i've owned 3 RX7s, and all of them have been a pain in the ass, but i still love the cars. Theyre definetly a money pit hobby.
Yellow was not a color offered from the factory so the vehicle has been repainted.
Check for body damage that hasnt been properly repaired. It could have been in a wreck. Get the VIN and do a search.
2nd gen RX7's have horrible electronics. Typically the idiot light / clock cluster in the middle of the dash have issues, as well as the wiper switch and the antennae motor.
Check if the front speakers, headlights and sunroof work.
Drivers side door handles often have failed by the time the car is 16 years old and the shifter bushing (manual tranny) will need to be replaced (easy fix) if it feels like you're stirring a bucket of ice cubes instead of changing gears. Listen for any clunking coming from the rear end. feel for any hesitation around 3800 rpms when the secondary injectors come on.
The plastic interior is easily sun-rotted and replacement panels are expensive, especially the black bezel that goes around the vents, radio, and logicon (A/C heater)
speaking of which, check if the heater & AC work.
also since were on the subject of heat, RX7's have an overheating problem and tend to run hot. Once a rotary engine overheats it is done for because it cooks its apex seals. look at the front and make sure the lower radiator deflector is still there. you should not be able to put your hand under the front bumper and see it thru the grill.
lastly what year and model is the car?
if the car has 4 lug wheels its an SE (base model) it does not have a LSD and has smaller brakes/sway bars than the other models.
$1250 isnt a bad price, but its probably more trouble than its worth, especially if you dont know the history of the vehicle. its important to know what kind of service it has recieved because the older rotary engines are very tempermental and need constant maintenance. certain types of oil can be bad for it because the engines purposely burn oil as a lubricant and the oil needs to be checked /changed frequently. it should smoke a little bit on start up, and it should have a steady idle @ 3000 rpms for 30 seconds when you first start it.
if you decide to go for it you can find all the info you need on
www.rx7club.com read some threads and see if its what you want to get into.
i also have this for you:
http://www.johnr.com/rx7.html
/\ i remember looking at that page while doing research before buying my first RX7.
You'll want to do lots of research too because rotary mechanics are far and few between so you'll need to rely on your own skills under the hood when (not if) something breaks. The tech questions on rx7club can attest to that.
oh well