I have the opportunity to purchase a two oner, totally stock, mint appearing 1988 RX7 SE. The car was purchased used from a dealer in 1989 and now has 88,000 miles on it. Full maintenance records, was a weekend car for an older gent, and now is for sale. Never driven in winter. Everything works except the AC is not as cold as it should be.

I am looking at it this weekend. Price is $2,800.

I see the prices on these cars all over the place. My thoughts are this is a very good deal if the car is as clean and in as good as the seller indicates.

I am quite familar with the 1st gen as I have had seven of those, but the 2nd gen's I am pretty ignorant on. I will research what to look for when buying a used 2nd gen, but want to get an idea on the value. If I do a search on eBay on 2nd gens, this seems like a smokin' deal even though it is the base model.

Comments?

Thanks!
Rich

 

I paid quite a bit more for mine, but it had lower mileage and was a Florida car. I'd say go for it if it's got a clean Carfax.

 

Go look at it and drive it.

I paid $400 for mine and drove it home. ~$100 later and it passed smog.

 

2800 for a 88 SE..hmm
A little too high for me, I gotten my 88 SE 4 years ago for 1200, it was in good condition, minus the rust spot...

The way I look at it, for 2800, you can get a good running Turbo II.

 

^I doubt that HIGHLY.
These cars are harder and harder to find in clean, and more importantly STOCK condition.
$2800 is a good price for a clean and stock FC, regardless of model.

My '91 was bone stock with 53k miles (super clean too) and I paid $3500 6 years ago for it. I'd pay that again today in a heart beat.

 

can u get some pics ?

 

I got my 90 vert for $500. Original engine, never modified, perfect supple leather interior, and minimal wear on the convertible top. Granted I just flopped $4800 for a rebuild with new housings, I still consider it a good deal. It was always garage kept. Underneath, the 19yr old bushings are still good believe it or not. Just need some new struts and to weld my Y pipe because it is cracked.

 

If Na is the way you want to go , that's a good price but if you're looking for a t2 you can probably get one for around the same price but probably wont be as clean or have as low of miles (it's hard to find that).

 

To clarify, I am not looking for a car to mod or race. I am considering a totally stock, nice RX7 for long term collection and occasional driving. This is a bit different than what most folks look for as I am less concerned about performance and more concerned about originality.

I am sure that there are a ton of cars out there for less that I can buy and work on, but that is not what I want. I don't want a car to restore. I want a car I can drive occasionally and keep for the next 20 years or so.

In the 1st gen market, it is darn near impossible to find a 1st gen worth a hoot for under $2,000. They have all been hacked up, modded, or are full of rust. The nice stock cars are going for $3,500 and up, and the low mileage originals are $4,500 and up depending on year and model.

I passed up an almost stock 1979 GS with 11,000 miles on it for $6,800, and regret that I did.

 

a n/a fc that is listed for 3500 or up will never get sold unless some hardcore enthusiast wants one that bad.

 

Hahahaha, really? Nobody told me that. I don't regret paying more than that for mine. The paint is fantastic, the interior is very nice, the engine is fantastic...I don't have to dump a ton of money into fixing a bunch of crap before I start modifying it to suit my tastes. That's worth a lot more than you think...

 

The asking price sounds fair to me if the car is in pretty good shape. See Aaron Cake's buying guide in the 2Gen FAQ so you know what to look for.

As far as a collector car, the SE is the least desirable of the 2Gen trims because it is a base model with the "lesser" brakes, no LSD, and the smaller "phone dial" wheels that are typically not very well liked by the people who are too young to remember the similar Porsche wheels that were popular at the time. The more desirable 2Gen NA collector cars are the S4 Sport and GTU, and the S5 GTUs.

On the good side, the tires are cheap, the car is pretty light, and it is a very good overall fun car. My first RX-7 was an 88 SE, and I really liked it in the stock form. The open differential drove just fine for me on the street and in autocross events, and the "lesser" brakes are more than adequate for anything other than full track racing. If you like the 1Gen RX-7, then the SE is the closest 2Gen match.

Warning: Stay away from the car if it has an automatic transmission.

I have seen really nice examples sell for over $6,000, and they were well worth it. The only reason why you see them selling for low prices is because most of them are beat to Hell and back, and would cost over $10,000 to restore them to excellent condition.

 

I love my '80s phone dials!

 

I liked them too. The only reason my car doesn't still have them is because I had to convert to the 5-lug TII drivetrain to support the 20B engine.

 

Yes, I am aware of the relative desirability (or lack thereof) concerning the SE, as well as the lack of performance equipment.

I reviewed Aaron Cake's FAQ last night.

I looked at the car, drove it, and bought it. Pick it up Tuesday. It was everything as advertised. Totally stock. Mint, and I mean mint interior. No rust whatsoever. Original paint. No rattles. No leaks. Tight steering.

Nicest 20+ year old, unrestored car I have seen in a long time.

Looking forward to hanging out here again.

 

I bought my 88 GXL 114k, completely stock minus a stereo which is to be expected for $3,000. Biggest selling points for me was it was completely unmolested, no rust, and electrically sound. And when it comes to FCs electrically sound is the best thing to find