New to rotary -- need info before I take the plunge.
 

Hey guys, new here and I have been doing some research and looking around at Fc's

I'm currently looking at a couple of them but one in particular sticks out because it is cheap but it does come with its problems; which is to be expected.

The car has overheated on the owner in the past but has since been sitting. He told me that he has performed a compression test and is getting 90PSI on the rotors.

Should I avoid this car? My budget is $1500 and this one is well below what I want to spend and I am aware that an engine rebuild may be due in the future but could I get by with replacing the rad and coolant temporarily?

I've read that overheating a rotary engine spells instant death for it so I do have my worries. Again, any input would be appreciated! :nod:

If it's been overheated then I would look at whether it holds coolant and temp properly.
Funny thing about the engine is that it can be great on compression but Barf Prestone like a SOB.

As you probably figured, it is not normal for the engine to overheat, so what was the cause?

If it does burn coolant, does that mean a rebuilt engine is in order? And what if the engine isn't holding coolant...could that be rad hoses and bad rad?

Evil Aviator - I haven't gotten around to pin pointing where the engine is overheating from, I'm just wondering if it could be something as drastic as a blown engine or as simple as radiator hoses or even a new radiator.

I've read the "Things to look for before you buy an FC" thread and it said that an overheated FC engine typically means that I should just walk away from the whole thing...so I'm just a little wary.

You can tell if the car doesn't hold coolant when the car leaves PEE(coolant) on the ground...meaning it is leaking.
IF it is eating coolant it will smoke(white) and smell like rotten eggs.
If it spewing coolant then you are looking at a bad coolant seal(rebuild)

Awesome. Thanks for the info!

If it is eating coolant and it is smoking white, what does that require to fix it?

Over-heating a rotary isn't "instant death", but run hot enough and it degrades coolant seals...the rough equivalent to a head gasket in a piston engine. The big difference is that to replace coolant seals you have to completely disassemble the engine. And, of course, it usually makes sense to replace other wear parts while you're in there...hard seals, hard seal springs, bearings etc.
This car you've described almost certainly has failed coolant seals. That's probably why it's been parked and "been sitting since". The other thing is that sitting for long periods with a failed seal can cause the coolant seal grooves to corrode/rust/pit, rendering the side plates unusable.

Whatever you might be willing to pay for the car should be made with the cost of a comprehensive engine rebuild in mind.