lazarine_wyvren

friend of mine (my boss, actually) has a 1989 rx7 he's selling, i've looked it over, has power everything, interior is clean, and it's a 5 speed. before going too much further, i should say i've always wanted a rotary car, and at this price ($500), it seems like one hell of a deal. on to the problems:

the only rust i saw after a thorough look over, was on the leading edge of the moonroof. the way it was explained to me, the car starts, runs, then every once in a while will sputter, as if one of the rotors loses compression. before this issue arose, it was a daily driven car. wednesday, i'm going over to start it, see how it runs, try to carbon treat it, and try new plugs and wires. unfortunately, a BIG consideration is, i do not have room for two cars, so this would become my daily driver, replacing my cavalier. now, i will say, i do have plenty of experience in engine teardown and rebuilding, so if i have to rebuild it, i won't be intimidated. so, i figure, who better to ask than people who use these cars daily?

MmSadda

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like mine when I bought it. Mine had a blown apex seal, which had destroyed a rotor and housing, by the way.

But really, it's worth the gamble of spending the time and money to try to get it to run, I'd say.

Bo Duke

for $500 u cant loose. I say go for it and if you do find other gremlins etc. U could always get your money out of it.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

Exactly what kind of '89 rx-7 is it? How many miles? Is it stock? What modifications have been done? Original engine? Original exhaust? Who did the work on it? Records of maintenance and parts & mods? We need more info for a good opinion.

Ramses666

lazarine_wyvren

i'll have all that info on wednesday... the owner was a mechanic, so i doubt records were kept if any were ever even made to begin with. looks very stock, non-turbo, comes with a second full intake system and coil set. original engine, yes. exhaust? i would assume so, it looked smallish, with two exits. i doubt any mods (porting, cat removal, etc.) as, well, simply put, the guy was a Volkswagen fan, and as such has a s/c corrado thats well, beyond ridiculous.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

Well... with the info provided you can pretty much count on everything going out soon. As a daily driver I couldn't recommend it as you will be constantly having to replace stuff. Its old. Parts wear out.

Its a rotary not a piston engine so your knowledge is not a whole lot of good, but having a mechanically minded way of thinking is alot of help. You will need to spend a week of just reading on this forum to accurately understand what you are getting into.

I read for 2 YEARS before I felt comfortable actually doing any serious work on one of these vehicles - and I've been working on piston engines all my 41 years. But don't get discouraged, the rx-7 can be VERY SATISFYING to own & work on. Driving one is PURE PLEASURE for a poor man that can't afford a Porsche or a Vette.

You will find that the path to high performance is perplexing at best. You might be better off finding a turbo car if high performance is your goal. I daily drive my '88 s4 and LOVE IT!!! However I've had to replace quite a few components & gone from my *** to my elbow to make things work correctly. It will be a journey to somewhere you might not be willing/able to go. However... my s4 NA has NEVER left me stranded.

Ramses666

texFCturboII

iTrader: (17)

Passing up a cheap rx7 is like not having sex with a 14yr old hooker. You may or may not feel bad about it, but you will always be wondering..... what if?

lazarine_wyvren

well, there's the rub. i dont really want a HIGH performance car. i'm not really a fan of turbos. just looking for something to trap lower than a 14.0 1/4, but straightline performance is NOT what im looking for. i'm a twisties guy. i realize i can expect it to be on its last legs, hell, any car from 89 needs some work.

need RX7

iTrader: (4)

lazarine_wyvren

heh...

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

If you want low 14's you'll probably be dissappointed. But for fun in the twisties I would say go for it. That's what the rx-7 is all about. '89 has a few things going for it already - higher compression, lighter rotating mass, VDI intake to name a few. Can I ask how old are you? Teens are a little flaky for an rx-7 in my opinion. If you are mature enough not to do crazy stuff the car might last long enough as it is. Are you financially secure enough to bite the parts bullet when stuff goes wrong? What happens when you car won't start to go to work? Its cool it is your bosses old car... maybe you won't get fired when your late or can't make it or need an advance in pay to buy parts. Don't get discouraged. Get as much info as you can & don't be afraid to ask questions - but remember to use the search function on this forum... information is your friend.

Ramses666

lazarine_wyvren

well, i'm 23, been driving since 17. the main thing i'd like to do would be to buy the car, pull the engine (leaving the car where it sits, it hasn't moved in two years or so) and rebuild it. no big performance build, no aftermarket parts, all stock pieces, and rebuild the engine BEFORE i made it my DD. that way i knew what kind of shape hte engine was in. as for not doing crazy stuff... i've owned two cavaliers since i've started driving. as far as i'm concerned, the perfect first car for any young driver. you cant kill those cars unless you dont change the oil (which is how i came to get my second one so cheap...), they're very low powered (115 crank), and they're front wheel drive with abs. you cant really get a safer car. after this long, i've decided i'd like to step up to something that doesn't understeer.

Randomandy12

the way I see it you buy the car for $500. assuming it has 100000 miles on it a GTU from fair to excellent is worth $3,300 to $4,200. and the GXL about the same from $3,400 to $4,300. So whether it takes a few thousand to fix and love, or a thousand to fix and sell its def worth it plus you get a sweet car to tinker with in the mean time

lazarine_wyvren

i've thought of that aspect as well. i mean if i even got it running half decently, im sure the shell's worth $2k+, but i a rotary is a car i've wanted since i saw the internals of the wankel 10 years ago. it's just a big plus to me that it comes packaged in such a badass car.

-Six-

iTrader: (10)

Buying a project car to use as a daily driver that you need to be running day in and day out, is probably not a good idea. This thing is about 20 years old now, not the best thing to be forced to rely on to say, get you to work. If a car is an optional mode of transport for you though, go for it! $500 is certainly not a bad deal for most any car in running condition.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

Well now your changing your story... You said you have room for one car... which is it? it's a big difference if your not having to depend on it everyday to get to work. A compression test seems to be first in order to determine the status of the motor. It might not be a good idea to "just pull the motor & rebuild it" it could be fine after running for a while if you do the proper steps to bring it out of "storage".

Ramses666

lazarine_wyvren

allow me to restate myself... i dont have room to keep two cars to DRIVE, but the car, where its sitting, is tucked away, in a corner, completely out of the way. so, i plan on doing the compression test, along with the rest of the stuff i already stated. now, should this engine really NEED the rebuild, i could leave the car where it sits, and do the rebuild. but, if it's in a running condition, i cant keep both cars. its a delicate situation, i know, and strange at that. at some point in the near future, after i've verified i can depend on it, then it would become my daily driver. i wouldn't even consider owning a car as my only means of transportation that i was worried every second on whether or not it would break down next time i tried to take off. but, like i said, this is all pending my getting it running to any decent degree...

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

OK that makes a little more sense. I would say do your tests & see what you have. Do ALOT of reading here in the forum & particularly in the archive. Read the WHOLE ARCHIVE!!! Let me repeat that - READ THE WHOLE ARCHIVE!!! That will give you a sense of what you have & where you are in relation to everything else.

Ramses666

lazarine_wyvren

noted. and i've been reading since i joined, hell, i joined to read and ask this question the day i joined, but i got so caught up in reading here and my other forum for cavaliers that i completely forgot to ask... but as it goes, i'll post my findings here after doing the testing, and i'll also take some pictures and post them so that you guys could possibly point out any trouble spots i could have missed.

ramses666

iTrader: (1)

Good... sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders... Most people here on the forum have been in a similar situation but don't get good advice at the start. Feed your brain & look for more understanding of the Wankel. it can be VERY satisfying to get things working correctly. Knowledge is power. Do your homework. Good Luck to Ya!! & welcome to the club.

Ramses666

red_dragon

iTrader: (10)

Buy it. I'm also a n00b but even more so than you. The FC was my first car and the first car I've ever done any work on. It was a scary jump to make, but after following this forum for almost 2 years, I finally took the dive and bought an FC. Without this forum, I doubt I would ever have taken up the FC as my first car. Being a car n00b the guy who sold me the car sorta pulled the wool over my eyes. U-joints were shot, transmission is shot, and coolant hose burst 2 weeks after I got it, but I stuck with it and replaced the driveshaft, fixed the coolant hose. Transmission is a project for another weekend. A couple weeks later I bought a T2 as well. Both cars are incredibly fun. The N/A has a distinct feel that the turbo one doesn't. I think it's the smoothness and predictability. I dunno. The T2 obviously has the power and boost is awesome =).

In any case. Buy it. =) Just be sure you have a bunch of $$ in reserve. These babies are HUNGRY.

lazarine_wyvren

well, went to go look at it today, and got to crank it. it cranks well, and i can hear even exhaust tones, but it has no spark. i was also able to pull the vin: JM1FC3315G0138666.

i checked carfax, says its a a 1986, can anyone verify? its apparently the premier model, its got every option imaginable, except its not a turbo II and its not a convertable. power moonroof, power windows, rear wiper, electronic suspension, factory cd AND cassette... now, the ugly bits: it has more rust than i remebered, but only on the moonroof and one small spot on the hood. passenger side window motor is slow, and the rear side marker light on the passenger side is missing. the interior is red, and so was too the exterior, but it has since been painted black (which is just fine by me.) carpet is very clean, passenger side is very clean, there's a small crack in the radio surround, and the furthestmost passenger side air vent is missing. but, i got to talk to the guy who DROVE it to its current resting spot, and he said it was running when he parked it. he said that it didnt really have a miss, as much as it would idle fine, and every once in a while would stumble once or twice and keep going. they tried changing the coils, and a full tune up (which wasnt a full tune up, they stopped at plugs and wires) and it didnt change the problem. now, the clutch pedal is stuck to the floor, but the trans feels REALLY good shifting, much better than that in my cav. regardless of the shape, after sitting in this car today, i REALLY want it, even if i have to get a repower.

pfsantos

iTrader: (1)

Yes, the "G" in the VIN is an 86...sounds like a GXL, because of the AAS (auto adjust suspension, and some other things you mentioned). Check for rust around the rear wheelwells, and take a magnet with you. Bondo behind the paint will cause the magnet to fall off. Still sounds like a good deal though. The stumbling could be a few things. Do a compression test anyway to get a good feel of the engine internals. How many miles on the odometer (I'll go re-read your posts)? Hey, some pics. for us to look at would be wise.

lazarine_wyvren

cars been parked for near three years, best i can remember is 113,xxx or 131,xxx (i know the first three numbers were two ones and a three) miles. seems the previous mechanic tried a few things to get it fixed, and there's a spare COMPLETE intake (air box, tube, upper and lower manifold, fuel rail, and a few other goodies) but there were ALOT of plug ends that were either not connected or just dangling. after having some time to think it over, i think my best option is to buy it, keep driving my cav, and start from the ground up. sure, it'll take alot longer that way, but I'LL know whats in it and in what shape everything's in.