Umm so what needs to be done to a car for there to be a need to run premium? I am looking at one close to me now and I just talked to the guy about wanting to check it out and I asked why he was selling it and he told me he can't afford the gas b/c he is going into college, then he told me that he got 12 MPG on premium.

His car has 240hp, from what he says and these mods:
13b turbo 2 (240 hp)(30k miles)
electric radiator fan
racing radiator
manual boost control
new spark plugs
new ignition wires
EDIT: dual nopi exhaust

He also stated when he had the engine swapped (he bought it with a blown engine) that he also changed the stock engine mounts to racing ones? He says it was so the engine moves with the car, I don't really remember.

EDIT 2: Can anyone elaborate on this different engine mount? When he opened up the hood, and I checked out the engine I could see it basically swaying from side to side. Also his gear shifter would vibrate or shake pretty sporadically, is that normal?

 

its a turbo, you neeed to run the highest octane you can, preferably 93.

kevin.

 

Generally any Turbo RX-7 should run premium. Dead stock from the factory they were rated for 87, but with any mods you should start running premium. A few extra bucks a fill-up is is very cheap compared to a blown motor because you were too cheap to run premium.

 

Wow I don't know for what reason, but I was always assumed people ran unleaded.

EDIT: Meh so what 3-4 extra dollars a fill up? Doesn't seem like that big of a deal at all.

 

Basically every turbo rotary runs premium. Only NA's run 87 octane. Hell, some of the higher power ones even run methanol injection.

 

It helps prevent detonation. Well worth it in my opinion.

 

Well thats for crazy people, like J-Rat. No big deal, it's only a few cents more (even though that matters for gas it doesn't matter more than paying $3000 for a new engine).

So can anyone elaborate on the different engine mount? Refer to Edit 2

 

jsut means the motor mounts are stiffer... transfer more vibrations from the engine to the car. no reason to, esp on that pretty stock car.

 

Well he said he just might as well do it since he was already swapping out the engine.

He also said he snipped the power steering...That's not a bad thing with this car is he? He just said when he drives it, it actually feels like he's driving.

 

I've never heard of engine mounts like that. Sloppy and/or rattling shifter yes. Replacing the bushing thingys helps sometimes, and some aftermarket short shifters will buzz or rattle.

 

Is there a way to fix the rattling shifter? He said it rattled bc of the engine mounts. I'm not to sure I could always ask him again.

 

engine mounts are engine mounts. If you get a solid mount it might help with your shifting because the motor itself will be more rigid (as opposed to a flexing rubber mount). It makes the car shake a tad more because the rubber mounts helped with vibrations.

as far as the 12MPG he might be running pig rich or something is wrong with his car. The only time my turbo got 10-12 mpg was when I was pushing it hard at the track.

Be very thourough when you inspect it.

 

I just went for a quick little look at the car today, I just wanted to check out the body kit on it see if I liked it in person. I do, I just can't tell if I'd rather it have the stock body lines or if I should pass it up just because of the body kit (FC's seem pretty rare around here).

He says he gets such bad mileage because he lives in Atlanta and is always stopping and going at red lights, and that when he stops he has to rev the car up to 2,500 every so often so it doesn't stall. I'm not pro at manuals so I don't know very much about this.

I plan on having my dads friend (very knowledgable in rotaries and has his own mechanic shop) come check it out.

 

Actually, I think I am quite sane!

 

"1988 10th AE 490 rwhp 395 tq, 11.1 @124 MPH"

Borderline

 

For the record. When I logged 490 horsepower I was spraying alcohol and using C-16!

 

Isn't 12 MPG kinda extreme on a car that is hardly modified? Running stock boost and I think the only thing hes done to increase HP is the exhaust.

 

it is extrememly bad. either running pig rich, in need of a tune-up or leaking injector/fuel lines.

 

Well he gets 12MPG in Atlanta, I'm sure you know what that is. And that's some heavy city driving. He said out in the suburbs I should get around 15-16.

 

i don't know how it is.

 

Like any other major city? I personally have never driven there.

 

When I lived there 20 years ago it was pretty damn bad, and I'm sure its only gotten worse.

 

So bad enough to deserve 12 MPG? I mean moving from there to the suburbs would that warrant 3+ MPG?

 

i agree with the several guys here with the 12mpg city driving on the FC, being that it's possibly fuel system related... BUT, on any city driving you can get 16mpg if you're EASY with the throttle and not power hungry even with a turbo car; yes even FD's. im thinking the guys gets 12mpg cause of the way he drives the car and not cause of the motor itself... but hey, when you're getting a JDM swap with questionable mileage and condition what are you gonna do, right?

i drove a GSL-SE with 89 N/A swap and camden s/c and still got 16mpg in the city, equal to the factory rating on the stock motor, and about 23highway -3mpg from stock

i'd say put some kind of refundable deposit that the seller can agree to so you can drive the car for like a week or so and have your buddy give a thorough check on the car to make sure it's ok... then make your decision and let the seller know; if you dont want it, you get your deposit back, if you like it, then give him the rest of the cash

 

he has to rev the car up to 2,500 every so often so it doesn't stall.



this more than likely means his TB is leaking air or out tune. unmetered air is either entering the engie or the throttle stop screw isnt set properly. has he removed the secondary throttle plates?