So, this may take some explaining, but here goes:

I have a 1993 FD which has been sitting, unattended and un-maintained for about four years in the backlot of a hot rod shop. I bought it with the intentions of fixing it up, and then life got in the way (I won't bore you with the details.) I'm now in a position to get the project started again, and I have two options before me. The first is to assume that everything mechanical about the car is compromised, and use my $5,000 budget to rebuild the engine, rebuild the turbos (the secondary oil seal was bad anyway), and see what's left to address the transmission (the second gear syncro was getting bad last I checked.) This will give me a great foundation for the future, but the car won't be driveable until tax return time next year. The second option is to hope that the engine is able to be trusted for this year, at least, and to sink the money from a rebuild into engine management, brakes, exhaust, etc. This option will allow me to actually drive and enjoy the car this year. Any thoughts, or am I missing some key considerations here?

 

step 1: Compression test.

 

Instead of sinking money into assumptions, start up the car and drive and test everything you can which doesn't cost any money. As mentioned above, first thing is a compression test.

Then you can determine what's wrong and what needs to be fixed and use the money towards that.

Why won't the car be driveable until next year? It doesn't take that long to rebuild an engine.

First thing you should do is read through all of the FAQ's about owning an FD first so you can see what your getting yourself into.

 

Yeah, I figured that I should test everything. My biggest fear is that the motor will go, and take the rebuilt turbos with it. I guess I can't live in fear of that. As far as how long it will take to rebuild, I don't have access to my own workspace, so it will take me quite a while to get this done.

 

Compression test. If its turns out the motor is no good..

Consider an ls swap.

::cue the hate::

 

Drive it. See what needs work. Don't take shortcuts on fixing what needs fixing.

 

Oh, trust me, I've alrady subjected myself to plenty of LS-based hate. The shop it's parked behind specializes in cramming LS7's into everything possible.

 

I probably should have started this thread in the Newbie Technical section....

 

Take it to Banzai Racing and have it checked out. Better to send a little money to have it checked out by a pro then doing big dollar damage guessing.

 

The engine is most likely OK from sitting. Here's what I'd do -

- Change oil and filter
- Drain coolant, fill with 50/50 distilled water and green antifreeze.
- Pull the plugs, put a little oil in the combustion chamber of each rotor. Put fresh plugs in.
- Fill the tank with fresh gas, or drain the tank and re-fill with fresh gas.
- Put in a new battery
- Pull ECU fuse so car won't start. Crank the engine over until you have good oil pressure, should be 5-10 seconds.

Car will probably smoke for a bit, esp. if you put oil in the engine. Let it sit there and idle and warm up. Get a Lisle funnel for the cooling system and have that going while it's warming up to get all the air out. Once warm, let it cool down and pull the funnel off then go for a drive.

I seriously doubt there's anything wrong or needing a rebuild. My opinion on rebuilding an engine is don't fix something that ain't broke. Treat it well and run it, but don't feel like you have to rebuild it just because. 5 years is not terribly long.

Once it's going, drive it around the neighborhood, big thing is check the brakes, they may need some attention after sitting. I'm sure it will also need a good wash and detail.

I don't see any reason this can't run like a champ and probably give you many years of fun. The biggie here is cranking the motor over until you get oil pressure - from sitting, the bearings will be dry, and starting a dry motor isn't great. It's hardest on the turbos, but simply building pressure they'll be just fine.

FD's aren't that damn fragile, take a little care, get it running, go have fun.

Dale

 

I'd love to go see the pros at Banzai, but Florida is a bit of a haul.

 

Thanks for the conclusive list! If I can bring the (low-mileage) motor back from the brink, that'll save me a lot of money, which I'll need for all of the vacuum hoses, brakes, and messed up exhaust that will all be needed to get things running.

 

We are in Indiana.

 

I wish they were in Florida and about this time of year Banzai most likely does as well! =)

 

As it seams that you are in Michigan, there are a couple of rotary specific shops here locally. Before you start sending work out of state... it will be wise to have one of the local shops look at your rx7 and give you a diagnosis. That way you have an idea what you are going to expect cost wise, with the required repair on your seven.

Good luck with your project...

 

Are there any MI shops that are recommended for tuning? I'll definitely need some help getting things dialed in once I've set up the Power FC.

 

Wow. I am special. I think I had you guys confused with Pettit Racing in my head. Maybe I can come bother you guys the next time I'm in Indiana.

 

Where in Michigan are you located? I'm in Ann Arbor...

 

I am also in Ann Arbor, although the car is currently in Brighton. Do you own that white automatic tht's parked over at the BP station from time to time?

 

I hope you drained the gas out of that thing.....

 

It all really comes down to three things....

How dedicated are you to owning a 3rd generation Rx7?

How much are you willing to spend to enjoy it?

Would you rather have a project, or a ready to go car?


The results of those questions can vary quite a bit. I have seen individuals daily drive their car for years with not much more than oil changes and vacuum line checks. I have also known people who have nothing short than a hell of a hard time owning their car. Multiple engines, lack of knowledge, stupid mistakes, poor tuning, and a project that after years, was never finished.......

Its really up to you.

 

With my car, I picked option 1. My results were so-so. My compression test was excellent (still is) and in the end, I still need a new motor. A compression test won't tell you everything. I have had alot of fun with it until then but I also wasted alot of money building a car only to have it taken apart and reassembled again. It seems like you will be doing the work yourself though so it doens't matter.

 

If you are considering a project.... consider this.

When I bought my car I had more of a "restoration" mindset, rather then enjoy it now. I knew that by taking the time to evaluate, restore, and build each system of my car the way I wanted it would ultimately produce a much more polished car later.

Its worth the wait, work, and money. I don't wonder when my next pillow ball mount will start clunking because I replaced them all at once. I know my cooling system is sorted because EVERYTHING is new.

This complete system attack was my approach, and it has worked great so far. Now I simply plan for mods, and repairs are very few and far between.

 

While taking the car down and going through everything will net you a good car in the long run, it can easily turn into a project car that never runs again or a garage ornament that isn't much fun.

I prefer to drive the car and fix things as they come up or when I get money/time to tackle it. It's VERY easy to throw a car on jackstands and take the whole thing apart, it's FAR harder to put it back together and also hard to get motivation to do it. That's how many perfectly good FD's have turned into parts cars, rollers, or just hauled to the junkyard.

If I have a big project, I like to plan it out and figure out what I should do while I'm in there that's reasonable. For example, after DGRR I'm putting my Blitz FMIC in. That is going to involve quite a bit - doing some IC pipe fabbing, working on ducting, touching up some paint in the engine bay, re-doing the radiator and AC setup, etc. Before I jump in I'll be doing all I can before I take the car down - sending parts to the powdercoaters, ordering parts, getting stock to make brackets with, etc. so when I'm ready I can go to work and get the car back on the road in a few weeks.

Dale

 

DaleClark, I guess the medium between our views is balance. Not tackling too much at once, but enough to make it doable and to see progress.

Much of my approach rests on the commitment to the hobby and FD in general. I am a die hard Rx7 owner, so it has never been a question. Not always true with others, and that is understandable.