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Is it worth it to try and start my 1986 NA rx7 fc that has been sitting for 20+years?
I am already in the process of restoring the car (currently on the fuel system right now). After I'm done with all of the regular maintenance on the rotary, is it worth trying to start it? Is it possible to have it start and run okay without a rebuild? If so what are the precautions I should take before starting it?
The car has been sitting in a closed garage the entire time.
First off, welcome to the forum. That car looks incredibly clean! Hopefully that bodes well for the mechanical aspect of it.
Do you know why it was parked for 20 years? Not being used, or was it a mechanical issue that needs fixing?
If it's been sitting this long, then all the general maintenance that you're focusing on is the right move.
Oil change
Coolant flush/change
New plugs
Drain and replace gas
New fuel filter
Inspect hoses for cracking/leaks
It wouldn't hurt to pour some ATF into the engine through the spark plug holes and turn the engine over a few times by hand. This might help free seals and get some form of lubrication.
I would then pull the EGI fuse in the engine bay, and crank the car until you show oil pressure.
At this point, you could be good to try starting it.
i'd spin the engine by hand, putting some lubrication into the plug holes is probably good.
i'd make sure it has oil in it, and then i'd try and start it. when it starts, and the engine is ok, then you can change all the fluids.
First off, welcome to the forum. That car looks incredibly clean! Hopefully that bodes well for the mechanical aspect of it.
Do you know why it was parked for 20 years? Not being used, or was it a mechanical issue that needs fixing?
If it's been sitting this long, then all the general maintenance that you're focusing on is the right move.
Oil change
Coolant flush/change
New plugs
Drain and replace gas
New fuel filter
Inspect hoses for cracking/leaks
It wouldn't hurt to pour some ATF into the engine through the spark plug holes and turn the engine over a few times by hand. This might help free seals and get some form of lubrication.
I would then pull the EGI fuse in the engine bay, and crank the car until you show oil pressure.
At this point, you could be good to try starting it.
Thankyou so much for advice!
Actually my dad owns it and told me there was nothing wrong with it when it was parked it, it just wasn't practical for him once he had kids so its been untouched ever since.
Super cool, glad to see your bringing it back to life. Please share more details when you get it running, and as always, we love seeing more pictures of cars this clean!
That is a great car! it isn't a GXL or T2 with all of the extra stuff, that's ok though. That paint color is freat. I saw a GXL with grey interior for sale and considered selling mine for it for about a split second. If my daily driver wasn't only just a shade or two lighter, it may have been a more difficult decision. I am not a big fan of the maroon interiors, especially the sun faded ones. Yours look really good though!
Do some maintenance and drive the car. Be safe out there and have some fun. These cars deliver the fun factor, especially in the corners.
Welcome to the forum! Your story is similar to mine. I’ve been restoring an 88 convertible of my dad’s that hadn’t ran in 10 years. Not as many as yours.
But I’ve been doing everything they’ve mentioned and this forum is a great asset of information.
Good luck!
I’m close on getting mine to run. It’s got a vacuum leak that I’ve traced to the egr valve.
If my daily driver wasn't only just a shade or two lighter, it may have been a more difficult decision. I am not a big fan of the maroon interiors, especially the sun faded ones. Yours look really good though!
