Hello RX7C, I'm currently looking into possibly purchasing a 88' RX7 and was wondering what parts would guys suggest I have on hand before I go all in. I already have sorta searched around and figured that since I'm dealing with a rotary, and specifically the RX7 that I would likely need to stock up on Premix, maybe invest in an air fuel gauge, and etc. But I was wondering if there's anything else I should be looking to stock up on or have when it comes to maintaining and driving a 2nd Gen FC. Thank you for any and all help. Also if there's anything I should know (because admittedly this is my first car) please don't be afraid to offer any advice or guidance. Any information about the 2nd Gen or Driving it is more than useful to me.

 

Remember this is a 35+ year old car first and foremost. Any car this old will require lots of maintenance. Download the factory service manual. Pickup a haynes manual. Have a good set of tools and somewhere to work on it.
Be sure to do all the basics like belts, fluids, and give everything a once over. Look for signs of previous owner misuse or neglect. There's a good chance that some of the electronics have failed or will fail in the future. Mazda did a poor job with soldering so don't be surprised if windows or blower motors don't want to work.

All said, you're in for a tinker project, not a great daily driver. I say this not to scare you, but to encourage you to have the right mindset owning the car, because it will frustrate you.

You do not need premix if the oil metering pump is still functioning.

 

Find one that has an original engine bay and lived in a garage.

 

i would hold off on buying anything until you actually have the car. since its so old, and these cars are all suspect maintenance wise, you just don't know what its going to need.

 

It depends what condition the car you're planning on getting is in. Stock? Modded? Not running? etc...
If you're on this forum then you're probably expecting to be working on it some, so you can just start with having regular tools and a workspace. Once you have the car, assess what's needed and go from there.

From my experience it's inevitable that you'll have something that needs to be fixed and you'll have to order it online; leaving you with some downtime. It's also very easy to fall down rabbit holes of 'while I'm fixing this, what else can I fix'. Leaving you with more downtime.

All previous replies above are good advice.

 

you might want to scour the junkyards near you for parts or a donor car for the condition most of them are in.

 

yea the guy im asking for the car has mentioned that its completely stock and drives and runs. So when it comes to the engine and anything it entails, I can def say its stock from the looks of it. Now to say its lived in a garage is a bit of a weird bag. Since the family that owns it not just took good car of it, it seems, but still enjoys the car occasionally.

 

Yea luckily or rather unuckily, depending on how you view it. As of right now i have no real means to pull the trigger, I honestly just want to make sure that when i do pull it I'm not completely left on the shoulder of the road if you know what i mean

 

Yea i am actually. I mean its a car from 1988, its 20 years my senior AND has the benefit of being stock, so of course im def expecting work, I just dont want to buy the car and within the next month have to pay someone 2K because i failed to have the foresight to buy a part. Especially like you mentioned, If im going to fix it i also want to make sure that i also fix other things while im at it, Someone had mentioned junk yards and Ik that while my state doesnt have many running FC's we do have alot of cars being parted out so im trying to make sure that I have the knowledge of "Okay this is more than likely to go, so let me have this on hand just incase." Its my first car so i may be a bit paranoid asking this question lol

 

Some items that should be replaced because of age are rubber gas lines at the tank, brake hoses, vacuum lines, etc. Also general maintenance like all fluids, brakes, brake master, clutch master and slave, etc. If you don't know for sure things have been done, replace it. You would be surprised that after getting an old car going again, things start breaking.

 

Thank you So much. Yea like i said they said they took care of it, and of course i try to see the good in people, but i also remeber the wise words of House : "Everybody Lies". Id like to be safe than sorry. Would you suggest i go out and get these parts from donor cars or buy brand new ones? Also not sure if it makes a difference but the model im looking at is an Automatic SE variant of the RX-7

 

Rubber bits are wear items, get them new, especially fluid lines. Has the car been driven regularly recently? You can put a brick on the brake pedal and let it sit overnight, if the pedal is on the floor in the morning you'll know there's a leak before you really need to stop. Did you get the car? It's worth looking at a few cars before deciding

 

Never put a unknown to you used brake or clutch reservoir on your car unless you rebuild it first. Easier to get new.

Automatic rotaries are not fun. I owned one and converted it to a manual.

 

I bought my 88 GXL off the showroom floor! After 35 years trying to use this car as my daily driver it is time for a restore!

It has had the engine replaced which seized up five years ago. Finally found a replacement and I spent August removing the engine!


My goal is to be able to throw a suitcase in the back and drive across the US and now worry about my car!

Where do you want to start? Pick any system to rebuild and it will need work after 35 years!

My latest surprise was that the frame where you need to put the jack stands has rotted from the inside! The car was undercoated from the factory! It looks pretty good from the surface! Collapsed when I put the weight of the car on them. Almost crushed the four lines that run along one side!

This car is my pastime pursuit. It purpose is to be interesting to work on and keep running!

I'm happy that there are forums like this one and parts to be had. Let's enjoy the ride together.

If this car is stock and still drives on the road it is unusual. Be prepared for anything to happen.