88 Turbo II...Good?
01-26-02, 12:44 AM
#1
88 Turbo II...Good?
i'm planning on buying one. for ~$1000. what do you guys think? it has two problems. the gasket on the turbo to the exhaust manifold is broken and its leaking and i need to get a new one (the guy said ~$200 with installation) also, it needs a new catalytic converter (the guy said ~$700 for a new one...he also said to get a generic one), but do i really need to get a cat? tell me what you guys think. my dad and i are going to work on it as a "fixer-upper" project. the engine runs fine except for the exhaust stuff, only has 100,000 miles on it. suggestions?
01-26-02, 12:53 AM
#2
I'm with stupid -----^
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If you are willing to pull the turbo yourself (not a heck of alot of work) then you can buy the turbo to manifold gasket at the mazda dealer for much cheaper then $200 (I just bought one for $45 canadian.. so figure half that american) .. the manifold to block gasket is a bit pricer at about $120 canadian..
You don't need a cat if you have no emissions in your state.. remove the main cat, get a pipe welded on..
at 100k miles, put some money away for the inevitable motor rebuild..
You don't need a cat if you have no emissions in your state.. remove the main cat, get a pipe welded on..
at 100k miles, put some money away for the inevitable motor rebuild..
01-26-02, 09:12 AM
#3
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Well, you want a fixer-upper, I'd say hell yes. Like Chris says, those are two relatively easy things to do, and certainly someone with a few tools can do both.
Besides, it's good bonding time...
Besides, it's good bonding time...
01-26-02, 09:30 AM
#4
HAILERS
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Since you live on the left coast, you'll NEED the catalytic converter. May I suggest that you only use it one time a year and the rest of the time use a presilener or some type straight thru exaust system for the gobs of power that can be found there? You'll never pass emissions inspection without one. NEVER. No inspection sticker, no drive.
01-26-02, 01:51 PM
#5
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Originally posted by HAILERS
Since you live on the left coast, you'll NEED the catalytic converter. May I suggest that you only use it one time a year and the rest of the time use a presilener or some type straight thru exaust system for the gobs of power that can be found there? You'll never pass emissions inspection without one. NEVER. No inspection sticker, no drive.
Since you live on the left coast, you'll NEED the catalytic converter. May I suggest that you only use it one time a year and the rest of the time use a presilener or some type straight thru exaust system for the gobs of power that can be found there? You'll never pass emissions inspection without one. NEVER. No inspection sticker, no drive.
You can get an aftermarket cat for $80-150. I don't know if you want to go through this much cost and trouble, but on my 88 I have the cat connected with v-band clamps so that I can quick-change it with a straight pipe (shown in pics):http://home.tampabay.rr.com/spinraci...ust/index.html
Yes, I think that 88 TII would make a good project car. You can probably get another 20-40K miles out of it before an engine rebuild is required.
Last edited by Evil Aviator; 01-26-02 at 01:53 PM.
01-26-02, 01:51 PM
#6
cool thanks guys. i seriously want to get this done. a 2nd gen RX-7 has always been my dream car. also the left tail light is cracked. do you guys know where i can get a replacement one? or do i have to look at a junk yard. how much is an engine rebuild?
here's a pic of a car exactly like my future one, but in totally better condition.
here's a pic of a car exactly like my future one, but in totally better condition.
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01-26-02, 02:04 PM
#8
is all that piping for your exhaust custom work? or did you buy it somewhere. sorry if it seems like i'm asking a lot of questions, i do have some background on car maintenance but i dont have very much hands on (especially with a rotary engine, which i've been told a hundred times was the worst to fix). and this is going to be the car i drive to school.
01-26-02, 02:58 PM
#9
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Originally posted by JoeCrappa
sorry i can't see that pic of your exhaust. without a cat...would my car spit fire and be one hell of a loud mother?
sorry i can't see that pic of your exhaust. without a cat...would my car spit fire and be one hell of a loud mother?
No, it doesn't make a turbocharged car much louder because the turbine wheel soaks up a lot of exhaust noise. Yes, the exhaust in those pics is custom because nobody makes an exhaust kit for that engine. Fortunately, you will have a lot of bolt-on aftermarket parts available for your TII engine.An engine rebuild is expensive at $2,000-3,000, but it will last for another 120-140K miles. Also, you could rebuild the engine yourself for about $800 if you and your dad want to try your own hand at it, but rebuilding the turbocharger is going to require a turbo specialist.
I think that you will find the rotary to be easier to work on than a piston engine, although it will take a while to get used to the new system and it's unique issues. Hehehe, when I bought my F-150 I had a pit in my stomach when I thought about the timing belts, spark plug gaps, valve jobs, etc. that I was going to have to once again deal with.
Besides the salvage yard, you can look for tail lights on the internet, or in the used parts section of this forum for that matter. Some people like the 89-92 lights better, so you may be able to get a good deal from someone who has recently swapped theirs and has a set of 86-88 lights collecting dust in the garage.
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/forumd...ne=&forumid=13
http://car-part.com/
Ah, I assume that the car is Brilliant Black. So is mine. FYI the paint code is PZ if you need touch-up paint.
01-26-02, 03:21 PM
#10
so...i can't go out and buy an aftermarket exhaust system for my car? i saw at fc3s.org that a j-spec engine was only $850 and that an american 13BT was also only $890. the car is black but i it needs some body work. (okay a lot of body work). but hey. its gonna be cheap and hopefully it runs fast and in the 14's like the stock new ones do.
01-26-02, 04:01 PM
#11
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Originally posted by JoeCrappa
so...i can't go out and buy an aftermarket exhaust system for my car? i saw at fc3s.org that a j-spec engine was only $850 and that an american 13BT was also only $890. the car is black but i it needs some body work. (okay a lot of body work). but hey. its gonna be cheap and hopefully it runs fast and in the 14's like the stock new ones do.
so...i can't go out and buy an aftermarket exhaust system for my car? i saw at fc3s.org that a j-spec engine was only $850 and that an american 13BT was also only $890. the car is black but i it needs some body work. (okay a lot of body work). but hey. its gonna be cheap and hopefully it runs fast and in the 14's like the stock new ones do.
The J-spec engines are not the same as the American engines, so you would need to do extra work to put one in your car. Also note that the Series 4 and Series 5 TII engines are different, so a S5 engine would also require extra work to put in your car. Despite the extra work involved, these are both viable options.
Decent body panels are fairly easy to find. It may be easier to replace some parts rather than take the dents out. All of the 2Gen RX-7 coupe body parts will fit your car.
Your car could easily be in the 14's with "ghetto" mods.
01-26-02, 04:56 PM
#12
Originally posted by Evil Aviator
Hehehe, no, I can't buy an aftermarket exhaust for my car because it has a 20B engine, not a 13BT like yours. If you search this forum for "exhaust" posts you will find numerous brands and configurations to choose from. When reading through the posts, note that the exhaust system for a turbocharged car is not the same as one on a non-turbo car.
The J-spec engines are not the same as the American engines, so you would need to do extra work to put one in your car. Also note that the Series 4 and Series 5 TII engines are different, so a S5 engine would also require extra work to put in your car. Despite the extra work involved, these are both viable options.
Decent body panels are fairly easy to find. It may be easier to replace some parts rather than take the dents out. All of the 2Gen RX-7 coupe body parts will fit your car.
Your car could easily be in the 14's with "ghetto" mods.
Hehehe, no, I can't buy an aftermarket exhaust for my car because it has a 20B engine, not a 13BT like yours. If you search this forum for "exhaust" posts you will find numerous brands and configurations to choose from. When reading through the posts, note that the exhaust system for a turbocharged car is not the same as one on a non-turbo car.
The J-spec engines are not the same as the American engines, so you would need to do extra work to put one in your car. Also note that the Series 4 and Series 5 TII engines are different, so a S5 engine would also require extra work to put in your car. Despite the extra work involved, these are both viable options.
Decent body panels are fairly easy to find. It may be easier to replace some parts rather than take the dents out. All of the 2Gen RX-7 coupe body parts will fit your car.
Your car could easily be in the 14's with "ghetto" mods.
. no smoke was coming out of the mufflers so i suspect that the cat was clogged as the guy said. anyways my dad offered $700 and the guy took it. i have to talk to haggle though, my dad said i should try for $600. i'm glad i found these forums as i think i would be lost without them. thanks for your help evil aviator and i'm sure i'll need more of it later on.
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