Im currently in the process of bringing a 94 Manual Type-R2 FD over from Japan, infact the boat docked today, so hopefully I should be able to pick it up in a week or so.

Anyway my question is this; it's my first rx-7 and at the Japanese auction the car was a very high grade, but the mileage is 116,000 kilometers (roughly 72,000 miles). Now was just wondering based on you guys experiences do you think that this will of had a rebuild in Japan? Could the engine make it to 72K miles without a rebuild? Or do you think it's likely to blow up on my way home from the docks?

There was no mention or poor running/compression on the auction and the car is basically stock apart from an exhaust (can anyone identify the type of exhaust? Make?) and a turbo timer.

Really excited about getting it but this is the only thing that bugging me.

Some images of my RX7:

 

I might be smoking something here or the japanese might have done htings differently... but U.S. '94's had Passenger side Airbags, and a Strut Tower Bar with the RX-7 Logo on them.... now given that this is a stock model not highly modded, I'd expect the strut tower bar to be there... and also check or an additional Oil Cooler... R1 / R2's have 2 Oil Collers, other packages have 1 or 1 and an Auto Trans Fluid Cooler....

On the plus side the wing is a good sign, but not definitive, since it's easly added...

 

I also thought all R1 and R2's had suede seats.

 

Guys, remember this is a Japanese model, and it's very likely that the trim packages won't be the same.

KJL, I'm no authority on Japanese cars, but I was under the impression that they aren't allowed to register cars with more than 30,000 miles over there. I'm sure the guys in the Far East / Japan subsection will know more: https://www.rx7club.com/forumdisplay...prune=30&f=105


I bought my 1994 base model with 46k miles, and it's now got ~73k miles on the clock. I've autocrossed it pretty often, taken it on long trips, and it still drives fine for a 12-year-old car. Original engine, as far as I know, and it's been very reliable. I maintain it very meticulously: oil change every 1-2k miles (new filter every 2-4k), fresh plugs every 5-10k, coolant flush & fill every year, and a new fuel filter every 15-20k.


However, I've been told that many Japanese don't even know how to pump their own gas or change their oil. I'd change all the above-mentioned parts immediately, as well as acessory belts and ignition wires. Beautiful car, by the way.

-s-

 

Thanks for the reply guys.

Yeah there are quite some differences between the USDM and the JDM.

For example the JDM only had suede seats from 91-93 then they were changed to a carbonfibre type trim in late 93/94 as seen in mine.

Also you very really get airbags in JDM cars until the later models, for example post 96 JDM cars only started getting an airbag. It's the same with the MR-2 Turbo, I have a 96 Revision 4 JDM Turbo which where the first ones to get airbags, earlier versions 89-95 had none.

The car is definately an R2 (2 seater) as I have all the paper work and pictures of the VIN plates etc, the reason there is no strut brace is that it had an aftermarket one which was removed by the Japanese owner upon sale.

Anymore thoughts on wether its had a rebuild? Anyone?

Cheers guys

Kevin.

 

There are several posters on this forum who have had their engines go over 100,000 miles, and at least two who have original engines that have gone over 200,000 miles. So assuming the engine is running, I think you can rest assured you can drive it home from the docks without it blowing up.

As to a rebuild, in a way, it doesn't matter, does it? It only makes economic sense to drive the car anyway until it suffers some kind detonation, apex seal, or coolant seal failure.
The fact that it doesn't appear to be highly modified is a point in its favor.

As others have said, I'd give it some IMMEDIATE maintenance: put in some good gas, change the fuel filter, coolant, and oil. Then drive it and enjoy.

 

JConn2299 brings up a good point: drain the fuel out of the tank if you can, it might have been sitting for a while.

-s-

PS, my car has the same seat fabric, and I love it.

 

I'm not looking to burst your bubble, but the seats in that car are what we had as the seats in the base model here in the U.S.

The question of what's an R model and what's not can be a tricky one as some equipment, such as a 2nd oil cooler, could be added later. And while it's true that trim packages differed in the various markets around the world, there's enough about this particular car that doesn't add up that I'd be suspicious it's not a genuine R model. Here in the U.S. R models had a sticker in the passenger side door jamb indicating the car has the sport suspension. Other cars were listed as having the standard suspension.

In your case, if the car is missing the 2nd oil cooler up front, then I'd lean towards thinking it's not a genuine R model.

 

I know the rear window wiper blade makes it a non R, in the US at least.

I imagine you will be able to tell about the engine when you first turn the key. To satisfy your curiousity go get a compression check done.

Enjoy the car, it will need a rebuild at some point anyway.

Wish we could import like that from the US.

 

hi mate!

I import these cars regulary from Japan myself, and i can tell you if it got grade 4 the compression will be fine too. They check that when grade the cars "smoke and how it starts and so on". If its grade 3,5 then i would check the compression just to be sure. Cars graded 4 got nice drivetrain and low milage.

grading system


4= good condition some minor dents.
3,5= ok condition, but with some small waves or dents. Typical higher milage "older" cars.

Send me your auction paper.

And ps your car is a R2, r2 seats and gauges "not the touring x silver gauges".

 

I repeat....those are the base cloth seats that appeared in the base model here in the U.S.

I'm not saying they're bad seats. Certainly they wear better...in fact, they wear hardly at all....compared to the other choices available here, the leather or the synthetic suede in the R models.

But the fact remains, synthetic suede seats were offered as the exclusive option on the R models in the U.S.

Now, did someone in Japan switch base seats into his R model? I suppose that's possible. Or did R models in Japan offer the option of base cloth seats in place of the synthetic suede seats? I suppose that's possible too. Someone will have to supply the information, if that's the case.

But given the "irregularities" on this particular car, I'd say a little more investigation is needed before anyone can say with certainty that it's an "R" model. Is there a 2nd oil cooler? Is there a sticker that shows it has the sport suspension as opposed to the standard suspension?
If it lacks those two things, then I'd say the evidence scale tips against it being an "R" model. I suppose the owner could take it even further and start looking for a part # on the shocks to see if he has the sport suspension.

 

Japan seats and Us seats are not the same... Ill take a photo of my r2 tomorrow so you can spot the diff mate

 

whacky, whack, wrong, wrong info all over the place here!

* two very different models you are talking about here...

- the JDM r2 is a slightly optioned-up two seater base spec - it bridges the gap between base-spec and sports-spec (type-r). This explains the lack of type-r trim and options.
They're actually fairly rare.

- the version I (first production run 91-mid 93) type-r is close to the US R1 (but with 4seats - as per usual for JDM). The version II (second production run, 93-94) type-r is close to the US R2. So the 1 and the 2 in the USDM name relate to the JDM production run (forget about the disparity in dating - the US plated the cars differently).

- in conclusion; USDM R1/R2 = hybrid JDM type-r and JDM R2 has no relation to any US FD. Yes, it's confusing.

* Airbags were used from the beginning in the JDM FDs - but only on the luxury models (type-x, touring x, etc) - most USDM FDs are based on these models. I don't recall seeing passenger bags, pre-98.

* there is absolutely NO rule regarding engines/registration etc in Japan that say you need to change engines (or any other whacky ****) at ANY time.

* the rule of thumb here is 100,000km = rebuild time. This is the advice you will read in the enthusiast magazines - to a certain degree, it is a typical average, to another degree it's workshops making money. It also means that the value of FDs near or over 100k nose-dive - and that's why most of them end up at auction (not worthwhile in the domestic market). Only an enthusiast would probably bother with a rebuild - and it doesn't look like it has been looked after by an enthusiast. I would guess: no (but you never know...).

* looks like a fair bit of rust in that engine bay - which is cause for concern

* Japanese don't know how to pump their own gas??? well, the fact that most garages aren't self-serve here might have something to do with that (in fact, last week I filled up my FD (by myself) for the first time in over three years!). But as for their maintenance abilities - idiots and the ignorant are the same the world over.

* I've never heard of an auction house actually doing a compression check on a rotary. Not to say they don't do it - but with the volume of cars that go through every day (massive numbers) - I'd be surprised. I only know of one or two rotary specialist dealerships that actually do compression checks and advertise the cars with this data.

 

whereas, I bought my 1995 base with 43k miles and here I am at 44k miles with a cooked coolant seal. yay!

 

It appears you have some very good info, DaiOni, on the specs for the home-market cars. So perhaps you can deliniate for us the differences and similarities for the U.S. and Japanese "R" models.

We'll leave out the seats and tires........here in the U.S. the R models had some performance equipment that distinguished them from the base, Touring, and Popular Equipment models. Firmer shocks, bushings, front strut tower bar, and a second oil cooler. (we can see the front air dam and rear wing on this car)

So, which of these things did the Japanese R model have?
Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

I have a version II type-r - so yes, I do have a fair idea what I'm talking about.

From what I have seen, apart from the obvious rhd/ldh changes, the USDM R1/2 are type-r FDs minus the rear seats and + airbags. Of course, there would be other little changes here and there which were specific to the US market and regulations.

the type-r has all the additions you listed in the 2nd paragraph.

seats were alcantara ('suede'). The seats pictured above are base-spec cloth.

 

OK, thanks. I'm curious then, does your car have a sticker in one of the door jambs specifiying what kind of suspension it has as we got here in the U.S. market? (Standard or Sport / Heavy Duty)

I have another question maybe you can help me with. It's said the '94 models, at least here in the U.S., got a slight re-tuning of the suspension (softer). I know this happened on the standard suspension models, but on the R models I've seen information both ways. I know the 94 and 95 R models had a tire switch from Z rated Bridgestones to the Pirelli P-Zeroes, but I'm not convinced anything else, such as the bushings or the shocks were changed. I think, for instance, the R models here in 94 and 95 continued to have their slide bushings in the rear.

It might take comparing part #'s for a 93 R model against those for the 94 and 95 to get a definitive answer on this. If you, or anyone else has the answer, I'd appreciate hearing it.