I went to look at a 1987 rx7 NA base model today. I am new to rx7s but i have done alot of reschearch. It sounded like a steal for 2000 dollars, with only 86k miles on it, no blemishes on the body except the trim coming off on the right side and a tiny spot where the paint is peeling on the hood. I went to go look at it and its leaking oil all over the bottom of the engine on the drivers side. But it started up in 5 seconds after sitting for a month. I didnt find out untill i got there that the sun roof leaks, the dash lights dont work, check engine light and the otherswith it dont work. The air conditioning was taken out. No power steering. The speakers where taken out, and the radio doesnt work even if it did have speakers.

How much does it sound like its worth? Is the leaking oil a serious problem (burns a quart every 500 miles), it wouldnt prossibly need a engine rebuild would it(only 86k!)?

thanks

 

Sounds like a neglected POS (typical). I'd give him $750 considering half of it doesn't work...
Burning 1 quart of oil in 500 miles is a lot, but then again leaking it out probably makes it seem like it's burning off quick. The leak could be the pan, the cooler lines, or even the level sensor. But none of us can know without seeing it.

 

$500 max.
you'll dump a grip into that car to get it in working order

 

About $120 to fix yourself.

About $150 to fix.

NOT GOOD! You need to have a qualified mechanic check it out. That could be a $40 leak or a $2,500 leak.

That is normal. New weatherstripping usually fixes that. About $145 to fix yourself.

Most people would rather jab out their eyes with a screwdriver rather than troubleshoot that mess.

-$1,000

That is good if it has a real manual steering rack. That is not so good if it has a power steering rack ghetto-rigged for manual operation (look for capped-off hydraulic hoses).

That is normal. You can't expect the speakers to last 22 years, and the original radios sucked compared to modern radios anyway. If you are younger than 30 years old, you would probably be shocked to learn that the original CD player skipped like crazy and is not compatible with any CD format other than just plain CD (no CDR, CDRW, DVD, MP3, WMA, etc.), not to mention that you can forget about plugging in your blue tooth, Ipod, USB, or any other modern gadget. I just ordered an HD radio with CD (CDR/RW, MP3, WMA), equalizer, and surround sound for only $160, so I don't see much point in keeping the original stereo even if it does "work".

It's amazing that car even works at all after 22 years. Anything that is original will be in sad shape despite the "low" mileage (which is more than TWICE the 36,000 miles of the standard warranty in which the car was supposed to last). The car sold for $14,399 back in 1987, which equates to about $26,895 today, so keep that in mind when you end up spending $1,500 to $5,000 on repairs.

I would pass on that car just based on the electrical problems unless I planned on parting it out or installing an entire set of aftermarket gauges. Otherwise, maybe $500 if the oil leak gets an OK from the inspecting mechanic.

 

RUN... run... far far away!

 

There is a 87 4lug/ na in sarasota fl for $1500. Besides paint, and some of the interior the car seems great! oh yeah, it has like 200k miles on it. Most likely engine has been overhauled not long ago. I would love to buy it, or for a friend to buy it. I just hope somebody that will do good for it gets it.