Rrail

Like I said, I'm buying an RX-7 right after the start of next year, and I was wondering what kind of quality I can get for the money I have. I have about 12 grand, and I want a twin-turbo. Am I going to be able to get a working car for this much? What kind of condition might it be in? For 12, am I still going to have to put money into the engine to make sure it doesn't die right away?

MazdaMike

it really all depends, ur not gonna find a good condition one from a dealer for that price, but u may be able to get lucky from a private seller, but 12k is pushing ur lick a bit. good luck looking though

Rrail

Thanks

Kiflin

All depends on what you find. I was looking in ads and saw a 1994 with 53k and no problems going for 9500, sold in 2 weeks. So, I guess it all depends.

Rrail

Guess after my 'stang gets the repaint and stripes on, I'll put it up on autotrader. NEED AN RX-7 BADLY ><

FormerPorscheGuy

Unless you get really lucky, I wouldn't bet on spending just 12K on a third gen. I would make sure that I would have some repair money set aside for after you buy it. Also, if you want any mods put some money aside for that. These cars can be expensive.

Rrail

I'm talking about buying it from the outset. My dad will pay for any repairs needed as long as it runs when we buy it.

Nameless

hopefully ur dad has some deep pockets

Rrail

My dad has put like 30 grand into a 61 Impala and another 30 into my moms Porsche, he can afford to spring for me for once.

Midnight Hour

It's probably going to be more than once that you'll need to fix this car. Oh...and all 3rd gens are TT...just so you know.

Rrail

Oh, I always see a lot for sale that say single turbo, so I was thinking single was an option that some took.

Shinobi-X

Single turbo 7's have been modified to make greater power by their owners. From the factory they were all TTcharged. The best thing that will help you when buying a 7 is knowing the car. Do some reading up on it, as it will help you in the long run. Ignorance is the leading cause of death among these cars.

rx7raca

really man i think u should start reading more about these cars, ur jus comin in not knowing very much and jus buying a car that needs to have a smart owner about the fd. you should sit and read and read, thats wut i had to do,i dont know wut i would do if i didnt know **** about these cars, i dont have the money u got so ur lucky on that one, but money isnt everything unless u know how to use it. jus my 2 cents.
geoff

Rrail

Heh. I read the whole notes site, I just figured I had missed the part about the ability to get a single from the factory. I knew people put the singles in afterwards, read that on the '03 Cobra kill.

Thanks for all the help though

I have until Mid-Febuary to learn I hope I can learn enough by that time.

Are these cars super hard to work on for someone that's switching from using a Ford V8? Like 4 of my dads friends have full sized lifts in there garages, and all the tools you could ever need, so I imagine I can get under it pretty easy. And of course, I can always have my dad and his friends help me, but is the learning curve steep?

Chaz

I almost didn't respond to your questions after reading this:

No flame intended but my first impression of you was that you were a spoiled rich kid based on that comment. Why people think the deserve to be given anything is beyond me. However, that being said, you appear to be actually trying to educate yourself about the car so I'm encouraged to help a little bit.

The rotary engine is fairly simple in it's design but it does take some education since most people are more familiar the piston engine. The rotary really is a unique engine and it isn't a straight forward switch from a V8 to the wankle engine. Combine all that with the addition of a turbo setup and things can get complicated pretty quickly (i.e. all those damn hoses). These cars can be fairly maintenance intensive so be prepared.

You're headed in the right direction learning about the car and I encourage you to check out the thread that is stickied at the top of the third gen section specifically for newbies. There are some very helpful web sites listed in that thread and I still have several of them bookmarked for quick reference.

Having a lift available will make life a little easier for you but it is by no means necessary most of the time. But hey, if you have access to one (or more) that's great. As far as the tools go, you'll need to get some metric sized tools to work on the RX-7. You could probably take half the car apart with a 10mm and 12mm socket so be sure to buy some basic metric tools soon.

Anyway, hope this helps and keep reading and educating yourself.

Rrail

Thanks Chaz

Sorry for coming across spoiled, I'm really not, I'm driving a freaking Mustang for christ sakes

Narfle

iTrader: (16)

where i come from, V8 mustangs from daddy aint too shabby, as in rich, i worked my *** off for my FD and i hope you have too

Rrail

Well, to get the 3 grand I'm going to put toward it, I sold my Angel paintball gun and some other stuff, I hope that counts as working hard.

But I do plan to get a job soon, so I can afford parts more rapidly.

Goober

For 12 grand you should be able to get a good running car with maybe 60k to 70k miles on it from a private seller though. I was out in Seattle over the summer and went to a few dealers to check out some used FDs and saw a guy buy a 94' with 58K miles on it for 22K. Cars go for more out west compared to the eastcoast for sure...

Check out Autotrader and if you are willing to buy a car out of state you just might get lucky. I suggest you get yourself a shop manual for the car too. It will be your best friend!!! Use the search function on this site, because chances are if you run into a problem with the car someone else probably has too and made a post regarding it.

Good luck!!!

Rrail

I'm afraid to buy out of state because I will have no one to take it for a test drive to see if it runs well without boost problems.

HeX

Let me make a suggestion. I'd say go buy it from a sports car broker/dealer. If you don't mind making some payments, put those 12k for a down. Most fd's in real good condition usually go for over 15k easy. Spot one you want and get it checked out (compression and boost). Find out which rotary shops do house calls (not many i'll tell you now).

Why a sports car broker/dealer you still wondering? [I mean a dealer that specializes in sports cars, not just any old used car lot.] These brokers usually have a rep and business to keep. They are obviously much more educated in high maintenence vehicles and know what they are buying and selling to consumers. Look for one that has more than one FD on the lot.

...Wait, I haven't gotten to the better part yet... The condition and state of the car will usually be much better from a broker than from a private party. Best of all, lot's of these brokers offer some sort of warranty that you can purchase. A good warrantly plan should cover most parts of the car including engine, transmission and turbos to name a few. Find out first. They can run anywhere from $500-$2000. There's something else I want to tell you rrail but IM me. It's not wise to say certain things on these forums. Eyes are watching... Brokers however, do tend to markup the retail values of these car around $2k good or bad depends (if the option of a warranty means anything to you plus, they gotta make some money you know). I'll stop blabbering. If anyone would like me to elaborate i'll do so.

-HeX