Buying used.. any tips on inspecting it?
 

Hey,
I am looking at this 94 touring model RX-7, 57,000 original miles, on original engine, and turbos... owned by an older woman since 95! Took it for a drive, felt great! No mods whatsoever, body is in very good condition for being almost 10 years old. Engine idles at 800rpms, smooth acceleration through all 8,000 rpms.. new clutch and tires..... asking around 16,000.... the only thing I am worried about is the thing dying on me one day... I know its semi-rare to see high milage on these things, but it can happen. I hope to see high milage on this one, but is there any tips on double checking it before I buy it? Compression tests? etc... Any help would be great.... also, can you get a compression test at any shop? or just a rotary shop?.. how much do they usually go for? Thanks!

The site posted above is a great source for info on buying a used Rex. Read it over before you make the purchase. As for the compression test, it requires a special tool and typically runs around $50. Call around and locate a shop with one... Ask if they know how to use it and when was the last time they used it. When I drove to GA to look at a Rex, I took a hour and a half trip(on top of the 4 hours to get there) out of my way to get the compression checked... I called before hand to set up appointment and to make sure they had the tool~ Turns out the machine hadn't been run in 4 years, mechanic had no idea what he was doing, AND they still made me pay him for "his time"... =/

Good luck~

I bought my 94 Silver R2 with 80k in march 2002 for 17k...the body and interior are in show room condition...when I bought it the turbos weren't boosting properly and had slight smoking on startup...Now I think I have a blown coolant seal...Sometimes I think, "if I had to do it over I would have bought that 93VR I saw with new engine and apexi R6 single turbo for 16k"...BUT the body was kinda crappy and the interior a little rough...To date I have 27k invested in my R2 and I still need a new motor...BUT I am as happy with it as the day I drove it home...it's probably one of the biggest investments I have ever made but still it makes me smile everytime I sit in or look at it...With the cars being obsolete I would rather spend a little more for one that is in perfect shape than just get one becasue it has a new engine and can save a few k...sure, a rebuild will cost between 4 and 5k but you can get that anytime....you can't get a clean RX7 anytime. they are becoming more and more rare ever day.

Hope you make the right decision for you...