Obscured By Clouds

Hello guys,

I am in the market for a cheap used car, so I've been searching Craigslist like a fiend. I came across a 1988 Mazda RX-7 for the low, low price of $1,000. Seems too good to be true, right?

The car, as of now, has 99,806 miles on it, and a couple rust spots as well as some rather large dents. Now, I'm a poor college student, so if there are rust and dent spots, it's fine as long as it will pass inspection and are fairly easy/cheap to fix.

I have barely any car knowledge, but am always willing to learn and I pick up new things pretty quickly. My friends have a lot of tools, so I could always borrow stuff from them.

How much will a new horn cost? Is it easy or hard to install myself?

The car in question:



Note the rust, I think bondo & paint, and dents. He said he has right and left replacement fenders that he'll throw in for $50. Good idea?


Anyways, enough about the specifics. Now for a few questions...

1) I am not sure of the model (SE, GTU, GXL, TII), but are there any weakness of the car I should know about? i.e. tranny, clutch, rust, exhaust, etc
2) What basic maintenance procedures should I do, if I decide to purchase the car?
3) What are the best bang for the buck/cheapest mods for the car? I'm assuming a CAI and an exhaust, but you never know.


Thanks,
OBC

Rxxx-7_GSL-SE

over priced

even if the interior and mechanics are mint its still worth $500 tops

don't be eager wait for a better deal

priorities for a car

1 body condition is everything!!!!!
2 drivetrain engine
3 interior

Obscured By Clouds

Really, that cheap? I mean, I'm sure I could haggle him down a couple hundred bucks if need be anyways.

1) Do you think there will be more rust aside from what's visible?
2) Anything specific to check for?
3) I've requested interior and engine bay shots that I will share when I get 'em.


Thanks,
OBC

Ex-Eg-Driver

iTrader: (1)

K. I wouldnt mind buying this car. For the price. Maybe $800 because of the body damage.

But if the motor runs good. And all mechanical features are in working order and its been maintained well then I would get it.

But before buying this car you need to understand its not like any other car. The rotary engine can be a big hassle and take a lot of money to fix.

The model you are looking at is a Base model. The lowest there is. But if your just looking to commute and have a nice running car its a good deal.

Things to check for

1. First check to see if everything electrical in the inside works.
Radio, Lights, 12V outlet, Climate Control, Gauge Cluster, Idiot Lights [Center Panel]

- Wiper switch tends to fail and makes the wipers either not return to normal position or just only work on one setting
- Then circle the car and make sure all the exterior lights work

2. Under the hood - This is a rotary so you might not be familiar with what you are looking at.
- All I can say is check for leaks. I cant tell you specific locations but just any sign of oil buildup around the housings on the engine..anywhere
- The suspension and chassis - Look for bent or damaged frame areas
This is a 21 year old car so the suspension might need some replacing.

If you don't want to deal with the headache to fix the problems of this car.

Buy a Honda.

daviddeep

iTrader: (4)

Almost certainly. The bodies on these cars are pretty rust resistant as 80s cars go, so if you can see that much in the rear fenders and rockers the floors and/or uniframe are likely in trouble too. Take a close look beneath the car under the driver's and passenger's footwells inside the welded flange below the rocker panels. Also take a good look at the joint where the front and rear parts of the frame rails lap over one another. You don't want a car that is not structurally sound unless you're good at welding and can make all the repairs yourself because it will cost way more than the car is worth to make it roadworthy again.

Also, you may want to do a search on "buyer's guides" since several moderators and/or members have posted excellent ones in the past. Here are two to get you started:

http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/buy1.htm

http://fc3spro.com/TECH/h2b.html

arghx

iTrader: (3)

if you must 100% depend on this car every day, first of all don't get a 20 year old car of any kind. Second of all don't get a "bargain basement" rx-7 for a daily driver. But if you have a backup car in case something goes wrong, you will learn a lot of about working on cars if you get this thing.

When I was in college I daily drove an 88 GTU model, but the motor had just been rebuilt. The only problem it ever gave me was the alternator dying after two years... but then I created a bunch of problems in it by driving the **** out of it and breaking stuff.

Obscured By Clouds

Thanks for the advice guys. If I do check it out, I'll make sure to bring a list of everything you all said to check for with me.

But yeah, the rotary engine issue worried me a little. Plus the fact that it's 20 years old and $1,000. Something MUST be wrong.

But yeah, I figured for the price, I may as well register and ask some pros here for advice. To be honest I've just been looking for a cheaper lower mileage (<120k), and I'll probably end up with a Civic.

It's just that I've seen a couple older RX-7s around here and I've always liked 'em.


Thanks,
OBC

Icemark

Probably not the Horn, but rather the Horn relay in the CPU. This requires re-soldering or replacement of the CPU.

farberio

iTrader: (7)

No offense, but a 20 year old RX7 will have problems and they will add up in costs very quickly. And in worst case the engine needs a rebuild, thats another $1500 right there.

EvenOlder

I'm always leery of the suspension parts in proximity to crushed body panels.
While typically easy to replace, the parts aren't cheap.

VacavilleFC

as a broke college student i would not recommend you buy an rx7,
i bought a car in much better condition than that with a great motor, and i still have almost 6k into the car without any major mods,

KhanArtisT

iTrader: (2)

It all depends on what you want to do with the car. Are you willing to take cars up as a hobby or interest? If instead you're just looking for a commuter I would advise against buying the car for obvious reasons such as gas mileage, maintanence (oil changes mainly) and repairs. If you just want a commuter buy an old Honda or Toyota. If you want to build the car for competition whether it be autocrossing, road racing or drag racing buy it and be prepared to live off of crappy food, wear crappy clothes and cut down on your social life

pingpong

As a poor college student, I paid $1500 for mine. Then I paid another $800 for new cats, and $600 for a complete tuneup, and countless hundreds on gas (gas mileage is so shitty). In retrospect, I probably should have gotten a civic or something...but money aside, no regrets .

screamer

I Paid $300 For This 1988 Rx7 Fc But,
It Nowhere Resembles The Condition When I Purchased It,
If You Have The Time, The Commitment And The Money You Can Live The Dream Of Owning A Classic For Little Money???

RX7Tuner.

Those side blinkers aren't stock are they?

alloutFD

wow $300 thats pretty wicked

daviddeep

iTrader: (4)

Not on a US or Canadian model, but screamer is from England. I also like the bumper mounted rear license plate lamps. Cool.

Whether screamer paid 300 Pounds or the equivalent of 300 Dollars, that is a very clean looking car for that price. Nice find.

farberio

iTrader: (7)

^^ You guys...read again. How much total is in that car? Probably a lot more then $300 or 300Pounds

rx7fan1903

Yeah, I think 1000 is running a little high for that car, even if the interior IS mint...

Not sure how to find out what model the car is if you don't know... Sorry

If you do purchase, make sure you get the engine checked. As far as maintainence, just change all the fluids, make sure everything works and the car is running smoothly. After you're sure that everything mechanical is fixed, THEN concentrate on body work. No point having a 7 with a great body but the engine's no good!

As for upgrades, simple parts can be changed or added for more horsepower or acceleration. Try getting a different intake as well as a new filter. You can change the fuel system and spark plugs. That's a pretty good start.

DaoNhatHai

iTrader: (38)

if this your first car, i suggest you take up smoking and hire an anger management counsellor. rx-7's are a ****-off every now and then.

daviddeep

iTrader: (4)

Since it has the four-lug wheels and it is said to be an '88, it is most likely an SE (that year's base model as Ex-Eg-Driver noted above). Not too many people would retrofit the 4-lug hubs and base brake setup on a better model, so it's pretty clear that's what this car is. Nothing wrong with an SE at all and you can pretty easily add the larger brakes/5-lug hubs to it if you want. I'd say the rust (and the price) are what would drive me away from this car.

red_dragon

iTrader: (10)

If you are a poor college student who is really handy with fixing cars, then this car shouldn't be a prob. However if you're not...this car is 21 years old and more likely than not, things will break on you. Maybe a driveshaft will go, maybe transmission will be on its way out. It's really hard to tell until you really drive it around. Costs add up quickly and even more so if you don't have a decent space with which to work on it. But then again, I don't like civics so I'd probably grab a 7 regardless :P. Maybe not this one, but a better one.