jacknghiem

hi there guys.. i have a 86 gxl with 190,000 km on it....and it still runs fine...but i know its not goin die on me soon...so what do u guys suggest a engine rebuild or a swap...and what r the prices out there? im still a 19 year old so dont have much $$$....but ill do whats ever best for the seven. thanks guys

RX-7Impreza

this reads exactly like my first post hmmmmm, even the exact mileage....

well there are a lot of things you can do, you can try to find a lower mileage engine for about 800-1000 dollars. then you can buy a rebuild kit (i forget who has this exact one) for 350$ at the cheapest. if your apex seals are good that will save you some $. if not there is a wide selection of aftermarket. when you get that rebuilt you can swap it and probably rebuild and play with the old engine and modify it as you come into money. i find this is the easiest way since you are never out of a car.

on the other hand you can rebuild your existing engine which will probably cost more due to the high mileage and you also dont have a car while it is being rebuilt.

your choice,
Justin

ChrisV

I suggest learning the ins and outs of rebuilding the rotary. If you have a 7 in good shape, it's a great car.

I also second the suggestion of getting a second engine, and starting to do what you need to with that while your car still works. It can minimize both the cost and downtime of the car when it does die. The only problem is: do you have the space to keep a second engine, or work on it if you get one? That makes a lot of difference in the planning. While you can rebuild a rotary on your kitchen table, often the other members of the houshold can frown on the practice...

There are a lot of knowledgeable people on here that can help you both keep the car running, and make it run better as you go along. Even on a budget.

Scott 89t2

if it runs fine and it's not going to die, then why are you asking
the N/A engines will last alot longer then that.

Ryde _Or_Die

Well If you want to know which is better, as in gives you a more reliable engine then its rebuilding yours. If you take it to a place that knows what they are doing they should give you a pretty good warranty too. When you just swap motors you have to real idea how the new engine was cared for or how many miles are really on it even. Also while your engine is getting rebuilt have it ported

RX-7Impreza

i fyou do the rebuild correctly it doesnt matter how it was cared for. you always check for warpage and measurements to make sure it will be "perfect" and if he just bought his car with 190k on it he doesnt really know how that has been taken care of either. it is cheaper to do the swap. easier to get someone professional to rebuild. there arent really any major pluses to reusing your old engine with that many miles, unless you put them on yourself..

My $.02

Justin