No_rotors

TL;DR at end of you don't feel like reading


So today I went to look at a 1990 FC rx7 S5 N/A that's for sale. It's actually pretty alright (or I thought so). This particular one was for sale on Facebook marketplace, being sold as "running and driving" and "too well running to get stripped". So a little back story on the car is that the previous owner was parting it out, but the current owner noticed the car was too solid of a car to be let part out. he acquired the car and is now selling the car as is. He bought the car because he wanted to try Rotarys but now he's selling it because it's taking up space, and has other projects he's more focused on. It was only missing a few pieces nothing to crazy just the hood, mirrors, and tail lights and a few other interior trim pieces that was sold during the part out. For whatever reason I guess the previous owner tried to start a re-paint job and sanded half the car, the paints not gone but it definitely looks like it been at with a sander. After looking over the car, following all the typical "how to buy a rotary" things it checked out. Except for a few disappointing things.


The current owner has a missing title (something that I'm honestly not to worried or feel uncomfortable with as the car is straight and can have a clean title acquired eventually) but the main thing is, while I was there to look over the car, we were unable to take a test drive mainly because of time constraints. But here's kicker and is what's Turing me away running. While looking at the car he started it up and had let it idle, he said that the car wasn't running right because there wasn't any 02 sensors hooked up (but really he meant there was no exhaust on the car at all. No Manifold, no nothing) He shut it off after about 45 sec or so, surprisingly it didn't seem to smoke at all but it did idle high After it started (however if I remember correctly about what I've been reading it's typical for rotary's to idle high until it warms up and it wasn't a cray high idle either maybe like 1500-2000rpm or so) After running out of time and having to leave (because he had errands to do) I later messaged him if he could put the exhaust back on the next day so I could come back for a test drive that next day to do a typical test drive. But the current owner is refusing to install the supplied exhaust (I guess it was removed during the part out but was never sold/ reinstalled) and says that "he has no interest in getting it back on" or "has the time to do so" So I've already since decided that I wouldn't be purchasing this car, imagining the slew of problems that probably associate with starting the car with no exhaust manifold but I'm curious to see if it's a bad decision to just give up easily and walk away from what could be a nice FC rx7 for >$2k or if it's dumb as hell that he did what he did and shouldn't have done that and it's a good idea to not purchase. (I mean some on, it's literally four bolts)


TL;DR


I went to check out a 1990 S5 N/A today and the owner started the car with no exhaust/ no exhaust manifold. Was it a good idea to go running? Didn't get a test drive either, but the car seems to be in pretty great shape.

Copeland

iTrader: (42)

Sounds like you dodged a bullet; short of them asking an incredible price, you should avoid this car.

The factory O2 sensor does not affect how it runs, it likely has other issues.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

* You’re not familiar or experienced with a rotary powered car.
* No title
* The seller (you can’t be certain it’s the owner w/o title) has what sounds like the well-worn bullshit story used by everyone who bought a car only to discover it’s really a crap-basket...and now wants to send it down the road to another schmuck.
* Half the car has been sanded...by an amateur.
* The engine is partially disassembled.
* You can’t drive it.
* It starts but doesn’t run well
* Several major parts won’t even come with the car.
* Is priced at probably twice what anyone would sell such a car in my area for...assembled.

So really, what was your question again? Is it really whether starting it w/o a manifold was bad? And do you really consider the car to be in “pretty great shape”? Seriously?