Hi guys...just joined up and most impressed. I already own a Jap import Mitsubishi Delica which I am selling as I\'ve got another one just arrived at Southampton and I\'ve already paid for it.
My problem is this...I have become hooked on this Jap performace car thing and the wife and I are after something for ourselves as well as our "family transport". I\'ve been looking at Supras, Skylines and now, probably unwisely, RX-7s. This is the stoopid bit - I\'m seriously considering spending £5k on a 92 RX-7 type R with 60000 miles on the clock. I know it\'s been pretty heavilly modded and probably raced (full of extra gauges and a roll cage) and it has a couple of minor dents (£100 fix jobs) on the body. I\'m probably taking a risk in assuming that because this motor has had an enthusiastic Japanese owner then it\'s probably been quite well maintained and in a way I\'m saying to myself don\'t bother. But it might be good!
I\'m getting some inheritence money through in Feb which is going to see the end of loads of money probs for me - my heart is saying "go on, buy it" - am I being really totally stoopid? If yes, then I might change my mind. If only a little bit stoopid then I won\'t!
Another one I have seen has a cracked coolant reservoir - are replacements easy to come by? What worries me is that if the reservoirs cracked then the engine has probably overheaed at some time. Same goes for another I\'ve seen with that needs the heater matrix fixing. I know the saying "you get what you pay for"!
Help please......
Pete
Brighton
There\'s plenty of people on here who will gladly give you some good advice.Alot of them more qualified than me,but here is my opinion...... £5K really is the low end of the market for a Fd assuming that is what you are lookin at.60k miles is very close to the average rebuild time as well so definately worth findin out if its already had one.If not have a spare £3-4K handy for one.
On the plus side if you do get a good one iy really is a fantastic car.
Best of luck........Jay....:wave
Hmm i\'d want more info but if it\'s been seriously modified without a rebuild for 60k then you would probably be well advised to budget for one.....Although if it helps rebuilds are in the main cheaper than on supras, skylines etc ;).
On a continued paranoid theme is car currently in Japan then & if so is 5k definately the price in UK post tax etc etc?
Just playing devils advocate (http://smilies.crowd9.com/contrib/ed/wink2.gif) lol.
As you\'ve already hinted at thou you do get what you apy for & if you were likely to have a more healthy budget in a few months i\'d be tempted to wait as buying a rank un will leave a bitter taste but get a healthy portion of metal & i\'m sure you\'ll have no end of fun! (http://www.gamers-forums.com/smilies/contrib/corky/smilies1.gif)
Si
Cheers Jay and Si. The RX is already in the UK, duty and VAT paid so obviously it was quite a cheapy at auction - a lot of the cheapness probably due to the fact it\'s got a couple of dents (though nothing major but it makes a lot of difference on auction prices) and the interior carpet has been cut to fit the rollcage. It may well have had an engine rebuild but no way of knowing so a precautionary one would be wise I guess. I\'ve been asked by my account manager guy (who has helped with the import of my Delica) if I want to make an offer and I\'m thinking of perhaps offering £4500 WITH an MOT. I guess if it all goes pear shaped I\'d be able to recoup some of that if it blows up and I sell it for spares! That\'s at worst so in a way that\'s the least I@m expecting. Like you say, I could be lucky and who knows - previous owner may well have rebuilt the engine several times if it\'s been used as a racer or trackday car. Mmmmmmm.
Pete
i\'d be tempted to have someone who knows what to look at cast their eye over it & do a compression test & such like so you have a better idea of it\'s condition & likelihood of needing a rebuild.....
Si
Mmmm. Is there anyone with a compression tester and who knows what readings the motor should have ho would fancy a day out in Southampton at beginning of Feb then? All burger expenses paid .
Pete
Just a note on compression testing - it will indicate some problems (i.e. low compression @ the rotor seals) but a good reading isn\'t always the sign of a strong engine. It\'s definately good for peace of mind though.
At 5k it makes quite alot of sense to buy as a rebuild will be in the region of £3k so you would end up with a sorted car for well under 9k with paintwork done. Not a bad price in all.
Iain
Hi guys. This is the interior of the motor I\'m about to have ciompression tested and possibly make an offer on. Can any of you identify the extra gauges that are there?
Cheers
Pete
bleedin hell at a guess er all of them i can\'t even think of that many types of guages so as i say i can only assume just about everything is covered. I guess the thing on top of steering column is a turbo timer (http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/mini/small-smiley-019.gif)
Si
& not wanting to rain (http://smilies.crowd9.com/contrib/ruinkai/biggrinumbrella1.gif) on yer parade but have you checked insurance quotes on such a modified car?
Si
Speaking of insurance, I called my current insurer Direct Line and they suggested insuring the RX-7 as my first car so I can make use of my full NCB, and insuring my Mitsu Delica as my second car. They asked about performance mods on the engine so I had to take a guess (not much good I know) and suggested that the ECU had been changed, they asked how much the power had been increased and whether perhaps it was by 20% to which I went "errrrr probably". Anyway, the quote I got was about £1600 for the 2 vehicles, fully comp, provided the car is garaged. I\'ll be 37 next month, no convictions or accidents, wife on the insurance as well (36). Insurance Factory quoted me £630 fully comp (after initially quoting £1433) on a "second car" policy which means I could keep the Delica with Direct Line who I am paying £350 for fully comp so that works out less than £1000 for both cars fully comp. These are reasonable quotes but I\'ll also try AON. Trouble is I haven\'t got a clue how much the power will be over stock and I suppose if it\'s upped by 50% then the insurance will be way higher.
Finally (sorry to waffle) but a question about this garaging lark - what would happen if I got a policy based on the car being garaged but then the car was stolen from somewhere else? For example if I\'d left it in the drive? I suppose if it got nicked from the drive I\'d have to enpty the garage out and boltcropper the padlock!!
Cheers again...
Pete
Hi Pete,
Minor dents lol. Have you seen the car in person ?
rgds
& insurance wise presuming we\'re talking genuinely here then if u have a garage why would you want to leave it outside it? Paranoia should be strong in you & do all you can i\'m sure they\'d wana investigate if anything was fishy (http://instagiber.net/smiliesdotcom/contrib/edoom/goldfish.gif) as such.... But if we\'re talking an honest bad luck then dont see how they could moan but well u get the idea IMO
Si
Hiya Brian. This is probably one of those cars that you would have looked at and then run a mile! I\'m really not that worried about the body work - maybe I should be! It\'s an auction grade 3.5, no repaired accident damage - just the dents that are pretty obviously not much to worry about (from the pictures anyway). It has been inspected by the mechs who work for the company I\'m dealing with and they have confirmed the auction grade. I\'m happy with these guys and trust them (just hope I\'m not being naive!). I have used them to buy another Mitsu Delica at auction in Japan which is now at Southampton waiting for me to collect it. So I\'m off there tomorrow or Thursday and will look at the RX at the same time.
Si, re the insurance thing - I\'d love to keep it in the garage all the time but I\'ve got my other toy in there - my precious KTM enduro bike which around these parts is probably more of a theft prospect than an RX-7. The joyriders here are into Vauxhall Astras, bikes and scooters at the mo.
Don\'t s\'pose anyone knows what that Apexi unit is on the middle of the dash?
Pete