thinking of the rx7
02-13-04, 10:05 AM
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thinking of the rx7
Well I currently own a 1996 Mazda Miata. It is a great little car, and looks great. I havent had it too long, but its in great shape. The only thing is that I will be going to college this fall, and I think I may want something a little bit bigger. I will be 4 hours away from home, so it may be necesary to throw stuff in the car. I have always been a Mazda lover, and generally love all cars, especially foreigns. I am a student who is buying his own car so I cant afford a 10k car (unless I somehow sell my miata for alot more than I think
). I am looking at supras, rx7's, 300z's, and 3000gt's. I was wondering if you think the rx7 is affordable enough that I could find one for a reasonable price. How long do the rotary engines last?...how reliable? Is there a site I can go to that will answer almost all basic questions I have about the rx-7? I want info on each generation, specs, etc. What kind of gas mileage do these cars get? I will not be racing except for some occasional scca auto-x. I dont plan to upgrade much. I like to keep things stock except for tires and suspension. Since I own a miata, I have found a love for good handling, so that is a must!
Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
~Nick
). I am looking at supras, rx7's, 300z's, and 3000gt's. I was wondering if you think the rx7 is affordable enough that I could find one for a reasonable price. How long do the rotary engines last?...how reliable? Is there a site I can go to that will answer almost all basic questions I have about the rx-7? I want info on each generation, specs, etc. What kind of gas mileage do these cars get? I will not be racing except for some occasional scca auto-x. I dont plan to upgrade much. I like to keep things stock except for tires and suspension. Since I own a miata, I have found a love for good handling, so that is a must!Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks!
~Nick
02-13-04, 10:20 AM
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lol...dont know how I missed that...what about the reliablity questions, 0-60 times, and most importantly, how much do used but in good-condition rx-7s go for...I will have probably 5k-6k...will that be enough?
~Nick
~Nick
02-13-04, 10:22 AM
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I'll be perfectly honest with you: These cars are getting old and they have problems. If you buy a car with the original non rebuilt engine it will probably be needed a rebuild in the near future (unless it was REALLY taken care of well). I suggest you go with an NA one for better reliabilty and gas mileage. You can probably get 25MPG highway with a naturally aspirated RX7. A nice condition NA RX7 can be had for around $2000 I'd say. But definetly have some money saved up for repairs. For example replace shocks/springs right away because they are beat most likely (especially the rear springs) and you want good handling. My recommendation is to look around for a 1989-1991 N/A RX7 with a fairly new rebuilt motor (like under 40K miles). Good luck man!
02-13-04, 10:28 AM
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Well easy way to put this ... Is these cars are somewhat high maintenance mainly because like speed said the year of these things. Theses cars are very reliable if you buy one from the right person. Some people did not take care of most of the 7's so most of them are gonna have problems with the engine. I just bought one for about 2k and I already have like 3 problems I am trying to fix. Not to discourage you on the RX-7 because these things are great cars. Very wide and low. Love the feel and love doing work on it. As far as what I have done has not been to hard. But make sure you get a rebuild on your motor soon if its the original. And these cars blow almost every car off the road especially those lil rice burners and we are old old cars. Go buy one I am sure you wont regret it =). GL
02-13-04, 10:39 AM
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are the NA 7's fast at all? Any approximate 0-60 times? What all would you entail in an engine rebuild? How do the NA 7's compare to the NA supras and the same for the turbo 7's to the turbo supras of the same years?
~Nick
~Nick
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02-13-04, 10:49 AM
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The old N/A supras are hella heavy I think a second gen would beat it because of the weight difference and the weight distripution. The n/a's are running like 16~'s thats if its brand new. But yes you can make a N/A fast just streetport it =). Rx-7's came in 2+2 but there rare and only a legless midget could fit in the back of it.
02-13-04, 10:50 AM
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Originally posted by ccrnnr9
just thought of a real newb question...are all the rx-7's 2-seaters?
just thought of a real newb question...are all the rx-7's 2-seaters?
02-13-04, 11:44 AM
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Originally posted by ccrnnr9
hmmm 16's...thats not too fast...my miata really isnt far behind that.
hmmm 16's...thats not too fast...my miata really isnt far behind that.
02-13-04, 11:57 AM
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The NA runs 16s I think turbos run low 15s??? But turbo 7s only get 20MPG sometimes less (more if you get a new ignition like Crane Cams HI-6), so thats why I recommended the NA RX7.
02-13-04, 12:23 PM
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an s5 na is a good choice and its a reasonable paralel to a miata since it has great handling but sadly not a lot of power. just be realy carefull to buy one that was well taken care of. i wont make any gaurantees about reliability, but as long as the engine is strong, any other problems that might pop up shouldnt cost you very much and can be pretty easily handled with a craftsman set and a haynes manual.
be good to it and it will be good to you!
be good to it and it will be good to you!
02-13-04, 12:42 PM
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Well I am a new owner of a 88 na and the power isn't overwhelming but the handling is. It seems from the forum that the power can be bumped up marginally but the na transmission won't handle much abuse and the turbo trans though stronger won't bolt right in without some mods- new starter- mounts ect. Definitly more car than a Miata and lots of potential if you want to sink the time and money into it. Get one with limited slip rear!
02-13-04, 09:43 PM
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hmmm...well any suggestions on what years to look at? I would be in the 5.5k$ range and below. The lower the better, so I have more cash to spend on upgrades and maintenance. Also, are the rotary engines good high-mileage engines?
02-13-04, 11:03 PM
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No they arent good high mileage engines - piston engines last longer in general. BUT it is a lot cheaper and faster to rebuild rotaries, theres only 3 main moving parts (2 rotors and the e-shaft) but piston engines have something like 40 moving parts?? You can get your engine rebuilt by Rotary Resurrection from $1000-1500, how much does it cost to rebuild a piston engine? I'd say a lot more...
$5500 can buy you a nice Turbo FC and some repairs and mods to go with it. Your best bet would be to buy an S4 (1986-1988) TurboII with a high mileage engine (prolly around $2000-2500) and get it rebuilt (~$1200) and streetported ($300 I think) so like $2000 for the rebuild if you count shipping and all that good stuff. Then spend another $1K on other stuff like maybe a new clutch (while the engine is out do it yourself), exhaust, etc. So for like $5000 you have a really nice fast reliable RX7!
$5500 can buy you a nice Turbo FC and some repairs and mods to go with it. Your best bet would be to buy an S4 (1986-1988) TurboII with a high mileage engine (prolly around $2000-2500) and get it rebuilt (~$1200) and streetported ($300 I think) so like $2000 for the rebuild if you count shipping and all that good stuff. Then spend another $1K on other stuff like maybe a new clutch (while the engine is out do it yourself), exhaust, etc. So for like $5000 you have a really nice fast reliable RX7!
02-13-04, 11:52 PM
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Oh and get ready for the heat. This may be an overlooked topic around here but rotaries run hot as hell. Whatever rx-7 you get, make sure that cooling system is up to spec...or you can screw yourself on the ride home. (like i almost did )
edit: BTW, i used to own an n/a 300zx, which had slightly better quarter mile times than n/a supras of the same generation. I'd take my 7 over that any day. The rx-7 has less torque, but the staggering weight difference really shows when you're taking corners. Don't let the numbers fool you, the n/a is quick.
)edit: BTW, i used to own an n/a 300zx, which had slightly better quarter mile times than n/a supras of the same generation. I'd take my 7 over that any day. The rx-7 has less torque, but the staggering weight difference really shows when you're taking corners. Don't let the numbers fool you, the n/a is quick.
Last edited by Wankels-Revenge; 02-13-04 at 11:55 PM.
02-14-04, 01:25 AM
#25
Originally posted by truespin88
NAs, if well maintained, reach over 200k.
Turbos, if well maintained, reach around 160-170k.
NAs, if well maintained, reach over 200k.
Turbos, if well maintained, reach around 160-170k.
*Actual engine life may vary, depending on model year.
I've had my 1990 na since nearly new (bought with 8,000 miles). Oil, plugs, filters, plug wires, etc. were changed religiously. I never shut it off without letting it reach operating temperature. I never revved it high until fully warm, etc., etc. I think it was pretty well maintained.
The rear rotor's apex seals failed at 89,000 miles. From what I've heard, S5 nas (the highest compression second gens) have a fairly high premature failure rate. Mazda also used lighter 2mm apex seals in these motors. Did this cause the early failures? Why do so many rebuilders recommend retrofitting the older 3mm design?
Anyway, I wouldn't count on getting 200,000 out of every second gen na. Plus many of the high mileage cars out there are probably already on their first (or second) rebuild, and you may not be sure of the quality of the rebuilder's work.