Wow its terence

*sigh*

I know everyone hates this posts, but if you are willing to help, I love you.

Well here's the deal, I don't have the car yet, and I've been here for hours reading articles and such, soaking up all I can.

I've got a budget of about 6 or 7 grand from my parents and I've found a 100k mile FC for about 3k.

I just want the car to be running reliably, I know its a old car, but I can't really risk being late to school.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS CAR IS HIGH MAINTENANCE

What I'm asking is that is it feasible for a motivated person such as I, to be even in the running to purchase a beast like this.

I have many friends who are also into cars, so they could help a bit. My best friend's uncle also owns a Shop, so maybe I would be able to source Mazda OEM parts at cost.

Foremost, my dad is a 25 plus years aircraft machanic, you tell him how to do something.. he'll do it. Problem being he doesn't know it all, so I'll be doing a lot of reading for us, and he'll also be teaching the ends of how the car works.

This would be my first car.

I'm not a horsepower monster or even a street racer. I just hope I can get this beatiful car up and running reliably.

Thanks for reading.. THanks for flaming.

TakumiJr

I'm a senior in HS also and i kno how u feel wanting a reliable car. IMO, u should go for a non-turbo rx-7 either a S4(86-88) or S5(89-91). The reasons because non-turbo are pretty reliable cars and still fun to drive. If u want more power u gotta look into the Turbo II, but they are a little harder to maintain then a non-turbo.

AcidShock

iTrader: (49)

The FC is a very nice car. I drive mine daily and I love it. If properly taken care of, she will last a long time. What model is this? Is it turbo, series 4 or 5? What year?

The N/A's tend to be a bit more reliable than the turbo cars, but it all goes back to how you take care of it. If you keep this car for any length of time though and browse this forum enough, beware... the car will turn into a money pit.

If you have a shop and some knowledgable people to help you, you probably in good shape. Just keep reading and absorbing information. Also, take a look at the FAQs at the top of the page.

JerryLH3

iTrader: (11)

It sounds like you'll be alright. I acquired my RX-7 my senior year of high school as well, although it was my third car.

Make sure to check the car thoroughly. If you haven't notcied some of the car's quirks yet through posts on this forum, we can give you a nice list.

Be religious with the maintenance. Thus, I would suggest a part time job if you don't already have one.

Wow its terence

Wow people helping! I love you. =)

I'm all for the N/A versions... Not really a power hog right now, and I don't want to kill my parents with insurance.

http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/v...or=&cardist=51

Thats the car I'm going to look at this weekend ( I hope no one swipes it from me) Doesn't really say much other than it has 111k miles.

Those FAQs are a godsend and a extra special thank you to whoever wrote the "how to buy a FC" faq.

My dad was in the military so he'll get on my *** if I don't keep my car in shape (Which I promise to do anyhow)

I'm not going to be a fool and rush into this car, I've spent over a year looking for a used car. I've looked at mr2's, intergras, 240sx, and driven countless miles to see them. (I live in southern California... you would think that more cars are for sale.)


I Definately, defeinately want to get a job... But I'm trying to join the wrestling team this seaon, and thats going to take up all my time for this semister, next semister I hope to join ROP, which will then land me in a decent paying job.

(thx)

patman

iTrader: (3)

yeah i got my fc my senior year in hs..was my first car..ive put lots of work into it, but most of it was optional.id say go for it dude its a one of a kind car and they run awesome. an rx7 will be more expensive than another similar car, but imho it will be way nicer too.

pat

sectachrome

"I am selling it because I recently inherited my mom's old saturn coupe."

HAHA sweet trade off!

2a+RoN

Insurance might not be too bad with a turbo. I'm a senior right now, this is my 2nd car, and ins. is $70 a month. The turbo definately requires a lot of maintainence so maybe the n/a would be better suited for you, unless you're like me, and like working on cars for fun.

Evil Aviator

In that case, I recommend a non-turbo car. You can get a decent one for $1,500 to $2,000. An engine rebuild is about $800-1,000 if you and your dad do it yourselves, and the engine will then last for another 100,000 miles. You can replace other parts as needed for added reliability.

Atkins sells a rotary engine rebuilding video.
http://www.atkinsrotary.com/

See the buying guide here:
http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/tech1.htm

Also note that this makes an excellent car for college, as it holds all your books and laundry, but not 10 of your obnoxious friends.

Insurance is going to be expensive because of your age. The turbocharged cars are usually the same rate.

That pretty much makes up for your age, and then some, lol.

See the "stickies" at the top of the 2Gen forum for good reading material.

Kenteth

hmm... car is pretty easy to understand when you put your time into it. So unlike a new car, you'll be able to diagnose problems (to some extent) and fix them yourself... well at least if you;re mechanical savvy

Wow its terence

Hmm, It's a 91...

What should I ask him?

T2R7

im a senior in HS as well. with those kinda miles watch your seals ;-). has it been sitting, if so check your power options to make sure they all opperate. if they dont, you will be getting into the same prob as myself (corrosion, broken wires, big mess). just make sure it was well taken care of is the biggest thing if your looking for reliability. good luck. happy rotoring
Josh

Ryde _Or_Die

Is that the really rare blue color?

Anyways, do a lot of searching before you ask questions. If you have $6000 and the car is $3000, then you could actually go with a fresh rebuild right away and have nothing to really worry about.

$150FC

well, i bought my car when i was a senior.

...it's not running yet tho :P

nosd13b

and if you ever want some extra power to use when you want it you can get some nitrous!

Black13B

iTrader: (1)

You know, you honestly have the right attitude for going about it. I recommend the car wholeheartedly (N/A FC) to you.

Too often we see kids who say "I want to drift, I want to be fast, I want turbo, I want real power, but I have no money, no knowledge, and no patience". At which point I recommend the Honda.

Fortunately you don't fall into that category. Get yourself an FC.

Evil Aviator

It's a 91 "Coupe". This is the easiest year to determine model types because there were only 3 models: Coupe, Convertible, and Turbo. See more here:
http://home.earthlink.net/~icemark/index2.htm

Blue Book for a 91 coupe in "good" condition is actually about $4K. The later models of the 2Gen RX-7 (89-91) carry a higher resale value, mostly because they are in better condition, and also because a lot of young people like the tail lights better than the 86-88 models. This car most likely has some problems, especially if the owner is willing to give it up for a lackluster car like a Saturn coupe. You need to check it out before considering an offer. If you post the car's problems we can let you know about how serious the repairs are going to be.

bingoboy

i've got an 89 NA as my daily driver and it was the first car i ever bought myself. its held up pretty well except for things that you would expect to fix on a car of its age (clutch master cylinder and a heater hose were th extent of my problems). if taken care of you'll get alot of fun and years out of it.

if you are prepared to work on it yourself i suggest getting the Mazda Workshop Manual to guide you though it. haynes manuals are decent but i prefer the workshop ones made by mazda. you can find them online in .pdf format on www.fc3s.org or buy them from various vendors. i have one specifically for my 1989 car.

best of luck, hope you like it.

chrisrx7101

I got my RX7 when I was in grade 10, could'nt drive it until last year and now in my senior year of hs, it has been serving me well. Its reliable, fast, and I personally love the look of the rx7. Is an n/a so I cannot speak for those that own a turbo, but so far as long as I treat the car with respect she never lets me down!

Post some pics when/if you get one!

Good luck,

Chris

cloead

i got my rx7 my junior year of hs, and ive been taking good care of it..


then it died


i think my fuel pump quit, or my intank filter is clogged.

gonna be fun to get those 6 screws out!

Sam

Got my first FC last christmas for $1600 Fixed it up, sold it, then bought a 88' TII Vert that has served me well so far.

JerryLH3

iTrader: (11)

Ask him if there's anything wrong with it.

Then proceed to check some of these minor annoyances:

Wiper switch operation. Many FCs wipers will only work in the Hi or Lo setting. Intermittent rarely works. The problem is in the switch. Some can be fixed.

Sunroof operation. Mine has the one push manual assist feature. After that it slides back on its own.

Shifter feel (if manual). If there is a lot of slop, it may need new bushings. Cheap fix, nothing to worry about.

Go for a test drive. In first gear get it to about 2500 RPM, and let on and off the gas pretty quick. Does it clunk in the rear? Could be a bad differential mount. Nothing major here, just a few hours work.

That's a start.

JerryLH3

iTrader: (11)

Stupid double posts.

sub9lulu

iTrader: (7)

definately go check out aaroncake's web site
it should be ... www.aaroncake.net
it helps ALOT ! it told you exactly what u need to look for when you want to get a 7

and if you have 6-7 grand, try find one with rebuilt engine, around 10-20k miles on it and try to find one that DOES NOT HAVE RUST

RoToReX7

things like this, are

where is Socal do u live? maybe i can introduce you to the locals