Well. I had no desire to get another project car, especially after the problems I've had recently (flooded basement destroying basically all of my power tools, spare parts, etc), yet I had to buy this 'vert, if for no other reason than to save it.

The only thing I'm going to do to it ASAP is replace the top, because it's trashed, and winter is coming in the next month (or week, who knows in RI???)

Other than that, here's the list of problems I've found thus far:

Shifter is looser than a pornstar's vagina. At least I know the fix for that.
The interior lights don't come on.
The gauge lights are fun... Sometimes they're on, sometimes they're off, sometimes they're dim, sometimes they're bright.
The driver's seat is propped up with a brick. Yes, a brick.
The paint is red. At least, below the belt line, it is. Above? A combination of orange and well, primer, where someone tried to "buff out" the fading.
I think there's a fender I might not have to fix, but I'm not sure. The front bumper needs to be replaced for sure.
The trunk lid just doesn't look right... I'm thinking it's bent.
Driver's window doesn't want to go up or down... I'm figuring the motor is dead. Passenger window, surprisingly, works fine.
The interior needs to be stripped and cleaned, some parts busted, some missing, most just smell old.
There's an exhaust leak.

The good news is, it runs and drives.

I'd post pictures, but I know most of you have either eaten or are just getting ready to eat. I can't do that to you guys, I'm not that cruel.

 

you should throw up some pics!!! im glad you saved the car!! thats what us 7 enthusiasts do, we save the cars everyone wants to throw away. you say the car runs and drives, thats excellent! why do you assume the engine is bad? are you going to atf it and tune it up? what are your plans for the car?

 

Nah, the engine is fine. It runs decently, the exhaust is making a ton of noise from the leak though.

Plans? Hopefully to clean it up so my GF can drive it around. She loves 7s now, and wanted a 'vert, so it's really going to be hers. It only has 101k miles on it, which is not bad for an 88. Tomorrow during the day, I'll really get out and go over it.

 

how much did you have to drop?

 

im excited for you!! sounds like a good find. its always awesome to get a good deal on a car and spend some time and money fixing the car up! if you do get a chance you should throw up some pics!

 

I plead the fifth.

Plans thus far are to get the top done, figure out the exhaust leak and electrical gremlins, then start learning bodywork. I'm actually thinking of taking a class on it, and using this car for that.

It's not gonna be red anymore, I'll tell you guys that much. There's a blue 'vert on the rotary resurrection website that looks gorgeous, we're gonna try to duplicate that.

 

my votes:

interior lights=corroded switches in the door jams
dash lights=bad solder joints in the switch

good luck, sounds like you'll need it... that and time hahaha

 

Thats why I never want to live up north. Down here, we wont get winter for at least a month, and we usually dont get a freeze until Fubruary or so.

Good luck on the car, though. I wish I could get my wife interested in having an RX-7. She might like it if she could drive one, but she's too short for mine.

 

I already found a replacement switch on ebay, that was my first thought.

The interior lights don't work at all, doors open, closed, whatever, and the switch to turn them on doesn't make them work, either. I'm thinking fuse or bulb.

 

I would try the bulb first, then try the fuse.

 

sounds like u are gonna have some fun on this one.

i have a quick question for u, i have a 88 too and the shifter is also really loose, what is it?

 

those are the fc's i love to buy..... fixer-uppers.... save them from the doom that awaits them... i see too many clean fc shells sitting at the junkyard, so i buy cheaps ones, and fix them and sell them....

nice find btw... sounds like it was pretty close to death!

 

Shifter bushings.

 

its a plastic ring that sits under the pivot ball on the shifter... they are like $10 from mazdatrix and are worth their weight in gold! i hate sloppy shifters! blah!

 

how did you come across the car? what does the wife think of it?

 

This thread is useless without pics.

 

more useless without pics and price you paid for it

 

Well, here's pics. As far as price goes, that's my business and that's the end of it.



Nothing says class like Looney Tunes mats!





Here's the block holding up the seat. More on that later.



Yep, needs a new top.



There's gotta be some trunk liner missing, because damn:

 

The other side of the trunk:



Mmm, faded paint:



More Looney Tunes pimpness:



Yeah, that oxidation will buff right out:



Got a little close to a telephone pole?

 

whats the deal with the price man!!! someone rape ya??? It's no big deal really as long as you lik ethe car and you paid whatever amount to get it. Then it's worth it.

 

I hope you didn't pay more than $12 for that...

 

im not trying to steal your thread or anything, but that 'vert really isnt that bad. shows promise. i honestly think my newest gxl is quite a bit uglier than that.





yes that is purple window tint and spoiler off an old buick or something. both have since been removed. its been wrecked 3 times at least, and has 4 different colors of body panels. the interior (what was left of it) looked like someone used it as a trash can, containing everything from medical needles to underwear. now it has a dash, seat and shifter.

you know, why not start a thread of ugliest fc's? sounds fun anyways.

 

Well, it turns out the drivers seat is total garbage. It's got a broken hinge, and the back parts of the sliders are rusted so badly that they broke off. It's going straight to the dump. Passenger seat will be joining it. Carpet isn't even worth trying to save, so I'm going to replace it.

 

THAT is an ugly car!

 

car looks decent at best. who cares what you paid for it. some people dont know its rude to inquire about things like that time and time again. do you happen to have any engine shots? have you driven the car at all? the car definatly shows potential. the passenger seat doesnt look that bad. why are you scrapping it? what does the wife think?