RX-7 questions.

[mazdaspeedpower]

Ok, so on and off I have considered getting myself a nice RX-7...now, in the next year some business opprotunities have presented themselves, and I will be making a little more money...right before next summer I should have enough to buy a car, pay off the speed in full, and put atleast 50% down on a used 93 RX-7..Idealy I'd like to just buy it outright.

Now the questions I have are, if I do buy a 93 RX-7, what should I look for good/bad? What are my options on styles(is there only the 1.3L Twin Turbo R2 Rotary FI 5spd)? Also, what issues are there with the rotary? Like what should I watch/check for, how expensive is s*** for the engine, how hard is it to maintain, how much power/abuse can it take without being built up and that kinda s***. Basically, if you know aalot about the 93 RX-7, speak up. Tell me everything you know. I am researching, as I do alot, so I'm learning alot about the car, but I want your input. I you own one, tell me of your experiences witht yours, good and bad. If you don't own one, tell me whatever you know, good and bad. Thank you for your help people. You're great.

 

[JOS3]

is there only the 1.3L Twin Turbo R2 Rotary FI 5spd.

they also came in 4-spd auto, which is what most of the used 3rd gens in good condition are. you can find a 5-spd, but its a lot harder

 

[Signal 2]

http://www.epinions.com/content_92709097092
^Nice opinion article for prospective buyers
http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/projectcars/9901scc_projrx7/
^Part 2 of a 10 part series. Although it involves a build-up on a stock FD, it has good info that you might find interesting.
http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/history.html#LIN
^Has as little history and background on the developement of the RX7 and it's predessors. You might want to check out the rest of this site as well, it has a wealth of info on the FD.
http://rx7.voodoobox.net/infofaq/bguide3g/bguide3g.html
^Explains the differences in models, colors and equipment packages, as well as design changes/corrections made over the three years that the FD was imported. A good general resource too.

IMHO, go for the low mileage FD but be prepared to pay a bit extra. Get as much history on the car as possible and stay clear of cars that have alot of performance mods. Performance modification is inversely related to reliability and longevity. Besides, even a stock FD has capabilities beyond most drivers. Again, IMHO, a relatively stock FD, kept at stock boost levels that has been driven and maintained responsibly, should be good to at least 100k. You'll probably see "reliability mods" mentioned in some of these articles...upgraded all aluminum radiator, metal AST, replacement of pre-cat with a Downpipe, vac hose replacement, boost guage, functional temp guage and possibly a boost controller. These are desirable mods, and should not be confused with other performance mods, like mid-pipes, huge FMICs, body kits, etc. Just my .02. (2thumbs) Good luck.

 

[supa saiyan pr5]

IMHO, go for the low mileage FD but be prepared to pay a bit extra. Get as much history on the car as possible and stay clear of cars that have alot of performance mods. Performance modification is inversely related to reliability and longevity. Besides, even a stock FD has capabilities beyond most drivers. Again, IMHO, a relatively stock FD, kept at stock boost levels that has been driven and maintained responsibly, should be good to at least 100k. You'll probably see "reliability mods" mentioned in some of these articles...upgraded all aluminum radiator, metal AST, replacement of pre-cat with a Downpipe, vac hose replacement, boost guage, functional temp guage and possibly a boost controller. These are desirable mods, and should not be confused with other performance mods, like mid-pipes, huge FMICs, body kits, etc. Just my .02. (2thumbs) Good luck.

I like that....Reliability mods are not Performance mods....alot of new buyers to the rx7 market look for power and not reliability......like signal 2 said....An aftermarket (Radiator, an AST) will reduce chances of overheating and damaging the water seals in the engine. stock AST are plastic get the metal one.... (replacement of the vacuum hoses) I've seen guys and myself try to troubleshoot a problem and in the end it was a vaccum hose...a simple vaccum hose...they get brittled, crinks and crack causing leaks. ANY mod that reduces the amount of heat in the engine bay....I did away with my twins and got a single turbo...the twins are to close to the engine the exhaust manifold is really short and all the heat really hurts the engine..with the single most manifolds place the turbo away from the engine...

My opinion is that not all low mileage rx7's are worth it...I had 43k on my engine when it let go... and it was stock...but then again this is my opinion...If I ever purchase another rx7 it would be one that had it's engine replaced by a reputable shop and not with too much miles after rebuild. has the reliability mods...(enlarged coolant passage..even oil modification) and other's as previously mentioned above.....


Jeremy

 

[Signal 2]

I did away with my twins and got a single turbo...the twins are to close to the engine the exhaust manifold is really short and all the heat really hurts the engine...Jeremy

Agreed. Heat is the enemy of this car. But if you put a heat coating and/or wrap the downpipe (which is a reliability and a performance mod), and maybe do the "fan mod" to keep air circulating a few minutes after shut down, that reduces underhood temps ALOT with stock twins.

 

[UnNaturalinc]

I would probably only buy an FD if it had a blown motor or I was buying it from someone who knows the car. Otherwise you really don't know what you are getting.

I plan on getting one of these myself eventually... MY FC was a blast! I'm not really after another maintenance headache at this point though.

 

[peepsalot]

I would probably only buy an FD if it had a blown motor or I was buying it from someone who knows the car. Otherwise you really don't know what you are getting.

I plan on getting one of these myself eventually... MY FC was a blast! I'm not really after another maintenance headache at this point though.

I keep hearing conflicting points on the reliability of rotaries. Some say they will last you a lifetime if ran correctly, you say maintenance headaches. What
's the deal?

 

[UnNaturalinc]

I keep hearing conflicting points on the reliability of rotaries. Some say they will last you a lifetime if ran correctly, you say maintenance headaches. What
's the deal?

They'll run forever if they are taken care of. That's why I said I'd only buy an FD if it had a blown motor or the owner knew the car.

The common saying of "rotaries only last 60k and blow" is completely inaccurate and untrue. There's a million variables that support and don't support that.

 

[peepsalot]

How hard is it to take care of them though? You have to baby them their whole life or what? Won't any engine car last forever if you baby it?

 

[Signal 2]

How hard is it to take care of them though? You have to baby them their whole life or what? Won't any engine car last forever if you baby it?

Do the "reliability mods" if they haven't been done already, be dedicated to regular maintenance, and keep it at stock boost levels.
After that, don't drive the thing like you stole it. As much as I like this car, I have to admit that all else being equal, the rotary probably won't give you the service life that a Honda would, but taken car of, should give you 100k +. And many long time FD owners have gotten alot more. Turbos on the other hand, simply wear out and should be consider a consumable, not unlike clutches.
Excuse the rant but.... (pissed) I tire of reading stories on other forums. Some Knob comes on one week bragging about his latest "kill" in street racing, and how he launched at 4k and it "hooked up mad yoh". The next week he's whinning about how his engine blew, or his transmission won't shift. My relatively stock FD has a peformance envelope that will already exceed the abilities of most drivers. Yet with simple bolt-ons that anyone can do, and increasing boost by 2 or 3 psi, you can easily bump HP another 50%. BUT (IMHO) you'll also cut the life expectancy of the engine by 50%.....more if you don't manage fuel. It's these things that I think have combined to give the 13bREW a bad reputation.

 

[mazdaspeedpower]

Ok, so the engine if maintained can last a fair shake is what I'm getting out of this. And I'm also getting that if I pull any moron rice boy racing things with I'm gonna **** something up(Which is true with any car)...So basically if I use my head when driving one, and make sure to buy one that has been maintained properly, it would be a great car for some fun driving. What would some good mods be for this car to make it a more enjoyable ride/reliable ride? Also, anything I should really steer clear from doing(even if maybe rice boy wannabe's say it's 'cool' to do?)
Now, I will bring some new discussion in, what if I went older then a 93 RX-7(I know there is no 92, but if I went older, i believe it's the FC or whatever(yeah, I'm not so up on the lingo, so kill me) but I'm talking like a 90 or 91 turbo 2 rotor 1.3l. Whats that car like? Maintenance, preformance, reliability, modability etc. Thank you for your help. I'm just looking aroung at getting myself an RX-7 to enjoy, and you're all helping alot, thanks.

 

[Signal 2]

What would some good mods be for this car to make it a more enjoyable ride/reliable ride?

My personal favorite (If someone hasn't done it already)...remove the pre-cat and replace it with a good DP, preferably one that has been heat-coated and/or wrapped. The nice thing about this mod is that is both a reliability mod (removes the problematic pre-cat that clogs and produces blow-torch like heat on everthing else under the hood), and provides more power via less back-pressure and quicker boost response. If you open up the intake or exhaust beyond that, get a simple boost controller, either manual or electric to avoid spiking. You'll also notice in my sig that I've spent some time on my cooling system...which IMO, is always a good thing.

Also, anything I should really steer clear from doing(even if maybe rice boy wannabe's say it's 'cool' to do?)

Anything that involves large wings, tastless body kits or body colored interior parts. (blarf)

 

[mazdaspeedpower]

Anything that involves large wings, tastless body kits or body colored interior parts. (blarf)

I would do nothing to the exterior appearance of the car, minus a nice set of rims, tint, and maybe a stock low profile spoiler. the less attention I attract the better.

 

[Signal 2]

I would do nothing to the exterior appearance of the car, minus a nice set of rims, tint, and maybe a stock low profile spoiler. the less attention I attract the better.

I have the same. (cool).....although I'm thinking about going with a set of polished stock wheels.