Evening folks. I\'m a newbie on here, but been on mr2oc for a while.
I\'m away to view what looks like a beaut of an RX7 on Wednesday in Bradford (from Edinburgh). It looks like it may have been stood since import - about 6 months or so I\'m guessing - and I was wondering what effect this might have on a test drive. I\'ve looked at the buying guide and I get the general "thing" about rotary engines but I\'m thinking I might mistake something that isn\'t terminal for something that is. Not that I\'m scared about rebuild costs etc - I\'m fully aware of the long-term financial commitment a RX7 demands.
It\'s a low-mileage example at around 30000, and it is untouched mechanically. This to me suggests that either it\'s in very good nick with maybe 20-30k miles left on the engine, or it\'s been ragged from day 1 and is now over here cos it\'s broken.
I certainly don\'t want to buy a lemon, so does anyone have any advice for my particular situation?
Cheers in advance
post up some pictures bud?
Be wary, Bradford has more than it\'s fair share of "Lemons"
Quote from: harris2182post up some pictures bud?
Here\'s (http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/350631.htm) the Pistonheads link. To be honest it\'s the 1st I\'ll have looked at from a buyer\'s point of view, and I\'m a bit wary of being bowled over by the looks alone.
looks nice, be careful on the \'warrenty\' side of things, my first rx7 i brought came with warrenty but didnt cover the engine popping, so always allow for a rebuild
I wouldn\'t expect the warranty to cover much, really. They\'re generally always of the kind that only cover things that can\'t be explained away by "general wear and tear, age of vehice, Acts of God or gods, war, pestilence, famine, fear, militiary occupation, civil war, riots, phases of the moon or teenagers" :D
mine a be up for sale in a week bud.. its a 97 with 21,000km on the clocks, big spec and im only an 1 1/2 hours drive away :D
the exhaust doesn\'t look to stock on that car tbh
Quote from: interloper393mine a be up for sale in a week bud.. its a 97 with 21,000km on the clocks, big spec and im only an 1 1/2 hours drive away :D
Very tempting mate, but I\'m looking for a standard one engine-wise. I\'m moving up from an MR2 Turbo, which is fairly quick, but I don\'t want to get into the realms of fantasy just quite yet...
well mines running non-sequencial so really everthings there to go single lateron if you wanted.. mines more reliabilty built.. getting maped n comp tested tomorrow so i`ll pop up the results? power wise id say 300bhp maxish
Quote from: dthebukthe exhaust doesn\'t look to stock on that car tbh
Yes, I noticed that. What\'s the craic with that kind of thing on rotary engines? On my MR2 a new exhaust only means an ECU reset and some cold-grade plugs, and that\'s just advisory rather than essential. If there\'s an aftermarket exhaust but nothing done to the engine, how\'s that going to affect things like engine life?
I\'ve heard a couple of bad reports of this place from a few people in the trade. I had a look at them a while ago and was really amused at this advert:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/320649.htm
Quote1994, Tax & tested, blitz intercooler, arc induction, akimoto vacume hose, reneted headlight covers, rays enginering coilovers, 16 inch mazda speed alloys, paddle clutch, quick shift, button handbrake for drifting, apexi boost guages, apexi water guage, HKS turbo timer, greedy oil temp + guage, twin din kenwood cd/md, rs stainless steel exhaust, UPRATED DIFF, momo steering, FULLY DRIFT PREPPED FROM JAPAN
"akimoto vacume hose" - Your guess is as good as mine?... Maybe Kakimoto Exhaust and uprated vacume hoses? :confused:
"reneted headlight covers" - Maybe Vented headlight cover? :Thumbsup!
"rays engineering coilovers" - Since when have rays ever done that? Maybe means rays engineering alloys & some form of coilovers? :confused:
"16 inch mazdaspeed alloys" - Ok you\'ve mentioned the same alloys in the one sentance twice now :confused:
"rs stainless steel exhaust" - RS?.... What do you mean RS*R? :confused:
"button handbrake for drifting" - Words fail me, they really do :2Rolleyes
"FULLY DRIFT PREPPED FROM JAPAN" - Again words fail me, there is not one thing that I would class as "drift" on this car apart from the "uprated diff" & "coilvers"............ If this car even has them? :2Rolleyes
At the end of the day would you really spend your money at a place that cant even get basic English right, let alone the advert!
Quote from: themightyoYes, I noticed that. What\'s the craic with that kind of thing on rotary engines? On my MR2 a new exhaust only means an ECU reset and some cold-grade plugs, and that\'s just advisory rather than essential. If there\'s an aftermarket exhaust but nothing done to the engine, how\'s that going to affect things like engine life?
Back box wont make much difference and wont really require any real upgrades. If you start replacing the mid pipe and downpipe, then you really need to start looking at boost control and fueling. Such as PowerFC.
A straight through exhaust can be controlled by decent mapping (according to pip @ WGT), however I always like to see some form of boost controller on rotary\'s aswell just to keep ontop of any spikes.
"Greedy oil temp gauge" LOL
Joking apart, I\'m not going to base my opinions of a company on someone\'s spelling/grammar: they\'re car dealers, not the Poet Laureate :Tongue1
Having said that, I\'m wary of anything in the West Yorkshire area due to the horror stories I\'ve read about that "Keighley Motors" place. I heard they changed their name a coupe of times due to bad image, and I\'m not up for getting myself involved with any of that business.
Any particular badness about MIR, or is it just general cowboy antics?
Cheers Kevin
I\'ve got a boost controller lying around here somewhere, and it\'ll be going straight on any RX7 I decide to buy.
Quote from: themightyoCheers Kevin
I\'ve got a boost controller lying around here somewhere, and it\'ll be going straight on any RX7 I decide to buy.
no need mine has one already fitted :).. heres the spec anywho..
RX7 TYPE RS
21,000KM
EXTERIOR
CWEST SIDE SKIRTS
CWEST FRONT BUMPER
CWEST REAR BUMPER
FEED CARBON FIBER BONNET
CWEST GT WING
VENTED LIGHT COVER (STILL TO FIT BUT WILL BE)
VEILSIDE DEEP DISH ALLOYS, 18" REARS, 17" FRONTS
INTERIOR
MAZDASPEED SEATS IN BLACK
GREDDY GAUGES X 4(OIL TEMP,OIL PRESSURE,WATER TEMP,BOOST)
GREDDY E01 BOOST CONTROLLER( LCD SCREEN)
GREDDY TURBO TIMER
APEXI PFC AND COMMANDER
HKS FAN CONTROLLER
REAR INTERIOR REMOVED BUT I DO HAVE IT
BATTERY RELOCATED TO BOOT
DRIFT STYLE HANDBREAK
ENGINE
NON SEQUENCIAL SETUP
GREDDY FRONT MOUNT INTERCOOLER
GREDDY ALLOY RAD (1.5 LITRE EXTRA COOLENT CAPACITY)
HKS BOV
HKS RS INDUCTION KIT
FEED PULLEY KIT
CUSCO CATCH TANK
CUSCO BRAKE STOPPER
UPRATED LEADS
FULLY REMOVED AIRCON
FULLY REMOVED AIRPUMP
RELOCATED BATTERY
REMOVED BUTTERFLYS AND FULLY PORTED PLENUM
REMOVED RATS NEST AND EVERYTHING TO GO NON-SEQ
DECATED
PERFORMANCE EXHAUST (STAINLESS FITTED OR TITANIUM AVALIABLE)
PADDLE CLUTCH
LIMITED SLIP DIFF EITHER 2 WAY OR 1.5 WAY, UNSURE
SUSPENSION
TEIN RA SHOCKS ALL ROUND
TEIN FRONT UNDER STIFFNING BAR THINGY
Quote from: interloper393no need mine has one already fitted :).. heres the spec anywho..
RX7 TYPE RS
21,000KM
EXTERIOR
CWEST SIDE SKIRTS
CWEST FRONT BUMPER
CWEST REAR BUMPER
FEED CARBON FIBER BONNET
CWEST GT WING
VENTED LIGHT COVER (STILL TO FIT BUT WILL BE)
VEILSIDE DEEP DISH ALLOYS, 18" REARS, 17" FRONTS
INTERIOR
MAZDASPEED SEATS IN BLACK
GREDDY GAUGES X 4(OIL TEMP,OIL PRESSURE,WATER TEMP,BOOST)
GREDDY E01 BOOST CONTROLLER( LCD SCREEN)
GREDDY TURBO TIMER
APEXI PFC AND COMMANDER
HKS FAN CONTROLLER
REAR INTERIOR REMOVED BUT I DO HAVE IT
BATTERY RELOCATED TO BOOT
DRIFT STYLE HANDBREAK
ENGINE
NON SEQUENCIAL SETUP
GREDDY FRONT MOUNT INTERCOOLER
GREDDY ALLOY RAD (1.5 LITRE EXTRA COOLENT CAPACITY)
HKS BOV
HKS RS INDUCTION KIT
FEED PULLEY KIT
CUSCO CATCH TANK
CUSCO BRAKE STOPPER
UPRATED LEADS
FULLY REMOVED AIRCON
FULLY REMOVED AIRPUMP
RELOCATED BATTERY
REMOVED BUTTERFLYS AND FULLY PORTED PLENUM
REMOVED RATS NEST AND EVERYTHING TO GO NON-SEQ
DECATED
PERFORMANCE EXHAUST (STAINLESS FITTED OR TITANIUM AVALIABLE)
PADDLE CLUTCH
LIMITED SLIP DIFF EITHER 2 WAY OR 1.5 WAY, UNSURE
SUSPENSION
TEIN RA SHOCKS ALL ROUND
TEIN FRONT UNDER STIFFNING BAR THINGY
dam, how much you expecting to sell that for?
Quote from: themightyoJoking apart, I\'m not going to base my opinions of a company on someone\'s spelling/grammar: they\'re car dealers, not the Poet Laureate
Being an importer myself for well over a decade now, it disheartens me to see companies spring up importing aload of poor quality imports that they know nothing about.
I have always been very passionate about every car that i\'ve brought over, and believe me when I say it pays to buy these types of cars from someone who has looked after them well, as it will save you a small fortune in the long run.
They are the most frustraiting yet enjoyable car you will ever own!
Personally between going for one of there cars and the likes that interloper393 is selling, in my eyes there\'s no competition. Interloper393 all the way!
Best of luck with what ever you choose though mate!
Quote from: themightyo"Greedy oil temp gauge" LOL
Joking apart, I\'m not going to base my opinions of a company on someone\'s spelling/grammar: they\'re car dealers, not the Poet Laureate :Tongue1
Having said that, I\'m wary of anything in the West Yorkshire area due to the horror stories I\'ve read about that "Keighley Motors" place. I heard they changed their name a coupe of times due to bad image, and I\'m not up for getting myself involved with any of that business.
Any particular badness about MIR, or is it just general cowboy antics?
Anyone know the present name of the Keiley Trade Centre? Didnt know it had chaged names, as ive dodged all mention of it for a while now!
Chris
I went to see this car, a search for posts made under my username may yield a bit of info.
Quote from: T11MNMI went to see this car, a search for posts made under my username may yield a bit of info.
Would it be the one with gauze over the turbo inlet then? In a word - Sod that then! Ah well. I\'m sure there are enough out there that are good. Cheers for the heads up.
Quote from: KevinBest of luck with what ever you choose though mate!
I think I\'d rather take the advice of a knowledgeable importer like yourself than someone who puts a car up for sale as described above. That certainly isn\'t in their blurb.
interloper393are those the specs for the one for sale in your profile? I feel I may be swinging in your favour... I just had a chat with a lad up here who\'s got one and he\'s saying an enthusiast\'s car will always be the better buy compared to an unknown import.
Quote from: D2BBAAnyone know the present name of the Keiley Trade Centre? Didnt know it had changed names, as ive dodged all mention of it for a while now!
Chris
from mr2oc.co.uk, they\'re now Torque of Keighley.
also from mr2oc, "just to let everyone know these guys have 3 car sales placies, 1 at the Beeches roundabout, keighley, 1 heading towards the keighley/ skipton bypass ( 4x4 place) and also 1 in crosshills on a trading estate, if you look on their website it shows all 3."
yeah thats my car bud.. i`ll be putting her up for around the £10,000 mark.. iv still a few minor things id like to do to her yet... but im open to offers :D
who were u chatting to up there then lol i know a few edinburgh way bud..
I would not touch that car having been told the state the car is in.
YOu are better off looking here.
Quote from: FreddyI would not touch that car having been told the state the car is in.
YOu are better off looking here.
I\'m kinda sensing that, yeah. I\'ve been looking on Pistonheads for a while and I\'m seeing a wide range of prices, rebuild or no. Ideally, what should I be looking at for a private sale stock RX7?
Ideally you should definately go for one with recent rebuild, make sure that the paperwork is present and that the rebuild was carried out by a reputable rotary specialist. Such as WGT, Dragon, Hayward, Lindop, Reworx, etc. Ideally get one thats still under warranty from the rebuilder too. I believe Hayward offer two year warranties, which is awesome.
The overall spec is entirely upto you mate, and depends on what you want to end up with. If ultimately your wanting to go single turbo, then i\'d look for one thats already been done, as it will save you so much in the long run. But again if you want the unique and awesome driveability of the twin setup and are happy with that range of power with only minor mods, then you are probably better off going for a stock rebuilt one.
Whatever you go and look at, just post it up here and im sure you\'ll get some sensible and useful advice! :D
Quote from: themightyoWould it be the one with gauze over the turbo inlet then? In a word - Sod that then! Ah well. I\'m sure there are enough out there that are good. Cheers for the heads up.
I think I\'d rather take the advice of a knowledgeable importer like yourself than someone who puts a car up for sale as described above. That certainly isn\'t in their blurb.
interloper393
are those the specs for the one for sale in your profile? I feel I may be swinging in your favour... I just had a chat with a lad up here who\'s got one and he\'s saying an enthusiast\'s car will always be the better buy compared to an unknown import.
It wasn\'t the car i went to see this weekend, they may have put the problems right by now as it was some time ago.
I would wait and get one with a reputable rebuild if i were you.
Cheers for the advice fellas. I\'ve also been looking here (http://www.tradecarview.com/stock/japan_car/5/239/). Given I have a lot of spare time to fiddle with things like rear fogs, yellow side-lights etc., how easy is it to get an import through the SVA thing? I know that getting history is a problem in this case, but I\'m off to Japan for 3 weeks in April :Laugh and
I reckon I can scout things out from there.
I have had very bad experiences with tradecarview, which I wont go into detail here. But steer well clear!
There is no model report available for the RX7 therefore it\'s impossible to register one that is less than 10 years old. But for ones 10 years and older its just a matter of an MOT.
As for the fog lights, it\'s pretty easy, I tap my rear fog into one of the reverse lights, then just wire it up to the existing loom in the centre console. The dash is a pain in the a$$ to get apart but once done it\'s just a matter of tapping an electronic speedo convertor into the loom at the back to convert to mph.
maybe you should take the car for a test drive to reassure you how bad it is and how much more worth it a better one is?
i`ll take you for a spin in mine once its finished bud, im up your way ever now n then, plus theres a few others with different setups, so u cn see what u prefer..
Quote from: dthebukmaybe you should take the car for a test drive to reassure you how bad it is and how much more worth it a better one is?
That\'s part of the deal tomorrow. I\'ve got family & friends in Sheffield as well, so it\'s not going to be a 400-mile round trip just to see a shed.
Quote from: interloper393i`ll take you for a spin in mine once its finished bud, im up your way ever now n then, plus theres a few others with different setups, so u cn see what u prefer..
Now you KNOW I\'m gonna have to take you up on that offer!
lol no probs m8, i`l try not to scare ya too much :)
who do u know up there with a rex then?
Quote from: interloper393lol no probs m8, i`l try not to scare ya too much :)
who do u know up there with a rex then?
Well it\'s a bit contrived, but a bloke I used to work with now works with this chap. He\'s called Dave and I haven\'t met him yet. He fancies a look at whatever I get though, no surprise :chat
I am selling mine in Edinburgh at the moment;
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/375466.htm (http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/375466.htm)
Even if your not interested in the car let me know if you want to have a look round or go out in it.
Colin
Cheers Colin. I emailed you through the pistonheads website the other day! I\'m in Sheffield at the mo, after looking at that one in Bradford (shed!) but I\'ll be back today. What time of day is best for me to come over for a look?
That one in Bradford, where do I start?
1st off, the bloke was telling me all about how it was not a normal engine, it was a "compression" engine, but it\'s ok cos they\'ve been putting "high-octane tablets" from Halfrauds in the fuel tank. Bodykit is cracked/split/poorly fitted, the odometer fuse had blown so I couldn\'t see the mileage, and worst of all my test drive went with a splutter. The car idled at VERY low revs, and every time I put my foot down it hit some kind of fuel cut.
Guess I\'ll keep looking....
Doesn\'t sound like the fixed the problems then..
lol the usual dealer crap then.. there so many sheds about its unreal.. well mine was at pips yesterday.. high comp readings, pips said shes got a very healthy strong engine :) only prob he found is a bit of a boost spike which he thinks is the actuator so he`s sorting that the noo and i`ll collect it next week.. but overall everythings how it should be :) always great to here "its a good strong engine" lol.. still scares me watching your car getting maped :S
OK cool. I\'m off to see Colin\'s next weekend. Looks nice and tidy, and I\'m hoping all\'s well with it cos I like the idea of a RS. Good thing is if I do decide to buy I might have a bit extra in my budget for anything that may need doing (depending if I get rid of the MR2 or not - the other half has her eyes on it I think). This leads to a couple of questions:
Firstly, does anyone know of a RX7 specialist in Scotland. The Mazda garage in Edinburgh have said they\'ll do general servicing, but I get the feeling that on seeing me pull into the carpark they\'ll all be running for the nearest cupboard with a lock on the inside. I also phoned a place called "Calder Racing Development", who seem to have an excellent track record with building thoroughbred racecars, and they said they work on RX7s all the time, but I\'ve not seen them mentioned on here.
Secondly, how long should a rebuild last on a stock engine? I\'ve gleaned that the original engines should last maybe 60-70,000 miles, yet have heard rumours of rebuilds needed 5000 miles after a rebuild. How so? I\'m not really one for adding racing-spec hoojabibs and performance wotsits so I think I\'ll only ever be after making the engine as it was when it left Mazda.
Cheers for all the advice so far, anyway.
Theres no where in Scotland that specilise in RX7`s, closest is pips hense why mines there the noo... only a 4 hour drive away so not too bad..
Pip\'s being WGT?
Everything\'s slowly coming together re: ownership - just managed to get a garage in what must be the most garage-less place in the UK. It has power, lighting that would do Bramall Lane proud (guess where I\'m from originally...), an inspection pit and a workbench, plus enough space for my bike and the gf\'s scooter, and it\'s about 30 seconds walk from my flat. Result!
I would steer clear of Calder... heard some horror stories, especially with FDs.
The Garage in Wishaw is the only place in Scotland that really know about FDs but Marc doesnt really do anything major with them as they always end up costing him money. Good for servicing and fitting parts though and he\'s a top bloke, expect to be waiting for a while though as they are always really busy.
Hi there, Cols car is a beaut, unmolested original condition.
As for specialists, i can only echo whats been said.
General servicing is easy to do yourself (if you\'re into that). For tuning, rebuilds etc, I would only used recognised garages, like the ones mentioned on here. I have used WGT. (its a bit of a trek, but at least i know it has been looked after properly).
Nige