Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

I'm about to buy a FD (this weekend) with 88,000 miles with no rebuild on it yet. I am wondering/worried about how much more longer it will last before a rebuild is needed. I am also wondering if there are any other details I should be asking for.

Details:

The car has been well maintained with regular oil changes. Radiator and alternator has been replaced within the last 3 years. For 8 years of its life it has been garaged and not driven except for once in a while. Right now it is being driven roughly around 4 to 5 times a month. Owner said there is a minor oil leak which was stated by the dealership last time he has it serviced. Small amount of smoke comes out at start up only if it has been sitting for a long period of time and if driven or turned on regularly there are no indication of smoke at all.

Thanks,

Dave

impactwrench

He is selling it at the right time. Adjust your buying price to reflect what will soon be $5000 of rebuild work. Have a nice day.

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

Oh yea I forgot to mention that it is completely stock.

Why is it the right time for him to sell?

impactwrench

Seals can go at anytime with this mileage and age. It does'nt mean major engine damage but it does mean major rebuild soon. No one here has a crystal ball but if they did, the faint image of white smoke would start appearing.

gbomb91

iTrader: (1)

Impactwrench makes a great point. My coolant seal went at 60k with very good maintainence and my car was well taken care of, and yes your looking at 4-5k for just the rebuild not to mention if the turbos need to be replaced. These cars are getting older and things need to be replaced simply do to age, no matter how well they have been taken care of. The other thing to think about is: Who will do the work. Most people on this forum know and enjoy working on these cars themselves, which can save time and money since the number of qualified mechanics are limited. Are you going to learn how to do things yourself or do you have a good rotary shop near. By the way don't take the dealers word for anything, have it checked over by someone who knows these cars. RX7.com and I'm sure a few other good one are in Texas.

Good Luck

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

FWIW I have seen original motors go 100k+ miles. Depends how hard it is driven and how well it was maintained and a little bit of luck probably helps.

Go t the FAQ thread and read the Buyer's Guide. Everything you need is there. Get a compression test done since there are places local to you that can do the test. RX7.com / Rotary Performance is a great place.

Good luck.

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

If I had to do a rebuild I was going to take it to Rotary Performance, which is about 15 miles away from where I live. All other things I can do myself minus transmission work.

Are there any other things I should check before I buy it?

jagwrjack

iTrader: (3)

+1 What impactwrench said

Check that it's boosting 10-8-10. If it's not, don't be fooled by the 'non-sequential' mod that's popular with FDs that are for sale.

The more likely reason for the 'non-sequential' mode is that they couldn't figure out how to fix the sequential system. Mazda dealers can't even figure that out.

Oh, and set aside about $3k for new turbos that are about at the end of their lifespan.

Hope I didn't discourage you

axnjaksn

iTrader: (2)

ima add my 2 cents worth, these guys are right I have had mine for 2 years and it came with a booklet of receipts for rebuilds and pm(preventative maintenence) stuff....I also am a tech for MBZ so like most of the people here I enjoy the work and challenge to learn new stuff myself, and like on any vehicle seals can go at any given moment in time, I have installed brand new transmissions and had them leak hours later, i.e. they get manufactured put on a shelf and sit and the seals get hard and crack from sitting, BY ALL MEANS BY THE CAR!!!! but be prepared to spend some $$$$ its like a hobby, wouldnt be worth it without the work and until you do everything yourself or while you own the car, there is no real way todetermine if components are good........and if you end up seeing white smoke I recommend the HD coolant seals from pineappleracing.com, and if turbos need to be rebuilt and your up to the challenge(not too difficult) gpopshop.com has the kits in stock(hitachi ht-12 turbos) or I have a set in my garage $100+shipping(hahaha)!!! Good Luck!!!

MrNizzles

iTrader: (5)

At least gas is cheap now! LOL

and post some pics !!!!

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for all the great advice. I dont mind spending some money to maintain and rebuild it and the main purpose of me getting the Rx-7 was to have it more so of a weekend/every once in a while car since I have a 2004.5 VW Jetta GLI as a daily. I just wanted to get a heads up on how soon I would have to rebuild it. If I go through with the purchase, I have planned on installing all the gauges first (Vac/Boost, Oil Pressure, Water Temp, Oil Temp, Air/Fuel), which I already have laying around. Excessive I know but I am **** when it comes to cars.

Do it myself list:
Replace all the hoses with silicon hoses.
Replace the AST with an aftermarket one.
Purchase and Install Apexi Power FC with datalogit, commander, and boost controller.
Replace intake with Apexi intake.
Custom make my down pipe(Reduce engine temp), cat, and exhaust. (With the intent to pass emissions in Texas)


If I have to replace the turbos, I was planning on getting the Efini turbos from Rotary Performance.

I am currently sitting at the 85 percent chance of buying the car.

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

^Look into the BNRs instead of the Effini ones. Better flow and lower cost I think?

And don't ignore what others are telling you. You will most likely spend $5K or so on an engine rebuild. Definately have a compression check done on the engine before buying it. Take it to Rotary Performance and have them do it and check over the car for you. It's best to know now what you might be getting into.

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

don't let these guys scare you off. If you are on a budget you can get a nice rebuild for FAR less than $5,000. And as for the turbos, you can get a good used set for less than $500. Hell, just look at the classifieds section. $3000 for turbos is rediculous..............

Seriously, you can get a nice rebuild for $1000(pending all you internals being good) and a good set of turbo's for $500.

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

Well those turbos are at a quick glance. I want the car on the reliable side and a set of turbos that will last for long period of time. Keeping the twin turbo setup though. I may want to turn up the boost later on.

Well the car isn't quite in Dallas, kind of in the middle of nowhere and is not near any tuning shops. So I was planning to bring it to a Mazda Dealership to do a compression test.
How much does it cost to get a compression test done for at a Mazda Dealership?

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

^Really? Don't know of anyone reputable that does a rebuild for that little. Check all of the better shops. Here is a link to Rotary Performance:

http://www.rx7.com/engine.html

$2,400 for a basic non-ported rebuild. Yes, you could do that but if you want to make any power, you'll need the ported rebuild and that's $3,400 for starters. How about new rotor housings? They'll set you back another $1,500 or so, bringing the total to the $5K we've discussed. Had my engine rebuilt by Pettit and paid $4,800 for it.

Regarding turbos, $500 for new turbos? Maybe a set of used ones but then you take your chances on how good they are. The better option is to go BNRs for $2,350:

http://www.rx7store.net/category_s/130.htm

A nice upgrade to the stocker ones and the flow much better.

It's not cheap owning a rotary car, but it is worth it to me.

impactwrench

No one is trying to scare him off. Just trying to make sure he is not paying premium price for a car that may need a lot of work and maintenance soon. What is the asking price?

David Hayes

iTrader: (6)

I would think $100 - $150 bucks. Mazda dealers do tend to rip you off though. A compression test is easy to do. They basically have to remove one spark plug (leading) per rotor and turn the engine over several times with a pressure gauge attached. Should read the same across both rotors and above 80 I would think. I have a ported three rotor so maybe the two rotor is different in the reading? With a stock engine, I would think 80 would be the minimum but how about an expert weighing in?

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

Asking price is $11,000.
94 Rx-7
88,000 miles

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

No its not, but that does not mean you need to point the new recruit toward the most expensive options.

I typed, "used turbos for $500". I'm well aware you can't get them NEW for that much. For people to tell him to "get ready to drop $3,000 on new turbos" is just stupid, when there are literally dozens of good USED sets for 1/6th of that price.

I can think of 3 reputable builders that range from $900 TO $1500 for a good rebuild. If you wanna put the "Pineapple" name behind the rebuild, then yeah, triple the price. If the OP wants the names of these builders, he is more than welcome to PM me.

You can make plenty of power without a ported motor, depending on your definition of "plenty".

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

80 is pretty low on a stock motor

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

do it, you only live once

Raziel

iTrader: (1)

Get a compression check. Around 85 if i remember is decent but anything in the low 80s. Make sure its tested with a rotary engine compression tester too.

You dont really need a datalogit or a boost controller yet unless you plan to tune your car yourself. The base map that comes with the power FC should be fine for what your thinking of running. Also the power commander can do some basic functions like fan control and boost control even though its not as good as a boost controller.

Wraping the downpipe helps a little with cooling the air. Also if your going to get new twin turbos id think about porting the wastegate just in case you want to add a little power later on.

The oil leak is a common thing with FDs it comes from the oil pan gasket. You would have to lift the engine to reseal it. If your close to needing a rebuild id just wait and just monitor the oil since the FD likes to eat oil + the oil leak.

surfmon

iTrader: (6)

what?? 85 psi is decent but 88+psi is bad. Is this a typo.........??

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

I do plan on tuning it myself later down the road. I was gonna keep the car reliable and simple with few mods. Reliable and quick was what I was aiming.

If the motor were to be rebuild I was looking at the Street Port option from Rotary Peformance.

Inconsiderate

iTrader: (1)

So compression levels should be around 85 and up right? Anything lower means I shouldn't buy it right?