RX7 Knowledge

[Nors]

Anyone with some 3rd gen RX7 knowledge want to check one out with me? I don't know much about these cars so any bit of experience with them is a plus. The car is in Toms River NJ so I'd prefer to meet you there. I could offer you some cash for your trouble/gas of course.

[NOPSTNS]

Originally Posted by Nors

I don't know much about these cars ....

this may come off as me being a jerk but,
dont buy it.


please.

rotary cars, especially the third gen rx7, are best reserved for the hardcore rotary enthusiast. dont make me type a novel as to why....bc i could.

any other rotary guy on this site will probably agree with me. it takes a decent amount of knowledge of rotary cars, like thier quirks and how to maintain them, and its not worth the hassle.


just please dont buy an FD.

[Nors]

I figured I would get that response immediately. I have an associates degree in automotive technology and have even rebuilt a rotary engine while in school. I am always trying to learn more about these cars, constantly reading whatever I can find. I need to start somewhere, these rotary enthusiasts didn't come out of the womb with a plethora of rotary knowledge. Also ASE certified in 2 areas, but decided working on cars is a hobby not a job so I stopped taking the tests. I have already read every guide on buying a used rx-7 and spend hours at a time absorbing knowledge from others, but simply want someone with some hands on 3rd gen experience to come with, since the fact is I never even drove one.

[xEJ20x]

Originally Posted by Nors

I figured I would get that response immediately. I have an associates degree in automotive technology and have even rebuilt a rotary engine while in school. I am always trying to learn more about these cars, constantly reading whatever I can find. I need to start somewhere, these rotary enthusiasts didn't come out of the womb with a plethora of rotary knowledge. Also ASE certified in 2 areas, but decided working on cars is a hobby not a job so I stopped taking the tests. I have already read every guide on buying a used rx-7 and spend hours at a time absorbing knowledge from others, but simply want someone with some hands on 3rd gen experience to come with, since the fact is I never even drove one.

I have a degree in Automotive Technology too and I've researched the 13B motors til I got sick of it.

The car has high up-keep and requires alot of attention. And alot can go wrong and break with little effort.

But....heres the best place to get the info I used during my research.

http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=68640

[Nors]

Originally Posted by xEJ20x

I have a degree in Automotive Technology too and I've researched the 13B motors til I got sick of it.

The car has high up-keep and requires alot of attention. And alot can go wrong and break with little effort.

Thanks I am aware of this. I forgot to mention it won't be my daily, and will be garaged a great deal of the time. Also, I am not buying highly modified, have my eye currently on a low mileage all stock one.

Edit: Thanks for the link, thats the site I have been mostly using, and following any other site they recommend, but a good bit seem to be dead links.

Edit2: I'd also like to point out I won't be modifying it heavily (will be doing "reliability mods"), at least for a couple of years.

[TurboTagTeam]

If your a die hard mechanic than MAYBE you can handle the pressure of owning an FD

ASE certs and all that stuff really has nothing to do with it. The REW is a real pain in the ass if you are not highly familar with rotories.

If I was in the area I'd take a look at the car for ya. But I'm out of town untill mid June.

[Silverfc88]

I wish I knew enough about FD's to help you out. I'm sure there is some electrical, vac, drivetrain stuff I don't know about on that car. Post up in Northeast section of RX7club to see if anybody wants to cruise up.

[Proven]

Originally Posted by NOPSTNS

this may come off as me being a jerk but,
dont buy it.


please.

rotary cars, especially the third gen rx7, are best reserved for the hardcore rotary enthusiast. dont make me type a novel as to why....bc i could.

any other rotary guy on this site will probably agree with me. it takes a decent amount of knowledge of rotary cars, like thier quirks and how to maintain them, and its not worth the hassle.


just please dont buy an FD.

I'm guessing he should just envy from the sidelines and let the "pros" do it... Theres no way he could ever gain the knowledge it takes to become a true rotary enthusiast. I know your not trying to be a jerk about it (and sorry if i am for what I wrote) but to say don't buy it was alittle much.

Nors, I'm sure you've heard / read everything I'm about to type because I've only read and heard it (I'm just like you. I read about ALL cars and want to truely "know it all" in a good way.)

Of course find out if the engine has been rebuilt, ask for receipts, and who did the work. If it hasn't been rebuilt it most likely will need one soon or at least expect it (you could get lucky but even when your feeling lucky watch out). Ask the owner to NOT start the car the day before you come so you can see it cold start. Check the exhaust pipe for any smoke. Also (if possible) try to check the exhaust for smoke while under boost. Then check all the vacuum lines / fuel lines for cracks, dry rot, etc. (make sure the car hasnt been on fire before small or big...ask.) do a carfax!

I'm in no way a pro at rotary engines. Just book read / online cowboy. I don’t think I've met a rx7 owner that hasn’t constantly had probs. EXPECT them. Over time you'll learn what needs to be done to maintain them and you'll either sell it, or become someone that everyone else wishes they were (a rx7 owner).

Definitely post this Qs. of yours up on the Rotary forums.

Good luck man.. Hope it all works out..

Where you from. Maybe find a local builder and see if they have a fee for checking out cars or will creeate a fee for it (doing this will also get your foot in the door with knowing someone with the experience who will share it)

Also in Bensalem, PA theres one at a dealer for sale right around the corner from me. Not sure on price, manual / auto, miles, or anything but if your interested I'll take a run over there to check it out for ya. (its black)

rx7.com, rx7club.com, check youtube theres a "how to rebuild a rotary vid.", checll allllll the links in rx7club.com too.

[antman0408]

Originally Posted by NOPSTNS

this may come off as me being a jerk but,
dont buy it.


please.

rotary cars, especially the third gen rx7, are best reserved for the hardcore rotary enthusiast. dont make me type a novel as to why....bc i could.

any other rotary guy on this site will probably agree with me. it takes a decent amount of knowledge of rotary cars, like thier quirks and how to maintain them, and its not worth the hassle.


just please dont buy an FD.

Shut up!

I bought my FC turbo with little knowledge about a rotary and now I know how to fix any problem I get, including rebuilding it and doing my own tuning.

[TurboTagTeam]

Originally Posted by antman0408

Shut up!

I bought my FC turbo with little knowledge about a rotary and now I know how to fix any problem I get, including rebuilding it and doing my own tuning.

I actually agree with NOPISTONS.

I'v been around engines my whole life. I go to school for Mechanical Engineering, I've owned my own performance shop, and even I think FD's are challenging cars. The sequential turbo's on the car are insanely complicated.

Mine was constantly in need of attention. Granted it was HEAVILY modified and making over 400whp. But still, it needed ALOT of attention. They are NOT daily driver cars for the average automotive enthusiast. It's more like a toned down Grand Touring car for the road.

HOWEVER.....If you are dead set of getting the car...Give JIM@ JPR Performance a call. He is the MAN when it comes to FD's. His shop is in BlackWood NJ.

[Nors]

Originally Posted by TurboTagTeam

If your a die hard mechanic than MAYBE you can handle the pressure of owning an FD

ASE certs and all that stuff really has nothing to do with it. The REW is a real pain in the ass if you are not highly familar with rotories.

If I was in the area I'd take a look at the car for ya. But I'm out of town untill mid June.

I was just stating the stuff about ASEs because it is still a car and besides the engine, isn't any different really. And like I said, I plan on learning everything about the engine and already have a good base of knowledge (prob more then some regular mechanics). Yeah I remember you being a big rx7 guy, but then I saw your location and was like damn haha. I pretty much expected people to jump on my case because honestly if I didn't know what I know about cars in general (not so much rotary engines) it would be a bad move to make I think. I believe you need to be mechanically inclined to own these cars, or just have fat pockets, since I am not the latter, I am relying on mechanical ability.

Originally Posted by Proven

I'm guessing he should just envy from the sidelines and let the "pros" do it... Theres no way he could ever gain the knowledge it takes to become a true rotary enthusiast. I know your not trying to be a jerk about it (and sorry if i am for what I wrote) but to say don't buy it was alittle much.

Nors, I'm sure you've heard / read everything I'm about to type because I've only read and heard it (I'm just like you. I read about ALL cars and want to truely "know it all" in a good way.)

Of course find out if the engine has been rebuilt, ask for receipts, and who did the work. If it hasn't been rebuilt it most likely will need one soon or at least expect it (you could get lucky but even when your feeling lucky watch out). Ask the owner to NOT start the car the day before you come so you can see it cold start. Check the exhaust pipe for any smoke. Also (if possible) try to check the exhaust for smoke while under boost. Then check all the vacuum lines / fuel lines for cracks, dry rot, etc. (make sure the car hasnt been on fire before small or big...ask.) do a carfax!

I'm in no way a pro at rotary engines. Just book read / online cowboy. I don’t think I've met a rx7 owner that hasn’t constantly had probs. EXPECT them. Over time you'll learn what needs to be done to maintain them and you'll either sell it, or become someone that everyone else wishes they were (a rx7 owner).

Definitely post this Qs. of yours up on the Rotary forums.

Good luck man.. Hope it all works out..

Where you from. Maybe find a local builder and see if they have a fee for checking out cars or will creeate a fee for it (doing this will also get your foot in the door with knowing someone with the experience who will share it)

Also in Bensalem, PA theres one at a dealer for sale right around the corner from me. Not sure on price, manual / auto, miles, or anything but if your interested I'll take a run over there to check it out for ya. (its black)

rx7.com, rx7club.com, check youtube theres a "how to rebuild a rotary vid.", checll allllll the links in rx7club.com too.

Thanks, I def plan on checking everything you said. Going to try to do a compression test, since I don't have the official one I will just be taking the valve out to get a general idea on the compression. I also might see if KDR can check it out. Once again thanks for the info and everything else.

edit: oops got turbotagteam and nopistons mixed up so sorry if the replies don't match up.
edit2: I plan on going back to school for ME after finishing my BA in Management.

[TurboTagTeam]

If you dont have a mazda compression meter....stick your finger inside the leading plug holes and feel the housings....if you feel any groves....run the other way.

Also...smoke on start up is normal as long as it's a little bit. Since rotaries use oil injection...there's allways some chilling in the housing to get burt off.

For water seal leaks...... Start the car with the rad cap off....look for bubbles....if you see any...the water seals are on their way out.

Boost controll.....look for the normal 7-10-7 (I think...it's been awhile since I'v been under the hood of a non singled-FD )

Make sure the fuel line recall was done

A big factor in your buying price should be the interior condition. Mazda stoped making interior peices for LHD FD's. Interior peices are getting pretty expensive.


Let me know if ya need anything else.

[93rx7r1]

I am not going to sit here and tell you not to get one.....that is up to you. Like others have previously stated, they are very finicky & need constant work....that being said it is the most fun car I have ever driven when it is running properly. It is a matter of money and knowledge. Parts are not cheap for these cars nor is it cheap to have a reputable rotary shop to work on it (well worth it though).

The very best advice anyone can give you is have a rotary shop or a Mazda dealer ship (preferably one that works on a lot of RX8's) do a compression check on the engine. You will get a real good idea of the state of the engine by just that one check. Low mileage is good & bad. If the engine hasn't been run for years you could have low compression due to a stuck apex seal (what happens is that it is compressed into the rotor due to the rotors position in the housing & with no lubrication and/or rotation they tend to stick). Sometimes they can get them to pop back out & other times they can't.....Like I said a compression test will show you if there are problems with the apex seals. That is the big thing with the engine. There are more to it than that though. I hope that this helps you out some.

Take your time, do your homework, have a professional look it over & don't go buying the very 1st one if it isn't nice just because it is an FD (as that is what I did and I got screwed.....I am happy now though, but it is taking money & a lot of time, but the car is being built the way I want it to be built). Good luck with what ever decision you make!

[93rx7r1]

Originally Posted by TurboTagTeam

Boost controll.....look for the normal 7-10-7 (I think...it's been awhile since I'v been under the hood of a non singled-FD )

A good stock boost pattern is 10-8-10......just a little correction. Other than that, that was a pretty thorough write up!

[TurboTagTeam]

hehe...It's been awhile.

I prefer to go straight to 25psi on a 35r

[amp]

dont believe the hype..
ive owned seven rotaries.. of which most have exceeded 80k plus without a issue.. modified to boot..
if youre competent and you seem you are.. you should have no problems other than the typical maintenance...
ive had more failures with my stock hondas than my sevens..

[drew32]

I guess i'll chime in...

The FD is my favorite car and buying one was prolly the best thing I could've done. Now with that also know that ive had the car for less than a year and have put a bit of money into it. Something is always breaking on me, though usually its a simple fix a few things have taken a while to fix. Also, my car had a newly built engine in it when i bought it and i was still having problems.

Things to look out for:

Solenoids, they suck plain and simple. They always fail and are a bitch to replace. So if you don't know how old the solenoids are in the car be prepared to swap some out.

If the vaccum hoses have not been replaced with silicone ones i recommend doing that soon. Its best to swap them all out at once instead of having to tear the engine apart time and time again to replace one line that went bad.

There are more problems...I just cant think of any off the top of my head.

But like I said i couldn't be happier with my FD, just be prepared to put some serious cash into it and then some if you're planning on modding it.

[2MCHPWR]

i just drove my FD to work today. 2 hours each way. its a fun bitch. probably cost $50 in gas roundtrip though. But I got at least 4 thumbs up.