i've been lookin at this 88 RX7 SE for awhile now, i can get it for REALLY cheap, so im tempted to buy it. The car runs and drives, and brakes, but the PO has told me that the car needs a complete rebuild, or needs a block weld job...i wanna go with the rebuild but i have NEVER even touched a rotary engine, my expertise is VW's..how hard is a rebuild? and how much will it end up costin me in the long run? i can get the car for 300.00 so lemme know if you guys think it's worth it. BTW it has a rebuilt tranny...thanks

 

not hard at all. ESPECIALLY if you've rebuilt engines before. My first rebuild of an engine was my 13B, and I was surprised how easy it was. Remember that there's only 3 moving parts, so it can't be that complicated

If you're seriously considering, go to atkinsrotary.com and get the "How to overhaul your Mazda 13b" video by Bruce Turrintine (sp?). Its rather handy, and walks you through the rebuild process. A good use of $30 bucks.

As for whether the car is worth it, I can't answer yet. We need some more info. More importantly: How is the body? Bodywork is expensive, mechanical work is comparatively cheap

 

Dude, $300? Sounds a little too good to be true. I paid $1500 and while the engine, drivetrain, and body are all solid, it's all the other things people overlook that gave me problems. Check the brakes and tires and suspension really well. Along with pulleys and whatever else you can get too. Sure, you might save a little, but you know what they say, "Buyer beware."

 

wow, this forum really impresses me, really quick replys..i love it. But anyways i just talked to the guy, and the reason it's so cheap is because he's got ALOT of other project cars, and currently the car is sitting in a secure storage lot, waiting to be moved, so he's paying alot of money just to keep it there...hence the low price...he said theres a fender bender up front, but nothing too serious, is it hard to find new fenders and what not? here are some pics...





btw, here's a pic of my GTi...it's a fast car, but im tryna go SIDEWAYS...

 

Sounds great to me.

I am that type of person who will look for buys like that. Just because the price seems to good to be true doesnt always mean it is bad. Most of my cars have been around $500 and all were from people with to many projects or just needing it out of their way.

Most just need routine maintenance and they are good to go. Same with my 7 except it needed a rebuild. But it was $500...once the engine was fixed everything worked and the body was straight. Car sat in a field for 3+ yrs and everything still worked including the A/C.

As for parts, its pretty easy. Just go into the For Sale/Want to Buy section and either look around or post a Want to buy and you usually get a reply pretty quick.

Mike

 

Just to let you know, the SE is a "Low end" model.. Not to scare you off or anything, but it won't have the LSD, and luxory options and such. To be fair, most of us with factory LSD are replacing them by this point anway, but you get the idea

Sometimes a good deal is just a good deal. I got my 7 for 200 bucks.. my biggest problem was interior and exterior, though. Clutch and brakes were the worst of mechancially.. but it's not like you buy a two or three hundred dollar sports car, expecting it to be perfect.

as for things to check, read teh FAQs at the top, there's a nice link to Aaron Cake's "How to buy a 2nd Gen RX-7 guide. it will tell you all to check, in addition to all the normal things (rust and such).

Good luck.

 

I want it

 

too bad monkey your in KC...lol, anyways i just got an email from dude saying the block is fine...here's the email he sent me about the engine problems....

If you have a spare battery you can test drive it this weekend. I work and
> live in Seattle and can't get to the car during the week. The block is
> fine. The o-rings are blown which means coolant is leaking into the engine
> block causing the car to overheat.

o rings cant' be THAT HARD to replace...im going to check it out in like 10 minutes.

 

To change the o-rings the engine must be disassembled. Basically, this means a rebuild.

Check the archives for my thread "Pictures of my turbo-NA-brigeport engine build" for an example of an engine build.

 

you have to completly tear down the engine to replace the orings. . and while your inside you SHOULD replace apex seals and any other parts that are worn. There's a good thread in the archive about what you will need while rebuilding comes out to like 500 bucks.. . Oh and it's pretty easy you shouldn't have much trouble.
Dom

 

so this isn't too hard of a job right? it should be relatively easy, as for me im completely new to Rx7s so im kinda nervous...i think i should be fine tho

 

video is key! that'll clear up a lot of things.

 

so everyone is saying buy the video...lol will do..any cheap alternatives?..COUGH download COUGH...

 

Clean GTI... really like those wheels.

I'd ****** up the rx7 from what I can see, however, if he's had it overheated before there is a chance that you will need to replace the housings in your rebuild. Can get a bit more expensive that way.

I got my '7 and ended up selling my MKII Jetta, no regrets. I've had my '7 for a little over a year now and right now is the first time it has ever given me trouble. Throttle position sensor took a dump so I can't drive it (unless I feel like only being able to give it 20% throttle :/) but the Jetta kept giving me all sorts of electrical problems. Damned Digifant.

 

Don't even suggest to me that you want to pirate the video. I would hope that you would be willing to suppor the vendors that have put their time and money into producing these videos, and not steal from them to save a few dollars (then expect them to answer your rebuild questions).

Anymore talk about stealing the video and the offender gets a 3 day ban.

That said, check out my topic in the archives. It contains a step by step engine build.