MY '88 RX-7 SE seems like it is slow. everyone tells me that they are fast
but it doesn't seem like my acceleration isn't good at all. i don't know the numbers. Is it cuz i have 100,800+ miles on original stock motor, and the fact that it's a sucky automatic, and it's all bone stock? One of the muffler tips broke off (original owner's daugther drove the car once and she went over a speed bump too fast & knocked it off) i haven't got the chance of replacing the mufflers/exhuast yet. The one time i went to MAZDA the did a compression test and the said compression is starting to get a little low in one of my rotors, and they wanted me to have them put in a new motor. Note i am 17 and i think that they were just trying to take advantage of me cuz i am young, and stupid. i am not stupid, just because i am starting to lose compression in one of my rotors doesnt' mean i need a new engine right now. maybe a ways down the road, but i feel there is still a lot of life left in my engine. They also said something about my engine being tired? and it needs to be ran everyday. I usually run my car everyday of the week. sometimes i don't go anywhere on sundays, but basically i run the car everyday. i am thinking about doing a tranny swap from an auto to a 5-speed but i don't have time to do it, and i am slowly looking for a good reliable mechanic i can go to., but i would get the better turbo tranny when i did and get a light weight flywheel, and all the other stuff needed for the mechanic to do it. BUt what do you all think about my situation? please read and help me out. thanks

 

i think the fact that it is an automatic doesnt help because bone stock FC NA's dont have really fast acceleration times...even with a new engine.

if i were you i would swap for a 5 speed just because it is faster and an automatic in a sports car defeats the whole purpose.

after the swap and a lightened flywheel do some intake/exhaust mods and also take some weight out of the car and i think you will be more satisfied with the cars quickness.

 

I had an 86 GXL with an automatic about 3 years ago. It was fast. my motor had 80K miles on it. Granted it wasn't fast enough, especially off the line. RX-7s are not straightline vehicles. They are more for the twisty roads of backroad driving. That is where they shine! If you can keep the engine between 3500 and 6000 revs then you will be happy. In your case drive with the O/D off and I think it will have better response time when accelerating from a rolling start.

If you want to get a quick start then shift the auto manually pushing the shifter into a higher gear right before the redline on your car. That is all I can suggest.
Get upgrades.

 

it might just have to do with the auto trans...does it kick into gear well when downshifting? and pic up the revs smoothly?

my roomate used to have 90GXL. its still to this day the most beautiful FC i've ever seen. only problem was it was an AUTO. all stock it wasn't too quick.

shortly after i got my 91 n/a (5 spd) and we would race. seemed at any rpm range i would pull on him. even if his trans WAS in the correct range. also, the auto's never had 8K as the redline...i'm pretty sure they were all 7K.

 

Thank you all for your replies, and sujestions. I keep having thoughts of selling my car cuz it's slow, but i know thatno other car will handle like my 7 they are one of the best handling car i have driven(if not the best)
So what should it cost for all that to be done the swap and lightened flywheel about $1000-$1400 for parts and labor someone i talked to told me he had it done he got the T2 tranny and all the other stuff with lightened flywheel for $1200 with parts and labor. so i am thinking it should run around the same maybe a little more. thanks again.

 

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Well first of all never go to Mazda dealers for any reason other then parts! As for engine check ups, see a garage that specializes in rotaries. Also, if I were you, I'd just have a spare engine ready to go in, in the event it breaks down. This is my perspective on rotaries, he he.