The legend of the perfect FC
The legend of the perfect FC
I should probably start off by telling everyone that I am a commercial parts driver for advanced auto parts in miami. so it goes without saying that i go to a lot of different shops each day and see a lot of different cars. That being said...
I was reading through some of the old threads in this section the other day and this kid started a thread about his dads '91(turned out to be an '88) FC3C, and how it was in perfect condition and only had like 9k on it. he referred to it was the last legendary FC RX7.
well... I was at work the other day and this guy came into the store looking for some help finding an alternator belt. we started talking about what he needed and when i asked what kind of car he was looking for parts for, he replied back "a 1991 mazda Rx-7" immediately i got excited cause i LOVE these cars. We talked for a while and he told me that he bought it back in '91, from the dealer in IL where he lived, for his wife. she drove it for about a month and decided she was such a fan of the whole experience. he parked it in the garage and let it sit, starting it occasionally over the years. since then its been driven only a handful of times, never in the rain or after it rained, and was transported by truck here to miami on a car carrier about 2 years ago. he asked me if i could replace the belts for him but i told him, its one thing if i screw up my car, and another if i screw up his still brand new car. he told me he was selling it and was asking 10k for it. i asked him what made the car worth 10k and thats when he hit me with the bomb... it only has 4356 miles on it. the engine has barely been broken in, its a 91 and the car hasn't seen sunlight in years, which means the paint is still in perfect condition.
today i met up with the guy at one of the shops by where i work to talk to and take pictures. and the car looks like he just drove it off the dealer's lot. everything is absolutely immaculate, right down to the drivers side keyhole.
here are some of the pictures that i took.
ENJOY!
heres the link to the thread i was talking about.
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-non-technical-pictures-198/last-legendary-fc-rx-7-a-854767/
I was reading through some of the old threads in this section the other day and this kid started a thread about his dads '91(turned out to be an '88) FC3C, and how it was in perfect condition and only had like 9k on it. he referred to it was the last legendary FC RX7.
well... I was at work the other day and this guy came into the store looking for some help finding an alternator belt. we started talking about what he needed and when i asked what kind of car he was looking for parts for, he replied back "a 1991 mazda Rx-7" immediately i got excited cause i LOVE these cars. We talked for a while and he told me that he bought it back in '91, from the dealer in IL where he lived, for his wife. she drove it for about a month and decided she was such a fan of the whole experience. he parked it in the garage and let it sit, starting it occasionally over the years. since then its been driven only a handful of times, never in the rain or after it rained, and was transported by truck here to miami on a car carrier about 2 years ago. he asked me if i could replace the belts for him but i told him, its one thing if i screw up my car, and another if i screw up his still brand new car. he told me he was selling it and was asking 10k for it. i asked him what made the car worth 10k and thats when he hit me with the bomb... it only has 4356 miles on it. the engine has barely been broken in, its a 91 and the car hasn't seen sunlight in years, which means the paint is still in perfect condition.
today i met up with the guy at one of the shops by where i work to talk to and take pictures. and the car looks like he just drove it off the dealer's lot. everything is absolutely immaculate, right down to the drivers side keyhole.
here are some of the pictures that i took.
ENJOY!
heres the link to the thread i was talking about.
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-non-technical-pictures-198/last-legendary-fc-rx-7-a-854767/
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That has got to be the lowest mileage vert I have ever seen. That is just awsome. I don't think that I have ever seen a cleaner unrestored vert either. I still have the window sticker from my vert. In 1990 the vert I owned stickered for $29,459. So the $10k that he is wanting for that one is a steal.
SWEET vert though
i guess when you let a car sit for so long thigs go wrong with it..the window regulator had to be replaced, and when i delivered to the shop today they were trying to get the high-beams working again...minor details when its got less than 5 k on it.
now if we can dig up some black verts with that mileage I would be in love
its not a case of not driving the car because you like it so much or whatever, its not having the time. A 2 seater convertible is a pleasure vehicle when you have other cars to drive. That means it only goes out to cruise, you dont take it to the supermarket or the mall, that is why you have another car.
Then its usually sitting so the battery is dead "well its a nice day out today maybe I will take the car for a drive, oh crap I need a battery, forget it"
or the tires are low on air, or you are nervous about driving it a long distance because the belts, hoses, fluids are old.
Or the brakes have gone soft, the list is endless.
its not a case of not driving the car because you like it so much or whatever, its not having the time. A 2 seater convertible is a pleasure vehicle when you have other cars to drive. That means it only goes out to cruise, you dont take it to the supermarket or the mall, that is why you have another car.
Then its usually sitting so the battery is dead "well its a nice day out today maybe I will take the car for a drive, oh crap I need a battery, forget it"
or the tires are low on air, or you are nervous about driving it a long distance because the belts, hoses, fluids are old.
Or the brakes have gone soft, the list is endless.
I once worked on a big Healey that was a multiple concourse winner.
The owner wanted to enter a show that required the car be driven- not trailered- to the event and brought it in for "service".
The extent of the damage was appalling and especially jarring given the appearance of the car (which was exceptional).
Brake hard lines that had rusted from the inside out, fuel pump totally dry rotted...the list was not only extensive but most of all, weird.
We were forced to deal with problems never seen on the humblest car that was actually driven instead of ogled.
Totally changed my opinion of trailer queens, it did.
My BMW was driven minimally (though not in comparison) with 96k miles in 9 years, then sat for 4 in a climate controlled garage.
It took me 3 days (probably 30+ hours) to replace everything that was garbage after sitting, protected, without moving. The liner for the convertible top, the tires, brake lines, fluid lines (at least clamps), filters, gaskets, bushings, etc. all needed gone through and replaced.
That said, after fixing all of the problems, it's a nice car. I fear you may see similar results in this car (though likely much worse).
It took me 3 days (probably 30+ hours) to replace everything that was garbage after sitting, protected, without moving. The liner for the convertible top, the tires, brake lines, fluid lines (at least clamps), filters, gaskets, bushings, etc. all needed gone through and replaced.
That said, after fixing all of the problems, it's a nice car. I fear you may see similar results in this car (though likely much worse).
