asa2828

hey guys
i'm having trouble w/ my 93rx7. First i have trouble w/ the engine not starting, which the other garage i took it to found something wrong w/ the tranny. with that in mind, i towed the car to KD rotors to get a good look. which they found more bad news, like low compression w/ the engine, and they advise me to get a rebuild along w/ the tranny. due to the fact, the engine is probably on its end.

Which i'm curious, is the rx7's engine really that unrelaible? I only got 88k mile on it, and most of time its was stored in the garage. i can't believed this is happening to me

now that i'm real frustrated and really had it with the car. i'm debating whatever i should sell the car's chasis or not and how much i could get out of it. Or get a rebuild done which can cost up to 6 grand including work on the tranny. and then sell it for higher value. The chasis is still in real good condition.

Another thing, i'm not sure if this **** ain't going happen later down the road How reliable could the rebuild engine be?

Any good advice For ur fellow rx7 owner?

thanks for listening

jeremyb

Bring it to a shop in you're area thats known for rotaries. KD rotors sounds like a decent place. If you have the money, fix it. The rebuild is well worth the wait. If you don't have the money and you're that fed up, sell it. It's all on you. Remember since it's a rebuild you will have a break in period. Do not go against this break-in period, evidently alot of "impatient" people floor it the minute they get it running...NO NO NO. As for reliability, the FD is not your normal piston engine and requires a lot more attention (kinda like that saying... girls are like top of the line cars... blah blah blah). You will have to be on task with keeping the car well maintained. Also do the reliability mods, not only does it help with maitainance, but you can also somewhat keep an eye on what the car is doing ie. boost guage/water temp. A few of the mods are also fun . Good luck on your decision!

Jeremy

Tuan7

You in the same shoe that I was in a few weeks ago when my clutch went out ($686 P&L) I still don't have the ***** to sell it yet... but goddammed I will if it keep costing me money every other week.

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

From a financial standpoint, an FD with a running motor is going to get more than one without, and if you do end up selling it you'll be money ahead if it's running at the time.

KD Rotary is a really good shop, and they'll treat you right.

Whether or not to keep the car is up to you. These cars are just finicky - some have very good, long engine life, some don't. Having KD Rotary put a good engine in the car will give you LOTS more good miles with the car, and having the job done *right* will insure that you get many years of enjoyment from the car.

Dale

alberto_mg

How long have you owned the car? I'm guessing you have either had it since new or recently purchased it. In either case, it doesn't seem like you have done a lot of research on the car.

The FDs engine is only somewhat reliable in pure stock form. I'm sure you've heard throughout the years of all the problems with cooling and running hot due to the smallish radiator and pre-cat. I haven't seen too many instances where the stock, original engine lasted too much beyond the 90k mile mark b/c of these issues - well, that and the way owners drive and maintain them.

If you car is faily original and did not receive the correct maintenance and mods throughout the years, then consider this your opportunity to sell it while it is still running and b4 investing a bunch of money into maintenance and updates.

Otherwise, a mazda reman motor can be bought for a bit over $2k and most places charge about $1200-1500 labor to install. You could also try getting a used tranny if a rebuild isn't in the budget. And if you don't do it right, you'll pay for it twice. KD is a pretty good place.

Good luck.

megaseven

I am in the area, cleveland Oh and if you are going to sell it as it I am interested in it. I could possible come take a look at it also. Thank you
Mike

ronbros3

HEY good idea for a post , how maney FDs out there with bad engines setting in a lonely garage just looking for a new owner, put them on a post , even this one . RON in FL.

luizajeff

OK, my FD is a second car so I can afford it when it doesn't work but it's also like my wife in that it will do things I don't like but that's not a reason to get rid of it. I love mine so through the good and the bad it'll be with me. I can't say though that I don't feel your pain though.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Well I have to read into a few things:
- it appears you've had this car for a while, and if you are the original owner, then 88k is long time to not have any noticeable bills. I HOPE sincerely you didn't buy it recently and get one that was on its last legs. Either way, 88k on an original motor is actually above average. So the $6k rebuild might happen again in 60k. If you want better rotary reliability, get a 2nd gen or RX-8.

- it seems you don't do your own mechanic work. this car is complicated and cramped under the hood, and paying a mechanic will involve a fair amount of money when work needs done. KD Rotary is as good as they come, and they will have very wise recommendations and experience and deliver the best bang for your buck. (Where in PA are you?) If you follow their instructions for break-in and care, I would expect another 60k of trouble-free life with the parts they replaced. Have KD rotary do both the engine and tranny together. Have them change the vacuum hoses and check valves, clutch, etc. I imagine $6k includes much of these extra items.

- it seems you aren't familiar with the reliability and maintenance of this car compared to other cars. I strongly recommend that you read the FAQ here (it's the first thread in this forum) and get familiar with the common opinion. In short, the FD is a race car equipped for the street, and the components were built to a very tight mass and cost budget. They work, but eventually some of them will break. It's possible to keep ahead of these things, but either way once the car gets over 40k/10 years old, there should be a continuous maintenance budget. If you're not familiar with the early symptoms or the common problems, this car may seem to be a frustrating black-box money hole. I'm not gonna lie to you, with the motor fixed there are still numerous accessories, exhaust, suspension, etc pieces that might need fixed soon too. But if you get by the motor/tranny, you've handled most of the worst and shouldn't face that problem again soon.

- it seems you don't have $6k laying around. Neither do I. (some here do). If the car was worth, hypothetically, $14k with a good engine and tranny, then selling it now for 7-8k is about right. However, some sellers will immediately hide the symptoms and sell it to an uninformed sucker for full price. Don't do that, and hopefully you weren't on the receiving end of it.

- precisely what is wrong with the tranny?

Dave

asa2828

djseven

iTrader: (56)

I pmed ya.

David Jerome