I'm planning on buying an RX-7, and the price I found for it is $1300 CND a little bit negociable. This will be my first car and hopefully it'll last me a long time.. Anyways, it's an 86 GXL, 5 speed manual and the coolants leaking. The driver side fender needs to be repaired or replaced and there's no rust on the car. The car has 140 000km's .. but the question is.. Are these cars expensive to maintain? I live in Canada,Quebec, Montreal.. and I heard not that many people know how to deal with rotary engines and the people who know how are going to charge me big $$.. anyways, what's your input?

Thanks in advance,

Kane

 

yes, the are expensive to maintain. now that the cars is 20 years old, it will start to need some work. new belts and new fluids are a must. As for the engine, you should take it and have a compression check done. Coolant seals in rotarys are known to fail. you should take the coolant cap on the front of the motor off and start it while it is cold, if it bubbles then most likely it has a seal out and the engine will need to be rebuilt.


---James

 

I guess I shouldn't but an RX-7 then ey? ...

 

I have two dead 7's in my garage. Both died right at 140,000 mi. One is an '89 GTU with an excellent body, the other is a '91 TII that looks like crap. My project is to rebuild the turbo motor end put it in the '89 with related goodies.

I believe the car your looking at might become, well, "demanding". As in demanding a rebuild and the knowledge to do so. Space, time, and knowledge is all it takes.

 

The '89 not only chunked a seal or two, but it caused it to lock-up. TII has no compression on the rear rotor. I wonder what apex seals do to exaust turbine wheels?


Not trying to steal thread but this can be some of the stuff you come-up against in dealing with a rotary motor.

 

I say find out where the leak is and have it compesstion checked because that's how you know how heathy the engine is.

 

If you want an Rx-7, be ready to learn, because you will save money and will also know your car better, and be ready to dedicate yourself to the car, because it is a medium-high maintenence machine. There is no such thing as a free lunch with these cars.

 

Well.. it's going to be my first car.. and I was hoping it wouldn't be too high maintenance.. maybe I should re-consider?

Does the price sound about right for the car?

 

simple: no running engine = parts car = CAD $100 (ONLY IF the paint is good) [rust? forgettabout it]

once you bought it, you're stuck with it... til your piggy is boney dry.


if you're willing to dig into the machanics of rotories... then this FC would be a good starting point for you. again, if the motor doesn't run smooth... CAD $100 and no more.

 

Yea, and IF you decide to buy it, get a radiator and the fenders. just my opinion.

 

I'm happy my car has lasted my a year so far...I'm kinda wishing I had the time, money, and smarts to work on it so I could do what I want. I might have to end up saving for a 3rd gen or something...hmm..

 

Sorry to have to say this but do yourself a favor and get a used Honda Civic, or similar. Unless you are fortunate enough to find an RX-7 in excellent condition, an aging RX-7 will likely eat up your time and your dollars in order to keep it in good running condition.

However, if you want to learn about how cars work--especially the uniqueness of a rotary-engined car--and you are willing to devote the time and money necessary to do that, then by all means go for it. If you want a dependable daily driver, look elsewhere.

 

This guy speaks the truth..This thread has made me think about not getting a new tranny in this, and maybe selling it to a friend who wants to work on it more than I do..so I can get a different car.

 

as for how long it will last.... if its taken care of (driven a little hard but always had good oil and ect.) it will last a long time.... my car has 227k miles on it (88 GXL) and its still runs good.

 

has anyone even mentioned the cold start assist system yet? he's up in montreal where it gets awefully chilly in the winter... 20yr old RX7's are not a "get in and go" car when the weather dips into the sub freezing. God forbid the cold start system isn't working... ~rich

 

I have 2 dead 7's in my garage too... but one is very close to rising from the dead!!! good luck with the project... the cars are fun to work on if they aren't your daily driver...

 

I had to drive my car approx. 15 blocks last week. I let that bitch warm up for 45 minutes before I moved it an inch. And that was only -15C.

These cars are not made for Canadian winters.

 

Nizmonic, I dont want to intrude to mutch into this guy,s thread, but I,m pumped too!

I almost had the ,89 NA together, as a NA, and then a friend called me the line on the '91 TII.

I just have to go Turbo!!

I already have two new rotor housings and a rebuild kit from Atkins. Can't wait to swap **** and get running!

Edit: I forgot to include how much I agree with you on the fun side of owning and working on an RX-7 can be. This car is not a DD for most of us. They are great cars when they run right. Rotaries are cool!

 

I was also thinking the same thing....

 

Yes, I'm married to my car, and I ride her everyday.