I gave my 1994 RX7 to my daughter as a graduation gift. She is going to graduate school in NYC, and won't be taking a car. When she's finished with grad school in NYC, she's going to work in L.A. The RX7 has fewer than 17,000 miles on it, and the Mazda dealership said it is in excellent condition; but as it will be a decade or more old when my daughter takes it to L.A., I'm wondering what possible problems the RX7 might present for her when she gets to L.A. p.s. She's a graduate of Bob Bondurant's school and an excellent driver. Thanks.

 

I hope they trained her to be a mechanic as well. I would also advise against bringing nice cars to college. They are havens for jealous "intellectuals". Just ask CYM TKT, he lost his hatch to a desk.

 

check out the sticky on the top of the page. perform all reliability mods. until she becomes interested in performance mods, i would perform these rel. mods: upgraded radiator, aluminum AST, silicone vacuum hose job, boost gauge to monitor turbos (10-8-10 boost is optimal), turbo timer to cool down turbos after long or hard drive. make sure maintanence is performed regularly, ie oil change every 2000 miles just to be sure, fresh air/oil/fuel filters as recommended, and make sure the cooling system is in healthy shape when you throw that radiator in (pressure test it). above all, stress that she become familiar with this site and with the sticky i refer to at the top of the page

 

As long as the car has been taken care of, it should be a non-issue. Steer her toward this forum, have her read the newbie stickies, and if she is as smart as I think she is, she should make a great new enthusiastic owner.

 

problem -- boys like me would be all over her

 

My understanding is that she will not drive it until after grad school (she just got her B.A/S.).

Honestly, unless she's really into it - I would sell it now while there is a bit of renewed interest in the rotary. A low mileage '94 should fetch at least $20K, assuming everything is nice. Put the money away in something safe with a bit of interest, and she'll have that to put towards another car upon graduation from grad school. Betting there will be a 4th gen by then anyways.

Cool Dad, BTW, for thinking of such a cool gift in either case. Want to adopt a 30 year old?

 

Grr, fourm hiccups - double post

 

"I'm wondering what possible problems the RX7 might present for her when she gets to L.A."

BAWAHAWHAHWHAHWAA

Excuse me.

 

sell it to me and i'll give her my accord

 

There are all sorts of problems with the cars, just because they're 10 years old. I agree that you should check out the sticky at the top of the third gen section.

But highlights include, Air seperation tank, vacuum hoses, radiator hoses, 5th gear synchro, plastic end tanks on radiator, rear suspension clunk, all filters and fluids should be changed.

 

two words...

"the belligerents"

Those boys are gonna be a happy bunch...at least the single ones will be.

haha!


j

 

dclin, Thanks for the reply. I've offered to sell it and substitute the cash for the car, but my wife feels that since we've babied it all these years that it we should keep it in the family. However, $20,000+ might make a difference.

 

RollnDrty, So far only one oil change went to 800 miles. All the rest have been 600. I honestly don't know if the engine is fully broken in yet.

 

What car(s) has she had in the past?

I'd be more concerned with her safety rather than with issues of reliability.

 

That seems to not be a concern.

 

Turbo timers are a waste of money and do NOTHING...this isn't 1980.

 

Keep it in the family!

My completely stock engine has 52K on it with monthly autocrosses. Besides the recall items performed by Mazda, the only parts I have replaced are the water pump and the clutch. Not bad for a ten year old car that's supposed to be unreliable.

Make sure to drive it and enjoy it, these engines beg to be driven

Tomas
'94 PEG SS #142

 

In Dustin Hoffmans rainman voice...."She an excellent driver, an excellent driver..."

 

hey mr tt. check your pm's. thanks

 

Aren't the ECU's for CA different? If she registers it there , there may be an issue with smog emissions. Unless you can find a loophole and don't transfer ownership, but I don't know how long that would last.

 

Cali ones did (do?) have a different ECU from what I understand, but passing smog is an issue with original California ones anyways, so I don't know how much of a difference it would make. I hope she likes driving in traffic, because LA has it, plus not so great air and it can get pretty hot during the summer. There are several RX-7 tuners in and around LA, so finding some one skilled to work on it won't be a problem. She'll probably just have to beat car guys off with a stick, and watch out for all the ricers, its kinda an epidemic in SoCal. Josh

 

Wow, that's one unique and valuable gift. There WILL be jealous observers, for sure. I think it's safe to assume she appreciates how rare and coveted that car is in that condition and that she's willing to learn or already understands how to keep it running well. This car dies consistently if neglected, you may know.

My thoughts:
There are more reliable cars, by far, and almost any other 10yo car will be more reliable. There's just so much heat and stress in that engine bay that rapid aging is a de facto result. Also, run it every so often (once a month if possible) to keep the seal springs from setting. I think it would be best to replace the radiator hoses, all new fluids and filters, replace the radiator, air separation tank, and add a boost gauge and water temp gauge. That would make the car much easier to maintain.

I don't know what kind of money she will have lined up, but at 15mpg and premium fuel in a high-cost area, her fuel bill could be an amazing burden with any sizeable commute. At least LA has wonderfully mild weather. I don't know many single people who can live with just this car and its tiny cargo space - I certainly couldn't. I really wonder about the people who only own this car.

Honestly, any used $10k car will be more reliable, practical and cheaper. It's a tough call, IMO.

Dave

 

I'm with Dave. How would you even get your stuff to LA in an RX-7, even worse with Bose. Nice car Paul, but you know that these cars make terrible daily drivers. IMO keep it for yourself, and buy her a Honda or Toyota.

 

What on Earth do you mean????

 

We do consider the RX7 a prized possession and would only sell it after really thinking things through. For example, an appeal can be made that having the RX7, our daughter really wouldn't have need for a sportbike. As for driving the RX7, my wife might drive it to school three times a year (third grade teacher) and I might drive it a few times a year myself. My greatest concern is that my daughter not be burdened by the RX7 while in L.A., and with some of the input from board members I now have some very realistic concerns to sort out. One thing for sure is that we won't give it away: It still smells new, and it is beautiful.