cott55

I am seriously considering buying a 93 RX-7. The only problem I have is that there seems to be a reliability issue with the 3rd gen. engines. The main cause I see is with weak seals. I am planning on using this car as a daily driver, so obiviously I don't want a car that can blow its motor at the drop of a hat. Some people have said that you can buy these 3mm apex seals that are virtually industructibe, and would make the motor much more reliable. Is this true? what would be the cost of these seals? where could I get them? And the second major issue is the engine overheating. Is there an easy way to fix this? I am strapped for cash, so I can't afford to have the motor replaced or rebuilt if it blows. So can anybody please tell me some mods to make the engine more reliable.

maxpesce

If you are strapped for cash then a 3rd Gen RX-7 is not for you, unless the car is pristene and was perfectly maintained, you need to expect to spend $5,000 the first year for repairs & maintence. One that dose not need anything and will run flawlessly for a year or two will cost $18k + to begin with. Insurance alone will run $1000/ year or more if you are a male under 25. Not to mention that it will suck down PREMIUM (91 octane MINIMUM) gas at the rate of 16-18 mpg. and DEMAND an oil change EVERY 3000 miles.

Otherwise look through the NEWBIE thread at the top of this section for links to the questions you asked.

Silent_Stryder

Here's a start.
http://rx7.voodoobox.net/infofaq/bguide3g/bguide3g.html

The RX-7 engine is just like any other engines out there. You push them to their limit, they will blow. If you're looking for an RX-7 to just cruise around in, look for one that's still stock with no mods on it. If you can find one from an individual that seems like he took care of it and the car has no mods, then it may be a good one to buy. The link above will tell you what to do before you buy, after you buy, and while you own it. It also lists "reliability" mods to perform on the car to help keep the car running right. Also try to get any past records on the car including repairs. When I bought my FD, the guy gave me a bag full of receipts for the car. I was lucky to buy it from a 60-something year old guy that took care of his car.

spurvo

I'll tell you that so far my new experience with daily driving a used FD has been a study in nervousness! The cooling system IS an issue with these cars, but if the system has NOT been overheated during the past, then you might dodge the bullet. Ultimately, you need to replace the ENTIRE cooling system to be sure. This includes fourteen coolant carrying lines and their clamps (many of which are DESTROYED in the removal process on a 60k or more engine!), the air separation tank (search for relevant threads, looking for AST and replacement) and the radiator (fluidyne bolts in at around $500 give or take). If you can wrench and have the weekends to do it, this will be a roughly $1000 proposition. I can't expect a shop will be kind here...

Next is the turbos and their control systems. The RX makes huge amounts of heat underhood, and typical owners don't open the hood after a drive to cool the compartment. This literally boils the volatile compounds out of the rubber hoses, turning them into plastic. It turns plastic into glass! Thus, over time, the carefully engineered control system becomes unstable. Again, if you have the ability to understand vacuum circuit diagrams, and the patience to fix it when things go wrong, you can maintain this fairly well. Look for hose replacement and silicone in this forum. Also look for turbo problems and their solutions herein.

Next, the engine coolant seals WILL fail eventually. Maybe in 50K miles. Maybe in 140K depends on how YOU and the previous owners have responded to the automobile's unique challenges. Anyway, it's something to keep in mind. Diagnosing blown seals versus bad hoses can be troublesome, but again I point you to the forum's WONDERFUL search function. I lurked here for a month, and learned more than I reallywanted to know!! (just kidding! I know NOTHING!!!!)

Daily driver of unknown condition 93 on low budget is most likely not the wisest thing ever attempted, but you can get lucky. Finding one that has already been responsibly modified to take these and MANY more issues into account is a better bet.

The apex seals only help if you tear the entire engine apart! Think of it as replacing the piston rings in a banger. (rotaries don't bang, they gliiiide. If they DO bang, your wallet cries.) Apex seals break under detonation (lean fuel, HOT ignition, fuel/air mixture igniting too soon, pressure front slaps the rotor face HARD, seal is "sacrificial element". LOVE that term!)

This is just a little of the WONDERFUL experience (actually, the VERY MOST pleasing automobile I've ever driven. Until it makes a funny noise, or smell...) of FD ownership. Read other posts about daily driving...

Happy hunting!

cott55

Holy crap, I had no idea that the FD was so finicky, for lack of a better word. Thanks you guys, you probobly saved me a boatload of money and several bottles of asprin. Guess I will have to just keep on dreaming....

skunks

ya gotta pay to play; but to play with this car is definantly worth it!

Your current 300zx is probally a lot more relible then a FD especially if your gonna use it for a daily driver. FD's are only good for racing/cruising, there is no room for other people (even the passenger seat is kinda small for my taste. It's perfect for a halon bottle and a laptop though )

Even the rear hatch is kind of a joke, you can fit a single tire (perhaps 2) back there or a sub box and thats it (note, my sub-box use to nearly touch the glass.)

One more thing you gotta realize is that its a 10 year old sports car (which has probally been raced), there are gonna be problems with it unless you find a pristene one which was perfectly maintained like maxpesce mentioned (and if you do, it gonna cost ya, not as much as a supra but it will still hurt your pocket book).

How much money do you have set aside for a FD anyways? If the answer is 20k or above, you'll be fine. If its around 15k, you better be able to do all the stuff yourself including possibly pulling and replacing the engine. If you got 10k, you better know how to do a lot of bodywork and engine work (its not impossible but its gonna be very hard on you).

Good luck on what ever you choose.

BTW: spurvo hit it right on the head with his response!

Scrapiron7

Be picky and careful. That's the main part of the entire shopping process. 3 years ago I bought a bone stock one-owner 93 R-1 with 36k miles for $18k and to this day I have stuck ZERO $$ into things gone wrong or broken. That's right, NADA. I have done upgrades and stuff, but have never had to experience something going wrong or breaking (other than myself leaving a boost hose off ) So there are good ones, just make sure you do your research and take your time shopping. The worst mistake you can do is making a rush decision IMO.

Fritz Flynn

iTrader: (263)

Strapped for cash and FD don't belong in the same sentence. Either pay alot now or pay alot later. Just pick your poision Personally I would say forget about a bone stock car just look for one with a new motor and lots of mods cause you'll end up heading down that road anyway. Decide which upgrades are important to you and look for a used fd that closely resembles what your looking for. Good luck with the search.

M.Piedlourde

If you can stretch on initial purchase price, might I suggest a MkIV Supra? There's a massive rivalry between the RX-7 and the Supra camps, but if you're looking for daily-driven reliability, the Supra comes out way ahead. The RX-7 must have some Italian blood in there somewhere, because it's a pretty fidgity car, from what I've learned so far.