Nuckles

I'm currently driving a 87' Toyota Tercel and I'm trying to find a place to currently sell it so I can buy a 87' Mazda Rx-7 GXL(Haha same year) and I signed up here to ask a few questions before I buy. The guy has its pretty new actually with 140k miles on it, when he lifted the hood everything looked clean and new compared to the outside cause the paint was kinda scratched yet looked new like If he drove through a field full of bushes. Anyways I found 4 things that made me unsure to buy.

1. Car paint (which is no biggie cause my friend's dad paints cars really good for $100 and a box of coronas)
2. Front Windshield Cracked (Which is fine, only another $100 to fix)
3. Shifting seemed weird, but I saw him shifting and It looked fine so my guess is I'm just not used to it.
4. Coolant Light was on which would probably mean it has a leak somewhere because it had coolant and he filled it up with more water.. but shouldn't cost too much to fix if it needs fixing

But other than that, the car was awesome. I drove it around like a granny just seeing if anything seemed odd or anything. Then he took me for a spin since he knows his car better and we were drifting which was amazing. He told me his car went to 70mph in first gear... Is that right? and He showed me when the meter on the left (forgot what its called, tachometer? haha dunno) goes between I think 5 and 6, you shift and it like shoots forward. Which felt awesome. But seemed odd because he said everything was stock but it seemed powerfull for a stock car haha. Im guessing I just didn't know these cars were so fast. The really good thing is that he is selling me the car for only $1,000 which is why I'm worried there would be something wrong but it seemed fine over all, the onlything that worried me was the Coolant light. Oh, and there was a switch on the middle where the shifter is at. Like 2 buttons for the suspension. But there there was a little silver switch, Should that be there? or was it something he installed? So can anyone help me with all my questions and can any one suggest a good place in Southern California where they will probably give me the most money for my Tercel? (I'm hoping to get maybe $800 for it)

CyberPitz

70...in first gear?

I'd guess 40 is a better number, unless he has some insane 3 gear transmission, which he doesn't.

Get a compression check, check the fluid levels when the coolant buzzer comes on and that will tell you if it's the Coolant Level Sensor or your leaking.

If you ARE losing coolant, where? Leak or is it going into the engine? If it's going to the engine, that's a rebuilld and 1-2k more to fix.

The switches/buttons in the middle...there is one for the suspension setup, and one for the "Alarm" that comes from the factory. Then if it has power anything, it will have a switch there for the mirrors.

Compression check would be the FIRST thing I'd do.

Nuckles

Well It's not my car yet... so I can't really get a compression check..but from what I said.. for $1,000 , it sounds like a good deal right?

Evil Aviator

Sure you can. Just take it to a good auto shop for an inspection.

Well, would it still be a good deal for $1,000 plus $2,500 for an engine rebuild and $800 for a transmission rebuild plus $? for whatever else needs to be fixed that you don't know about because you didn't have a qualified mechanic look it over first?

CyberPitz

If the guy is serious about you buying it, he'll let you take it to a mechanic for a look over, to make sure it's not going to die on you in a few months.

Nuckles

Lol well I should tell him to get the new sticker for the license plate first before I ask him if I could take it out or else I'd get pulled over @_@ Lol

Ex-Eg-Driver

iTrader: (1)

Just to let you know...you will end up spending more than $1500 to get this car running solid. But what the hell. Its a 22 year old car. Its going to have its problems.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Ask him if you can take it for a spin,alone.Then go around the Corner and Let a ROTARY Buddy(someone who has a RX7 and Knows WTF to look for) take a Look at it..you are getting into an "unknown Zone" with the Rotary Engine,and all it's Quirks.
A Coolant light On Tells me that either the Sender is bad,there is not Enough Coolant in the Engine(and he has cut the Coolant Sensor because it is not Buzzing to warn you),Or the car is Eating Coolant and it just Doesn't Show it,But in actuality IS,by showing you a Coolant light..Therefore a Rebuild is in the Making
The shifter being "Weird" is most likely Bad Shifter bushings,an Easy Fix at about 20 Bucks.
the Front Windshield?..HMM.is that a Part of the Safety?.maybe If it is the Driver's View..so NO Certification Of Safety If that is Not replaced..and If it is,It should be done Correctly or Leaks,Rust starts around the Windshield Etc.
The Suspension is Stock.it is AAS(auto adjust),and can be switched from Normal driving to Sport driving.
The little Silver Switch?.To me,That sounds like someone put in a Fuel Cut off switch because it Floods itself out,due to Dirty injectors..that should be Looked into also
Ask him to see t he Car start COLD.If he has already started the car ahead of Time,Has the car running or the car is Still warm when it is started,I would be Hesitant,and wonder Why he never Let you Start it.
All in all..There are TONS of theses cars around.
Do NOT get stuck with Looking at ONE.The chances that you are looking at someone BIG problem is a Good one.
Just be Patient,look around.Especially ON this FORUM,as many of the Guys Here with HIGH post counts,will Happily sell Cars that they Know will Last a Fairly long time,to guys that Want to experience a Good Rotary,Not a Piece of Crap that has had the **** Run out of it,and needs a Ton of work,and Hard Money sunk into it,just to Run.
Take Care man..I hope any if this Info will help you.
I hope you buy a good car,Not Junk.
STYX.

Nuckles

Thanks alot man, well just like my brother said, it maybe in bad condition but it would be a good project car. If he lets me pay him in payments(which I doubt) I can keep my current car to go to school and work while fixing that car. Cause I'm afraid that if I sell my car to get that one that it may break down and I cant get to school and work.. but he told me he never had serious problems with the car(which isn't something your believe) but my friend is good friends with him so Im pretty sure hes being honest cause He could sell it for a higher price elsewhere but hes selling it to me for 1k and his parents yell at him for selling it so cheap. lol any one have any ideas where I could get good money for my car in southern cali?

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

Everyone else who's already weighed in is on the right track, and many of them are members who I know at least from the forum, trust, and have taken advice from in the past. Lemme disect this and throw in my $.02, though.With 140k miles, you will need to rebuild eventually. Get the car compression checked at a viable rotary mechanic. California is loaded with rotary guys; finding a local shop shouldn't be hard. Go into the regional forums and see who is recommended in your area. If the seller refuses to let you have it compression tested by someone of your choice, WALK AWAY. I wish someone had held me back from buying my car because the seller was shady about this. My car pulled much harder than my old Toyota Celica even with a blown engine, but because it pulls harder than an economy-focused Toyota does not mean it's in proper mechanical condition.

Nuckles

How much would it cost to get it tested? Well even if its like seriously bad, would it seriously cost alot to have it fixed if something is wrong with it? Because it would only be 1k to buy it, with the money I'm saving I could just use it to have it fixed and rebuilt, or could it be something very serious that could stop me from buying it if it isn't looked at before hand?

Acesanugal

iTrader: (5)

Okay, my turn.

Listen kid, we're all very right about what we're saying. It's not us trying to sound like know-it-alls, we know what we're talking about and it's very important that you understand.

The rotary engine, by design, is *not* an unreliable engine. It's quite reliable if maintained properly. But the fact of the matter is, most of these cars have been owned repeatedly over the years by the average consumer and have not been properly cared for.

If the seller is unwilling to let you have the car professionally inspected, walk away from the deal and don't fall for any last ditch effort he may make to sell you the vehicle. Do not take his word...for anything.

If he is willing to let you have it inspected, find someone nearby (Via the regional forums, as previously stated) who is well versed in these cars and have them come with you. Hopefully they have an adequate means of testing the engine compression. If it's anything below 85psi, consider it on it's last legs. I realize that most people say 90psi or higher, or it's pretty much dead...but I disagree with that statement.

Cold starting is very important. Make sure if starts normally on a cold motor, cold oil, after having sat over night. It is normal for a small amount of blue--gray oil smoke to puff.

It is very normal for the shift action to be very loose and inaccurate. Shifter bushings are cheap.

If the motor fails to show good compression, you're looking at a new motor VERY soon. Period. There are no 'but what if-'s' or 'is there a way?' or 'but the bottle says--' about it.

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

Now, I'm going to tell you before I tell this story that as of when I bought my car, I was unaware that some means of testing compression are effective on rotaries, whereas some just aren't. You have to have someone who knows what they're looking at.

When I looked at my car, I asked if I could have it compression tested, and the guy who was selling it told me that I could take it out on my own, drive it, get it compression tested, whatever I want. I took it down the street to one shop, who said they couldn't test it. I took it a little further to another shop, and asked the guy if he could test compression, and he said yes. I took his tester out to the car, opened the hood, stood there for about 5 minutes checking it out, and told me that it have even bounces (forget the number) and that it should be a safe buy. Told me to be on my way, and to have fun with my new car. I slipped the guy a 20 even though he didn't ask for any money, just 'cuz I appreciated his help. Of course, this was kinda out in the middle of nowhere, so I wouldn't be surprised to have to pay a little bit.

Long story short, though, is you NEED to get an engine compression tested. Look at is as an expense of buying a car; if you can't afford that extra little bit to have it compression tested, you have no business buying the car in the first place.

rowtareh?

iTrader: (1)

Why would you eventually need a rebuild at 140k miles? It's an N/A 6 port, it should have another 50-60k miles on it.


Oh, and to put something out there, you should get ANY kind of car compression checked that is used and old, not just an RX-7.

Nuckles

Well thanks a lot for your guy's feedback I guess I'll just have it tested, but since he doesn't have the license plate sticker up to date yet I'm going to have him get the sticker and then either ask if I could get it tested.. or I heard that Kragen Autoparts has the machines to test it where you can rent them and test them yourself any one know if thats true? Cause I was thinking instead of waiting for him to get the sticker in the mail I could just get it tested ahead of time so I won't be waiting and waiting...

Evil Aviator

I don't think anybody would renew a license on a $1,000 RX-7. I posted a help-wanted thread in the regional forum to see if you can get any help from the local forum members.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...37#post8782337

BTW, I just bought a $1,000 RX-7 a couple of months ago. So far it needed new tires, new brake hardware, new tie rod ends, a new door lock and handle, and new battery. It also needs a new convertible top, a little bit of rust repair, new door trim, new top door seals, new stereo surround, new passenger side window, rebuilt transmission, reupholstered driver seat, new stereo, and rebuilt engine. All in all I plan on the car costing me at least $3,500 in repairs. Cars this cheap tend to have a lot of issues, so keep that in mind when planning your finances.

Ex-Eg-Driver

iTrader: (1)

I bet it runs freakin sweet now though huh Evil?

rowtareh?

iTrader: (1)

I was wondering who bought pjtj's Convertible. I almost bought it, but backed out.

Evil Aviator

No, so far I have only bought new Falken ZE-912 tires, brake hardware, complete brake fluid swap with ATE Super Blue, new tie rod ends, engine oil, coolant, coolant drain hose, Optima battery & custom holder, new quick-disconnect battery terminals, PS belt, aluminum license plate post screws, and Fumoto oil drain valve. I just cleaned out the door lock and swapped it with the passenger side for now. I was hoping the door handle would arrive today, but I guess not. It actually ran pretty well when I bought it, but the engine is a bit tired (revs faster that way though, lol) and the transmission makes the death-whine in neutral so I will get it fixed in a few months if I end up keeping the car. The engine isn't blowing any smoke yet, so it should last for a while.

Too bad because it was a pretty good deal, and the car is a LOT of fun to drive. The interior is excellent for a convertible this age. The previous owner took pretty good care of it, and so far I have found very few ghetto repairs.

Did you test drive it? I initially thought the brakes were totally screwed, but it ended up that the lines were fine and it just needed a complete fluid flush very badly. The brake pads look almost new, and the rotors have enough thickness for at least one more resurfacing. The bumping on the right front tire turned out to be a completely blown-out tie rod end... no biggie.

I bought the car just to tide me over until I can bring my other 2Gen up from Florida. Full coverage insurance is only $360/year for me. I may sell it again, or maybe keep it, I don't know. Worst case scenario I will snag the vert wheels for my coupe and part out the rest of the vert, but I will only do that if the car dies because I see no point in parting out a perfectly good car.

Detroiter

I'd like to add in the fact that it doesn't matter if he's friends with your best buddy, FOLLOW YOUR OWN OPINION. If your car you have now is reliable and you need to get to school and all, don't be stupid and screw around with that.

These cars will always be around for you to buy cheap, don't have the appetite to go and buy the first one you see. I bet you any money from the sounds of it, you will be sorry. Your a student, as am I. From the sounds of it, since your talking about making payments for it, there is no way in hell you will have the money to actually fix it up here and there. Trust me, life happens and will pop up and rob you of your money quicker then you can take a **** after drinking 2 bottles of exlax.

Just trying to give you the opinion to think smart about it, not just because you really want it. If your car's not broken and you can't really afford to buy another and fix it, there's no sense to open a can of worms.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Nuckles..I just sent you a Little Tid-bit of Info..some sites you may want to check out.

Nuckles

Oh, yeah this actually did help out alot, thanks! Now that I looked over the website, I did remember that the car kept having sort of a white smokish steam coming out from the back even after we drove it around for a while, which could mean that maybe the coolant and water would be getting in the engine right? Because thats probably where the leak is going into since the buzzer is always going off...
and thanks Evil Aviator yeah once I looked at websites of people selling their rx7's I did start to realize they they do sell pretty cheap and I think id rather look for a better one that is in good condition rather than one that may be risky and cost alot in repairs like yours did.. So I'll see if he will allow me to do a compression check like you guys have said so far, if not I will just keep saving my money and get a better one.

rowtareh?

iTrader: (1)

I did not want to tie up any money in another RX-7 while I am waiting to pick up an RX-5 in Colorado. I did not drive it, and I am glad I did not, I probably would have found some way to get it.

If you do happen to get rid of it, let me know, I might be in the market for an RX-7 by the time you get rid of it, as the RX-5 I am getting will be down for a very long time getting restored.


The only reason why I considered it months ago is because of the price of it, gas prices at the time, and my only transportation at the time got 16 combined mileage.

Red95FD

iTrader: (3)

I wouldn't buy this car if it's not up to date legally, PERIOD! Find a good running RX7 that needs paint bad, with a good interior, and a healthy motor and tranny. He's dumping the car. I would not trust. That's just me.

Evil Aviator

Yes, most likely the engine is in dire need of a rebuild which costs $800+ minimum for parts alone, and up to $6,000 parts & labor depending on what is broken and what kind of parts you are willing to use.

The important thing to realize is that mine was a good deal for $1,000. Most cars priced that low are in really sad shape and require far more repairs than mine. A nice RX-7 will cost somewhere in the $4-6K range. Keep in mind that these cars sold for up to $24K new back in the day, which would convert to about $41K in 2008 dollars based on the CPI. While the RX-7 is a low-budget sports car, it is still a REAL sports car. There is a reason why only the wealthy tend to own sports cars.

OK, will do. Yes, it will take a while to restore the 5, but it will be really nice when you finish it. There aren't too many of the old Cosmos on the road anymore, so it will be a big hit at rotary meets.