Hello, after a few months of trying on my own to fix an 85 RX-7 GS I gave in and paid a mechanic familiar with RX-7s to come and see if he could figure out what was wrong. He attached the compression test and got these numbers:
Rotor one: 101. 125, 56
Rotor two: 62, 20, 20
At this point he said that the very least and apex seal was warped and that it was likely that to fix the car it would require a full engine rebuild or the engine to be replaced and that that would cost more than the car is worth. The car also has some rust on its frame that while not making the car undrivable it would also not be the safest thing if it were to be put back on the road. He advised selling it off as a parts car.
The mechanic is a rotary hobbyist and said that he would be happy to buy it as a parts car and offered $500.
My two questions are:
Do you all agree with his assessment that the engine is toast and not worth the trouble/cost of repairing?
Is $500 a reasonable offer and if not, what should I expect?
Any advice on what to do in this situation would be appreciated.
Thank you!

 

If the compression numbers are correct, in a normally good running engine, he is correct as far as the engine needing a rebuild.

Now, what we don't know here on the forum, is the condition or circumstances of your engine. If it has been sitting for an extended amount of time, it could be stuck seals. Let us know the car history and we can give some advice. At this time we can't condemn the engine.

If the engine is indeed toast, a rebuild can cost a $1000 on the low end and serval thousand depending on what hard parts are usable.

It's hard to say what the car is worth as it sits without seeing pictures. We do know it's a non-runner and the body/interior condition means a lot. Post some pics and history.

 

Those compression numbers are low. Generally anything below 90 is considered rebuild time. At 20, there could be damage to some of the hard parts (rotors, housings ect.) At least it still turns over. A full rebuilt can easily cost $3,000. or more, especially if you need to replace any of the aforementioned parts. Only you can decide if its worth rebuilding or not.

Without any pictures or knowing more about the cars condition, its hard to put a value on it. Depending on what's all there and the actual condition, I'd say there is way more than $500 worth of parts there, but its also an investment in time and trouble to dismantle and prep things for sale. Most people run as far away from rust as they can.

 

Did the "hobbyist" use a rotary compression tester? Did you watch him perform the test, or just take his word for it? Just my opinion but a $500 offer for a 1985 RX7 is a ripoff unless you have lost interest and just want it gone. Have you see the prices that NLA used parts go for? If you don't want to spend the money for a engine rebuild I would list it for sale on the forum. With no history behind the RX7 you have, and no pictures it's hard to give you solid advice on which direction to take. It's background, you history with it, and photos along with what you really want to do with it and how invested you are with it would help.

 

welcome to the board.

photos of the car (that include the rust spots you mentioned) would go a long way to helping us help you.

as mentioned above, the engine may or may not be a lost cause. if i had to guess, you've probably got a stuck side seal on rotor #1. rotor #2 is a litte more troubling. it definitely has a bad apex seal, so the only question is what happened. is it broken or just a flattened spring?

if the car is otherwise in tact, save the rust, then $500 is price you would take ONLY if you want to wash your hands of it quickly. i wouldn't say it's necessarily fair though. again, as stated above me, you'll likely get far more than that parting out yourself (fairly easily, too), if you choose not to deal with the engine and drive it yourself.

 

stock iron apex seals don't bend, they wear or fracture. i would put some ATF in the plug holes and rotate the engine around a few revolutions and let it sit for a week then crank the engine a bit and redo the compression test.

$500 is low for the car, it's basically a rock bottom offer, scrap yard would give you that much for a incomplete car... so is it fair? not really.

 

Agreed with all the above. $500 in 2025 is nothing, especially for a car with parts alone that total to that. Definitely post some pictures so we can help you assess what is fair, if you wish to wash your hands of it. Otherwise, there could be a path forward getting it back on the road if you want to go that route.

 

yep. i remember the days were u could get them for under a grand not running. not so today. and even more so for all the old school rx's. been wanting to get back into an rx3/808 but probably never will as prices for those have gotten ridiculous, even for something needing a rebuild. an then they have been sitting so long, they're all rusted out. and i agree, no way would i take 500 for it.

 

to be honest, if a mechanic throws out an offer, it's usually going to be the bottom of the barrel.