What to watch out for when buying?
 

I'm going to look at a '84 1.1L on Sunday. What should I look out for? What are the common problems with these cars? It's got 105k miles on it and it's a 5 speed, that's about all I know at the moment, and I haven't seen it in person yet.

Thanks!

Jeremy

1. Bin Rust - The area behind the upper part of the rear tire. Taking to storage bins our from behind the seats can reveal the area. It likes to rust in this area.

2. High idle - Some people set the idle high to compensate for low compression. If it will only stay running with the idle high, it COULD be a compression issue.

3. Check the area around the oil metering pump (OMP) for signs of leaking. A leak in this area means the engine is not getting the oil it needs.

4. Over heating - Over heating a rotary is not a good thing. Check for white smoke in the exhaust, or a sweet smell in the exhaust. or small bubbles in the radiator. These can be signs of internal water seal damage or water oil ring damage on the intake manifold.

1. He said it has a little rust, I'll be sure to check this area.

2. Just in case this thing doesn't have the emissions label under the hood, what is the idle supposed to be?

He claims he drives it 80 miles a day, and if that's true then I'd guess that mechanically it's in decent shape.


Thanks,

Jeremy

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/other-what-look-when-buying-just-after-you-purchased-your-rx-7-a-601804/

Copy and paste the link in my signature to download a copy of your year FSM to obtain all technical information such as idle, etc..

Does it have a rotary in it? That's what I look for in an RX.

Pull one of the spark plugs, disconnect the ignition and crank the motor. You should hear 3 even puffs for each rotor. This will let you know if it has decent compression.

Check all steering linkage for free play. There is by design some free play in the steering wheel. That's just the nature of the reciculating ball steering box, but too much could indicate worn steering gear, tie rods and/or idler arm bushings.

Bring a jack or ramps with you, and lift the car and crawl underneath to check the underbody.

Check the hatch area for rust. The hatch drains tend to clog easily with dirt and leaves and whatnot, which causes water to build up around the edge. If it's got a sunroof the same thing can happen up there.

One way to check for major body repairs is to look at the welds at each side of the car. If it's a clean spot weld then it's most likely factory, but if it's just a puddle of a weld then it's been repaired. Bring a magnet if you have one to check for bondo.