Yeah, might be working at picking up one soon. FDs are tempting..But they're harder to come by, cost a lot more..And after reading about their engines..I'm scared of even owning one. Don't get me wrong, I know they're good engines..but, we're talking about 2nd owner here..and with that reputation, and the engines sensitivity....I don't want to risk it. So, I thought, FCs are cool. Hell, you can call them sleepers now since it takes the badge in the back for most people to realize what they're facing..



Anyway.. Let's say I call someone up in a classified ad, and hop over to his house. What am I looking for? Other than dings on the exterior and looking at the dials to see if he treated the car with respect. What am I looking for under the hood. My last car has been a lot of problems..and I don't want to get fucked again..And this time we're looking at an engine I'm not too educated about.. Sorry for being vauge..But I'd imagine you get this question often.. And I know this is a hard question, but what's a good price range? I'd like a turbo..But, if I can only find N/A..fine..I'll wear the engine out and swap.

 

Some common things I've seen and heard are the wiper switch not working or working in only one position, bad rear shocks, sloppy shifter from bad bushings, low oil pressure from the thermal pellet failing, white smoking from overheating or having a bad seal, weak transmission synchros (grinding 1-2, 2-3 shifts), clutch hydraulics leaking, 5th and 6th ports stuck shut, clogged or rusted out cats & exhaust from the high heat. I'm sure the Turbo guys can answer more to the Turbo II models.



A lot of these things are just related to the car's age and maintenance history though. I just bought an 86 GXL for $900 with 167K and it runs great. The only things needing replacement are the rear shocks and clutch master cylinder. The seller was able to give me all the maintenance records and receipts back to 1990.



I'd say get as much history as you can from the owner and look for these trouble areas. A good place to check for more info is fc3s-pro.com. Good luck.

 

I would ask that the car be cold when you get there to see how it starts up cold.

Check the oil and the coolant at that time, as well as the brake fluid then start it up and let it warm up for a while, take it for a drive and really try to get it up to temp, your drive should include both stop and go as well as some highway speed driving.



Ask the seller if he would mind you try shifting the car at higher rpms to see if the synchros in the tranny are good, if he says no problem chances are there is nothing wrong with them

When you are done with your drive turn the car off and see if it starts back up with no problems.

 

Right then. Shouldint be too hard.



Thanks.

 

go for the turbo. look for one with a blown engine. chances are, any turbo you buy will need a rebuild soon. check the car for any ghetto rigging (duct tape around wires, small unorganized wiring, dryer hoses and duct tape, mutlicolor rubber hoses and lots of clamps, 20 year old kid selling a TII that supposedly pushes 20 psi of boost which is in fact due to broken waste gate and losts of rubber hoses in my case). look for one that looks good in and out, one that you will be proud of, and look for one cheep, they are out there. then get a good solid rebuild, port, exhaust, and stock boost. that should last you a good long time (maybe 10 years if you take good car of it and dont boost like a ricer) and get 250 hp for not too much money: you'll have a great looking car for around $7000 tops, and be one of the quickest. many people dig my car, even my grandma.



it might seem steep, but once you get the engine rebuild taken car of, other things that break are usually minor. invest in a good tool set, buy an RX-7 repair magazine, and dont be afraid to do things yourself. one good RX-7 mechanic and run a monopoly on prices, and you end up paying lost of money for something you could do (and redo right ) over the weekend.



oh yeah, the turbo timer really throws people for a loop, i think the cool factor is the best part. a chick i've been talking to told her brother that my car turn itself off, quite impressed.



expect electronics to go out, they seem to be quite problematic in these cars. start making a list of good parts websites: mazdatrix.com, rx7.com, etc. they come in handy, and when you do things yourself, you learn about your car and save lots of money.



thats what i've learned so far, i'll add more if i think of it.

 

check out www.fc3spro.com

 

turbo = headaches



if this is your first RX-7 i strongly suggest getting a non-turbo one...and tinker around with it if you want to...



shut the **** up....they are headaches, i had one, he is getting a car that he know nothing about and wants info on how to buy it