Hello, yes I am a newb, and I apologize if this question has been asked 1,239,573,524 times. But I have been looking around for cheap (really cheap) sporty cars to replace my 83 Accord. The Accord is in excellent shape with 110000 miles on, and I am hoping to get maybe 800 for it.

Would it be possible to get an RX-7 SE, or any 2nd gen RX-7 for under 1000, or close to? Or should I put down the crack pipe?

Also is the RX-7 SE any good? I did a search, and a google, but didnt really come up with anything. Is it worth my time? Is it smile-inducing fast? Or is it a waste of time?

And lastly, if no 2nd gen RX-7's can be had for under a grand are there any other cars in that price range that are any good?

Thanks for any help.

 

they can be found, but sometimes you may need another few hundred or grand to get it up to spec. decent cars for $1000 dont fall from the sky, so i'm sure you dont expect perfection, but sometimes its not worth it. if you have a source of income, than it may be worth it. if not, you may find yourself with a car that may soon be sitting by the curb. but its like that with any car. risky.

 

i think that you can find one for around that price, it is not going to be the best one in the world but it will still have a 13b engine!! i think the lowest you are going to find is going to be around $1200, and you will have to talk down to that price. anyways good luck on your quest.

 

people find them running for ~+-$500. of course, what area you live in seems to matter a lot. its mainly having a reliable high mileage engine. oxymoron, huh.

 

i got mine for $700 running... no major problems.. but its by no means perfect... i had to look for awhile and i had to travel kinda far ot get it..

 

Thanks for the replies. I do have a job (got it yesterday) So around 1200 would be my absolute limit.

And your right, I am certainly not expecting a mint condition car.

How good at the RX-7 SE's?

 

the SE rx-7's are still a very nice ride, and if you put some money into it, it could be a great ride. remember it still has a 13b!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

you sure are excited about that 13B. 84-85 GSL-SEs had 13Bs too. if you find a decent 1st gen, consider that, too. they're so ugly and so cute at the same time. dont weigh much and are cheap. i say research a little on those, too.

 

i got my SE for 500 dollars, and yes it runs. Check e-bay

 

it all depends on where you live......I had to search high and low and still paid too much for my SE

If you can, get a GXL/GTU model....the 5 lug setup has more options for wheels and other options (like better brakes in most cases)

I own an SE and I dislike the ugly phone dial rims (4-lug bolt pattern)....but that is me.....plus I wish my car would've come pre-equipped with cruise.....but that can all be added back in later

 

I bought my Sport in decent running condition for $900.

The Sport is basically an SE with the better brake system and a neat aero package.

It's not too hard to find an S4 base/SE/Sport below $1000.

 

i bought my 88 GTU for $300 and drove it away , really clean inside and out , the motor blew a couple of weeks later and now I've bein working on the TII swap and I'm now into the car for about $3300. LOL you get what you pay for , my car should be pretty sic here in another month. With that said i think i know where there is one that is clean for $500 that needs a motor good luck

 

88 SE on ebay w/ over heated engine .... 700
used 80k engine for ........500
expireance putting it in .........priceless
:-)

 

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Reliability is a big concern for me. If the motor blew on me I would be totaly and absolutely screwed, how many miles can be expected out of an 2nd gen RX-7?

Doing a motor swap is more than a little over my head. I am a poor high school student going to college next year, and simply dont have the time or the knowledge to complete such a project... though it would be fun.

There is an SE on ebay for 750, unfortnately it is in Jersey and I am in Washington State, I am prepared to travel but cant go that far.
I will keep my eyes open for one in my area.

As an aside how much power can typicaly be gained with an intake and cat-less header-back exhaust on a non-turbo RX-7?

 

Some things for you to note.

-2nd gen and 1gen rx-7s can be had dirt cheap, from free (if you find the right person) all the way up to 10 grand depending on condition and mods. Finding a nonturbo 2nd gen under a grand would be no problem. Finding a RELIABLE DAILY DRIVER 2nd gen for that would be damn hard to do.

-rotaries make decent power and are a lot of fun, but there is a darker side. There is NO sure way to know how long any given rotary will last, regardless of mileage or treatment. The way the rotary is, it can run perfect one day, and **** the bed the next, all with no warning. If you aren't prepared for this type of risk I suggest you wait until you are more financially prepared, perhaps keep the accord and use the 7 for a hellraising car on the weekends/evenings.

-the early 2nd gens have a stock feature that allows them to spontaneously catch on fire and burn to the ground. We call it pulsation dampner failure. This is a part located on one of the engine's fuel rails, and is not easily accessible unless you are a mechanic. Plan on this being your first modification/maintenance to the car if you do buy one. You have the option of either replacing this part with a simple bolt, or buying the new part, which costs a bit over $100. For a first timer shadetree mechanic, plan on spending an afternoon doing this job, you'll need an assortment of metric sockets and wrenches.

-keep in mind that this is no honda. Your average "jacks corner garage" will NOT be able to help you should something go wrong on this car(and it will). HE will mess wtih it, make things worse, and give you a bill for a few hundred because he doesnt like fooling with rotaries in the first place. Dealerships are usually not much better...if you don't have a qualified rotary guy in your area, this is a consideration.

-You keep talking about the SE. The SE is just a base model...86-88 bases are 4 lug and have few options. These are the most plentiful models out there. The 88 was the only one called SE, the 86-7's were unlabeled and just referred to as base. There is also GXL, which is fully loaded nonturbo, turbo II which is fully loaded with turbo, 89-91 GTu which is the base for those years, and a couple other obscure models not generally common. The nonturbo models 86-88 all had the same engine regardless of trim.

 

i also live in washington and i found a driveable 84 se for 500, before i bought mine i probly found 15 rx7s around 1000