mthjy

I found an RHD 93 RX-7 R1 for a price that I can't believe, when looking at other FDs on the market and the information that the seller provided:

Stock motor with 82k kms (50k miles)
No rust
No running issues
New OEM catalytic converter, clutch, tires, fuel filter, spark plugs, shift boot
Oil changes done every 2000 miles (I don't know much about rotaries but I'm pretty sure that means its been well maintained)
Coolant changes every year
Car was driven regularly until this summer
Only modifications done are: TEIN coilovers, MOMO steering wheel, painted calipers, stock wing delete and some aftermarket wheels.

Given its mileage and apparent maintenance I feel like the asking price is too good to be true. What should I ask the owner to make sure there's no catch?

Thanks in advance for some help as I'm kind of new to RX-7s

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

you should look the car over very carefully. take anything the owner says with a grain of salt

mthjy

Thanks for the reply, is there anything specific I should ask him before I go see the car in person?

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

ask if its been in any accidents, ask what mechanical stuff has been done, why are they selling. then you look at the car and verify story.

TomU

iTrader: (11)

Compression test (with a rotary tester) and a coolant pressure check by an independent party. If the seller is unwilling, assume the engine needs replacing ($7k USD). If it was maintained and not flogged it should be good, but you don't know that

Hidden damage and rust are the other biggies.

SonicFD

iTrader: (17)

Take the view of it being a classic car needing some work. Bring a flashlight and pocket sized magnetic pickup tool. Look for rust even if the owner says no rust.
I'm sure there is a buying guide on here. Download a basic insurance inspection and go through the list visually. Steering, suspension, brakes, lights, tires, etc.

mthjy

What would a magnet be used for? Sorry I'm kind of new to all this.

KompressorLOgic

iTrader: (6)

magnet is to check for hidden body work, if bondo/body filler was used to repair say a damaged quarter panel, the magnet wont stick. old trick

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

these cars are old, they predate carfax, they are basically as old as the internet. the point being is that the car could have been in a huge accident and have a clean carfax and clean title.
theft isn't a huge problem for the FD, but i'm sure there are a few that have had vins swaps. (i saw a picture of one where the firewall was smashed up, and it obviously was wrecked in Japan, fixed somewhere and sold in Canada as good, but its not)

not to put you off or anything, but its not a new corolla. the car needs to be looked at closely no matter what the owner says.

gmanpie

#1 Engine compression
#2 Service history. I think you can tell a lot based on if they kept things up to date for their ownership. The same people that stretch an oil change out to every 15,000 miles are imo, the same types that neglect every other part of the car.
#3 Ask what's wrong with the car. There will always be something, and it's useful as to a test of the seller's honesty.
#4 Why did he put TEINs on his car?

Aside from that, trim and interior bits will add up to the same cost as a new engine, but unfortunately they're harder to find new and can be a pain to find even then, so at this point I prioritize those very highly as well. A few $300-500 bits of plastic gets you up in the territory of an engine rebuild. This depends of course on how much you're willing to tolerate. It's easy to tolerate a cracked dash, not so easy to tolerate bad coolant seals.

quichedem

iTrader: (4)

"Regular" RHD models will always be a little cheaper here in the US.

Besides the aforementioned inspection points, drive it. Some folks won't have access to a shop with a rotary compression tester, so driving it will tell you a bit about what shape the engine is in. After everything is up to operating temperature, do some acceleration tests and see how it pulls. Make sure you can feel the boost through the rev range, and the dip when transition happens in the turbos. After the test drive, pop the hood and look around. Look and smell for any leaks. That's a good start.