:
BODY
http://images.craigslist.org/3k33M33...d5e96f1f34.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3E33Ga3...bef48714d8.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3Mc3Ja3...750eb41f3f.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/3E23F13...186f0e19cb.jpg
UNDER THE HOOD
http://images.craigslist.org/3Fa3Jb3...1e1a321ba6.jpg

 

Pretty sharp -

 

Dude that car is sick. The widebody alone installed is worth more than half that price and a turbo kit for that car is also worth a lot. Who cares about interior IMO these interiors are kinda lame anyways. Plus it looks like about 2k in wheels there. Just my thoughts. I paid $2400 for mine with a fresh street ported 12A and RB Holley and exhaust. My paint and interior are pretty jacked too. Sports car is not about how pretty interior it's about how fast do it move

 

I'm paying $4k for the new SA I'm buying . I find that a lot of JDM enthusiasts are cheapskates. The person I'm getting it from put almost 10k into the build so I can only feel lucky to be paying 4

 

sure looks sharp! what a pretty car!! but what does the undercarriage look like on a car lift??

more dollars than sense is an unstable state. people either lose dollars, or they gain sense.

 

Not to start a flame war or anything but I follow a very different methodology.

I would much prefer to have a cheaper, decent shape car with fresh motor and solid, clean straight body and interior, than a shiney pile of parts worth $15k, at least looking back to when I was 15.

I think the FB interiors are gorgeous, and feel a sports car is about the driving experience including aesthetic and comfort, not merely peak horsepower alone.

A car with better low end torque and powerband, tasteful suspension upgrades, and a good driver WILL out perform a car with significantly greater peak HP with an average driver as soon as you hit that first corner. Long straight stretches? Sure, wind them turbos up. Anything else? Enjoy the turbo spool lag!

I suppose for OP - it's entirely up to you bro. The car requires an unknown amount of money to finish. If its something you want to take on then give 'er.

Personally I would avoid a sitch like that until you've built a turbo setup yourself, tuned it successfully, and understand the basics of a turbo rotary setup.

If it doesn't intimidate you, that's a dern good deal for that shiney pile of parts!!

-Geoff

 

The car is surprisingly (based on the other people's views on wide bodies) rust free!

From what I could tell, the car doesn't need too much work done on it that would require money. Most of the work needed is more time consuming and difficult then expensive. Although I'm not very experienced mechanically, I've got many connections with older and experienced guys with shops.