Looking at maybe buying an '87 RX-7
08-31-06, 09:33 PM
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Looking at maybe buying an '87 RX-7
Ok, here is my situation. I currently drive a 2002 WRX Stage 2. I commute to school which is about a 50 mile round trip. Well that’s a little over 2 gallons of 92 octane a day which is starting to add up. So I'm shopping around for a second car and I'm looking between my friends RX-7 (might be able to get it for $800 or cheaper) and maybe a 240SX if I can find one cheap enough. What I'm wondering is what is the "Real world" MPG on a '87 RX-7 Stock. What can I do to get better gas mileage out of it? i.e. Lightened pulleys/flywheel, gut out the sound deadening, ect. Also I have a feeling its gonna need a lot of work. I know the radiator or coolant hoses are leaking. And the engine more than likely needs to be rebuilt/replaced.
So...
Engine cooling: What radiators are good along with hoses? And what kind of prices am I looking at?
Engine: Should I rebuild it (I will probably do this myself)? Is there a way to know if the engine is too far gone to be rebuilt? If so how do I tell? Will I have to crack it open and look or can you tell just form a compression test? How much are rebuild kits? If the engine is to far gone I know I can swap in the bad one for about $900 core refund. Is it possible to put in a 20B without the turbos? Or is the CR too low to be drivable?
Tires: IT NEEDS TIRES!! What tires are good for Dry/Wet pavement? I'm not gonna use it during Winter I will have the WRX for that with Snow tires on. So what do you guys recommend, on a budget of less then $100 a tire.
Thanks for all your help!!
Adam
So...
Engine cooling: What radiators are good along with hoses? And what kind of prices am I looking at?
Engine: Should I rebuild it (I will probably do this myself)? Is there a way to know if the engine is too far gone to be rebuilt? If so how do I tell? Will I have to crack it open and look or can you tell just form a compression test? How much are rebuild kits? If the engine is to far gone I know I can swap in the bad one for about $900 core refund. Is it possible to put in a 20B without the turbos? Or is the CR too low to be drivable?
Tires: IT NEEDS TIRES!! What tires are good for Dry/Wet pavement? I'm not gonna use it during Winter I will have the WRX for that with Snow tires on. So what do you guys recommend, on a budget of less then $100 a tire.
Thanks for all your help!!
Adam
08-31-06, 09:40 PM
#2
well your gonna get just about the same mpg. i have an '87 and its not really that good on gas. i get about 18mpg in the city and mabey 25-30mpg highway. if your gonna do an engine rebuild thatd gonna cost you more than for you will pay for the car no doubt. if your looking for a commuter car then i really dont suggest an rx7. you already have fast sporty car. look for something that you can get hella gas mileage .
08-31-06, 09:42 PM
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You're a step in the (sort-of) right direction. You've got the other car.
I don't know all the technical information, so I'm not going to make myself look like an ***. But I do know the joy of driving an RX-7. There has got to be nothing like it. Well, the birth of my son comes in first. But, if you're willing to learn and have fun with your RX then heck, do it! But don't totally rely on it. Mine treated me great (till the engine went) but that was my fault. And, there really is a Mazda brotherhood. I've gone from my first RX (R.I.P) to a 6 and now a 3 and an RX. I've made some great friends.
So, now I'll let the smart guys talk. Hopefully you decide on the RX-7 and start a lifelong quest of the Rotor.
Or not.
Always look on the bright side...
I don't know all the technical information, so I'm not going to make myself look like an ***. But I do know the joy of driving an RX-7. There has got to be nothing like it. Well, the birth of my son comes in first. But, if you're willing to learn and have fun with your RX then heck, do it! But don't totally rely on it. Mine treated me great (till the engine went) but that was my fault. And, there really is a Mazda brotherhood. I've gone from my first RX (R.I.P) to a 6 and now a 3 and an RX. I've made some great friends.
So, now I'll let the smart guys talk. Hopefully you decide on the RX-7 and start a lifelong quest of the Rotor.
Or not.
Always look on the bright side...
09-01-06, 10:02 AM
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what is a stage two wrx?
anyway, you can expect an n/a to get 25 highway and thats on the cheapest, lowest octane you can get, it actually runs worse on higher octane (supposedly). gas mileage will go up if you get a nice full exhaust and a good intake. koyo sells a cheap-ish radiator for like 200-300 thats a bolt in replacement. new stock hoses from autozone or whatever will be fine.
the engine should be compression checked. from there, you *might* be able to determine how its dead, and then that can indicate if its rebuildable. if its a blown coolant seal and theres coolant in the exhaust or coolant is overflowing, it should be rebuildable. if its a blown apex seal, you'll probably need a whole new rotor and aluminum housing. most likely though, you wont know for sure if you need any new internal engine parts until you crack it open. luckily for you though, series 4 (1986-1988 models) non turbo engine parts are as cheap as dirt. if all your engine housings are reusable, expect the rebuild to cost right around 1000 dollars for a good OEM do it yourself rebuild. you can probably rebuild it yourself if you get a rebuild video or find a friend whose done it before.
yes you can put a non turbo 20b in, no it wont be cheap, quiet, or fuel efficient. i happen to know someone with an n/a 20b, his gas mileage isnt anything to get excited about. its probably not a project for someone new to rotaries either. tires, i have no clue. good luck!
anyway, you can expect an n/a to get 25 highway and thats on the cheapest, lowest octane you can get, it actually runs worse on higher octane (supposedly). gas mileage will go up if you get a nice full exhaust and a good intake. koyo sells a cheap-ish radiator for like 200-300 thats a bolt in replacement. new stock hoses from autozone or whatever will be fine.
the engine should be compression checked. from there, you *might* be able to determine how its dead, and then that can indicate if its rebuildable. if its a blown coolant seal and theres coolant in the exhaust or coolant is overflowing, it should be rebuildable. if its a blown apex seal, you'll probably need a whole new rotor and aluminum housing. most likely though, you wont know for sure if you need any new internal engine parts until you crack it open. luckily for you though, series 4 (1986-1988 models) non turbo engine parts are as cheap as dirt. if all your engine housings are reusable, expect the rebuild to cost right around 1000 dollars for a good OEM do it yourself rebuild. you can probably rebuild it yourself if you get a rebuild video or find a friend whose done it before.
yes you can put a non turbo 20b in, no it wont be cheap, quiet, or fuel efficient. i happen to know someone with an n/a 20b, his gas mileage isnt anything to get excited about. its probably not a project for someone new to rotaries either. tires, i have no clue. good luck!
09-01-06, 10:05 AM
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Hey man, here is some food for thought. If you are looking at it from a purely economic standpoint, all the money that you would be spending on another car which would include, repairs, tax, tags, insurance, on top of still buying gas, all that money would buy a ton of gas for your Sub.
Now, if you just want another car for the enjoyment of another car, then get the Rx7. But you wont be saving money. As enjoyable as these cars are, I have found that for the most part, there is always something that needs to be fixed, as with any older car. Add to that that the rotary engine is not the cheapest or easiest to find parts for.
I see it all the time, and have done it my self (where I learned the mistake): People pay money to buy something that will save them money. If you are paying money, you are not saving money!!
If you truly want an economical car for the purpose of saving money, sell the Sub and get a civic.
Hmmmmm, I didn't think you would want to do that. Save your money and put it in gas.
BTW: If you get a car that gets the same mileage, but runs on reg unleaded, you are saving a measly $.20 per trip to school for the $800 initial cost + repairs, insurance, tax, tags, maintanance, and gas.
Like I said, just food for thought. I think you really just want to get an RX7, which is cool. Go for it if you want the car.
Later,
Bill
Now, if you just want another car for the enjoyment of another car, then get the Rx7. But you wont be saving money. As enjoyable as these cars are, I have found that for the most part, there is always something that needs to be fixed, as with any older car. Add to that that the rotary engine is not the cheapest or easiest to find parts for.
I see it all the time, and have done it my self (where I learned the mistake): People pay money to buy something that will save them money. If you are paying money, you are not saving money!!
If you truly want an economical car for the purpose of saving money, sell the Sub and get a civic.
Hmmmmm, I didn't think you would want to do that. Save your money and put it in gas.
BTW: If you get a car that gets the same mileage, but runs on reg unleaded, you are saving a measly $.20 per trip to school for the $800 initial cost + repairs, insurance, tax, tags, maintanance, and gas.
Like I said, just food for thought. I think you really just want to get an RX7, which is cool. Go for it if you want the car.
Later,
Bill
Last edited by SSRx7; 09-01-06 at 10:19 AM.
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09-01-06, 02:00 PM
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Originally Posted by NOPR
what is a stage two wrx?
anyway, you can expect an n/a to get 25 highway and thats on the cheapest, lowest octane you can get, it actually runs worse on higher octane (supposedly). gas mileage will go up if you get a nice full exhaust and a good intake. koyo sells a cheap-ish radiator for like 200-300 thats a bolt in replacement. new stock hoses from autozone or whatever will be fine.
the engine should be compression checked. from there, you *might* be able to determine how its dead, and then that can indicate if its rebuildable. if its a blown coolant seal and theres coolant in the exhaust or coolant is overflowing, it should be rebuildable. if its a blown apex seal, you'll probably need a whole new rotor and aluminum housing. most likely though, you wont know for sure if you need any new internal engine parts until you crack it open. luckily for you though, series 4 (1986-1988 models) non turbo engine parts are as cheap as dirt. if all your engine housings are reusable, expect the rebuild to cost right around 1000 dollars for a good OEM do it yourself rebuild. you can probably rebuild it yourself if you get a rebuild video or find a friend whose done it before.
yes you can put a non turbo 20b in, no it wont be cheap, quiet, or fuel efficient. i happen to know someone with an n/a 20b, his gas mileage isnt anything to get excited about. its probably not a project for someone new to rotaries either. tires, i have no clue. good luck!
anyway, you can expect an n/a to get 25 highway and thats on the cheapest, lowest octane you can get, it actually runs worse on higher octane (supposedly). gas mileage will go up if you get a nice full exhaust and a good intake. koyo sells a cheap-ish radiator for like 200-300 thats a bolt in replacement. new stock hoses from autozone or whatever will be fine.
the engine should be compression checked. from there, you *might* be able to determine how its dead, and then that can indicate if its rebuildable. if its a blown coolant seal and theres coolant in the exhaust or coolant is overflowing, it should be rebuildable. if its a blown apex seal, you'll probably need a whole new rotor and aluminum housing. most likely though, you wont know for sure if you need any new internal engine parts until you crack it open. luckily for you though, series 4 (1986-1988 models) non turbo engine parts are as cheap as dirt. if all your engine housings are reusable, expect the rebuild to cost right around 1000 dollars for a good OEM do it yourself rebuild. you can probably rebuild it yourself if you get a rebuild video or find a friend whose done it before.
yes you can put a non turbo 20b in, no it wont be cheap, quiet, or fuel efficient. i happen to know someone with an n/a 20b, his gas mileage isnt anything to get excited about. its probably not a project for someone new to rotaries either. tires, i have no clue. good luck!
Ok, back on topic. How much is a good exhaust? Should I just do a cat back, header back with a cat, or even replace the headers and back with a cat (I assume RX-7's have header/exhaust manifold)? For the intake, should I go cold air intake or a short ram air intake? Will I need to worry about leaning out the A/F ratios? (Intakes are usually bad on WRXs) The radiator and hoses I figured a few hundred. Do you think I should get silicone hoses for the radiator?
Now the engine, what are the values (On the compression test) of Good engine, Needs rebuilt engine, and Scrap the engine? If I do crack it open and it’s too bad to rebuild (BTW this might be my first engine rebuild so I'm new to all of this) what do I look for to be able to see that a rebuild is not an option. And if I do open it up can I still get a new engine from one of the venders and still receive the core refund?
Originally Posted by SSRx7
Hey man, here is some food for thought. If you are looking at it from a purely economic standpoint, all the money that you would be spending on another car which would include, repairs, tax, tags, insurance, on top of still buying gas, all that money would buy a ton of gas for your Sub.
Now, if you just want another car for the enjoyment of another car, then get the Rx7. But you wont be saving money. As enjoyable as these cars are, I have found that for the most part, there is always something that needs to be fixed, as with any older car. Add to that that the rotary engine is not the cheapest or easiest to find parts for.
I see it all the time, and have done it my self (where I learned the mistake): People pay money to buy something that will save them money. If you are paying money, you are not saving money!!
If you truly want an economical car for the purpose of saving money, sell the Sub and get a civic.
Hmmmmm, I didn't think you would want to do that. Save your money and put it in gas.
BTW: If you get a car that gets the same mileage, but runs on reg unleaded, you are saving a measly $.20 per trip to school for the $800 initial cost + repairs, insurance, tax, tags, maintanance, and gas.
Like I said, just food for thought. I think you really just want to get an RX7, which is cool. Go for it if you want the car.
Later,
Bill
Now, if you just want another car for the enjoyment of another car, then get the Rx7. But you wont be saving money. As enjoyable as these cars are, I have found that for the most part, there is always something that needs to be fixed, as with any older car. Add to that that the rotary engine is not the cheapest or easiest to find parts for.
I see it all the time, and have done it my self (where I learned the mistake): People pay money to buy something that will save them money. If you are paying money, you are not saving money!!
If you truly want an economical car for the purpose of saving money, sell the Sub and get a civic.
Hmmmmm, I didn't think you would want to do that. Save your money and put it in gas.
BTW: If you get a car that gets the same mileage, but runs on reg unleaded, you are saving a measly $.20 per trip to school for the $800 initial cost + repairs, insurance, tax, tags, maintanance, and gas.
Like I said, just food for thought. I think you really just want to get an RX7, which is cool. Go for it if you want the car.
Later,
Bill
.Also mind you all this is up in the air. I'm just trying to get a good grip on what I might be jumping in to and trying to soak up as much information as I can.
09-01-06, 02:21 PM
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I highly doubt that you can even squeeze 30 mpg out of a seven. seems pretty far fetched to me...or maybe mine is just really bad on gas :S
and like SSRx7 said, i think you just want an RX7 haha. With all the upgrades and improvements you were talking about I don't think you would be saving money at all. Would be a cool project though.
and like SSRx7 said, i think you just want an RX7 haha. With all the upgrades and improvements you were talking about I don't think you would be saving money at all. Would be a cool project though.
09-01-06, 02:46 PM
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the 240sx will do better MPG.
but if your looking to save money, get a escort, festiva, old civic, old corolla. something alone those lines that you can get for under $500
but if your looking to save money, get a escort, festiva, old civic, old corolla. something alone those lines that you can get for under $500
Last edited by snowball; 09-01-06 at 02:48 PM.
09-01-06, 11:17 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by snowball
the 240sx will do better MPG.
but if your looking to save money, get a escort, festiva, old civic, old corolla. something alone those lines that you can get for under $500
but if your looking to save money, get a escort, festiva, old civic, old corolla. something alone those lines that you can get for under $500
Even if you get one for around $500, you are still spending money that you could buy gas with. Add to that the insurance which you have to pay every month, tax and tag, etc, and you are still spending money.
Eventually if you drove the old festiva/civic/corolla long enough(that is if it doesn't break down or keep having to throw parts at it, after a long long time, you would break even.
Buy the RX7 and have fun with it. Projects are always fun and always on going, but they don't have to be done overnight, you can take a break when you want to and spend time and money on it when you want to.
Interestingly enough, I was talking to my neighbor who has an 03 Jetta 1.8T He said that in town that thing only gets about 18mpg. I was shocked. I thought sure he was getting above 30 mpg even with the turbo.
My FB with NA 12A only gets 16 mpg in town, I haven't ever taken it on a long highway drive, so don't know what the mileage is there.
I'm still figuring the mileage on the vert (13B NA), so far only 2 tank fuls in 2 1/2 weeks.
Get the RX 7 project going!
Later,
Bill
09-02-06, 12:08 AM
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Originally Posted by soulofdarkness
A stage 2 WRX is a Full Turbo Back Exhaust, usually 3" With or without a high flow cat. And either an ECU reflash, or protune. Its around 275-285bhp or 220-230awhp. That’s it. I have the TurboXS turbo back exhaust with a high flow cat, COBB AccessPort (ECU reflash tool), Prodrive performance springs, silicone intercooler hoses, SS brake lines, Slotted rotors, and Hawlk pads.
Originally Posted by soulofdarkness
Ok, back on topic. How much is a good exhaust? Should I just do a cat back, header back with a cat, or even replace the headers and back with a cat (I assume RX-7's have header/exhaust manifold)? For the intake, should I go cold air intake or a short ram air intake? Will I need to worry about leaning out the A/F ratios? (Intakes are usually bad on WRXs) The radiator and hoses I figured a few hundred. Do you think I should get silicone hoses for the radiator?
Originally Posted by soulofdarkness
Now the engine, what are the values (On the compression test) of Good engine, Needs rebuilt engine, and Scrap the engine? If I do crack it open and it’s too bad to rebuild (BTW this might be my first engine rebuild so I'm new to all of this) what do I look for to be able to see that a rebuild is not an option. And if I do open it up can I still get a new engine from one of the venders and still receive the core refund?
also, a lot of your questions can be answered further by searching for more threads on the topic. you'll see a lot of people disagree on a lot of things and theres no one perfect way to do everything.
Originally Posted by soulofdarkness
Also mind you all this is up in the air. I'm just trying to get a good grip on what I might be jumping in to and trying to soak up as much information as I can.
09-03-06, 05:34 PM
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Originally Posted by Sobr609
my 87 gxl is great on gas..i dont know what people are talking about..and i dont drive like a old lady either.
My 87 base model get about 16 mpg city 22 highway. That's mostly stock with everything working. Every time I fill up, I take my receipt and write my milage on it, throw it into my glove box, then reset my trip meter. I just ran through my receipts since Feb, and most are about 18 mpg. Mostly city, some highway. (Note: Receipts melt if exposed to prolonged heat. All of my receipts before the last cruise melted.)
The best milage I ever got was on the last RX7 cruise, where I got 23 mpg. (Granted we were doing 70mph in 4th most of the time, it could have been better.)
On the topic at hand: The RX7 is a hell of a fun car to drive, but due to it's age and inefficiency, not the best daily driver. If you get something like a 2 liter MX-6 (93-96), you'll have a comfortable car that you can squeeze 32+ mpg out of. (My brother's car and experience.)
Keep the subie as your fun car, get a beater for a daily driver. Beaters have some good perks. They're cheap, you don't have to worry about it getting stolen, gas will be cheaper, and you won't be putting wear on your sports car.
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