Ultrx7

Hey gang, just wanted to say that i am new to these forums and looking forward to spending alot of time here. Alot of you guys are very helpful and am hoping for some good feedback .

Ok so about the car. I just recently bought a 2nd Gen 1987 Rx-7 13b turbo II. I wanted to know if i got ripped off or got a deal. THe body does have some rust(images below) it has 150k on the engine. Engine runs fine when cold, but will not start if i run till the engine gets hot.(smells like gas) The ground cable's casing is melted off(hope this isnt a bad sign) there where some disconnected wires. When i start it in the cold it idles at about 2000 rpm for some time then slowly reduces to about 1500 rpm when the engine is warm(i think its supposed to be lower). The interior is in nearly Mint condition(really like the interior ). Power steering doesnt seem to work right (but i havent checked the fluid either so....yeah). He also mentioned something about a cracked exhaust manifold(ouch.) Payed $4000 cash(canadian dollars) for it. It had a rescent clutch swap and exhaust put on. So what you think Rip off or Deal? Also if you have any solutions for some of the problems that would be greatly appreciated.

Images are at Here

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Aylmer? As in just down the road from St. Thomas? Cool...

I just glanced at the pictures and in my opinion, you were ripped off. With the rust alone I wouldn't offer more then $2000 for the car, and after the problems you mention and mileage I would bring it down to maybe $1500 if I was in a good mood. $1200 otherwise.

Hot start problems can be a sign of low compression.

A 1500 RPM idle when hot generally means that the cold start cam/thermowax is stuck. Could also be cranked up to cover other problems.

The more and more I think about it, the more and more you were taken. With the cracked manifold and broken power steering I would have lowered the cost to under $1000.

Ultrx7

Yes as in close to St.Thomas, And sweet you live in London we should hang sometime, but yeah now i feel ripped off. Im hurt. Yet i really love the car.....nothing i can do now but fix this beast. My moms boyfriend owns a body shop and i used to work for him so i can do all the body work myself and buy the paint and have him paint it for like 200 bucks. so im not too worried about the body more less the engine and tranny.

MattB

rebuild it...

Alias

I think you got hosed. I only paid $500 USD ($30,000,000,000 CAD) for mine.

If you need a driver side 1/4 panel let me know, I'll sell it for a decent price. I have a rust free parts car. The passenger 1/4 is mine, I have a small spot in my wheel well.

88durel

iTrader: (4)

lol nice canadian bash, dude im from sask...
mine had 200,000kms
less rust
not melting
exhaust mufflers rusted/broke off...
and mine was a year newer
my interior was ner mint and
sunroof worked... needed window switch
i got mine for $3,400
she was asking $4,200



if you have to ask if u got ripped.... you probably did.... but then again
its all in the eye of the beholder..... my car almost made me mess my pants
when i seen it.... so it didnt matter what she wanted
lol

Ultrx7

Thanks Alias, Ill keep that in mind. i dont think ill need it though, im just going to make and weld some metal in teh rocker panel to fix it. but if it ever is too bad then for sure youll be hearing from me as for rebuilding it...YOU BET!! Its just going to take a while since i need to pay this 4000 back and got a baby on the way...

And yeah i know what you mean lol when i seen it i didnt even know what to look for lol i was so happy seeing the car and caring 4k in my pocket i pretty much just told him to give me the keys and im outta here. haha
Ill know better for next time though.

Graze

It really does depend on your area and local market. sometimes a T2 is rare enough that the price will go up.

Mine had 13K on the engine (rebuilt by Mazda) needed new suspension in a desperate way, and has an exhaust I hate but haven't shelled out the coin to replace yet.

But it starts, runs, and drives perfect, never a problem. I paid $4000 US. Worth every penny, although in some ways I paid more then I shoulda.

As long as you like it it's a good deal is the point here... but you may wanna look into taking that bad boy all apart. 170k is alot of klicks...

Ultrx7

i kinda thought that 150 000 Km was ok for a 87 were you thinking 150 000 miles Graze?

Graze

No I was thinking Km.

first off this: 150,000 km is what, 75k Miles or so... Being american I can't do the conversion :P Depending on how it was maintained you either have 20-30k left on her, or she's due to be rebuilt real soon like.

I wouldn't have paid more then 3-3500 CDN for that, just because that's how I am and I'm famously cheap...

But again, you didn't get ripped off if it's what you wanted, and it was worth it to you.

fc3sdrifter121

wouldn't a cracked manifold cause boost creep?
ouch...

prjct87rx7

iTrader: (7)

mine was imaculant when i got it with 123,000 miles i paid 2,150 on ebay for mine...but i have since blown my engine twice...lol so were even lol

1SWEET7

iTrader: (1)

It's actually around 109,000 miles but that is fine for a rotarty. I am at 196,500 in my 90' GTU and she still runs great. It is all in the maintenance. I think typically a turbo II lasts around 100-150K, while an N/A lasts around 150-250k.

Ultrx7

that sucks...so i might need to rebuild? does anybody know the approx price of rebuilding? in canadian dollars?
Also i always thought these engines lasted a long time...this is the first import iv ever owned.. i used to have a 88 chevy berreta that had 340 000 km on it still ran pretty good, we currently own a 94 cavalier with 240 000km on it same thing runs great. If i
have to rebuild now at 150 000km that doesnt look to good.....

ViperDude152

Ya you got ripped off by a couple thousand.

Graze

Don't worry about it until it blows up.

But save up 2-3k CDN and keep it in the bank.

Ultrx7

dang that sucks though....cus i have a baby coming and still need to pay 4k back.....im almost starting to regret this.....please somebody say something comforting or supportive haha

Jager

iTrader: (10)

The new larger exhaust might of caused it !

MaczPayne

iTrader: (5)

I'd pay 4k for a clean s5, but not for an s4 in moderate condition. But, it's your 7, so now it's time for you to make it healthy again!

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Maybe...Check compression. I get the feeling that this car was not cared for (based on looking at the engine bay and the problems it currently has) so if that is the case then 150K is about right. Cared for properly these engine can last a long time. My '86 had 260K on it when I tore the engine down to port it and the insides wiere nearly perfect.

A compression test will tell you the current state of the engine internally.

As for rebuild cost, it varys wildly. Figure at least $1500 if no internal parts are damaged. More if you want options (ie. porting).

If I was doing the rebuild, I would flatly say $2000 to cover my butt on any hard parts and use all new seals (including oil o-ring carriers).

jhammons01

Ultrx7, Just take the dollar figure you paid and throw it out the door. The money is gone......forget it. The real judge is how much enjoyement you get out of something. Or how much you need soemthing. Let me give an example

Back in the early 90s Real Estate took a very sharp decline in values. In California, Houses that were selling for $230k Dropped to almost $180K. People were so bent out fo shape that they just walked away from the homes and allwoed the banks to foreclose even though they could pay the mortgage. Same thing in the Early 80s In Houston, Texas. There were tons of empty, brand new houses.

In Southern California the Homes that dropped to $180k are now worth almost $600K. My neighbor that just sat tight threw the low periods is laughing all the way to the bank nowadays. And during the time when his house was'nt valued very high, He didn't care what is was worth 'cause he wasn't interested in selling it!!!!!!

Same thing with the guy that paid $7K for a GTO in the 90s Boy did he feel ripped off. Of course watch Barret-Jackson auction, they are selling for almost $200k.

Its all relative so don't let the money thing ruin the experience for you.............

lov-2-rev

iTrader: (87)

I agree to not letting the money aspect worry you to much. There is always more to be earned. But comparing the housing market to buying a used car is like comparing apples to oranges. Although.....T2's are like property in the sence that no one is making any more of them! Hmmm.....{Runs to find the classified section}

Dom_C

definetly paided to much, but what can ya do now? Just enjoy the car

Graze

And remember a Healthy Baby can sell for up to $25,000

That would fund any alterations you would need to make

DR_Toast

iTrader: (1)

The problems with your car = added value.
The more stuff thats broken means the more you'll know about your car once its running right. Its like you paid for an education! Just like you learn more in college because its more expensive which motivates you to pay more attention, right?