I don't know much about these except that I like the car.
Checking out a 1990 auto convertible today with 86k miles. By owner's word, there doesn't seem to be any issues at all. However, everyone I know says to stay away. What's a good price for this and why am I being told to stay away?
Thanks.

 

I'd pay no more than 2500

 

Thanks. That's what the owner is asking. Why am i being told to stay away?

 

It's hard to answer your question. Are they saying to stay away due to reliability? If so, it's a lie. Take care of the car, it will take care of you. Keep in mind that it is still 27 years old.

What exactly is the reason you want the car? We can probably tell you if it will suit your needs if you tell us the reason you are looking into buying one.

 

I like the car. The age is fine. It's a classic! I have a 93 Jeep Grand Cherokee I've had since 03 and it needs a lot of work I can't do as I am disabled and have a minuscule income.
The rotary engine is why I'm told to steer clear. The apex seals and lack of mechanics and parts are the big reasons. I want something I can enjoy driving and deal with basic routine maintenance.

 

Convertible and an automatic are both reasons I would stay away

It’s nearly a 30 years old car. No two ways about it, this isn’t a Honda Civic that can be neglected and still run forever.

How mechanically inclined are you, do you have a reliable daily driver, and are you willing to accept the fact that the engine may need a rebuild in the near future? If you’re good on all the above, go for it. Driving a 7 is unlike driving anything else.

 

It seems mechanically sound with no leaks or issues so I would assume oil every 3k and occasional repair is fine. I just dont want any $2000 surprises. I am mechanically able but would prefer as few iinstances of repair as possible. I haven't heard of any issues with the tops on these as they were factory fitted. Just the apex.

 

Apex seals only fail due to lack of oil, which if you maintain the oil level is not a problem. Additionally, the Oil Metering Pump can fail, which will put the car in limp mode (but you will know there's a problem before long, so you aren't about to destroy the seals just because of that). Nothing wrong with apex seals if you take good care of the car. Trouble is, on that particular car, if and most likely when the Oil Metering Pump fails it is that $2000 surprise you are talking about. Earlier models have a more reliable mechanical pump.

Frankly, though I have found mine to be nothing short of dead reliable, it is an old car. And old cars can be full of surprises. And surprises can be expensive, especially if most mechanics won't touch it, and depending on the nature of your disability you may not want to do any involved jobs like transmission replacement and the like. The ball is of course in your court, but I would go with something else that is newer given that you have indicated you aren't interested in doing anything other than basic maintenance yourself.

 

So with all that said,, there is still no definitive whether or not/why I should I just get it, forget it, look for a different model or other car altogether. Everything in this price orange will have problems of some sort and won't be inexpensive to repair.

 

Well if you want to eliminate some possible points of failure, you could go for the slightly earlier S4 model. It has a mechanical OMP that rarely fails, and when it does is easily rebuildable at very little little cost. Convertibles were available then too, years 1986-1988 is Series 4. However, it is about 12 HP less I believe. And the lines on the trim are different, as are the tail lights and front bumper (rear is pretty similar).

​​​​​​But at the end of the day the choice comes down to you. My best advice is to read the FAQ in the 2nd Generation Rx-7 section, this should give you a good idea of most of the common issues that can occur. There is also a good buying guide, just google "Aaron Cake How To Buy Rx7". Aaron's website is full of good info, but he has a page on how to buy a 2nd gen that may be exactly what you need to help you decide.

 

If you have to ask the internet how to spend your money then you should not get the car.
Now,No offense but this question is NOT Technical and is also stated in the Rules that you do not ask it.
SO..Good Luck.Thread closed and please feel free to use the Pages of this Forum for research on before or after your Purchase if you decide to do so.