1994 RX7 - things to look for when buying?
 

Hi all! I'm new to this message forum but have been an RX7 fan since I was about 12 years old. That being said, I just recently joined this forum because I'm finally at a point where I'm able to consider buying an FD.

I made this thread because I may have an opportunity to purchase a 1994 model with 139k miles for a good price. There are many things I'm a bit concerned about with it, however one big thing that sticks out is that the car has barely been driven over the last 2 1/2 years. Going back even further, it's only been driven about 1,000 miles since August 2014. Is there anything in particular I should look for given this scenario? And/or anything that definitely needs to be replaced/serviced due to lack of driving for a while?

I test drove the car this morning and it drove well, but it wasn't a long test drive and I drove it fairly conservatively given that the weather was 40°F and the road was damp. (would be bad form to ball it up!). I also haven't driven an FD in almost 20 years so I don't have much to compare it against (i.e. an OEM correct "baseline").

Furthermore the car has no service records so that's not ideal.

I noticed the following modifications:
K&N dual cone filters intake
Greddy Intake Manifold
Oversized large intercooler
Koni shocks
Exposed (aftermarket?) rear strut brace.
Battery relocated to storage compartment behind driver's seat

I noticed the following issues:
ABS light on
Airbag light on (owner says passenger side airbag needs replacement)
Seatbelt light on
Dashboard is peeling near windshield base
Driver's side door cubby door missing
Floor mats missing
After 10 minute test drive the car would not restart (wouldn't crank) and battery light came on. I'm guessing possibly a bad alternator.
Current owner had front bumper and radiator support brace replaced (damaged in crash by previous owner) and I don't think he replaced all the parts. The radiator and a few other parts seem to be just "hanging out there" with no lower body cladding to shield/cover/protect them (of course, maybe that's how it's supposed to be - I'm still learning how these cars should be).

I'm planning to get a PPI for the car, including a rotary compression test, soon. And since it was in an accident (bad enough to give it a salvage title) I'm also going to have a suspension specialist inspect the car for frame damage and/or make sure everything is as it should be.

Thank you in advance for any replies! I'm coming from having a Porsche so I'm not unacquainted with complex/finicky sports cars.

For a car with a laundry list of issues like that it's going to have to. be a REALLY good deal.

Bryan at Rotorsports Racing is in your neck of the woods, that might be a great place to take it for a look over to get an idea of what all it needs.

Any pictures of the car?

If the car starts runs and drives that is a good thing to start with. Biggest issue from sitting is rusty gas tanks, seized brakes, rats making nests, that sort of thing.

I would only get into a car like that if you have the budget to throw at it. Bare minimum it probably needs all the maintenance brought up to date - oil change, coolant, gear oil, brake fluid. Brakes probably need to be gone through. Tires are probably shot. Worst case you're going to need an engine. The lights on the dash could be related to the alternator - if you have bad charging, all the lights will come on on the dash. But there may be more to it.

Most battery relocations are poorly done and cause all sorts of electrical problems, that's probably the root of a lot of it.

Depending on how much you can do yourself and how much you will have to have a shop do depending on your skill level you're looking at $2k-$10k that the car would need. Factor that in on the asking price.

If you can, get some pictures of the car, the interior, and the engine bay posted up, we can spot a LOT of crap just from pictures.

Dale

Not a horrible idea. Kannapolis is about 2 hours away from where the car is located - not that far, things considered.

The car has a salvage title and the owner is in the process of locating photos for me (of before it was fixed) so I can see how extensive the damage is. Vehicle owner has a body shop and had the work done there. He's a car guy but his passion are classic domestic cars. He doesn't know much about Japanese cars and just wants this gone.

I told the owner that I wanted to have a shop perform a PPI and he's fine with that but wants to have his mechanic go over the car first and have all fluids flushed, also have engine bay cleaned up a bit. There are also a few parts he still hasn't had reinstalled since having the car repainted (passenger side windshield wiper, rear emblems, and windshield washer sprayers/nozzles/tubing). One of the rear brake calipers was frozen so that was recently replaced (replacement OEM caliper). The brake pedal felt good and firm. Took more pressure (than I'm accustomed with) to get the car to stop but that could be caused by old/crappy brake pads.

I know for a fact he hasn't had the oil changed in at least 2 years. I already knew the answer, but I asked if the fuel filter had been changed recently as well (no).

The tires are actually brand new (he made a point of that). However, they're some no name M+S rated all season tires - so of no value to me because I'd replace them ASAP with something more appropriate to this car's use. The battery relocation looks pretty well done to be honest, but I didn't go over it with magnifying glass (or track the leads).

As to budgeting money, I'm going off the assumption the car will probably need a new engine within 30k miles. Engine work (rotary or otherwise) is a bit beyond my skill set but cooling, braking and suspension work I'm well versed in and I would intend to take this car to HPDEs after having all maintenance and reliability modifications performed. Below are a few exterior photos (from the advertisement) and a few engine bay photos, which were taken by me yesterday morning. I put the engine bay photos first.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c22948af71.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3333e51419.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...59efd4fdc0.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9e91cc63e4.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...52109a0dcc.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...306b361235.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...65a4cc740b.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d91a587867.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6e2d8b8309.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...e1afcba8c9.jpg

Why does the engine compartment look like it's been sitting out in a dust storm without a hood :scratch:

I'd say it may be a flood victim, but i don't see any rust (at least not in the pics)

Owner said he'd have the engine bay cleaned up, but yeah I agree - eek. CarFax didn't show any evidence to suggest anything flood related. And all vehicle's previous owners lived in this area (i.e. the car has been local to the Triangle area since purchase new). I looked the car over pretty well and found no evidence of rust (of course keep in mind it was recently repainted, and I was unable to look underneath).

It looks like it's missing an ast. Where does the coolant hose by the cap go to?

how's the interior? Most of the plastic parts are nla.

Step back and analyze the situation. You are looking at a car that:

• Is high mileage
• Has been neglected
• Needs additional work
• Has a salvage tittle
• Is expensive to maintain

What exactly is is the pro here? The cheap price and/or that you can get this car home now? Let me tell you that at the end of the day that cheap price won't be very cheap as you will end up spending all kinds of $$ to get that car in decent shape. Yes it runs decent now but given the condition that it is now begs the question: What is looming in the near future as far as issues? The unfortunate reality is that even after bringing it back to a decent reliable condition it will still be measured by the salvage tittle. In other words, you will never even come close to getting any real money back in the event of an insurance claim or future sale. IMO that car is not worth fixing and is better suited to be scrapped for parts.

Unless it is extremely cheap AND you are looking for a dedicated track car, then by all means purchase. Otherwise 100% skip this because it just isn't worth the headache.

That battery relocate looks sketchy AF, that's like a second rat's nest there with the wiring....whatever the PIAA connector is....lights or horn I assume, and the engine harness has been fiddled with (hence starting/charging issues).
Blocked off hose behind Greddy elbow, weird white tube coming off Upper intake and snaking towards brake booster. Are there lids for all the fuse/relay boxes? Or have they been collecting dirt/water and ready to short?

You nailed it.

It’s a very nice start to a track car or a part-out thread? :scratch: :dunno:

Very well put. I don't think I'd ever make money off this (b/c of salvage title) but it would make it easy to enjoy tracking it without fear of ruining something too nice, haha. Also what is your definition of extremely cheap? $8000-10000? And no it wouldn't be a dedicated track car. Would still want to enjoy on the street.

Yeah...i noticed the lack of covers on the fuse/relay boxes immediately. Not great, and they were dirty like the rest of the engine bay so I would think the covers are missing, not just removed.

Thanks for the continuing input.

Unfortunately I'm the guy that wants to save every FD and keep them on the road :).

Exterior at least looks good, a lot of that from the body shop I'm sure. Aftermarket front turn signals. No sunroof which is great for track use.

Underhood is dirty, but I don't think it's flood damage dirty - that looks like "driving in a dusty place for a long time and not cleaning under the hood" and also some mess from the body shop. Cars get FILTHY at a body shop with sanding dust, buffing compound, etc.

I think it had aftermarket fog lights at some point - that's the PIAA relay. That accounts for some of the wiring.

Things I see right off the bad -

- weird battery relocation, they tried to do something fancy with that plate under the hood but other stuff looks weird. That will need to be gone over.
- No AST. That is a top priority. The coolant system needs a proper pressure cap with a vent line to the overflow tank. Without it the cooling system can run infinite pressure. That needs to be fixed before driving more than a quick lap around the block.
- Messy wiring under the hood. Most likely left over aftermarket '90s stuff. Hopefully not too bad to pull out.
- No duct for intercooler. Without a duct it's totally useless. It may have been damaged in the wreck. Pettit Racing sells ducts. Or look at re-doing the whole system to a Greddy V-mount, that would be great for track work.

IMHO you need to get a good price on this to make it all work. The mileage, sketchy work, and salvage title are all negatives, but they can be used to negotiate the price. Interior is the other question mark, a ratty or broken interior is damn near impossible to fix. if it's mainly a track car and you aren't worried as much about some of the aesthetic parts of the interior, then that helps.

Fritz Flynn has posted some stuff about using an FD on the track and what it needs to be a solid track car.

I would like to see this FD bought and given some love and made good again. But I'm biased as stated :)

Dale

Unfortunately it DOES have a sunroof. You probably didn't notice it in the photos because when the current owner repainted the car, he painted over the sunroof rubber seals so that black ring isn't visible (also in general that bothers me, the lack of attention to detail). The sunroof is definitely a negative IMO, because with the stock seats my head just barely clears the roof. I would need aftermarket seats to be able to safely drive this car with a helmet on. As to the interior, the dash cover is peeling at the base of the windshield, and the fit/finish around the passenger side airbag looks rough. And under the dashboard on both sides of the car, there's stuff hanging down/exposed. And I feel like that shouldn't be the case (no?).

Thanks for pointing out the lack of AST (think it was mentioned by another as well).

:banghead:

I could write an essay of a response on what I think about the 7 you are looking at, but I think you have gotten good advice from some very smart people in this thread already.

I have no idea what price he is asking from you, but I wouldn't pay anything for this car over the going price for a so-so roller. The combination of salvage title and obvious neglect really demands a bargain on the price to me.

It looks like a parts car, missing some parts. The passenger side wiper arm is missing too.

Bad paint job, salvage title, and engine bay needing a lot of attention would steer me away. That intercooler without a duct is doing nothing but heating up the air going into the motor which is horrible for longivity. Unless it really cheap (under 10 grand) I'd keep looking.

check inside the gas tank for rust

The reason I said dedicated track car is because you would end up revamping everything anyway and track cars aren't kept for value but for use. So like you said if you thrash it, then no real hearts are broken.

The only question you should be asking is how much does a decent non salvage example with that many miles cost? You just may find that this neglected car would end up costing you the same amount of money that it would take to purchase something much nicer right from the get go.

This is my personal opinion and it only applies to me: IMO $8-10K is not a good deal even it if wasn't a salvage titled FD. For me, I know what a pain in the ass these cars can be when they are well maintained so I don't even want to know how they are when one has not been. My time is just worth too much to me and I would rather spend it enjoying the car than cursing at it.

IF it has good compression, and IF you can title it, and IF it's a good price ($9-$10), it may be worthwhile. But be prepared to put another $5 or so into it.

Yup and also what the interior looks like.

Interior is in good shape, except for the passenger side air bag cover, the dashboard (peeling near windshield base) and driver's side door compartment cover.

After looking at pictures I'll throw out some used prices for parts you need to fix this car up:
Wiper Arm~ $50 new
Map lid ~ $120 new
Dash Defrost vents~ $70 new
Dash Pad- $3-500+ range for the padded shell only, Air bag ~150, "complete" dash $1200-2000 depending on condition and what is included.
Column Clam top ~$60
Headlight Bezels ~ $120
Fuses Box Covers ~$100
Add a full brake job with caliper rebuilds and lines ~$800 DIY
Suspension bushings ~$800 DIY

If you start adding interior pieces into the mix and other various things like tires, extensive tune up, and a new catback exhaust because the N1 dual is the worst one in existence the price continues to go up.

Also, hold a contingency of about $6000 for an engine rebuild or shortblock replacement.

Very good points brought up by all. If it were me knowing what I know now I would walk. Unless it is a steal. Definitely under 10k. Under 10k and you want a HUGE project. I like Dale's idea of saving these incredible machines, but you have to be ready for a lot of work and $.

Strong points to consider. Going to contact the owner this afternoon. Might start with taking the car to a specialty body/frame shop to make sure everything there is tip top.

On the good news front, was able to off load my Cayman with it's broken engine this week for a great price!

I'll echo what others have said. Under 10k. I'd say around 7k or 8k.

I've seen running FDs around here that *did* need a lot of work as well sell for 10-11, but they did not have salvage titles or weird half-ass paint jobs (I'd prefer fading factory paint to something so sloppy it was painted over the sunroof rubber personally).