hey guys, im want to buy a 1990 rx7. its the turbo model and it has about 100 000 kilometers on it. im just wondering would i would need to do to make it run really nice... ive heard that these engines die after 100 000 kilometers so please clear this up, im wondering if it will be reliable... since im pretty new to driving, i dont want to many performance mods right now. the guy is throwing in his 16'' rims and his momo steering wheel along with recaro racing seats all for 5000 canadian... should i get it?

 

actually these engines last for a really long time if they are properly taken care of. My car is just over 240,000 Km and still runs strong. I think you should get it.

 

what are some things to check for? to make sure all is well. im new to buying cars

 

Arron Cake has a write up.

 

can i PLEASE have a link to it?

 

congrats on the buy. yea 7's are far more reliable then people give them credit for.

 

if i can get a link to a write up on what to look for when buying one or a write up full of info id really appreciate it

 

Not Aaron's writeup but useful anyway.

 

http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/buy2.htm arron cake write up for buying a turbo rx-7

 

It is hard to make a judgement on the "average" life of a turbo rotary since it is very dependant on the care it has received. Nevertheless, the normal guess at average life is around 100,000 miles

:S

 

The first thing that any new poster needs to read is the FAQ For FC sticky at the top of this forum. It will answer 99% of your questions right away without having to wait for someone else to reply.

 

ok read everything, seems very unreliable and expensive to fix compared to the piston engines, the last thing i want to do is spend 5000$ just to have to spend another 1800$ to replace the apex seals a few weeks later...

 

your getting *** raped if there charging you 5000 for an fc over 100,000km at least i think soo
i got my base s4 for about 500 and its only gotabout 80,000km

 

??? if you ask me, its the other way around... but hey, whatever. (on the unreliable topic)

 

its 5000$ canadian with 100 000 kilometers (not miles) and its the turbo model... (read first post for specs) since u guys actually have these cars, can u tell me what their like, the more i read its sounding like they just explode if you look at them wrong... im starting to realize that the rx7 isnt really just a car used for transportation, its something that you gotta be into, im cool about that but i just dont wanna be fixing things every day, so hows the reliability

 

where did you get yours for 500$? id like a deal like that lol

 

I'll try to give you as much (hopefully useful) input as I can.

I bought my 1988 Turbo II with 90,000 miles on it, and it was bone stock. It ran perfect, and was running perfect up until 109k or whatever when I had the engine rebuilt. The only reason I had it rebuilt is because when I bought the car I didn't know anything about it, and then as I did what you are doing, learning about the car, I decided to go ahead and have it rebuilt just to be safe. I also had some modifications done to it at the same time.

So what Im trying to say is that it really does depend on how well it was taken care of. Mine must have been taken care of well, because it ran perfect with over 100k. Keep in mind though that a turbo RX-7 will generally be less reliable and require more maintenance to keep it up.

As far as the "transportation" goes, rx-7s often make fine daily drivers, again, if you maintain it well. I used to daily drive mine, but I dont anymore and I'm glad I dont. It doesnt get very good gas mileage, and I get more enjoyment out of it now that I'm not worried about putting so many miles on it, and I can just toy around with it, put new parts on it, and it doesnt matter if it's down for a couple days.

 

yeah, thats cool, where can i get parts online for it like apex seals and learn how to work on the engine?

 

oh, since im getting the turbo model, is it possible to remove the turbo and run it N/A for now and when i got alot more cash, to rebuild the engine and put it back on? would i lose ALOT of power?

 

Short answer: no.

Long answer: yes, it's possible. But it involves fabricating a new exhaust and completely reworking the intake plumbing.

If you want an NA, get an NA. If you want a TII, get a TII.

These cars are nowhere near as unreliable as people claim. If the car you get is in good shape and has not been abused, then it will be reliable. HOWEVER, keep in mind that it is a 20 year old sports car. Any 20 year old car is going to need some work to make it a reliable daily driver.

 

alright, so basicly, i should do a that 60k tune up and put new apex seals.... change the oil, spark plugs and all that, then it should be pretty reliable?

 

Do All of the maintinence for a 60k. That was all the fluids and fuel/air cleaner belts... You can't just change the apex seals that is a major opperation. That would take a rebuild. Just check it over make sure its in good shape.

 

crap, i saw that 60k tuneup thing with all the stuff you have to change in detail but i cant find it anymore

 

Whenever you buy ANY used car it should be fully inspected and you should do a full tuneup that includes replacing all the belts and cooling hoses.

Changing apex seals requires rebuilding the engine.

Have you read the FAQs yet? Including the how-to-buy guides?

Also see these links:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine.htm
http://rotaryengineillustrated.com/h...orks/index.php
http://www.keveney.com/Wankel.html

 

yes ive read all the stickies and your buying guide, do you have any really long and indepth stuff so i can learn alot?