Iceman1979

I bought a salvaged 93 rx7 a few months ago with the intent to fix it up. It had a custom stereo in it that shorted out and burned up the interior. I hauled it to my inlaws back yard and forgot about it. I just had to move it today and its back on my mind.

I plan on taking it to an rx7 specialty shop here in the memphis area to see what it will cost to get it back to road worthy state. I have about 5K in it now (with shipping) and I'm trying to figure out if I should fool with it or sell it and get one that works already and has a clean title.

The interior is pretty much gone. The seats are toast (no pun intended) and the dash is burnt but not melted. It looks like they got the fire out befor it got to hot in there. The front windshield will need to be replaced as well.

The engine compartment didn't get burned but somone snagged the innercooler off from when it was at the junk yard.

If anyone wants to share their opinions on what they think I should do, i'm listening.

Thanks
John

nashman69g

iTrader: (3)

I say start with a fresh car and sell that one...The fried one should just be a neverending nightmare and money pit. Get out before your in to far!

Heisenberg

iTrader: (3)

Its really up to you. I think a good start is exactly what your doing, by taking it to a rx7 specific shop. Im sure they will give you a good idea as to how much your going to be into the car to get it running and on the road again. At that point its a matter of if its worth it to you to pay the amount they want to have the car running again.

Iceman1979

Thanks guys for the coments, Much appreciated.

Well, Today I'm taking it over to the shop for the bad new lol. I'll keep you guys posted on what they say.

Thanks
John

Iceman1979

Well, I was supposed to get a quote by now but nothing so far. He did say that it would probly take 15 - 18K to build it up as a track car.

He sudjested that I strip it out and just put the bare minimums back in and make it a track car. I told him that I wanted it to be a daily driver as well if at all possible.

So here is what he came up with on the fly.

Strip it out, Put racing seats in, put roll bars in, some carpet (for noise reduction as daily driver), and paint it. Then he sudjested they build a one turbo engine for it.

All this for 15 - 18K ?!?

Wow, I didn't think it was going to be that much.

What do you guys think. I'm still waiting for the final quote.

Thanks
John

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

For 18k you could've bought a ready-sorted track car.

Rotofire

^ture, but the thing about that is, you're going to end up buying someone elses problems.

Iceman1979

I htought about that too. If i build this car then it would be ready to go. If I can buy one off the internet for around 8K then how much am I going to have to sink in it after I get it? I could easly be right there with the cost figure I have now.

So, now the two thoughts in my head are
1. Do I sell it and try to get one cheeper and hope I don't have to sink alot in that one or...
2. do I go on and build this one out and know that I have one ready to go for a while?

Hmmmm.....

Tough decision

Iceman1979

Oh yeah, I forgot to add this...

When I got to RX7Heaven and poped the hood I found alot more was missing than I had thought. Basically there is a motor and not much else. The turbos are gone and yeah... pretty much just the engine is left lol.

The body is in great shape from what I can tell. It looks nice and streight and besides the burnt paint on the drivers side it looks good.

If I had the time to work on it myself it might be worth doing.

-John

Mutaku

well in the end it is up to you. Do you want to ? people can give you suggestions and ideas but if you are intent on building a track car this one would be a good choice. If you want to restore it with some mods would also be a good choice if you are ready to put the work into it and learn about the car. However if you just want to buy one ready to hit the road and don t want to deal with all the problems get another car ahah jk jk.I guess it comes down to do you want to drive it now and work out other peoples problems with their car or you can build this one and do what you want. I'd keep it since u already have it.

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

I'd say if you buy a roller and try to build it, you've "bought" plenty of problems already.

If you buy someones SORTED track car, that indicates that you're indeed buying alot of SOLVED problems.

I've been surfing the for sale section lately, and it's baffling to me the chump change everybody feels they should be able to pay for actually well-built cars (you can barely give them away), and then you turn around and people are lining up to buy total roaches that they can pour money into.

There are 3-4 very nice single turbo/track cars in the same section for high teens, low to mid 20's, and novody's buying...

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Iceman1979,

If you are looking for something to double as a daily driver, then purchase a built/sorted RX-7. If want a gutted track car, then go for it.

The interior pieces are expensive unless you can find someone selling them used. This is why I suggest only getting the car if you want to gut it for a track only car.

fsae_alum

Teh cost of a track car vaires greatly upon how competitive you want to be and who you want to run with on the track. This in turn drives the cost of the components. Powerslot rotora dn EBC pads versus AP calipers, rotors and pads. Ohlins coilover versus Eibach springs with original shocks..... The degree of competitiveness drives the cost of the racecar. I do agree with everybody else, buying a sorted racecar is much more advantageous than buying a non-running car that has a ton of problems. As it turns out it is almost aways cheaper in the end too. 99% of people can't sell their racecars for anywhere near what they have in them in terms of dollars. Unfortunately in order to buy a sorted car, you have to have all the money in hand and most people just don't have it.

DamonB

You don't know much about buying track cars...

KeloidJonesJr.

iTrader: (8)

This is what I would do. Gut interior, clean it. Remove ac powersteering. Put a 5 point rollcage. Then some suspension, coilovers, strut, whatever it may be. Lastly power upgrades like turbo.

Iceman1979

I guess there like me and didn't have a clue as to what it takes to have one that you know has the problems worked out already.

Iceman1979

Funny thing is that when i started I wanted just an rx7 ready to be a daily driver. It wasn't untill the owner of the rx7 shop suggested that I make it a track car that I even considered the idea. It sounds like fun and the guy offered to sponsor me and work with me if I decided to get into the track sport aspect. Thats when I started thinking track/daily driver.

I guess I want it more as a daily driver but something I can have fun on the weekends with as well.

Iceman1979

Thats what the shop suggested but keep the ac, powersteering and add carpet so it could double as a daily dirver.

I don't want just a track car. I first want something I can drive daily then maybe try the track thing too. at this point I don't plan on getting to serious (that could change easly) into the track thing. It was just an idea that sparked some interest.

Thanks
John

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Then you'll need something like this:

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...9&page=1&pp=15

Iceman1979

I know! I was drooling last night when I read that thread. That car would be perfect. I sent him a pm asking if the roll cage was still there or not as well as the seats and steering wheel. To bad I didn't see it befor he started parting it out and while it was still 15K and black too!

Oh, I could go on and on about the things I like on that car

I would love to have that one. Oh well, We'll see.

John

Iceman1979

Well after some investigation I have come to find out that I got taken to the cleaners on this car. There is so much wrong with this car that its unbelievable. Nothing much more to do now but chock this up to experiance and try to minimize the bleeding.

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

Let me guess, frame damage?


I believe the saying goes something like this:
"Cheap, Fast, or Reliable. You can only have two out of three."

My addition to this is: "The 3rd Gen RX-7 is pretty damned fast already."

-s-

Iceman1979

Junk yard that had the car, moved it around with a forklift.