Buying an FD roller
 

Hey guys, long time lurker, new member here. The FD has been my dream car since i was a kid.

Ive been interested in buying a rolling chassis (hopefully as complete as possible besides motor), but the problem i keep running into is when looking at 13B motors on ebay (i realize i would probably need to rebuild these with new apex seals) none of them seem to come with the turbos. Is there a different engine designation for the FD'S turbo 13B? Or is there a better option than ebay for me to find a complete 13B with turbos?

Also, for those of you who have done this before (bought a roller and dropped in a motor) got any specific advice?

Thanks

I saw one on there today with tranny and turbos, one with a Greedy kit too. There are outside websites too that sell them that are probably worth looking into. Also from experience a lot of sellers have engines on eBay but don't actually have them in stock, so something to consider.

I'm assuming you're going this route to save on some cash which isn't a terrible idea but I'd really suggest against it. Finding little parts and stuff here and there will probably cost you more then if you just bought one that's complete.

I actually bought mine last year from Kansas City, MO for $9,500, the same price most rollers go for. I would recommend saving and to keep hunting every day until one fits your budget and tastes.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks for the reply and advice!

Did you find yours on craigslist? Thats a good price for sure. Did it have any major problems or has it been pretty reliable since you bought it?

Be prepared to spend a lot more money that you plan. Stuff for this car racks up quick. Also helps to know local rotary people to help you with car.

Oh and yes i was planning to do this to save money. I understand that these cars are pricey, but i figured if i can get a good roller for 5k or so and a complete motor for 2k then im only 7k in. Plus probably another thousand for odds and ends.

Or if i can find one with a blown motor and rebuild it myself (im fairly technically competent, though most of my engine experience is on motorcycles ).

Seems prettu straightforward, do you see any problems with that?

Yeah it was on craigslist. I caught it the first few hours it was up and locked it down. I've had 2 slip away so you have to move fast.

It's a 94 base/touring montego blue 5 owners 120k miles. Front bumper is chipped to shit, numerous little things here and there definitely are things that need to be addressed from neglect but the price and location was right. I knew it was going to need work and figured that into my offering price. Low and behold I blew the engine in the fall and am pulling it for a rebuild within the next month.

What it really comes down to is your budget and what comes up on the market. You could be waiting around forever on a roller for what you want to pay. Most complete cars I see with a blown engine still go for about 8-10k but I've seen plenty of cars in good shape for around 13k running. Like Johnny said these cars nickel and dime you to death unless the roller is strictly a drift/race car I wouldn't get one.

Thanks for the info, i appreciate it. I'd definitely prefer to get a complete running car, or at least complete running with a blown motor so i know once i rebuild the motor i have everything else.

Im not in a hurry though and if i find a great deal on a nearly complete roller, im willing to pull the trigger and just piece together the rest of what i need (hopefully just a motor) over the next year or so.

Either way, got to sell two of the project bikes before my wife will let me have another project in the garage!

Good luck. Get those babies sold so you're ready to act when one pops up! I'll be starting a build thread soon when I pull mine if you care to see it in action.

Let me know when that thread is started! Ill definitely subscribe.

Was this a MB one from Kearney Missouri? I looked at this one. It had rolled front fenders and a small amount of chipped paint. Overall not a bad car.

The city sounds right, I met him in Iowa. Looked like it had been neglected a bit lately but interior was good and everything else was ok. Front grille part was a little busted and has a jimmy rigged fan control. I'm in Minnesota so I didn't get to see it in real life but he sent me a bunch of photos and videos, the guy was pretty cool. A few other things here and there expected with that many miles and several owners. I'm happy with the purchase for the price.

Ok another question, if i were to buy a roller FD and then buy a front clip, wouldn't that cover everything i need? Ive seen a couple front clips go for 3k or so.

I still would prefer a complete car, but the good deals are few and far between so i might have to make this happen another way.

In my experience, from a cost perspective, it's cheaper to buy the car already running in the condition you are aiming for. Unless you can get a roller for almost free, by the time you buy an rebuild able engine, rebuild it, and do all the other little things to get the car and power plant up to snuff, you could have laid down cash to get what you wanted in the first place. Now, if the task is to gain the knowledge and have "fun" doing it, you pay for that experience.

^ I agree.

You will think everything is good and usable until you get into it and you discover that wiring harness is crispy, plug needs replacing, broken sensor, or you break something as part of the removal process.

You will also noticed that certain hoses or gaskets will need replacing. Then once you spent all this time and money on it, you start it up and notice there is a leak or you are not boosting correctly and the list goes on.

But who knows it might be a strait forward swap for you and you spend less than $10k on the car and will be smiling ear to ear driving it.

Good advice guys, i appreciate you helping me think this through.

What sources have you used to find RX7s in the past besides craigslist? There seem to be only a few for sale in all of the US currently. ...

This forum and ebay.

Realize that you'll likely be replacing ALOT more than just Apex seals. You may need to replace ALL hard seals, springs, and soft seals, along with oil control rings. And a gasket set will be needed. Not mention ancilliaries.
13bREW
Lurk more.. a lot more, first.

Thanks for the info. I plan to, I'll definitely be doing more research before buying.