Buying my first RX7......maybe?
 

Hello...I am new to the forum and new to the RX7. I have never owned one but I told my son if I were to ever run across one that was Black with tan interior I would jump on it. So now I am eating crow. Here is some info about the car that I will share. If any of you can give me some info I would appreciate it. Its a 93 RX7 with 59000 miles. Automatic. When I cranked it it smoked pretty bad. Engine concerns started there. I drove it for about 30 minutes. Took it out on the interstate. Driving 65 and punched it. Hit 115 in just a few seconds. The owner was asking 12900.00 for it. I offered him 10500.00 and he said he would take it. 100% stock. The engine is my biggest worry. There wasnt any knocking or strange noises coming from the engine. Just alot of smoke and after it idled for about 5 minute it seemed to quit. If I have to get the engine worked on approx how much would it cost to get a complete rebuild?

what color smoke white or blue or black? was it just conensation from being cold? what did it smell like?

first go read the FAQ and newbie and archives. you will find alot of pricless info there.

well if the smokeing has stoped then i wouldn't really worrie about it. they all smoke a bit when they start yup is the smoke a sweet semmling smoke? has the car ever been over heated if so you may have a water seal blown. but you did say that it stops smokeing.

Let me just say that I know about cars. I have been in the auto business all my life. I have worked at a Ford Dealership for the last 20 years. I'm just not familiar with rotary engines and their characteristics. The smoke was definately blue (oil burning). It smoked profusely for several minutes. You could smell the oil burning. Like I said earlier, it seems to quit once I got on the road and really got on the car. When I kicked it on the interstate I didnt see any smoke at all. I also has a bad lag during acceleration. What I mean by that is I would have to press the accelerator approximately 1/4 fo the way down before it would take hold and accelerate. I am reading several thinks on the forum and the info is helping in my decision. Thanks for any help. BTW Black with Tan leather interior. What are the cars going for on the average?

i wasnt calling you a newbie its just rotarys are a new world.

if its blue smoke its probally oil. possibly turbos are shot.

What kind of condition is the rest of the car in? If the rest of it is very perfect, then I would go for it.

The engine or turbos probably are probably shot though, but can always be rebuilt. Get a compression test done on the engine - this will prove if the engine is bad and help you bring the price down further. Also get someone experienced in FDs (93-95RX7s) to check it out. Then you can get a new engine put in for a few thousand. If the turbos aren't good then expect a couple thousand to get a rebuilt set. If you can stomach the idea of fixing it up right away you'll have a very nice car with new turbos and/or engine. Just make sure that value comes out of the purchase price (blue book is around $14500).

Dave

I don't think you have a problem but I suggest you take the car into a RX7 specialty shop to have have them look it over. It will give you a definitive assessment and clear up any nagging doubts.

Both the FD's I have had smoked at startup. The earlier car ran strong formany years and the one I have now also runs great. It also just passed the Houston smog emissions test with flying colors.

my car smokes when it starts. after 5 min there is a huge cloud and i cant see my neighbor's house... but then it is like 10 degrees here.

if its burning oil, you should definitely take it to someone to look at first.

i drive a red 93 rx7 5 speed and that car is a beauty and it drives like a beauty. when you start the car there should be some smoke from the exhaust. but if its coming from the engine, where in the engine? if it is off to the left side then that is probably the turbos, not the engine. my car did that too,i just recently purchased rebuilt turbos. im guessing that it is the turbo's seals that are shot and need a rebuild,but hey thats my car. if your problem is similar then my guess is the turbos.(keepin mind that the turbos are located near the exhaust to the left if the engine.)

you are lucky, i wish my car was that color combination. in my opinion that is the best look for the stock 7.

oh and one more thing, if you havent bought it yet try to push the price down because turbos can be costly

10.5k is a good deal for the car if the turbos arent bad. The fact that its an automatic drives the price way down. If it was a 5 spd, he could easily get 14k for it. You can always do a automatic to manual swap for like 3 grand if you know what your doing. The automatic on the FD tends to be quite slow and doesnt react good to mods.
Adam

Its on a car lot here in Wilmington. The smoke is coming from the tail pipe. I'm not familiar with turbo's, but they seemed to work fine when I got down on it on the interstate. I'm not sure if anyone in the Wilmington area is familiar with rotary's. I think I will keep my eyes and ears open to see if another one might become available in the near future. I could see paying 8 g's for one and putting 6-7 g's in it to get it in top shape but putting 10.5 in one and then spending 5-6 to get it in top shape might be a little crazy. I'll call him tomorrow and ask if he will get a compression check done on it for me. How would I know if the turbo's are good? Is there a way to check the boost? There aren't any turbo gauges in the cock pit.

oh. if its coming from the tailpipe then thats ok, its supposed to burn oil. And that guy is right manuals are WAY better

Buy a gauge and hook it up.

Any Mazda dealer can do the compression check also. If it has a boost gauge, then see if it does a 10-8-10 pattern during either 2nd or 3rd and you should be ok.