I have wanted an RX-7 for many many years, and currently I am seriously considering purchasing an RX-7 or 8. What has caused me to hold off is the maintenance issue. Are these engines easy to work on if something goes wrong? And more importantly, if I cannot fix it myself, are there any places other than Ford/Mazda dealers that can make repairs on these vehicles? The stories I've heard of dealerships indicate that they are very expensive and usually get things wrong the first time you go in, so I would like to avoid that if possible. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this.

Jared

 

This section is really for the pre rx7 cars.

If you are not mechanically inclined you should look for a specialty shop to do the work, 9 times out of 10 the service department at the dealer will fall short.

These are great cars if taken care of. The Mazda dealers have moved away from caring about them many moons ago. I do not feel they are any more prone to problems than any car of the same age.

-billy

 

Reliability is entirely in the owners hands. Proper maintinance is the key, as with any other vehicle of the era. Oil changes every 3k and never overheating the engine has given some owners over 300k miles without a rebuild. Other than the engine internals, the rest of the car is just like any other on the road.

Dealers are usually overpriced and those mechanics that were trained in troubleshooting and repairing rotarys are long gone. You will find many members in Ohio that are here in the club and there is a seperate Ohio Rotarys website. Finding help and reasonable, knowledgeable mechanics in your area should not be a problem.

If you choose a 1st gen, that forum is quite active, there is a seperate website for the RX8s if you go that route.

Welcome to the Dark Side and good luck with your search and purchase.