hi im new here and to rx-7s in general. im in the process of selling my 75 Chevelle Laguna type s-3 and am looking at an 86 fc to replace it. i looked on carfax and it wasnt in any accidents but the odometer reading says ~279k miles. he claims that the motor was rebuilt ~5k miles ago. is there a way to check if thats true without obtaining any records from the seller. the car is registered and passes emissions which is good. i havent gotten to see the car in person yet but i was wondering if it was even worth the drive to go check it out and possibly purchase.

thanks in advance
chris

 

It's usually difficult to tell if an engine has been rebuilt. I'd say if the housings or irons have been painted, or if it's just really clean, it's likely been rebuilt or at least pulled at some point.

 

i talked to the seller a bit more and he says he has papers/records for the rebuild so when i see those i'll believe it. with that being said, is the car worth $2500?

 

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/1718232241.html
heres the craigslist posting

posting links to craigs isnt against any rules right?

 

No that's not against the rules. That's a lot of miles on the rest of the car. But if everything is in good order, interior, suspension 2k isn't a horrible price. Those rims do not match that body kit at all though, imo.

 

Who did the rebuild? There are a lot of people out there who seem to be able to assemble RX7 engines that last 12k miles. I have an Atkins rebuild, which has been good; I have heard good things about Rotary Resurrection; beyond that, it starts to get murky...

If you have a chance to inspect it, look for:
1) compression
2) no exhaust byproducts in the coolant
3) coolant level normal
4) low coolant sensor (top center of radiator) not bypassed, operational
5) no trouble codes (2 LED tester, $3)
6) verify closed loop operation (1 LED tester, $1.50, or use half of the 2 LED tester

If it passes all that, you have reduced the possibility of some of the worst suprises...

 

It's only illegal if you're doing it to sell your car or trying to skirt the rules and linking to a friend's/relative's craigslist ad to help them get more exposure to sell their car.

Mario III

 

Maybe if the car had like less than 90k on it and was in top notch condition.... but 279k miles? That is a big HECK NO. Offer like 1500.