Considering 2nd gen rx-7
04-08-2006, 06:37 AM
#11
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Originally Posted by 1988RedT2' post='812672' date='Apr 7 2006, 11:47 PM
You can get a decent first gen for pocket change if you look around. A good n/a 2nd gen almost as cheap. The turbo cars are more desirable and less plentiful, so you are really going to take a leap in terms of dollars unless you happen to get lucky.
If I was starting out on a limited budget and wanted reliable, fun transportation, I'd opt for a really nice first gen. If you have a need for speed, then wait for a T2.
well, i do have a need for speed, but i also have a bigger need to learn first
04-08-2006, 11:05 AM
#12
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Location: Columbia IL/St. Louis MO
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Start off with a nice 84 or 85 GSL-SE. They can be hard for good prices, some of them you can even find in mint condition. It's really difficult to find a FC that is N/A in mint condition, as they have been beaten to total craph.
And if you have the need for speed, the GSL-SE is more than capable of this, as it is powered by the 13b EFI motor, and modifications are easily done with the help of Racing Beat, as they have an entire catalog of stuff you can do, exhaust, intake, suspension, brakes, interior, exterior, ignition, etc.
Good luck, and having an N/A RX-7 is not to look ashamed upon.
And if you have the need for speed, the GSL-SE is more than capable of this, as it is powered by the 13b EFI motor, and modifications are easily done with the help of Racing Beat, as they have an entire catalog of stuff you can do, exhaust, intake, suspension, brakes, interior, exterior, ignition, etc.
Good luck, and having an N/A RX-7 is not to look ashamed upon.
04-08-2006, 05:26 PM
#14
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Location: California
Posts: 22,465
with a turbo car plan on replacing the following. you can either buy most (or all of it) at once, or let the car nickel and dime you, buy you pretty much will have to address most, if not all of these things along the way....
cooling system:
water hoses, they are 20 years old, just replace em all
thermostat: its $11.....
if its an 89-91 get a new thermostat neck, they are plastic, they break, if the engine isnt newish, any little overheating will kill it.
have a good look at the radiator, if its plastic, and the color has turned from black, to greenish, its telling you its ready to split
vacuum lines:
the rubber boot/hose/duct between the air filter/ari flow meter and the turbo likes to split, these cars are super touchy about vacuum leaks, and little teeny ones will make the car flood, and idle badly.
air control valve or acv: this is the thing that they use to control the flow of air from the air pump, to the exhaust, or back to the air cleaner, WHEN it goes bad, its a vacuum leak, but its not from the outside air to the intake system, its from one bit of the intake system to another.
vacuum lines, most of em by now are rock hard, and if they havent gone anywhere yet, arent, so leave em alone. there are some that need to move to get to certain things, have some 3.5mm hose around just in case. silicon isnt needed, it often splits anyways.
fuel system:
the pulsation dampers like to leak on these cars, 1st symptom is a raw gas smell, 2nd is an engine fire
engines:
these actually are pretty reliable, and usually either die from old age, overheating, or being modified poorly (too lean, too hot, etc etc), they seem to average about 80-120k for a turbo car, although i know of one, that went 210k....
stuff thats like any other car:
oil leaks....
clutch, if you dont abuse it, it will last a long long time
and then of course theres the whole rest of the car....
if you pick the right car, and dont put stuff off, you'll be happy.
cooling system:
water hoses, they are 20 years old, just replace em all
thermostat: its $11.....
if its an 89-91 get a new thermostat neck, they are plastic, they break, if the engine isnt newish, any little overheating will kill it.
have a good look at the radiator, if its plastic, and the color has turned from black, to greenish, its telling you its ready to split
vacuum lines:
the rubber boot/hose/duct between the air filter/ari flow meter and the turbo likes to split, these cars are super touchy about vacuum leaks, and little teeny ones will make the car flood, and idle badly.
air control valve or acv: this is the thing that they use to control the flow of air from the air pump, to the exhaust, or back to the air cleaner, WHEN it goes bad, its a vacuum leak, but its not from the outside air to the intake system, its from one bit of the intake system to another.
vacuum lines, most of em by now are rock hard, and if they havent gone anywhere yet, arent, so leave em alone. there are some that need to move to get to certain things, have some 3.5mm hose around just in case. silicon isnt needed, it often splits anyways.
fuel system:
the pulsation dampers like to leak on these cars, 1st symptom is a raw gas smell, 2nd is an engine fire
engines:
these actually are pretty reliable, and usually either die from old age, overheating, or being modified poorly (too lean, too hot, etc etc), they seem to average about 80-120k for a turbo car, although i know of one, that went 210k....
stuff thats like any other car:
oil leaks....
clutch, if you dont abuse it, it will last a long long time
and then of course theres the whole rest of the car....
if you pick the right car, and dont put stuff off, you'll be happy.
04-08-2006, 11:05 PM
#15
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Location: Greenville / Sanford, NC
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thx for all the replies guys...this is definately steering me towards getting a n/a. now it's time to see what kind of money i can put together over the summer working non-stop 
04-11-2006, 11:09 AM
#16
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Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: A2, MI
Posts: 453
My N/A (altho I havent driven her in a long time) has been really reliable when I was using her as a daily, and the only maintainance Ive had to do was stuff I knew about coming into it (needed mufflers, a top etc) and oil changes. Other than the normal stuff, she's been good, and was returning pretty good gas milage too, considering the engine/driving style (~23 mpg)
04-11-2006, 02:50 PM
#17
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right now im looking into an 86 w/180k miles. he says it runs, but he's going to get a new battery for it this week so i can be sure (last time he started it, he said he had to jump it cause of the battery, but it still started). and i want to get his confidence that it can make a 180mi trip before i go for it, because i don't want to have to rent a trailer to haul it back on if i don't have to. i should know by next week whether or not it's mine
of the pics ive seen, it looks in decent shape, but it's still a 20-yo car, heh, so obviously it's not perfect
of the pics ive seen, it looks in decent shape, but it's still a 20-yo car, heh, so obviously it's not perfect
04-11-2006, 03:00 PM
#18
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just did a carfax report on it. it's reported as clean other than one time it was reported as 126,000 miles when it changed owners, but the odometer, as well as a later mileage entry in the carfax report shows it as the correct mileage, so i'm not too worried about that.
i just found it today and im already getting pretty antsy about it...i hope the people i live with will let me keep it in the "driveway!"
i just found it today and im already getting pretty antsy about it...i hope the people i live with will let me keep it in the "driveway!"
04-11-2006, 03:35 PM
#19
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oh, i say "driveway" because it's just this area of dirt and gravel that is at the bottom of a little hill where the house is. and as long as it's not on blocks, i don't see why it wouldn't like any other car we usually have parked there.
04-11-2006, 05:55 PM
#20
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 959
180K is getting up there as far as age/mileage, etc. You'll be looking at rebuilding the engine within 20K or so. It's a good place to start though..better then f'n up a nicer one... you can always get another one/nicer one later.