James SJC

For about 7 years i've been into Fieros exclusively. The one I have is an 85GT with a supercharged Grand National engine in it. This car is carbed, has parts from who knows how many cars, and is very high maintenance along with being a gas pig. (20mpg max)

Just recently my dad picked up a second gen RX7 to sell.....right now it has a 13b, and he also has another engine(dunno if it's the same) equipped with turbo. The car is in amazing shape, except for some little dents to be worked out of the pass. door, paint, rims, and that's it. My dad wants $2000 for the entire package. This is making me consider selling my car for it, because I can get alot for my car and pour it into the RX7.

I just want to know, is the rotary engine good on gas? My friend has one and says they have a really wide aftermarket for engine/aesthetic mods, but others have said that they are higher maintenance than my Fiero. I thought I'd ask you guys before I formulated my final decision. I need a 2 seater that has awesome power(like mine) and is somewhat fuel efficient (unlike mine), and reliable (also unlike mine)

If I sell my car for it I'll have about 6000$ to throw into the RX7 on top of that turbo'd setup, I'm just trying to weigh my options, what do you guys think?

Ballin_is_a_Habit

a 13b gets 17mpg city and like 25 hwy -- i believe that some quotes around these forums for the estimated cost of an n/a to turbo set up is like $3000 or somthing... but you already have the engine right? i think thats the most expenisive part but dont ask me about that because i think that supercharging a 13b is WAAAAY cooler -- i would get the comptech kit for it price is like $2800 but lets not start a big flame session about which is beeter -- get the rx and come join the club buddy

James SJC

WOW 17mpg? jaysus! But damn I still want it.
Yeah the turbo'd engine is with the car but not in it yet, and very low mileage. I'm assuming that it won't be amazingly difficult to swap the engine since it's made for the car.....Along with the fact that I don't have to drop my axle to remove the engine like I do with my Fiero. Is the 13b a good engine in terms of power and somewhat reliability?

RETed

Sorry to disappoint you, but NONE of the rotary engines get good gas mileage.
"City" driving will reward you with 14 - 17 mpg.
Add freeway miles, and you're lucky to get anything over 20mpg.
If you add LOTS of freeway miles and keep off the boost, 25+ is not that uncommon, but you'd be hard pressed to break 30mpg.


-Ted

TalkSick

as a fellow RX7 noobie, all i can say is sell whatever you can, buy the RX.. then see if u cant swing a deal on a second one. I have never in my life had more fun driving anything then i do my 7. As far as reliability, so far just little things (hoses mostly) have required love. Mileage sucks as far as im concerned, and worth double the price if necessary simply cuz its that much fun. Go Rotary.. or Get Bent

James SJC

Yeah that's pretty bad, worse than my 300hp Fiero.......But another part of the criteria in my decision has to do with working on it. I can tell that it would be easier to work on it just because alot more can be accessed without the help of a hoist or crane. I'm just a little hesitant because of the condition of my Fiero...The engine has 5000km since the rebuild, and everything is pretty much mint on it inside and out. I know I want an rx7, but it's still gonna be hard to decide to sell my car for it.

jhammons01

[QUOTE=James SJC]For about 7 years i've been into Fieros exclusively. The one I have is an 85GT with a supercharged Grand National engine in it. This car is carbed, has parts from who knows how many cars, and is very high maintenance along with being a gas pig. (20mpg max)[quote]

beefhole

iTrader: (29)

Lol

jhammons01

Sorry James SJC, I'm not baggin on ya'......really I'm not. It's just a funny question when you know the truth about 7s and gas mileage.

don't be mad at me, I'm just having a little fun and tryin' to get you to chuckle.

cool_as_crap

lol

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

LOL Very true, though. NA's can get 20 or so in city and 25+ highway (I've seen 30 a few times). As for turbos, expect 12-15 city if you drive it like most people drive them. That's even more true if you modify it because you have to increase the fuel even more. As for accesability, just about the only thing that requires a crane and hoist is replacing the motor. Basically everything is reachable through the top, or by jacking it up. Just give up your fiero and go rotary - you wont regret it. If you still arent sure, find someone with a fast rx-7 and take a ride in it, even as a passenger. It will convince you.

James SJC

hey the gas mileage was definitely an honest question, i'm going from a big torquey engine to a wee lil rotary engine, anyone who never owned an rx7 would have asked the same question, you didn't have to hurt my feelings guys

RX7Dragon

The 7's a great car but your not gonna get an objective opinion here, same as if you asked this on a fiero board. So gonna have to decide for yourself. In short- Quit being a baby about it, either keep it or sell it already and stop whining bout the gas mileage.

beamer242

my buddy is really big into fieros and im all about rx7s he said that if my car was as fast as his then he would want mine.... i think they are pretty well matched in the areas you are looking at. fuel efficiency, reliablity, and power. fieros are faster in a straight line, but rx7s handle better.

James SJC

well I'm definitely gonna pick one up, but the question is which one......cause as I said my dad has an 87-88? rx7 and the turbo'd engine to put in, but also is looking at an 89(i think) but it's N/A, so it would have to be in amazing shape to pick over the turbo'd one. Once he has both I'll be able to see which one I'm gonna buy...I'll take pics of the 87-88? tomorrow.
Anyone have CARFAX capability?

TalkSick

something to keep in mind with regards to goin with a rex over your fiero. Regular internal combustion engines have upwards of 40 moving parts. Rotaries have like 3. That should speak volumes for reliability, at least under normal driving conditions. As i understand it most "reliability" issues had a lot more to do with what was between the seat and the steering wheel then what was under the hood with regards to 7's, at least N/A's

jhammons01

Just pick the turbo. Lots of advantages to the Turbo over the N/A. As soon as you get the N/A, you'll wish you had a turbo. Rebuilding them is the same process.

ultradef

I love rotaries as much as anyone else on this board, but NO WAY would I call them (as a whole) reliable or gas efficient. For many its a labor of love.

Keep in mind that these cars are now 15+ years old...they often take a lot of work and most of it may have to be done by the owner since it can be hard to find a competent rotary mechanic. If the car is in perfect condition, you may see 20-25 mpg highway but this often goes out the window after modding or if maintenance has been neglected.

I would definitely recommend you read and learn as much as possible on this forum before making a decision. Read the FAQ and stickies at the top of this forum and it couldn't hurt to take a look at RETed's website: www.fc3spro.com

I don't mean to discourage you in any way...I just see some posts in this thread that may be misleading. "My friend's cousin's roommates brothers FC gets 30 mpg" or "My brother's friend's uncle's FC has 250,000 miles and he never even changed the oil" Don't get me wrong, FC's are great cars when maintained and PROPERLY modded. Just trying to give you an honest, balanced point of view. Do your research, then buy a rotary...you won't regret it as long as your aware of the benefits as well as the potential problems.

James SJC

Well it's settled. I just picked up a 1987 rx7 in the toronto area. Maroon leather interior (so i'm told) and i'm also getting the turbo and intercooler setup with it. This car is in amazing condition. I will get pics up as soon as I can, I'm not in the Toronto area I'm a few hours north. My dad's probably going to bring it up on one of his tow runs soon.

How hard it is to add the intercooler/turbo setup on a 13b? can anyone post a thread that might help? Also, how many km can a well driven rx7 typically take before considering a rebuild?

James SJC

Anyone?

ultradef

Are you getting just the intercooler, turbo, manifold, etc. or are you getting an entire turbo engine?

If you're only getting the intercooler and turbo, it is a lot more involved than just bolting them on. There are a million threads on the topic, I suggest looking at the FAQ and searching.

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

So did you get an N/A and turbo parts? If so, its gonna be some work. There are several threads around about how to do them, I think theres one in progress one on the front page.

James SJC

Yeah I got an rx7 with a regular 13b setup. My dad says he either has a whole turbo'd engine put together (13b aswell, intercooled too) or that he has all of the necessary parts separate from his spare engine. I'm gonna talk to him this week to find out more, pretty sure the engine is together, but I'll make sure.

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

If you can get the full turbo engine, it would be much easier. For one, if you use the NA rotors I think its reccomended that you get a standalone. If you get the turbo engine, just make sure you have the right ECU.

James SJC

I always try the FAQ and search before asking anything, but the FAQ comes up nil no matter what word I type....Maybe it's just me.