Hey, I'm looking to buy my first rx7, an 86 (second gen). I've had a lot of project cars but have never delt with a Wankel, although I understand how they work. I've heard through some shady sources that they are low mileage engines and I have to drive this car for at least another year before i start getting crazy with it. It's got 165,000 miles on it, so assuming that it was maintained properly, how many miles should i expect? I'm payin $900 for it, the body is good except for one of the quarterpanels, interior's good except for the seats (but i already have ricaro's for it anyways). So what should I look for before i buy it?

Thanks

 

The very first thing I'd check for is how bad if any it smokes.

 

Although the 86 NA is one of the more reliable models, that is high mileage. Check if the motor has ever been rebuilt, check compression, check if it smokes. If the price is low enough it may be a good deal if you understand that you're probably going to have to rebuild it or drop in a new motor. Good luck.

 

Well, I doubt it has that many miles without a rebuild, if it does, then I can almost guarentee it will need a rebuild soon.