I've come across a 93 tt for sale. Car is a shell, but will come with a motor and trans. Along with the turbos and what not. The owner says he has no time to finish the project, and that the motor/trans have been rebuilt. Stock specs I assume.

He is asking 4500. Does this seem reasonable? I don't know rx7s at all so this will def be a project. I have done several motors swaps on other vehicles, and bought an a4 quatro a few years back in the same condition and that worked out.

If it sounds good what are some things I should look for with this car before purchasing? I'm trying to get as much info as possible before I see the car because its a 3hr drive from me.

Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

What the condition of the body like? Clean title? $4500 even for a clean roller minus engine/trans is a great deal.

 

Sounds kinda to good to be true for a good shell with a good 0 mile rebuilt motor/trans

 

motor AND trans rebuilt, I doubt it because an engine and transmission rebuilds from repuitable shops would add up to more then his asking price for the whole package w/ the car

 

2k for a shell and 2500 for drivetrain is eh

Interior complete?

 

Interior is complete. He says 99% of the parts are there to complete the car. From the pics the body looks good, But I"m going to make sure theres no rust. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a shop that did the rebuild, more like a diy type of deal.

 

Lets say I do go for it. Is there anything in-particular that I should check out before buying it?

 

correction, trans is not rebuilt.

 

Make sure the motor and trans are rebuilt. Compression test and maybe pressure test the cooling system. Most FDs ive seen for ~$5k have blown engines

 

Most FDs for 5k have NO engine

 

how do you compression test with the motor out? What normally blows on these motors? The apex seal?

 

U sure ur ready for a FD? You should at least know how these motors work before you even think of buying a FD....

As for comp test You can crank over the eccentric shaft with a big ratchet w/breaker bar and follow the regular procedures for doing a propor comp test on a rotary engine. But if your checking to see if all the seals are there just take out the spark plugs and listen for even bounces

 

Always treat a non-running FD with a rebuilt engine as a blown motor. You have no idea what the engine is like inside with out opening it up. Hell, one of my customers scooped up a sweet FD that only needed a new oil pump. Turned out that the whole engine was run on near ZERO oil pressure for several hundred miles and everything was either severely worn or over heated. This guy has no luck with any motor he's bought lately but he's getting smarter about passing over "deals" these days.

Just never pay for anything without documentation and real proof. You'll likely be opening a can of worms and paying someone like me to sort it all out

 

I'd check the compression on the motor , I paid 4k for my shell which was in **** poor shape so I'd say its a great deal if its true . just see whats missing if you want you can MSG me and I can tell you just about howmuch everything costs haha and how difficult it is to install

 

HaHA. Plenty of time to learn when its in my garage

 

Sounds like a salvage car...check the title

 

guy says clear title. Should I get a carfax or something?

 

Yes, can you post pics?

 

If its a clear title and the body is straight with complete interior and drive trian you just lucked out even If it's blown!

For $4500 thats a good deal if you fall in over your head and feel its too much work for you you can always back out and part out/sell to get your money back!

 

Always.

 

Those were my thoughts exactly.

 

 

That car is missing a lot of parts, where is all the heater, etc stuff that is supposed to be behind the firewall? ABS, all brake lines, wiper motor, wiring, fender liners, radiator, AC condensor and more are all missing. That is a project!

A $4-5k FD typically is a lot more expensive than a $12k FD. The fixers typically cost more to fix than to buy a well owned and maintained FD. This goes for almost all kinds of cars really. People buy the cheap ones because they can afford it and "fix it up" when they get the money. Well my advice is to save the money and buy a good one. Just do a quick budget, then double it, seriously and that will be close.

Tires, $500-750
Paint, $2k-5k
Brakes, suspension, clutch, radiator, exhaust, filters, oil, coolant, hoses, gaskets, bushings, etc, etc...

 

^^^^^Listen to this man he speaks the truth. You would be better off getting a complete car for twice the price.

 

FD's are pretty much a DIY kind of car. Partly since it's hard to find good local shop experts
Are you into lots of studying and reading to figure these cars out?.
Parts are harder to source for these cars than many of the others you've noted.
Do you enjoy the challenge, have lots of patience, and want a long term project?
As for paint, I don't do bodywork, expect closer the the $5k mark. The hood looks bent, what else on the body isn't straight.

The front end, lights etc, are not original. What else is customized? Do you want a custom car or a stock car? If you want a stock car, (better for investment) look for one that is indeed all original - and the R1 / R2 versions are probably better for "investment" purposes.

Final thought: don't buy a car like this thinking it will be the cheapest way to an end product. Buy if you want a 'custom' car, and enjoy the build / figuring out process, are mechanically and electrically inclned, and have the tools, space, and time for the project. In your case, it does sound like you have many of the qualifications.