RX7 -- A (long) love story from Michigan
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From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
RX7 -- A (long) love story from Michigan
Hiya all!
Just a long story of my quest for the elusive RX7. You guys are the only people in the universe I can tell this story to that might find it remotely interesting.
My name is Matt and I'm from Michigan. In 1991 my mother bought an 85 GS from a lady and brought it home. It was the first RX7 i'd ever seen and I thought it was the coolest car on Earth. It was a metallic, light blue color and automatic. It had 2 funny little back seats. The stereo had its own equalizer. I knew nothing of rotary engines, but I thought this car was cool! I was 18, and of course my mother never let me drive it (though to be fair, I never asked. I knew it would put her in an awkward spot.)
The next summer a friend (we'll call him Mike) was selling his 79 RX7. He wanted $1500. The engine had been rebuilt by a guy from Mazda, the car was repainted and looked nice, but all I had to offer in trade was my Renault Alliance. He declined (of course) and I've regretted not coming up with the cash ever since. Losing that car started an obsession with getting one of my own.
When my Renault died I started shopping around, but I knew that I didn't have allot of cash and Michigan winters are a bear (thus requiring a beater car of some sort.) I looked at a charcoal colored 83 and I remember taking it to a mechanic to have it checked out. The mechanic said "the rotors are rusty." I took it back to the salesman and he said "Of course the rotors are rusty, it's been sitting." He thought the mechanic was talking about the [I]wheel rotors and thought the guy was an idiot. It was $3500, so after a fun test drive I had to go.
I convinced my friend James to buy an RX7 that we could "fix up" and sell, thus making us both some cash (that I could, illogically, use to buy my own RX7.) We drove an hour to see a silver 82 that was in the paper for $500. When we got there I saw that the body was in good shape but the engine was on the ground next to the car. The transmission had become sort of a flower pot. The tires were rotted badly. Still, we were morons and thought this was just the beast for us, and after the joker offered to tow it back to town as part of the deal we plunked down the $500. He also said he had 4 new tires for it he'd throw in.
He dragged it back to town, unhitched it, and as soon as our backs were turned he tore out of the parking lot with our tires still in the back of his pickup. That was the last we saw of him, though I thought I heard him yell "Suckers!" out the window.
We got some chains and pulled it to a local self-storage place, rented a car-sized cubby, and pushed it in. Our intention was to work on it in the locker. To do so we changed the overhead lightbulb out with an adapter that had a plug so we could run a radio. We brought all our tools and headed home.
A couple days later I got a call from the self storage place. They informed us that A) the lock was gone from the unit, and B) that upon inspecting the unit they found we had changed their lightbulb out for an adapter. As a result, they were kicking us out and keeping our money. We never did find our lock (I'm pretty sure they cut it off in the first place) and we never did find our tools (I'm pretty sure they stole them.) We dragged the car to my house and let it sit on the curb (much to my parents chagrin.)
We towed it occasionally to my friend's father's workplace, which had a wide open bay we could use. Those were fun times. We learned a lot about the RX7 and cars in general, had some laughs, and generally felt pretty manly. We paid $500 for a motor from a junkyard and another $500 to get it hooked up by a local shop (good guys, really, they gave us lots of advice.) We were getting pretty far when my friend, who unbeknownst to me is colorblind, hooked a couple of wires up wrong and we fried the starting system. The mechanic said we needed two new ignitors, which ran about $300 each from Mazda. We found two at a junkyard for a bargain $50 (which included a free ride on an ATV through a muddy field to get them) and we were back in business.
I can say this...we got the car to turn over, to sputter, but never start. By this point we were broke and discouraged. My friend had just bought a house and we dragged the car there and put it in his backyard.
After a year or so we decided to sell it. I put an ad in the paper for $200. A guy wanted to see it so I took him over to the car. Again, without me knowing, some kids had chucked rocks at the car from the alley and broken the side window. Glass covered everything. Still, the guy said he was looking for a project car. I gave him a pile of receipts showing we had spent about $1000 in parts on the thing and he decided to buy it. I still remember that as he towed it away the back wheels didn't turn so much as they skidded along. The only thing I kept was the spare key and that's all I had to show for my efforts (that and $100.)
At this time my other buddy had just put himself into hock to buy an 88 RX7, which was totally bad-***. Though I didn't care for the way he had to work all the time to pay for it, I was jealous as all get out. His father worked for Mazda and we got to go to his office to see a new 93 (I think it was a 93) It was the first of the twin-turbo ones and was awesome. It was also about the time that I saw my friend Mike's white 79 at the local Mazda dealer. He had just traded it in on a newer 626. It was sitting in their back lot, forlorn. They said they'd just gotten it in and hadn't decided what to do with it. This was my second chance, and I blew it. I was discouraged with older cars and decided not to ask the dealer about it. I probably could have gotten it pretty cheap as I doubt they could market it easily with a rebuilt engine.
Still, about a year later the bug got me again.
My next shot at an RX7 came when the kid down the street was selling his 83. It was a white beater that was rusty and smoked a lot. It was $750. I turned it down, though, not wanted another fiasco. He sold it about an hour later but I don't regret it.
When my Ford Tempo died (which came after my Renault died) I met a man on a cool fall evening about his 1980. It was a dark gray with a reddish interior, if I remember. He wanted $2000 for it. It had about 125000 miles on it but the guy had every thing he'd ever done to the car written down. It was an impressive log. He kept it immaculate. Still, I only had $1500 and he wouldn't budge (not that I would have either with those kinds of records.) When I got home my mom offered to lend me some money but I realized that driving to college in the winter with only that car for transportation would probably be a death wish. Reluctantly, I let that one go too.
I finished college, got married, and got other priorities. The RX7 left my mind. This process was helped by the fact that all the first gen RX7's I saw were rusted out hulks smoking their way down the street, and most of the second gen ones were now in the hands of teenagers who were tearing up the road with them. Even with a job I never considered a third gen affordable. I had a brief fling with a Porsche 924 but that didn't last long.
My parents had talked about selling my mom's 85 about 4 years ago for $3000. It had 80000 miles on it and had been professionally repainted. My wife had offered to buy it for me as a birthday gift but we were hurting for cash at the time (just having had a baby) and I said no. Luckily, my mom didn't want to sell it to anybody else (she had the idea that somebody would buy it, drop a Chevy motor in it and take to racing...thus messing up her baby.)
Last year they offered to sell it again for $2000 and again I considered. My mom didn't want to drive it anymore because the steering had become a bit sloppy and she was convinced the wheel would fall off eventually.) It needed 4 new tires (the ones on it were next to new, but old,) it had a thing for stalling, and I had just been laid off from work, so I passed again. As much as I liked the car I could hardly afford to buy it, let alone fix it and insure it. And unlike 1993, the local junkyard was unlikely to have a bunch of them sitting around.
Finally, this year they offered it to me for $1000. I think it was done out of pity, though they wouldn't admit it. My mom wouldn't drive it anymore and they were putting about 1000 miles a year on it so they wanted the room in the garage. I couldn't pass it up for $1000, and despite still being unemployed, bought it the next day.
I couldn't be happier.
It's not a fast car by today's standard (I think my Hyundai is faster, actually,) and with the steering a little loose it doesn't handle all that well, but I still love driving it. There's something about having a car that you've gotten your hands dirty in that makes it all the sweeter to drive. I love tinkering with it and tending to it. The internet has made finding parts less difficult. The insurance is $25 a month.
It took about 20 years but I finally came full circle and own an RX7 of my own. It feels darn good, I tell you what.
Just a long story of my quest for the elusive RX7. You guys are the only people in the universe I can tell this story to that might find it remotely interesting.
My name is Matt and I'm from Michigan. In 1991 my mother bought an 85 GS from a lady and brought it home. It was the first RX7 i'd ever seen and I thought it was the coolest car on Earth. It was a metallic, light blue color and automatic. It had 2 funny little back seats. The stereo had its own equalizer. I knew nothing of rotary engines, but I thought this car was cool! I was 18, and of course my mother never let me drive it (though to be fair, I never asked. I knew it would put her in an awkward spot.)
The next summer a friend (we'll call him Mike) was selling his 79 RX7. He wanted $1500. The engine had been rebuilt by a guy from Mazda, the car was repainted and looked nice, but all I had to offer in trade was my Renault Alliance. He declined (of course) and I've regretted not coming up with the cash ever since. Losing that car started an obsession with getting one of my own.
When my Renault died I started shopping around, but I knew that I didn't have allot of cash and Michigan winters are a bear (thus requiring a beater car of some sort.) I looked at a charcoal colored 83 and I remember taking it to a mechanic to have it checked out. The mechanic said "the rotors are rusty." I took it back to the salesman and he said "Of course the rotors are rusty, it's been sitting." He thought the mechanic was talking about the [I]wheel rotors and thought the guy was an idiot. It was $3500, so after a fun test drive I had to go.
I convinced my friend James to buy an RX7 that we could "fix up" and sell, thus making us both some cash (that I could, illogically, use to buy my own RX7.) We drove an hour to see a silver 82 that was in the paper for $500. When we got there I saw that the body was in good shape but the engine was on the ground next to the car. The transmission had become sort of a flower pot. The tires were rotted badly. Still, we were morons and thought this was just the beast for us, and after the joker offered to tow it back to town as part of the deal we plunked down the $500. He also said he had 4 new tires for it he'd throw in.
He dragged it back to town, unhitched it, and as soon as our backs were turned he tore out of the parking lot with our tires still in the back of his pickup. That was the last we saw of him, though I thought I heard him yell "Suckers!" out the window.
We got some chains and pulled it to a local self-storage place, rented a car-sized cubby, and pushed it in. Our intention was to work on it in the locker. To do so we changed the overhead lightbulb out with an adapter that had a plug so we could run a radio. We brought all our tools and headed home.
A couple days later I got a call from the self storage place. They informed us that A) the lock was gone from the unit, and B) that upon inspecting the unit they found we had changed their lightbulb out for an adapter. As a result, they were kicking us out and keeping our money. We never did find our lock (I'm pretty sure they cut it off in the first place) and we never did find our tools (I'm pretty sure they stole them.) We dragged the car to my house and let it sit on the curb (much to my parents chagrin.)
We towed it occasionally to my friend's father's workplace, which had a wide open bay we could use. Those were fun times. We learned a lot about the RX7 and cars in general, had some laughs, and generally felt pretty manly. We paid $500 for a motor from a junkyard and another $500 to get it hooked up by a local shop (good guys, really, they gave us lots of advice.) We were getting pretty far when my friend, who unbeknownst to me is colorblind, hooked a couple of wires up wrong and we fried the starting system. The mechanic said we needed two new ignitors, which ran about $300 each from Mazda. We found two at a junkyard for a bargain $50 (which included a free ride on an ATV through a muddy field to get them) and we were back in business.
I can say this...we got the car to turn over, to sputter, but never start. By this point we were broke and discouraged. My friend had just bought a house and we dragged the car there and put it in his backyard.
After a year or so we decided to sell it. I put an ad in the paper for $200. A guy wanted to see it so I took him over to the car. Again, without me knowing, some kids had chucked rocks at the car from the alley and broken the side window. Glass covered everything. Still, the guy said he was looking for a project car. I gave him a pile of receipts showing we had spent about $1000 in parts on the thing and he decided to buy it. I still remember that as he towed it away the back wheels didn't turn so much as they skidded along. The only thing I kept was the spare key and that's all I had to show for my efforts (that and $100.)
At this time my other buddy had just put himself into hock to buy an 88 RX7, which was totally bad-***. Though I didn't care for the way he had to work all the time to pay for it, I was jealous as all get out. His father worked for Mazda and we got to go to his office to see a new 93 (I think it was a 93) It was the first of the twin-turbo ones and was awesome. It was also about the time that I saw my friend Mike's white 79 at the local Mazda dealer. He had just traded it in on a newer 626. It was sitting in their back lot, forlorn. They said they'd just gotten it in and hadn't decided what to do with it. This was my second chance, and I blew it. I was discouraged with older cars and decided not to ask the dealer about it. I probably could have gotten it pretty cheap as I doubt they could market it easily with a rebuilt engine.
Still, about a year later the bug got me again.
My next shot at an RX7 came when the kid down the street was selling his 83. It was a white beater that was rusty and smoked a lot. It was $750. I turned it down, though, not wanted another fiasco. He sold it about an hour later but I don't regret it.
When my Ford Tempo died (which came after my Renault died) I met a man on a cool fall evening about his 1980. It was a dark gray with a reddish interior, if I remember. He wanted $2000 for it. It had about 125000 miles on it but the guy had every thing he'd ever done to the car written down. It was an impressive log. He kept it immaculate. Still, I only had $1500 and he wouldn't budge (not that I would have either with those kinds of records.) When I got home my mom offered to lend me some money but I realized that driving to college in the winter with only that car for transportation would probably be a death wish. Reluctantly, I let that one go too.
I finished college, got married, and got other priorities. The RX7 left my mind. This process was helped by the fact that all the first gen RX7's I saw were rusted out hulks smoking their way down the street, and most of the second gen ones were now in the hands of teenagers who were tearing up the road with them. Even with a job I never considered a third gen affordable. I had a brief fling with a Porsche 924 but that didn't last long.
My parents had talked about selling my mom's 85 about 4 years ago for $3000. It had 80000 miles on it and had been professionally repainted. My wife had offered to buy it for me as a birthday gift but we were hurting for cash at the time (just having had a baby) and I said no. Luckily, my mom didn't want to sell it to anybody else (she had the idea that somebody would buy it, drop a Chevy motor in it and take to racing...thus messing up her baby.)
Last year they offered to sell it again for $2000 and again I considered. My mom didn't want to drive it anymore because the steering had become a bit sloppy and she was convinced the wheel would fall off eventually.) It needed 4 new tires (the ones on it were next to new, but old,) it had a thing for stalling, and I had just been laid off from work, so I passed again. As much as I liked the car I could hardly afford to buy it, let alone fix it and insure it. And unlike 1993, the local junkyard was unlikely to have a bunch of them sitting around.
Finally, this year they offered it to me for $1000. I think it was done out of pity, though they wouldn't admit it. My mom wouldn't drive it anymore and they were putting about 1000 miles a year on it so they wanted the room in the garage. I couldn't pass it up for $1000, and despite still being unemployed, bought it the next day.
I couldn't be happier.
It's not a fast car by today's standard (I think my Hyundai is faster, actually,) and with the steering a little loose it doesn't handle all that well, but I still love driving it. There's something about having a car that you've gotten your hands dirty in that makes it all the sweeter to drive. I love tinkering with it and tending to it. The internet has made finding parts less difficult. The insurance is $25 a month.
It took about 20 years but I finally came full circle and own an RX7 of my own. It feels darn good, I tell you what.
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 4
From: San Jose, CA (NorCal/S.F. Bay Area)
No homo but man your story brought a tear to my eye.
Glad you finally go a 7. I kinda feel bad now because I am 26 yet have owned 8 already lol.
Anyways welcome to the club! This post should be stickied or made into a movie or something.
Glad you finally go a 7. I kinda feel bad now because I am 26 yet have owned 8 already lol.
Anyways welcome to the club! This post should be stickied or made into a movie or something.
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 213
Likes: 0
From: Modesto, ca
What Funkjaw said.... This is some serious devotion. Welcome home man. They can be a pain in the rear once in a while, but the 7 is the most rewarding car I have personally ever driven. And I have driven a lot of damn cars.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45
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From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Yeah, it was quite a saga. A little long, but I've been waiting a long time to tell it.
I don't know if there aren't a lot of first generations around Grand Rapids or what. I see lots of old Corvettes, MG's, 911/944's (and even the occasional Fiero), but the last old RX7 I saw was about 4 years ago. I was having coffee with my wife and saw it stopped at a light. It was a nice white one, maybe an 84 or 85. A teenager was driving it. For whatever reason the kid started going when the light was still red and got T-boned by an SUV. His little car spun around like a top and bounced up the curb. He was okay (at least he got out and was walking around) but the car was toast.
I think I saw an 86 or so up on blocks behind a mechanic's place, but that's about it.
It was a weird feeling driving that car for the first time after buying it. The first thing I thought was "man, this car is slow." In 1991 in had seemed very fast (but what is it, 100HP?). In fact, one of the few times I got to drive it was when I was taking my girlfriend to her prom. Her friends were in an old LTD and I felt like a King driving circles around them. On the other side of the coin it was also the car my mom drove to come pick me up after my Tempo crapped out about an hour outside of town. That would have been like salt rubbed into the wound had it not been my mom.
So I was a little surprised that the car I remembered as being so agile is actually a bit sluggish. I know there are mods and such to make it more studly, but at 38 (and married) I've got nobody to impress with speed anyhow. It's in great shape (my mom drove it for the last 19 years and put a total of about 40000 miles on it) and I love it as a sort of "blast from the past." I like how it has the word QUARTZ above the clock, as if that's a special thing. I like the shaggy carpet on the doors and the fact that I have to turn a crank to open the window. As horrible as it sounds, I even like the cassette deck and the way everything glows orange at night.
What I don't like so much are the funny little back-seats that are installed. They aren't after-market (they're the same fabric and design as the front seats) and so I think they probably came over from Canada (where they were a option at purchase, and which is nearby.) I'd rather have the little cubby things, to be honest. I'd also rather have a 5 speed than an automatic, but beggars can't be choosers.
Anyhow, I've blabbered enough. Best wishes, Matt
I don't know if there aren't a lot of first generations around Grand Rapids or what. I see lots of old Corvettes, MG's, 911/944's (and even the occasional Fiero), but the last old RX7 I saw was about 4 years ago. I was having coffee with my wife and saw it stopped at a light. It was a nice white one, maybe an 84 or 85. A teenager was driving it. For whatever reason the kid started going when the light was still red and got T-boned by an SUV. His little car spun around like a top and bounced up the curb. He was okay (at least he got out and was walking around) but the car was toast.
I think I saw an 86 or so up on blocks behind a mechanic's place, but that's about it.
It was a weird feeling driving that car for the first time after buying it. The first thing I thought was "man, this car is slow." In 1991 in had seemed very fast (but what is it, 100HP?). In fact, one of the few times I got to drive it was when I was taking my girlfriend to her prom. Her friends were in an old LTD and I felt like a King driving circles around them. On the other side of the coin it was also the car my mom drove to come pick me up after my Tempo crapped out about an hour outside of town. That would have been like salt rubbed into the wound had it not been my mom.
So I was a little surprised that the car I remembered as being so agile is actually a bit sluggish. I know there are mods and such to make it more studly, but at 38 (and married) I've got nobody to impress with speed anyhow. It's in great shape (my mom drove it for the last 19 years and put a total of about 40000 miles on it) and I love it as a sort of "blast from the past." I like how it has the word QUARTZ above the clock, as if that's a special thing. I like the shaggy carpet on the doors and the fact that I have to turn a crank to open the window. As horrible as it sounds, I even like the cassette deck and the way everything glows orange at night.
What I don't like so much are the funny little back-seats that are installed. They aren't after-market (they're the same fabric and design as the front seats) and so I think they probably came over from Canada (where they were a option at purchase, and which is nearby.) I'd rather have the little cubby things, to be honest. I'd also rather have a 5 speed than an automatic, but beggars can't be choosers.
Anyhow, I've blabbered enough. Best wishes, Matt
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Grand Rapids, Michigan
I can remember driving around in my friend's red 88. I was always odd man out and shoved back under the hatch. He seemed to enjoy flying over railroad tracks whenever I was stuffed in the trunk. It's a wonder we all didn't get killed, actually.
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