New to the forums, and new to the rotary family.

My sister just bought a 1987 RX7 (non-turbo) and has about 1k to spend. She would like new wheels for one, but past that, I wanted to see what all of you rotor-heads had to say about where you would spend the money.

Any input would be great!

 

Tune up tune up tune up.

Plugs.
Wires.
Motor oil change.
Tranny oil change.
Diff oil change.
Air filter.

Everything, related to a full engine tune up.

I hope your sister makes alot of money lol, because if her '87 N/A is as tempermental as mine, it's gonna be a loooooooong haul.

 

Mine doesn't give me any real trouble; it all depends what kind of car you start with. $1k is probably enough to get a random RX-7 back into shape.

A Haynes manual is a great place to start. Sometimes the repair sections annoy me, but for basic maintenance (chapter 1) it's awesome. Do all of the maintenance items, since many of them have probably never been done before on the car. There's a lot more than what's listed above, especially cooling system maintenance.

Basic tools you will need (sorry if you know already):

• metric wrench set: preferably both socket and open-ended wrench. You'll probably want a torque wrench too. Spare 10mm and 12mm's are handy. Also check the sizes of the lug nuts, motor oil drain plug, tranny oil drain plug and differential oil drain plug, since these are too large to be in most wrench sets. You'll probably have to buy them seperately.
• locking pliers: a.k.a. Vise Grips. Handy for when a wrench isn't working.
• pry bar(s): for changing belts
• Pan for collecting oil and other fluids.
• Funnel. Plus the Lisle funnel is handy for filling & burping coolant (do a forum search on it).
• jack stands: 2 is enough. I avoid using 4 because the car can become unstable.
• bricks: to block the wheels when the car is raised. Firewood, etc., etc. also works.
• Piston compressor wrench attachment: about $2-$3, looks like a cube. For changing the rear brake pads.
• The Haynes manual may mention other things you need for specific jobs, including greases, fluids, brake pads, etc. Read through and make a list of those. Use only OEM thermostats to avoid trouble.

At some point also take it to a mechanic and have him check it out so you can clear up any remaining problems. Especially if you smell fuel; that's a fire hazard. Also never ever ever overheat the engine or it will be toast. Pull over first. 7/8 on the temp gauge is overheat, 1/4 is normal, in between is hot but ok. If the car hesitates at 3800rpm, follow the grounding guide at www.aaroncake.net. Now you should have a reliable car that you can start upgrading.

Body: Wash off any sap/bugs/bird poop every 1-2 weeks, wax every 6 months, and apply some kind of protectant to the vinyl if you want to keep all the body stuff in good shape. Use only car soap for washing. Mother's and Zaino have some good waxes, etc. Otherwise just buy something cheap like Turtle Wax or Armorall as other pricey stuff is usually a rip-off.

Upgrades:
The convertable wheels are some nice, cheap, lightweight, good looking wheels. Check the for sale section, or if you're really lucky you might find them in a junk yard. If your current wheels have 4 lugs, you will need to convert to 5 lug first. You basically have to change out the brake discs, hubs, etc. A junkyard is probably the best option for these parts. Just take off the wheel, unbolt everything behind it and take it.
Handling: Shocks, springs, sway bars, bushings, wheels, tires, tower braces, DTSS.
Power: Mufflers, replace the catalytic converter, 5th and 6th ports, cone intake + cold air intake box.

Do a forum search for more info. The forum search and the forum FAQ can also answer a lot of other questions you might have.

 

*sigh* Why, why, why.

Do above...for ONE.

 

Some 13" daytons, curb feelers, "Martinez" in old english on the back window, and some yellow window tint would be pretty bad ***.

 

^dude u forgot the flames

but no really do a full 60K tune up
air, oil and fuel filters
sparks
spark plug wires
transmission fluid
diff fluid
P/S fluid
brake fluid

 

+1.

Take the $900 left over and bank it, then drive the car.
At 16MPG you can blaze through a grand pretty fast...

 

That's 16mpg TOPS, btw. At least for me. I swear it seems like I'm pulling 8-10 mpg.... damn pulsation damper.

 

+2
bank at least half for future "issues"

 

whats the pulsation damper have to do with you getting 8-10MPG????... I suggest you do a tune up and and get some new/reman injectors... also, let up on the skinny pedal and stop driving like you are fast and furious


*edit*

to the OP... just drive the car for 4-5 months as it is... just perform regular services and preventative maintenance... then when she is happy with the way it runs, then she should start buying aftermarket stuff

 

The pulsation damper LEAKS FUEL. Hmmmmmmmm... how would leaking fuel hurt gas mileage?

This isn't hard.

And excuse me, who said I drive like I'm in "fast and the furious"? I drive like a sane person, thankyou.

 

better question is if its leaking why the **** are you driving around knowing its leaking!?
its not like it could cause a fire or anything

 

If your pulsation dampener is leaking fuel you should stop driving completely and get it fixed. You are asking to destroy your entire car in a fire. But if you're getting 8-10 or 16mpg, that's a huge amount of fuel and your car should have burnt down a long time ago. More likely there are other problems. 18/24mpg is typical.

OP: You are already seeing what happens when you buy a lemon or don't take care of your car. The car is 20 years old. Take care of all the maintenance and repairs first. Or you'll become like seemingly half the people here who get 13mpg, get no power from their engine, and think the RX-7 is super unreliable because they end up spending a fortune on repairs later.

The "tune up" lists listed are good but are not a complete list. Check the FSM in the FAQ or a Haynes manual. Some glaring items missing fall under cooling system maintenance. An overheat is a quick & easy way to blow your engine. It's easily the #1 most common cause, in fact. There's also belts, hoses, fuel lines, oil lines, inspecting brake & suspension/steering components, timing, etc., etc.

 

to all of you that answered my original post, thanks

I am very mechanically inclined. I built my first vehicle when I was 17.

All tuneups have been done and the car is in great running order, and I know she will be getting the Haynes manual, because that is what any responsible owner needs.

The original question maintains....what would you do with 1k to spend?

 

Wow.


OP: How many miles are on it? If its over 100k, you might want to think about banking that money and start saving for an engine rebuild...

If it were my car, here's what I would get (assuming the car was in perfect running order without a doubt).

A: Compression tester (to reassure me that it IS in perfect working order).
B: New tokiko blues all around.
C: K&N Drop in filter for stock air box
D: Send Injectors to get professionally cleaned/refub'd.
E: New Pulsation Dampener (a must on any S4 RX-7)
F: Wiper switch rebuild (do a search, for me, its a must in the winter)
G: New TPS.

Thats probaby just a smidge over 1000, but entirely worth it. Making a car fast isn't as important in my eyes as making it fun to drive... And no.. those aren't the same thing.

 

new wheels w/ tires = 1000$

game over

 

THANK YOU...




Anyone stupid enough to drive a car... knowing it has a leaking fuel system deserves to DIAF

P.S. you shouldn't be giving advice if thats the kind of advice you are going to give

 

ahahahah 16?

try closer to 12 -

edit: after readin rest of post heres my 2 cent:

look at that SUSPENSION!!

garuntee its fucked up - if the car is in good working order as you say then this will make that na 7 loads more fun to drive around

you should be able to spend all 1000 on your suspension easily

 

if it were me.... SOUND SYSTEM!

 

So... Exhaust?

 

I would buy shocks/struts and springs... some nice brake pads and some good tires

 

word

 

+1

 

I would say, do a full 150k tune-up, as per the Haynes manual that others have suggested.

Then, save money for a rebuild. (I'm assuming the engine is relatively high-mileage, and won't last forever). When she has it rebuilt, get it streetported. Afterwards, get some new 16" or 17" wheels and slightly larger than stock tires

 

Oh, also an intake consisting of a cone filter in a cold air box, and an exhaust system would be good mods.