1988 Rx-7 Turbo Reliability?
 

I am thinking of buying a 1988 Rx-7 Turbo w/ 154,000, I was just wondering if I was to buy it and rebuild the engine, how much would it cost to rebuild the engine on average, how reliable will the engine be after the rebuild, and also are the parts super expensive as some people say?

Thanks,
Brian

Oh man... I dont even know where to start. I would go ahead and read the FAQ first. Rebuilds can run from about 800 or so (DIY) all the way out to 5000 and beyond.

The car will be just fine after you rebuild it. Don't let people scare you with how much stuff costs. These cars aren't nearly as scary as everyone says they are.

I'll bet the people who told you they were expensive have never even owned one.

I get calls all day from people who "have a friend who told them that the rotary is unreliable" and have no idea what they are talking about. Any car is as reliable as you make it.

remember that this is an old car and you'll have some of the same issues that most cars do at that age and mileage. "reliability" is a somewhat relative thing. If you're not prepared for the little bullshit that comes with any car that has 18 years on it then buy something with a warranty.

If you have a fresh rebuild in there and tune it properly you shouldn't have many rotary-specific problems. All this shit you hear about blown motors is because either the motor was high mileage, improper tuning, or in some cases freak accidents that often happen to heavily modified cars.

You still need to do reliability stuff like cleaning the injectors, replacing clogged cats, etc

Replace all the hoses and vac lines when its out getting a rebuild. Once you do that, you should be good to go. There will prob be a few little problems, but nothing major. The only problem I've ever had with mine was a blown engine, and that happened after 215k miles and lots of track time.

if you replace everything that needs replacement expect a strong engine that will last you a while especially if you keep the horsepower relatively stock

know that when you buy an RX-7 it will be an attention whore. make sure you have extra money sure when the unexpected happens you are ready for anything. RX-7's are money pits taht's what I gotta say.

Thanks alot guys for the info.