idrivearx7

so i finally got to drive my rx7 yesterday. i hadn't driven it because i didnt have tabs because the guy lost the title but i finally got him to get me an affidavit. so while we were at the DOL he says, "ya it was drivin funny and i took it to a shop and they said they apex seals are blown." WTF. then he says... "did you find out why it was overheating?" oh, and i found out, it has a gnar coolant leak. also the interior looks like crap. the shifter needs a bushing bad. when i put the pedal to the floor it jumps alot. and the rpm gauge is off? it doesnt register at idle speed, and the redline buzzer comes on at like 5g's. so pretty much i have crappiest rx7 around. so i think im gonna sell it or do a swap and make it a project car(suggestions on swaps that arent hella expensive would be appreciated). anyways. here are some pictures of it. and dont call me an idiot because i got ripped off so bad. i traded a car that i bought for 500. and i highly regret it.

alex91n/a

iTrader: (2)

maybe do a rebuild and just fix all the little stuff thats wrong with it, its pretty clean except for the lower front bumper and it looks like the passenger side pop up is kinda sunk in

alex91n/a

iTrader: (2)

and then an interrior swap lol

flipside27

perfect opportunity for a TII swap! do you have another car for a DD?

20Bforme

you think that youve been ripped off

man... ive seen far worse FCs then the one you own.

looks like a pretty good project car imo... body looks like its in good condition.

idrivearx7

i dont have anything else to drive. and this isnt even drive-able. i could drive it, but i would have to put coolant in it ever hour. the car is actually really straight. except for when you look at it from the front the drive side of the bumper looks like it took a big rock or something. its dented up. a TII swap would be dope. and an interior swap. lol. but i dont wanna do a rebuild because what if the block is cracked? how do you fix somethin like that. and the messed up rpm gauge.

idrivearx7

oh, and the paint look way better in the picture. its pretty faded and has dark spots in it like its old dirt or something.

20Bforme

does it just eat coolant? or just leak coolant?

also... im pretty sure the tach can be calibrated... if you search "tach calibration" you should be able to find something thatll help.

2ndgencab

For 500 bucks you cant go wrong. Stick it out and have fun learning with it.

idrivearx7

leaks it. where else would it go? and it leaves spots on the ground

need RX7

iTrader: (4)

Turbo swap + rebuild + standalone.

And really, $500 for what appears to be a solid chassis isn't a bad deal at all. Usually clean cars sell for that much without any engine at all. At least this way you'll have some parts to sell off to fund whatever you decide to do with it.

idrivearx7

how much do you think a turbo swap + standalone would be? is a standalone a single turbo? im new to the car world but i learn quick

and idk if the chassis is solid because i first get it, and i just had to wind it out. so i put the pedal to the floor in 1st and all the sudden i hear a KER-CLUNK and look in my rear view mirror and see a ton of smoke(probably old gas since it sat for so long). idk if that's the chassis or not, but it didn't sound good. and i felt it through the whole car. ?

need RX7

iTrader: (4)

Standalone is short for 'standalone engine management system', it completely replaces the stock ECU and engine wiring and gives the user full control over the fuel and timing maps. Another huge advantage of doing this is having brand new wiring to the engine, 24-year-old wiring is trouble waiting to happen (ask me how I know ).

Admittedly, it is very expensive, and most cars probably don't need it, so just forget I said it .

But definitely give all of your wiring a good once-over when your current engine is out. It's the most annoying thing in the world to fix when the car is all together. That tach problem sounds like a wiring gremlin to me.

As far as the solid chassis thing goes, I meant the body looks solid. Many FCs out there (including one of mine ) have fist-sized rust holes in the rockers and behind the rear wheels. If you don't have any major rust anywhere, consider yourself very lucky.

idrivearx7

i dont have any rust i can see except on the roof where the moon roof is or what ever you call it, it has i dent like a centimeter in diameter and that has rust, but i think thats it. i havent seen any other rust on it. but im thinking im just gonna buy a TII motor. not sure if i should get one that needs rebuilt or not. but if i buy a TII motor and all the stuff, will i need a new tans? cuz the guy that i got the carb from said the tranny has like 2000 miles on it. i can see this will be an expensive project. and without a car, i have no job, no job, no new motor or anything else. this sucks.

Hypertek

iTrader: (3)

just source a good condition used or rebuilt motor.. You will enjoy it once its back to good condition

For the price you really cant complain, alot of cars around the $500 value are gonna be pieces of **** anyways.

Your car still has the a/c and PS.. get those going and you got a nice daily driver.

Dont give into the temptation of doing a motor swap *be it a v8 or even a TII* if your not much of a mechanic or like to wrench.

idrivearx7

im not much of a mechanic, but it needed a water pump and i did it myself, and i actually enjoyed working on it. also, my grandpa is known in washington state for being a professional in the motor rebuild area. he has never done a rotory motor, but he said i could buy a book and we could rebuild it. when i put the belts on i didnt put the a/c belt on because i didnt figure i would need it. but im thinkin about rebuilding it and turboing it. i already have a turbo(pics are in my albums) its not big, but its legit.

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

I had never even done an oil change until I bought my first rx7, great cars to learn on, very simple.
As for your deal, I think you did well. My wife and I bought an 88 se with a popped motor for 400

idrivearx7

in a way i got a good deal. but i bought my other car for 500 because my aunt wanted to get rid of it(1990 integra LS 5spd b18 151k) so i figured the 7 was gonna run good because the guy was like "oh, it needs a water pump and the moon roof is off track" but i guess he felt like lying. so i kinda got a bad deal if you think about it, cuz i traded a good running pretty quick car for this thing

brompton_cocktail_x

O_o It's an 88, noob. ;p

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like he was just trying to distract you from the real problems.

idrivearx7

obviously. but its to late for anything now

st1llet0

iTrader: (2)

Yay for learning experiences!

idrivearx7

yeah. thats basically the only good thing that came from this, that i learned something.

20Bforme

well... if it your engine had a blown coolant seal, like i think mine does... it would eat the coolant and you wouldnt notice any drips on the pavement.

dtale15

iTrader: (1)

probably just a bad internal seal in the water pump. had the problem. replace that with a new one. might fix it. always a good place to start. remove the water pump and the housing. replace both gaskets and the pump itself. not a bad deal for 500. im buying a non running 7 for 300. lol