1990rx7?

I read the FAQs about these cars and I want to confirm a few things before I make a decision. It appears the 89-91 cars have a flooding problem related to the fuel system. Is this a big deal? Second, oil consumption appears to be an issue but my understanding is that this is normal and not a problem if the oil level is monitered. Finally, cooling seems to be an issue. Some sort of seal seems to be a problem. Can someone explain this a little better? I found a 1990 white vert with a blue cloth interior, new motor and clutch, clean top and body for 3400, good price? Thanks

RXgirl7

actually, the flooding problem is MUCH more common on the 86-88 cars than on the 89-92's. oil consumption is normal in these cars, since some oil is injected into the combustion chamber in order to lubricate the apex seals.
if properly maintained, the stock cooling system is sufficient for most regular driving. if you anticipate some "spirited" driving, or taking the car to tracks, you will want to think about upgrading some of the components of your cooling system.
as far as seals failing, that is related to maintainance and car care, how the previous owner treated the car, etc. if you take care of your 7, it will take care of you.
how many miles are on the car? 3.4k is a bit pricey, unless the car is MINT with low miles...but it all depends. good luck!

EDIT: missed the part about the new motor...lol if the car is in good mechanical condition, go for it! new motor is a big plus

Tournapart

iTrader: (4)

i own a 1991 vert with now 97k bought it at 91k and i paid 3700 for it, as long as when you test drive it the car feels tight and shifting feels good those are good signs the car has been taken care of

Also check the inside of the convertable top for leaks or stains that insenuate(sp) previous leaking, there are also two little triangular cups one on each side of the car, on the inside where the window is right where the top meets the frame, they should be pointed UP not sagging down or missing, lol, if the seals look good and all, i would say go for it

you should expect some dripping from the cups when it is raining hard or if you leave the car out all night in the rain, most verts of that era not just mazda's leaked, ive even read storys about them dripping when they were brand new, its not really annoying but it is something you should know if you are going to purchase one.

good luck

Cold Dark Shadow

I just got an 89 vert, i love the thing, yea it needs work but for the price ($900) i cant complain with only 10K on the motor.
Heres a good link to check out when buyin one, i was pointed to it and it helped alot:
http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/buy1.htm


Little side note:
"they should be pointed UP not sagging down "
What do you mean they should point up? there not spossed to be done witht he drainage hose at the bottom?

I do experiance leaks on the passengers side (pools behind the passengers seat) no idea why. the last time it did it, i cleaned out the pocket and made sure the hose was clear and pushed the hose further thru the gromet in the floor and then dumped a whole cup of water down it, seemed to all drain out the bottom but if it rains again and i still get the pool behind the seat, what should i look for?

Sorry for the thread jack, figured it was brought up here so id ask instead of startin a new thread

vaughnc

Beyond the basics such as how the car runs & idles, checking for damage & rust, etc... if you really want piece of mind your local Mazda dealership can perform a "rotary engine specific" compression test for fairly cheap. Once you have the "hot engine compression numbers" if those numbers are well within tolerance and fairly even you should be fine.

Note be sure you ask the Mazda dealer if they have a rotary compression tester that gives back 6 numbers. If they use a "piston engine tester" the numbers will be artificially lower. If you only get back 2 numbers ask for a refund. They should do it while you wait, otherwise you'll get "cold engine compression numbers" which are useless.

Concerning flooding, just like with the older carbureted cars and rebuilding the carburetor after it gets old, Fuel injected cards need their injectors rebuilt after 120-150K miles or so. Besides better fuel economy, more power, and cleaner spark plugs, rebuilding the injectors prevents them from "bleeding fuel pressure off into the engine" when the car is shut down. This is the source of most flooding and it's fairly cheap to send your injectors off via mail order for rebuilding, blueprinting, and flow testing. Also anyone on this board trying to "build a de-flood switch" is attempting a "Band-Aid" fix which doesn’t resolve the actual problem.

The other side of flooding is this - all rotary engines MUST WARM UP. If the valet moves it to another parking space or you move the car in the driveway and don’t' let it warm up, the "super rich" gas mixture injected into the engine while warming up leaves too much gas in the engine if shut down cold. Gas eats the oil film in the engine and could possibly (usually doesn't) causes temporary "blow by" where the air doesn't get compressed as you crank the engine. On new engines or during the summertime, you may not even notice this if you shut it off cold. First cold winter day you do it, it may happen. It's an easy fix but involves manually squirting oil into the motor.

65% of "oil consumption" is leaky oilpan gaskets, front cover gasket, etc.. Rotaries do consume a tiny bit of oil which is sprayed into the engine especially at higher RPMS to help lubricate the internals. Normally you wouldn't even notice this in daily driving if you change your oil every 3000 miles, but during "track days" or "mountain driving" with extensive high RPM driving you'd notice a slight drop on the dip-stick (oil level).

Cooling's not the issue, the car runs fairly cool. The main problem is most engines with aluminum parts can't handle overheating very well. In rotary engines if you overheat the engine (low coolant levels) the cooling seals tend to warp and coolant pressure bleeds into the combustion chamber and/or engine combustion bleeds into the coolant system causing what appears to be "boiling over" from an over-compressed coolant system or raw air bubbles from the engine. Most shops can "sniff your exhaust" and tell you if any coolant is being burnt. Same if compression is leaking into the coolant system, they can test for that.

The otherside of "overheating" is if the ORIGINAL 15 year old catalytic converters are still on the car. If those get clogged first you'll notice there's no power above 4500rpms or so (Hint #1). Then you'll notice the floorpan is hot and the exhaust is glowing red (Hint #2). Finally the car does have an "exhaust overheat" sensor that will warn you (Hint #3). All of these hints should tell you, time for a REAL exhaust system. Besides extending your engine's life, increasing fuel economy, and more power, a freeflowing exhaust "wakes up" the rotary engine and it's a completely different animal. Much more rev happy and better throttle response. If you keep your stock exhaust, there are several "bolt on" pieces that replace the 3 catalytic converts with only 1 cat. You can find several companies that offer those online and they take all of 30 minuets to install.

Also all 1989-1991 Convertibles have the GXL package with FULL LEATHER. If you see cloth seats or door panels ask where the original ones are.

-- Clayton
Atlanta, GA
1989 FC3S RX-7 Convertible - Nobel White

1990rx7?

I appreciate all of the responses. I read in the FAQs where all 89-91s had leather. This one certainly has cloth seats and door panels! It also has a new top and is retrofitted with R134A refrigerant!

1990rx7?

Well, I need some more info. I uncovered the mystery of the cloth seats. Ran the VIN and came up with 1988, not 1990!! The car originated in Tucson AZ. The engine is definitely a fuel injected 13B. The build date is 3/88! The new motor was converted? I would think this would be quite involved as the injection requires more wiring, better fuel lines etc!

XAVIER UK

My cousin owns an '88 vert with a '92 motor that has a weber 45mm sidedraft carb. He had flooding problems at first but he cured it with a Mallory Hyfire 6AL igntion system that created more sparks. In order to start the car again I designed an electronic device that boosts your power and thus the starter solenoid spings quicker and at greater cranking. He used to have EFI but opted for the 45mm Sidedraft Weber carb because it allowed him more low end power and by keeping the 6th port actuators also has top end. He removed the stock fan clutch and got this Efan that spins about 3400 CFM which is better than any Flex A lite Black Magic Fan. It cools so awesome that its a must get item at only $ 99.00 plus it covers the Radiator completely.
He also got his seats redone for $135.00 per seat and he opted for FD seats which bolt up with little modification using the stock FD rails.
He also replaced the wheels with Fittipaldi Tubolares 18x11 rear & 18x9.5 front
w/ 275-35-18 & 235-40-18 front tires.

Here are some pics of his ride.

Tournapart

iTrader: (4)

well as far as the injection needing more wiring and the fuel lines thats not necessarily true if the conversion was done properly with a S5 N/A ECU and Harness, the are benefits to be had by having an S5 vs S4 motor, such as 5th and 6th ports, lighter rotors, 8K RPM redline, 14 more fwhp which equates through the drivetrain to be almost nothing, and so on.

Extra points for the new top, i would definalty say that if he/she can prove with receipts and/or a waterhose test that the top doesnt leak its definatly worth it

S4 body and trim pieces are undoubtedly better than S5 so more pluses there, although i dont prefer the S4 side mouldings (black lines) the S4's were definaly given more care when produced.

But the fact that he/she listed as an S5 1990 vert definalty should be addressed when you consider buying it, and see if you can tell what type of person this is, if the deal seems shady, pass it up, there are pleanty of other sevens to be had, who needs a 3400 dollar headache

the R134a conversion is a downside, but that is more of an opinion, i mean, coupe drivers need AC much more than a vert driver, get too hot? AC sucks? down with the top


my mind is going faster than my typing so i think ill stop there, anything more specific PM me if you wish or i will keep an eye on this thread

Tournapart

iTrader: (4)

at the time i was having difficulty explaining what i meant, what i mean is that the cups should sit level with the roof of the car, they shouldnt sag down at all, otherwise it will leak alot, as far as the puddle behind the seat, im still trying to figure that one out, when i do, ill let you know, lol


Icemark is Mr.Guru on verts, im going to ask him, hes a busy guy so it may take a bit for a response

XAVIER UK

Convertibles are great cars to have... top down when the weather permits. I just bought one from my cousin that needs a motor but I hope to get it running soon.
Here are some more pics of the wheels on my cousin's black vert:

snowball

on a side note that fan is 2800cfm, not 3400. i have one.

XAVIER UK

INCORRECTOMUNDO... this fan is not a Black Magic Fan so its not 2800 cfm.
The one in the black vert pic is but that is an old pic... the one below is the one that is in the black convertible now and it spins at 3400 cfm. You can't possibly have one of these because I havent sold you one since I am the only person that is selling them... I am the only seller of this E-fan

RRTEC

iTrader: (13)

Blue book on an 88 vert is $4300 so I think an s5 at $3700 is a good deal if the condition is good. BTW the sport spoiler on that Black vert=sexy...