Hey everyone! I’m looking at an imported 93 FD that I’m on the fence about buying and I need your help. The person selling it put it on a lift and it was super clean underneath like no rust but basic things you’d see in a 26 year old car. Checked in the wheel wells, subframe, radiator support, rails, I mean it looked clean. The rear struts on the hatch are blown. I checked by the spare tire and it was all clean no dents or bends or rust. Interior is nice and clean I would rate it an 8 out of 10 to be honest. Exterior looks good no rust anywhere. Now here’s where things start getting me into thinking. The tail lights seemed to have been replaced at some point to some aftermarket LED style and are wonky. The left DRL doesn't work and the right brake lights don’t work. The owner says it wasn’t modified at the harness so its a simple replacement of the tail light assembly to the oem and it’ll be back to good. The next “issue” was that the car has been repainted because i can see some over sprayed but of course that’s possible for a 26 year old car. I can however see a bit of difference from the passenger door to the quarter panel but it’s only visible in person and you have to really look but It leads me to think if the car may have been in an accident but the rest of the car matches it’s only that door that looks different so maybe it was just the door replaced? Maybe just my eyes lol. So I test drove the car and it felt pretty solid. Clutch felt good and so did the tranny, no grinding or whining. While driving the car there may have been a bit of a “growling” maybe like a hub bearing but it’s definitely not because I did check for play and there was nothing. I looked at the rear brakes and they do need replacing so maybe that “growling” is from that? The car pulls strong and feels nice but when hard accelerating at about half throttle or 75% throttle it felt a bit boggy or laggy? Is this normal? It didn’t feel that way at full throttle or normal driving. Lastly, the radiator was replaced yesterday because the old one had a crack. After driving it the cars aftermarket defi temp gauge indicated 110* c but the factory temp gauge indicated normal. Basically the def gauge showed above normal but the oem showed normal. I turned the car on cold start and it started up normal no issues and it showed “cold” on both gauges. Then started up hot start and it started up perfect no issues and the oem gauge was good but the defi gauge was at that 110 Celsius mark. Yes the defi gauge would fluctuate up and down so the seller said he believes it’s just an air bubble in the system getting caught at the sensor showing a false reading. I should also note that it would only show that 110 reading with AC on, which btw blows really cold and works well! I’m conflicted if I should buy this car at 22k USD which is what he’s asking for it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Only care to comment on the temps

its normal for stock

 

cool so 110 Celsius is pretty normal for a stock FD? The seller did just put in a new koyo radiator yesterday

 

1Ii0 C. is toward the high side but with the AC running certainly not unheard of. Low speed fan would’ve started at about 105 C. and should control it.
Hatch struts are still available but pricey. No one seems to make any aftermarket that are completely p n p.
IF the growling you hear IS a wheel bearing it makes a big difference in cost and ease of replacement depending on whether it’s a front or rear. Rear is more involved.
Other than operating temperature what’s your question?

 

I know it’s difficult to gauge without pictures but if the car is legit with only the “issues” mentioned above, is that what a JDM FD would go for at the moment? It’s a 93 R1 with 120,000 km. I was trying to attach pictures but it just wouldn’t let me. I forgot to mention there was a bit of like oil marks coming from the back of the transmission by shifter but I’m assuming it’s ok because again it is a 26 year old car. I really want the car I’m just afraid it’s not as solid as I’d like it to be and then later be told it definitely wasn’t worth the money. Should i do it, buy this car?

 

Get a compression test on the engine. It’s different for a rotary but most MAZDA dealers should be able to do it, or if there are any rotary specialty shops close, they certainly can. I’d also like to see a pressure test/leak-down of the cooling system which anyone can do.
I’d think you could work something out on the cost of the tests, but regardless that’s plenty of cabbage for a used 28 ye old car to expect a good healthy engine.
As far as price is concerned that’s for you to decide. But IMO a RHD car does polarize in North America. To some that’s appealing, to others it’s a deal-breaker.
If you haven’t already, check out the FAQ sticky at the top of this section under ‘B’ for Buying.

 

hey thank you guys for the information and help it’s greatly appreciated. I look forward to joining the RX7 community really soon!

 

JDM cars are normally pretty good underneath, also the re-spray is pretty normal. a lot of these cars got a factory respray. all pretty standard for a RHD fd. the cost is a bit on the high side but i don't know the USA market that well. they go for 2/3rd the price compared to a lhd here in Canada. everything else sounds good. based on the starting hot and cold and the turbos pulling well it sounds in good working order, but a compression test would a good insurance. for 22k why not buy a LHD? ....there are plenty in your country.

 

Just going off your post I wouldn't buy a right hand drive RX7 for 22k, unless you really have your heart set on a RHD version.

Regarding the paint there is no way to know for sure why the paint doesn't match. Could have been a minor accident, could have been scratched up or dinged and the owner had it touched up, could be anything in-between. Some of my friends check body panels with magnets to make sure its all still metal, but I think that's more of a rust-check thing (holes in the metal patched with fiberglass/bondo). If you get it in a dark area and hit it with a bright white LED flashlight you should easily be able to see anywhere the paint changes. At least to my eyes its always much more obvious in that setting.

I'd be a little wary that they just replaced the radiator. Did it crack while they were driving it? How much coolant was lost? Did the engine potentially overheat because of it? You may know the answers but those would be my questions based on what you have provided.

Since you mentioned a new radiator, sometimes the slightly higher running temperature can be due to not getting all the air out of the cooling system. I have seen that before in the past.

The other issues you described could be caused by many things and people can only guess without a lot more information. It sounds like it does have some items you will want/need to address.

I would definitely compression test it, but being its an import I would highly recommend you to also pressure test the cooling system. From what I have heard from many RX7 shops, the JDM motors tend to have pretty corroded coolant systems but I couldn't tell you why that is.

If it has the stock ECU still, make sure the check engine light works (it should come on for a bit with ignition) and isn't flashing any codes. If it has a PFC or aftermarket ECU just be aware that most will not display engine error codes on the light like the stock ECU does.

YMMV. Those are just the thoughts off the top of my head.

 

Thanks guys i appreciate all the help! Would any of you know if all JDM models came with rear seat or if some were offered with the rear bins that were offered here in the US?

 

My car understanding is that it was an option. Most did not.
And those practically non-functional seats are another thing that tends to be really polarizing...just like RHD in North America.