aright soo i was looking on the internet and fell on this 1989 blue rx-7 convertible. i immediately fell in love with it. so im trying to talk my parents into getting it for me. i am a senior in highschool and dont make alot of money. so i came to you guys for advice. should i get this as my first car? heres the link http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search...44040&x=83&y=8

 

here we go http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...p=y&cardist=12

 

I wouldn't recommend an RX7 to anyone as a 1st car. The car is 16 years old, and will have issues that require PATIENCE, common sense, mechanical skills........

Its a nice car. But, rotary powered vehicles are only good for owners that are mature enough to check the oil regularly and perform all needed and unneeded maintenance. The owner must be willing to LEARN about the car.

 

rx-7 was my first car. but thats because ive been studied rotarys since i was 13 i got my first one last year. and im gettina TII in a week. If you know about rotaries then go ahead and get the car. just be prepared for alot of headaches in the future.

 

well if my grades get up in the A range by late november. ill be getting an evo or wrx. so this car is going to basically be my project/summer fun car. but im totaly new to rotaries. but i would like to learn more about them

 

then no........i suggest you get another beater...............rotaries and newbies don't mix............i can onestly trace the reason for me being broke today to the day I bought my rx7.........

 

vincepru,

Yeah if its a project fun car, you can't go wrong. I drive a rx-7 vert daily and love it. Very reliable and a great city car.

Check the buyers /newbie guide on this website to get an idea of what's needed for these cars. You just want to make sure you start with a good running car that's been taken care of.

The only precaution is making sure the engine has good HOT compression numbers which any Mazda dealer can pull for you. Your local rx-7 club probably has someone with a tester as well.

As with any higher mileage/older car I have a backup should something go wrong. So far just a bad starter for me.

-- Clayton

 

aright, my ex gf's dad has had many rx-7's and he currently has a black 88 turbo II i think. and im pretty sure he can help me out with any kind of problems.

 

^that's a little better...........it's up to you to decide now....it's a fun car and you will not ever get tired of it........but it's high maintenance and can be expensive....good luck and don't rush into things....TRUST ME

 

aright, is it more reliable since its not a turbo? because i hear that most rx-7's that arrent reliable are either turbos or 3rd gens

 

yes......reliability is better in NA form....but reliability is in the hands of the person.....if you take care of your car it will take care of you.

 

so i should be good then, i dont beat on my belongings, especially if its a car.

 

it's gonna come down to how well the previous owner took care of it....it's a gamble and I still wouldn't recommend it........

 

its an old guy. he told me that it wasnt his daily driver. but it has 90k on it so i dont know. engine swap maybe?

 

ill see how it goes. moms pms'ing right now, so everything is NO!

 

lol.....i remember being your age and I know that no matter what we say You'll still want THAT car and you WILL get THAT car.........before you fork over any cash though make sure you do and ask the following.

1. call the man and ask him when it is possible to see the car while it's cold ( either very early in the morning or later in the evening.) so you can see if the coolant seals are intact.....

things to do once you get there:

MAKE SURE THE CAR IS COLD AND HAS NOT BEEN TURNED ON IN AT LEAST 3 hours.
turn it on and go to the back of the car to check for white smoke

If the car is smoking WALK AWAY..........or if you really want it offer him A LOT LESS CASH

while it is warming up pop the hood and open the radiator cap (nothing should explode cuz the car is not warmed up yet) and make sure that there are NO BUBBLES IN THE COOLANT and that it is topped off or at least semi full.

check brake fluid, PS fluid, look for rust and oil. after you do all this the car should be semi warm ....make sure the car is fully warned up......Turn it off, pull the oil dipstick and check for oil level.....it should be full but it's ok if it's missing a little bit of oil......also check to seee how dirty the oil is: TOO CLEAN and the owner is hiding something with a new oil change......TOO Dirty means not enough maintenance......the oil should be a nice dark color but not too dirty.

ask to go for a test drive
accelerate normally and go through the gears.....ask the owner (if he is in the car with you) for permission to redline....IF HE IS NOT THERE DO NOT REDLINE IT......go back and have him bring the car to redline (check for the dreaded and annoying 3500 RPM hesitation and any other problems)

also bring the car up to around 30-40 mph on a nice stretch of road and brake hard (BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH TO LOCK THE BRAKES) lightly hold the steering wheel and sheck to see if the car is going one direction or another (means that it might need brakes or uneven wear)

go back and forth and make sure the steering is nice and tight and that the wheel doesn't wobble. Check all the lights, WIPER BLADES (these tend to fail a lot and could be used to haggle for a lower price) make sure the top is not ripped and that it still works 100%


once you are back at his place pop the hood and listen ( DO NOT OPEN THE RADIATOR CAP)for any gurgling by the radiator, smell for oil that might be burning, hear the idle and give the car one last look over and decide.......

if anyone has any more tips please post......

 

WOW thanks alot for all that info. i dont think i would have done those things. im gonna make a checklist of all the tips that you guys gave me and go through it step by step. ill have my uncle come with me (dealer) and i bet he can lower the price. thanks again. and any more tips would be great!

 

#1 tip!!!!!!!!

bring someone who KNOWS how to do a compression test on an RX7.

 

can you do that on the spot?

 

yeah..........but it must be done by someone that KNOWS how to do it( which is why i did not include it on my first list)

 

ok, ill try to get my ex's dad to come with me. he probly knows how to do it

 

keep us posted and show us pics IF you end up getting it.