prelude owner considering RX-7
 

Abviously I'm talking to people that are fans of the rx-7, my question y is it that rotorys have a bad rep, is it just the ones with turbos?? or do lots of em have problems that don't allow the motor to go past the 100K mile marker. I've just wondered cause I see hondas (like mine which I blew the engine of awhile back) that sell with 200K on em and I can't find many rx-7s with more than 100K not that I'd buy one with that many miles on it but I'd just be afraid to have to replace the engine soon. Not trying to knock RX-7s by any means. Just an inquisitive mind thats trying to make a educated desision (looking at supras, nsx's and rx-7's Third gen) thanks for you input.)

Lots of work in owing a FD BUT.... I love my car. I have confidence in my car because I maintain my vehicles and have done some reliablity mods( still have some to do). I don't daily drive mine but if I did it wouldn't worry me that I couldn't make it to work with it. It's all how much you are into your car IMO.

Plus now there are some better pieces for the rotary.... like Rotary Aviation apex seals that are supposed to be 700% stronger than stock seals, and they are cheap! Plus if you did rebuild your engine, if it is done right and maintained, it probably would be the last time you do it( if you go through cars) and I bet your Honda wasn't cheap to rebuild......:)

Oh ya... I also own a Honda Prelude...... a great really reliable car.:D

not very likely to see 3 digits if you drive it spiritedly...

there was a 100000 mile club kicking around here before.... and I think most guys drive there FD spiritedly.... how could a guy resist??? :D

Yup, as said before there is work in owing a FD. Just by regular mantance to do for it and this and that. I use mine for daily driving and its in the 100,000+ group, but it's just a fun car to drive and is a nice feeling to know that not many other ppl have the same kind of car too.

all i have to say.. I daily drive all the 7s I own.. Hope ya got some cash.. cause you will run in to small stuff all the time.. Give yourself about 6months to a year to commit to buying one so you have plenty of time to find the right car and do TONS OF READING. Change oil ever 2,000 miles, plugs ever 2 oil changes, fuel filter every 10 oilchanges, mix a lil 2cyl motor oil in the gas and love it more than you love your mother, father, girlfriend, wife, boyfriend whatever... humping of hte car however results in dents ;(

The Rx7 is a little high maintenance, Just take care of your 7, and you should be fine. Upgrade properly, and like Godzilla said you will run into a lot of small stuff.

mine went past 100k














at 106k it died

Godzilla-T78,
My friend stumbled upon a good way to hump Rx's sadly. When i first got my 7 he was jokeing around and said he would hump my muffler for what ever reason. It was funny at first. How ever if you must, it helps w/ not getting any dents on the car.

Hope this helps with your problems. BTW if anyone really wants to and feels the need to do this. please make sure u havent drivin your car for a few hours.


lude4christ,
Best of luck if you do decide to get a 7. I think its a great car. However they do tend to be a money pit. However its a great car to own and it feels like no other car IMO.

Re: prelude owner considering RX-7
 

The reliability issues are mostly with the turbo models, and of the two (2nd Gen Turbo II vs. 3rd Gen) the 3rd Gen has most of the problems.

You'll need to shop around very carefully and pick it wisely. Very wisely. Learn the engine diagnostic tests and do them on several so you can learn. Plan to travel far to find it unless you're in Cali. Look for a car with reliability mods or plan to install them within 5-10k of purchasing the car. 100% stock is usually fine if you know what to keep an eye on and you take care of problems IMMEDIATELY. Do the reliability mods before any power mods, that's for sure.

RX7s are definitely racecar-like in their maintenance. Little parts will flow in and out of your engine bay as often as new oil filters. The rotary engine block's weakness are its seals, and (where a piston engine owner worries about moving parts like cams and valves) unfortunately a rebuild is common between 60k-100k, depending on the engine horsepower and caretaking. It's not a good daily driver unless you keep it stock and don't beat on it. If you get into modding you're going to have some downtimes and the bills can add up extra fast if you're in a hurry to get the car back on the road.

The good news is you can do a lot of the work yourself. I learned my auto maintenance skills (still a novice) on this car. The RX-7 community has a fantastic breadth and detail available for working on the car. Get a factory service manual (or print the d/l'able ones on iluvmyrx7.com) and keep it handy - it's good for basic stuff. The real book or a printed copy are far more valuable than the PDF, IMO.

I think one reason why FDs are so cool and addictive is because you really do get close to the car and learn to appreciate what's in it. The other owners do too - it's a whole different world than most other cars where owners just bolt things on.

Dave

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/buying.html

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/reliability.html

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/maintenance.html

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/stages.html