openrx

can he do a compression test? that would be UP on my list.

have the wheel bearing been repacked yet? do or have that done too.

hoses means ALL hoses or just up/lower rad hoses?
heater hoses?
oil cooler lines?
rubber fuel lines?

i had the coolant lines done a few years back, price seems right BUT he's gonna need to do the coolant again at that time.

reasonable price for belt job and good idea.

plugs and wires are <70$ and take 20 minutes to change, stupid easy.

i doubt the plugs are 'original' at 60k+ miles, but if so i'd keep them as they must be the "LIFETIME" version secretly installed in some cars.

O2 is a beeech to get out the first time. but a new sensor is under 100$, under 60$ if you dig around.

i have no trouble fixing things with a credit card, but decided THIS time to do most of these things myself.

great way to SEE how it goes together, SEE other bits, SEE other issues and clean up crap at the same time.

it does help to have the fsm and haynes when doing this stuff and it is a LOT easier than working on newer carz and trucks.

no doubt he's a skillful monkey, but each thing fixed is a chance to break something else, or find another recommended repair.

also u can learn a bunch by looking at the removed stuff (like plugs) and almost no one paying for repairs does this.

has the wife suggested you are SPENDING the college fund yet?
have you replied by saying it's cheaper than a girl on the side?

estimate appears 2b ~600$ labor, so a hooker might be cheaper.

henry

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

leave the compression tester in the tool box, so what if it turns out to be a little low?
what is he going to do rebuild the motor?

that thing can go 200k miles easy

openrx

u r right.

skip the colonoscopy and cardio testing too.

folks can last a LONG time with a little cancer or a few blocked arteries.

go ahead with the face lift and hair plugs NOW.

put your money where it matters.

henry

Shield

iTrader: (2)

First thing I asked him about was the compression test - he asked me a series of questions about the vehicle, such as how it starts back up when hot, etc. I told him I just took a 200+ mile round trip when it was 96 degrees and was stuck in stop and go traffic and the temperature never went up. He told me that I should be ok - he said "Yes, I can do a compression test TODAY, but that doesn't mean that tomorrow there might not be a problem".

Should I push the issue and have him do one?

Shield

iTrader: (2)

Almost no one paying for repairs does what? I don't know what you mean here. Love the advice, keep it up.

Can I do most of this stuff? Probably. But I don't want to waste the weekends, research time, buying tools, worry about the car falling on me with the water pump (I don't have ramps or a lift). There's a certain piece of mind having a guy who's do it for 20 years do it all.

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

im just saying I have bought alot of beat up FCs and they all still run today.

openrx

what i meant was that almost no one asks to LOOK at the old parts.

it's useful to look at the plugs for example, some have posted pix here of the carbon or crud seen, leading vs trailing and so on. lots of clues about the combustion side in the plugs.

and if the Hoses don't have soft spots or weak areas, i'd keep em, maybe. IF they are weak, toss 'em.

same with the plug wires. i replaced the oem 88s last month and except for grime on the outside, they're in great shape.

some of the oem stuff was very high quality.

IF the belts are 20 years old toss em,

but the 10 year old belts removed from my 7 still looked great, no cracks or crazing so they can be spares, just in case a new one fails.

i agree having a good/RELIABLE/honest mechanic near by is nice and the tools/parts/disposal and time are issues and do cost $.

BUT the offer above to help/do the work IF you gather parts is pretty cool too, that could be a great time and with no pressure to buy stuff.
______________________

it might seem like i'm harping on the compression test, that's not the intent.

but you're approaching what, 3K$ on upgrades, repairs and service so far, nearly doubling the purchase price.

wheels/tires/exhaust/sound/security/suspensionx2/brakes/fluids/hoses and so on...

without much info about the heart of a 7, the engine.

yes it could be fine today and toast tomorrow, but IF the compression is marginal on both OR low on one rotor,

that info would cause me to go slower on other stuff, even if needed, or get serious about a new/rebuilt drivetrain and the budget.

otoh if the compression numbers are REALLY GOOD, that info would free up the mind and money for LOTS of fun loving for the car.

now, IF i purchased a low price 7 that needed NOTHING but oil/coolant/plugs,tires... it might make sense to just drive that sucker till it sputters.

but apparently this car has a great exterior and brings a good feeling to YOUR interior.

the point is, if buying a car you love and then quickly doubling the cash infusion, it is sensible to check compression....add to that hubs, u joints, boots/seals and so on.

i realize you have NO plans to sell her any time soon either, BUT if you suddenly decided to,

the price would be back near YOUR original price, with very little return for ALL of the items repaired or replaced.

your guy PROBABLY doesn't do rebuilds, so his view of compression testing is biased, perhaps without even being aware.

since a POOR compression test only means you will spend LESS on basic repair stuff now with him.

does any of that make sense?

oh, and u might add a NEW FUEL FILTER to the list of needs, especially if it's 20 years old. not expensive and easy to replace.

henry

Shield

iTrader: (2)

Actually he does do complete rebuilds - other board members have had their motors completely rebuilt by him. For example MMSADDA for one.

I understand what you're saying though. I'll call him back and ask how much extra for a compression test.

openrx

well that's even nicer for you. what a great local option.

henry

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

Shield- for what its worth I bought a 66k mile vert like 4 years ago sight un-seen. I bought it because the original owner brought it to a VERY respected shop, who advertise on this board to this day, and they told him the motor had low or very little compression and suggested a motor rebuild.

I bought the car figuring I would put the motor from my vert in it as I was doing my turbo swap. I got the car and first thing I do is a compression test- hmm thats funny it tested nice and high.
But wait, the firing order is wrong, the ends of the original wires are iffy, one has to be broken and misfiring. I throw a set of used plugs in the motor- it had mis-matched plugs. I put my wires from my vert in there, fire it up and proceed to drive the hell out of it up and down the neighboorhood. RAN PERFECT!

I drained the coolant, put a thermostat in it, plugs, wires, did a quick MMO treatment on it. and sold the car for triple what I paid.

The person came to my shop that first summer just to tell me how much him and his wife were enjoying the car, last summer he came to tell me he was selling it to get a 4 seater. He sold that car for what I sold it to him for, all he did to it was a clutch because he said he burnt it out not being familiar with stick shift anymore ( he was in his 40's, not a kid )

So now where did this low compression test come from? Was it bullshit? Scare tactic? Did they make a mistake?
This test did not come from some fugazi shop, it came from a well known shop.

So I still say- forget the comression test, I have owned close to 10 of these cars and have never had a NA car puke a motor on me, I have bought some basket case cars but one thing that always was consistant is the motors ran great.

Shield

iTrader: (2)

Ironically he's the same guy who told me my apex seals/ O-rings were toast in 1993 with my very first RX-7. So he's been around for a while.

It was pretty neat dropping my car off this morning and seeing rows of various 2nd gen rx's sitting there....

Shield

iTrader: (2)

Well Rob, you should knock on wood! I'm batting .333 with my Rx-7's! First 2 86's I had overheated / O ring crapped out on me.

Of course, they both had higher miles than mine, and I'm pretty sure I didn't add oil to either of them as regularly as I should.

I totally understand what the pro-compression camp is saying - but to be honest, I'm already this far along - might as well go all the way! If I ever do anything to the motor itself like a supercharger / turbo add (which I doubt I ever would) then I'd get a test done probably.

Shield

iTrader: (2)

The place is called Carswell's Rotary Connection...

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

a compression test wont help coolant seals

btw- I have sold about 25 JSPEC motors, including 20bs, and of all of them only 2 had coolant seal issues.

When the shipments came in- only about 4 had low compression and were sold as cores.

87 t-66

iTrader: (133)

AKA defined autoworks. that's the only place i will let work on my cars.

openrx

typical forum tangential circularity leading to obfuscation.

i assume u mean compression testing doesn't provide info/predict coolant seals failure.

is there a simple, inexpensive, safe, available test for coolant seals?

no ONE test screens for all issues, automotive.

and no ONE persons car history is reflective of common failures or the actual record for any mechanical design.

so the simple point i've beaten flat is to sort out how/where to allocate the early money/evaluation BEFORE pouring it into other holes.

your car history is interesting but doesn't help me decide how to manage mine.

black cars have different problems than blue ones.

btw that colonoscopy and dental exam u r avoiding won't treat ramone's herpes simples type 10 either ...

henry

Shield

iTrader: (2)

Me too! Oh, and YOU! LOL

PM and let me know what you're going to be up to the weekend after this upcoming one....

Shield

iTrader: (2)

LOL I've already poured out too much into too many holes on this thing already!

You know, I get into the LS430 and think "Man this car is so nice, why do I bother with Mazda"? But then I think - the LS is like banging Miss Universe missionary style , and the RX is like having a go with that promiscuous girl at the office from behind. While you're at it you wonder if she has a STD (equivalent of watching the temp gauge in the RX).
If this is inappropriate I apologize.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

not inappropriate. when i drive my RX-8 i would liken it to banging a rich guy's hot daughter. such a smooth and fun ride but just too perfect. i jump in my 10AE and its like banging your woman and she's the homecoming queen. you hang onto her because she's yours and you know she's something special and overall its a wonderful ride. and then i drive any of my first gens and i feel like a kid again whos banging a girl for the first time in the woods. a more basic less refined ride with all the simplicities right at your finger tips because the simple things are all that matter and it always leaves you feeling great and with a smile on your face..

Rob XX 7

iTrader: (8)

Henry-

He said : Well Rob, you should knock on wood! I'm batting .333 with my Rx-7's! First 2 86's I had overheated / O ring crapped out on me.

So that is why I remarked that a compression test would do nothing for a coolant seal issue.


So again- lets say one rotor comes in 20psi lower, he drives the car- it feels good and he enjoys the car. It starts right up hot and cold, drove nice for the 250 mile drive home, so what should he do now? Rebuild the motor?

Lets say you get the bug next week to put suspension, wheels, some new carpet, seats, etc in your car Henry, but now you do a compression test and one rotor comes in a little lower then other, are you now going to pull the motor and rebuild it?

My car history that you dont know how it helps- shows a pattern from someone who has owned his car a long time, has owned 9 other ones as well, sold 25+ motors, my car history is not pointing to one single car I have owned. I thought it was good advice and that is why I took the time to type it. To say "oh black cars have less problems then blue ones", come on Henry I expect more from a mature person like yourself.

lastly- I dont know what your getting at with this statement:
btw that colonoscopy and dental exam u r avoiding won't treat ramone's herpes simples type 10 either ...
but I dont appreciate your humor, I dont know if you are implying I am some kind of homosexual, but if you think you "know" me enough to joke with me like that im sorry you are wrong, I am a grown man much like yourself and dont appreciate such remarks coming from anyone.

need RX7

iTrader: (4)

Win.

Shield

iTrader: (2)

This is how I look at it - I guess it makes sense before you buy it if you want to test the compression, or if you think there's a problem and/or you're going to spend $3k on a supercharger or turbo. I drove the car for quite a while before I bought it and the temp gauge never moved. Both symptoms of my other two overheating cars was after about 15 minutes the gauges would slowly begin to rise, coolant would rush into the overflow, and the car always smelled like antifreeze. I guess all I can do is make sure it's properly maintained and keep my fingers crossed.

I can only see if spending money on a compression test if it warrants a decision one way or the other. Even if I had it and decided to rebuild and keep the car, I'll still need a new water pump, belts, hoses, and O2 sensor, right?

openrx

the illogical comparison of black to blue was intended to make a simple point with humor and confusion. maybe apples to oranges is easier to grasp.

but NO WHERE do i suggest less problems, read it again.

so NOW you'd like to debate what to do with a given (vague) compression test outcome, after the earlier statement to skip the test the car is good for 200k?

sorry but it can't be both ways, speculating on a 20 psi difference is pointless without data.

what if both come back at 80 psi? or 90 or 120 or what if the front is higher than the back, or what if the car catches fire during the test, or or....

and asking what i would do with my car is also irrelevant, BUT as already stated if BUYING another one OR considering UPDATES equal to the price or value, c.t. would be my first step.

but my auto history or 7 history is also irrelevant to the o.p and o.p. car.

this brief phrase REALLY sums up your main message right?

the argument is that I are WRONG to recommend the testing on a stock na without signs of problems.

but there may actually BE signs of compression issues that aren't obvious in this thread or to the driver, yet.

carefully condensing your view i get this...

"the car is fine, no need to test, just keep doing OTHER stuff to the car, it's ok, every na i've owned is still running, yadda, yadda...

well that view makes YOU right. right?

i've belabored the 'check it out more and spend the cash wisely' point because it applies to this car AND is relevant to others, who may buy or may own old 7s.

it really is a simple notion, not based on MY ownership or imagined expertise, and only slightly above the common sense platform.

so now the shift is to claiming offense at a mutilated eddie murphy line?

that's just more forum tangential circularity leading to obfuscation.

the urge to create arguments about un-resolvable issues or feign offense where none exists,

only moves away from the original mostly subjective automotive issues...

at the very least others are now comparing their 7s to some form of past piston action.

and funny2you or not there is much worse content in many threads and posts here, including some from your keyboard.

henry

Shield

iTrader: (2)

Henry, I understand what you're saying too. I just don't think spending $1100 is exactly the "value" of the car, do you? The other 2-3k in brakes, suspension, exhaust, tires is already gone, spent, etc.

openrx

yep that big cash is already down the hole as you said earlier and with humor.

the 1100$ now is ALL really reasonable stuff, that's where i'd have started regardless.

and don't forget the a/c updates.

i'm not expert on 7s and don't pretend to be, but in another thread u mentioned IDLE issues with a/c running.

and as i posted THIS question there,

do vacuum loads like brakes or ac, pulling down the idle speed serve as a signal for lower compression???

maybe u can ask the newly found long experienced local shop about this.

i don't know if that is true or nonsense.

the dealer/mechanic who did my compression testing AFTER pulling the 88 out of 4-5 years hibernation mentioned this, as something i could watch for over time.

having owned the car since new and needing to do almost all the maintenance on your list (and some other stuff) the testing helped ME decide to add more love to the car.

your list of items IS reasonable, some of the early stuff (frosting) i would have passed on but to each his own.

and arguing again in favor of testing, it's 150$ or so, done when the plugs are done anyway and less that 3% of what's been spent to date.

NOW if the c.t. came back marginal or low on my car, i would have changed all the fluids, driven it for 3-4 months and repeated the test.

if worse or equally low, my next decision would have been sell it OR drop it off at a shop for the full s4 turbo swap, and pick it up in spring.

i have talked with 2 other first time buyers of late 80s NON turbo cars. both planned extensive work (body work or lots of basic updates) and neither have large budget.

both cars tested LOW/marginal at the dealer and both need engines. both cars are still drivable and the owners plan to do something after the driving season ends.

as i recall one car has 110k (s5) and the other 65k (s4)

a lot of these decisions are based on individual human differences,

not just in car ownership or history, and just on mechanical tendencies, but what is considered GOOD VALUE spending vs pissing money away.

for example i think most of the time extended warranties are a total waste of money, but for some owners provide peace of mind.

so when the audi s6 avant (v8) came off warranty i did what i'd never do and purchased a LOCAL aftermarket warranty from the dealer.

and that warranty purchase has already paid for itself in actual service AND peace of mind.

i will do the same when the s6 sedan (v10) comes off warranty.

why? because repairs are expensive on these 2 cars and each will be owned for 10 years minimum.

the factory no longer has replacement engines for the s6 (v8) and IF the current one has issues a rebuild is a lot of moola.

the warranty covers all but a few wear items and some cosmetics and adds 7 years MORE to the coverage, the car will never exceed the mileage limits.

deciding was all about doing the math, figuring my risk/exposure, predicting dealer longevity and so on.

and in spite of MY personal experience and financial reward, i still think MOST aftermarket warranties on most cars are a total waste of money.

henry