Hi. I am new to this list, and am considering buiying a second generation convertible. I saw a balck one in NJ the other day, and I really liked the way it looked.

I have read some of the posts on this board and I have some general questions.

1. What is the general reliability of this generation RX-7? Is is approximately the same as other Mazdas of similar vintage? How does it compare with oh, say an American sport coupe of similar age?

2. I saw some posts referencing "reliability mods". Can someone point me to these? I apologize if they are already listed on a FAQ on this forum, and I just haven't found them.

3. What is the real world liveability of this car in stock condition? I have heard they require more frequent oil changes, and that fuel mileage is not good. Any truth to these rumors?

Thanks in advance for your help!

PP

 

The general reliability of a well maintained naturally aspirated 2nd gen RX-7 is very good. I daily drove one for five years. It never broke down and left me stranded.

I've usually seen reliability mods discussed with turbocharged RX-7s. I can't think of anycompletely necessary reliability mods for an N/A. They're pretty bulletproof.

The liveability is good. I averaged around 20 mpg with my 91 N/A. A vert will be heavier, so it would probably be a little less. The oil level needs to be checked frequently, as inject oil into the combustion chamber to lubricate the apex seals. As far as oil changes, every 3,000 or even 5,000 miles is just fine for an N/A.

 

1) I dont' think there really were any american sports coupes in the same era, where there? On a side note.. when I got my 7, it had 213,000 on it.. the engine was still in great shape when I tore it down (I just wanted to rebuild it, since I didn't know the history of the car, and hey, why not? ). The Naturally aspirateds are pretty bulletproof if properly maintained, as JerryLH3 said.. The only problem is finding one that's been properly maintained all of its 15-19 year life.

2) The "reliability" mods for N/A aren't really mods.. they're mostly just common sense when dealing with nearly 20 year old equipment. Change all of the hoses, vacuum tubes, filters (Fuel, oil, air, etc), a lot of bushings/rubbers might be beat, so its time to check those, all of your belts will need changed, and don't forget your fluids. Yes, this even means replacing brake and clutch fluid, as well as your coolant, tranny fluid, and differential fluid.

3) They're not as fuel efficient as a newer car of course, but with my pretty heavily modified engine (ported, new computer, no emmissions, etc, etc, etc), I still can hit about 17-19 mpg, and that's with at least 1 autocross on the tank. The standards get higher MPG than automatics, as always. Jerry nailed the "oil myth".. Just make sure you never run low (this should go for any car, though, even the boingers).

Good luck!

 

In my experience, the vert is extremely reliable compared to both older and newer cars. I have a very high mileage 88 and it has not had ANY major problems. The engine has never been touched beyond changing the oil and hoses. A biased opinion, but I think accurate is that there IS NO AMERICAN SPORTS CAR THAT COMPARES. When shopping for my vert, the Americans convertible cars that were in the same classification - but not class, were the Mustang, the TA/Camaro, the Reatta, and the Labarron. Compared to the RX their repair and quality records were abysmal.

If there are any reliability mods for the 2nd gen, I don't know of them.

If you are a person who changes your oil every 2-3K, then you won't notice the one quart or so of oil that you have to add between changes. As for mileage, on the highway @75 MPH I get around 26-27 MPG.

Not too bad I think. My experience may be different from most vert owners because I bought it new and have performed all the everyday maintenance myself.

 

Thanks to all for your replies. The second generation convertibles look just exotic enough to attract me (they are not on every corner), and the prices are right. I will check out the ones in my area!

PP

 

I've driven these daily for 4 years now, great cars. Check the buyers guide on this website for all the details, but in general:

- It's easy and important to verify if the engine' s in good shape. Drive the car to a Mazda dealership and have them do a ROTARY ENGINE compression test on a HOT ENGINE (or check with the NY/NJ RX-7 club as someone can do this for you for cheap). You should get 6 numbers back indicating the compression.

- The car should rev freely and have plenty of power up to 7800-8100 rpms. If you feel the engine straining, it could be a sign of a clogged exhaust or dirty fuel filter. That's easy to fix.

- Make sure the clutch engages smoothly about 1/2 way when you release the clutch pedal. make sure the transmission shifts smoothly in all gears.

- Check all the accessories & that the power top works fine. If anything doesn't work, it's a negotiation point to get the car for cheaper.

- In general if the car has good compression but the idle is rough, the car stalls, turning on the A/C stalls the car, or the idle bounces.... this is minor and can be repaired easily.

Here's some general advice for ANY car you buy, RX-7 or another car.

- When the cart starts cold, there should be no smoke or just a tiny bit. If you see blue, grey, or black smoke this could be a sign the engine overheated or a coolant or oil seal inside the engine is leaking.

- You should not see a constant streem of bubbles popping up in the radiator when the engine is cold. If you do that could also be a coolant seal.

- The oil should be golden, grey, or black. If it's white that could be a coolant seel.

 

I own a vert as well and other than the usual things that can happen on any car ( in my case a clutch and waterpump) its been very reliable as has my other 2 rx7s as well. The things i would suggest when looking for a vert is to make sure the top is in good shape because they are expensive. As far as maintanance i run 8 ounces of 2 cycle oil in a full tank of gas just as a safety precaution because these cars have an oil metering pump that uses oil from the pan and it can fail and not warn u and can cause motor failure. Ive seen so many rx7s though that have over 200k on them still running the original omp that unless its an 89-91 i wouldnt think of it as an issue. Im just very **** about mine since its my only form of transportation. I change the oil every 2k and keep a good coat of vinyl treatment on the top at all times to keep it from being damaged by sun and wear and tear. Other than that its a great reliable car and i enjoy it. Ive owned an iroc camaro with 50k original miles and an 85 mustang gt with 100k original miles on it and both were nothing near the build quality my 3 rx7s ive owned were. These cars hold up alot better. I say look it over and make sure its all good and buy it up, and you will enjoy it. Driving with the top down listening to the rotary hum is something no other car can duplicate. Its bliss