I am a teenager and I am looking at an fc for my first car. Obviously it depends on the care of the previous owners (I will inspect the car to make sure it was cared for) but should I buy an 87 with 87kmi or is that too much mileage? Any advice/comments are appreciated!! Thanks in advance!!

 

dude how much for it, less than 2 grand dont hesitate. fc's are hard to find, where i am from at least, i almost bought a gtu for 800 and it didnt run, 128000 miles.

 

well learn from my mistake and check the compression smell oil for gas
check the frame

 

I intend to inspect the car to the best of my knowledge (with the help of the guide at http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/buy1.htm). The car is more than $2000 but I made plenty of money over the summer. If the car is in good condition I will probably go for it. Its just a bit of a risk though because it is a 1987, and for cars, thats fairly old. I just hope it will be reliable if I do buy it. Any other things I should look for when inspecting the car? Thanks for the feedback so far!

 

87K miles on a well cared for FC is nothing. Check the compression, search, check the radiator to make sure it's not full of rust, this gives you an idea if the previous owner took care of it. Look under the car and wheel wells for rust because in NY they salt the roads. Check for any frame damage,accident. Check the oil for any contaminants such as antifreeze, blown seals. Does it ride with no vibrations, clutch slip?

 

^what he said. To check the compression, you can use a slightly modified conventional tester ($15 @ local auto parts store). There is a small part you remove (check valve?), I'm not sure, but do a search on this website and you'll be able to find out exactly how it's done. Comp. #'s around 100psi + is what you're looking for. Make sure there's no white smoke on start-up. This would maybe indicate bad coolant seals (not good). Good luck and be sure to take your time inspecting and driving the car.