verc

Hey guys, I'm posting this in the FD forum, but also the for sale/wanted
forums since this has to do with it. I came up with a list of questions
anyone should ask a seller, ranging from general automotive to issues
specific to the RX7, as well as a written agreement to the seller. What do
you guys think? Anything else? Is this list already to nitpicky? Thanks.


What are your reasons for selling the vehicle? What place in your life does
this vehicle have for you?
What are your reasons for selling the vehicle at this price?
Have all TSB's, recalls been done on this car?
Do you belong to an RX7 club/community?
Are you the orginal owner of the vehicle?
If no, how many previous owners? What types of people? What were
their reasons for selling?
Why did you buy this vehicle? What other vehicles do you own, previously
own?
How old are you? What is your occupation? Are you married? If so, do your
have children of driving age?
Who drives this vehicle other than you?
How do you rate your knowledge about this vehicle? When you first purchased
it?
How do you rate your mechanical aptitude regarding automobiles in general?
Regarding this vehicle?
What kind of routine service do you perform yourself? In what intervals?
Who does service on the vehicle? Minor, major service? Is that entity a
rotary specialist?
If you do your own repairs/maintenance, what kind of equipment do
you possess?
Is your car garaged? Covered?
What octane fuel do you normally use at the station?
Do you frequently use fuel additives such as octane booster, fuel injector
cleaner, etc.?
Has your car been stolen? Damaged? Insurance claims filed? Salvage Title?
Where do you live? Is the car driven all year round? Winter preparations?
Storage? If so, how?
How many miles are on the chassis? Engine? Turbos? Other parts
What caused the need to install the present engine, turbos? Detonation?
Rebuild? Flooding? Overheating?
If the engine was replaced/rebuilt? What kind of rebuilt engine was it? Apex
seals? How much did it cost excluding, including labor? Where was this done?
Who did it?
How often do you change oil? Add oil? What kind of oil do you use,
synthetic?
Service Record? Shocks? Joints? Battery?
How long after startup do you wait to put your car into gear?
Do you null the "warm" startup for tapping pedal?
Is your RX7 a commuter car?
If so, how long is your commute? In miles? In amount of
time? Freeway or local? Sit in traffic? How many miles do you put on it a
year this way?
Is your RX7 a pleasure car?
If so, how long do you drive it? Is the car driven hard,
redlined? Do you often drive mountain type roads?
Have you ever taken your RX7 off the paved road? What are the road
conditions where you live?
Has your RX7 been to track racing events? Auto-X? drag racing? Explain.
If so, has your RX7 ever experienced problems, minor to major, while
at a race? Explain.
Has your RX7 been street/road raced? Explain.
If so, has your RX7 ever experienced problems, minor to major, while
at a race? Explain.

Do you experience any problems while driving? Do you experience erratic
boost or powerloss?
If so, were those problems experienced on the present engine?
Do you check the condition of your exhaust for blockage?
What condition is the car under the hood? Do you regularily degrease/clean
the engine bay and clean the battery terminals? The rest of the car?
Boost pattern? Compression? EGT? O2 sensor voltage readings?
Does your exhaust smoke after warmup? If so, what color? How often?
What condition is your muffler and exhaust tip in?

Has your RX7 been modified in anyway?
Who did the modifications?
If this is not the original engine, and reliability modifications were made,
were those modifications present at the time the present engine was
installed? When the present turbos were installed?
Do you have an aftermarket: Downpipe? AST? Radiator? Hoses? Catback?
Midpipe/High-flow cat?
List all other modifications, including movement of parts.
What was the purpose of the modifications?
How many miles at each modification, and how many miles since each
modification?
Did you have unfinished modifications planned for this car? For what
purpose? What kinds?
Have any parts of your car been cryogenically treated, ceramic coated, or
otherwise heat treated?

If possible, can we go on a test ride/drive?
Has this car recently been inspected by a rotary specialist on the condition
of the car? May I have a copy of his/her invoice?
If not, can we take this car to a rotary specialist to have it inspected?

How do you drive? Do you use: Double clutching, Rev-matching, if you race the car, do you use clutchless shifting?

Thanks again.

spooledUP7

Have you ever had any STD that may have tranfered to the seat? You forgot that one.

JoeD

the only thing you will accomplish by asking those questions is...absolutely nothing. you will waste both your and the seller's time.

in my search for an FD, questions did not do ****. seeing the condition of the engine/turbos/transmission/interoir answers more questions than you can think of.

and besides, are you that naïve to think he will answer all those questions truthfully? if the car is for sale, chances are he wants to get rid of the car as soon as possible.

meddle

don't forget "Boxers or briefs?".

Flybye

There is a group of individuals called.............Liars.
Remember that.

You need to bring someone along that can properly diagnose the FD or at least begin to learn how to diagnose them.

Here is a nice place to start:
http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/buying.html

AnthonyNYC

iTrader: (3)

Don't expect honest answers.

2 most important tests...

Compression test.

Exhaust gases in the cooling system.

Anthony

ijneb

Pick some good questions, ask him over the phone, write the answers down. When you meet in person, ask the same question, see if he keeps his story straight. If you need to, and use two different people. Call him once, saying your so and so, then go see the car, then have your wife ask him the same questions or something.

I looked at a few FD's, one in particular, and the answered a few questions differently, and when i went and looked at the car, they were both wrong.
If you read up alot, and know everything about the car, when you go up, tell the owner some thigns he doesnt know (if possible) and you can talk him down quite nicely.

But never rely on questions alone, always have it checked out!

RX7Elmo

agreed, hopefullly most sellers are honest, but there are some that are liars. I bought my FD recently, and i have found the previous owner to push the truth a bit and even lie. Not a big deal. The only questions you can ask that are worth asking are "what color is it?"

And the ultimate quesiton is "How many cylinders is it again??" If you get a number answer for that one, move onto the next car.

Danny

MazdaMike

phew i think after anwsering all those questions, either he has already killed himself or u have pretty much decided to buy the car cause that **** must take some freaking time. i bought mine on ebay, hehe then i paid bout 4 grand to get new turbos. learned my lesson
-Mike

Flybye

LOL!
If I sold the FD and someone began to ask me just 1/2 those many questions, I'd tell him to go fok himself

skunks

If he answers yes to "if you race the car, do you use clutchless shifting?" he is one hell of a driver!!!

Chronos

verc, you're cracking me up buddy

dubulup

You're funny


I'd ask "what color is it" too!

I'll admit I'm annoying, but this is ridiculous!!!

ha ha ha! he he he! ho ho ho!

blackscorpio

Dont forget "Whats your sign"

Shinobi-X

Those are good questions, but would be better suited for an interrogation. Jeez, just answering 1/4 of those would take WAY too long. Think of how many people contact the seller each day, and just murder his time.

DK

iTrader: (5)

Gooooooooooood lord!!

You must be lonely and single.

blackscorpio

Here is a god question to ask.
"Did that dead body in the trunk come standard with the car"
Just in case you arnt sure

verc

good lord!
I don't plan on actually asking ALL these questions!!! I mean, I kinda was trying to get at what I should ask. But,

1. To the guy who told me to do a compression test, can I do a compression test on a rotary the same way as on a piston engine?

And of course I'll look into the car in person. I've read through almost every scrap of RX7 information, which probably still won't be enough, but I mean, I'm already a fairly competent mechanic with lots of resources(as in shop equipment) going into this.

But thanks anyways.

And GOD I was I WAS lonelier than I am now, and I am never without a lady-friend , the most important piece in a male survival kit!

verc

But yeah, I'm looking for an R1 or R2 that's got at least the radiator and the DP and hoses, that's been serviced by a rotary mechanic in the Bay area.

So I'm really not that concerned with lying, I mean I would only buy this car after looking through all his service records and thoroughly checking all the parts of the car.

First, I figure if he's got his reliability mods he knows a thing or two, and I figure if 2 weeks ago M2 said the car was OK it most likely still would.

I'm looking to spend around 20-23K for a good one. And i dunno, I might be getting a good deal from a friend on a Dinan Stage II blown '95 M3 for 20K, which belts out 350 at the wheels.

but yeah, thanks.

JoeD

good luck in your search...but i say got for the M3.

verc

I want the M3 but my gf, all the car people I know say the RX7, including my Hayabusa friend who's runs 9's at the track and really wants to smoke me in a rice rocket. But then again I already work with my dad's 525i so I know bimmers.