Hi Guys.
it seems to me rx ownership is slightly blighted by the engine. its a sword of damacles hanging over your head the whole time, waiting to blow! my heart is set on getting one but i would hate the stress of not knowing whats going on with the engine and having to get it rebuilt after a few months or a year. surely buying one where the engine has already blown would be the best option because the worst has already happened and all you have to do then is get it fixed. could i get a blown rex for about 2/2.5k? does anyone have one they want to sell?! Then spend 3/4k getting it done. stress free rx ownership? is this a good idea.
what about importing a 7 with a blown engine from japan with one of those new engines newera can get? have it shipped straight to a rotary specialist who could put it all together and again, surely many trouble free miles (re: engine)?
please let me know what you guys think
thanks
2.5k should buy a very nice rx7 with a blown engine the problem is finding one. You can get them for as little as 1k. Aslong as you can wait and get your maths right i think it is a good idea.
Sounds like a top tip to me- especialy if you can find one that is otherwise in good order, at least from a bodyshell/ interior point of view, other parts of the car are much like any other so easier to make a judgement if you go and see one. I do like this idea, and I think I\'m gonna try this if the opportunity arises. If anyone spots one somewhere, please dolet us know. :)
Thats what i did, but spent a lot more on the car because it was the particular model i wanted, Jap Type X manual, in Silver, Sunroof, cruise control, Airbags, Full Bose, then New rebuild! Well happy,
One word of caution fr you. Buying a blown engine car means you got no idea what the state of affair are for the rest of the car? Dodgy gearbox? Dodgy Diff? Dodgy Suspension / bushes. Also the cause of the engien failure might not be known such that a rebuilt engine may blow up again due to ancillary failure (example - maybe the car has a dodgy intermittent Fuel pump which caused the last engine to detonate....when you get the new engine put in, the fuel pump may cause that to go as well...then you are seriously out of pocket.)
Whats you budget that your setting out for this 97 car as youre going to struggle hard to find a blown 97 car for a start!
i guess my budget is around 6/7 but i would stretch to around eight if i knew i was going to get something that i wouldn\'t have to do anything major too in forseeable future.
what about the importing a blown one with a new engine? what do you guys think about that?
Quotewhat about the importing a blown one with a new engine? what do you guys think about that?
Don\'t think that\'s wise at all, as Jit points out no chance on knowing what the rest of the car is like!
Fortunately for me the car i wanted was drivable, but losing small amount of water, but at least i got to drive it first,
but newera are pretty good arn\'t they? as in, if i said i wanted a straight, decent car with a blown engine, their boys out there should be able to source me one? i would just be trusting them that that\'s what they would deliver. with a new engine, surely ive then got 80,000 engine problem free miles. i know other stuff will go wrong but nothing near as major than the engine?
80k engine problem free miles,
wow who\'s doing the rebuild?
I think there is more to this than you may think.
The problem is a \'rebuild\' will normally only include tips/seals and general
checks and gaskets. Some may include housings, but the cost will go up.
While the engine is out a new clutch? ad maybe £500 for that.
You now have a car with maybe 18year old electrics,injectors,pumps, turbos
hoses and so on.When the engine is pulled out all of this will be disturbed
pulled back, unclipped and so on.
Next your back on the road with old worn parts and a engine with good compression/performance so you will now quickly find all the other waiting faults to occur.
The FD is now becoming a classic car and shall need restoring all over, but
I would agree you are going the right way to start.
Once the engine is done the other parts can be replaced as they break/wearout.
Goodluck in your search:Thumbs-up
Paul..
yeah steer clear of importing one with a blown engine unless you are prepared and willing to have to swap out bits!
Newera may well be good at what they do in finding straight cars...but they sure as hell wont be able to tell if the box or diff is shagged or if theres any other problems which may cause a major headache in the future!
Like I said in your other thread..your best off buying one thats already here! The one Jason has at super7 is a 98 black and its at the top end of your budget...but then again has nothing wrong with it and has a freshly rebuilt engine (ive yet to find someone who has had major issues with his engines!)
Quote from: JitOne word of caution fr you. Buying a blown engine car means you got no idea what the state of affair are for the rest of the car? Dodgy gearbox? Dodgy Diff? Dodgy Suspension / bushes. Also the cause of the engien failure might not be known such that a rebuilt engine may blow up again due to ancillary failure (example - maybe the car has a dodgy intermittent Fuel pump which caused the last engine to detonate....when you get the new engine put in, the fuel pump may cause that to go as well...then you are seriously out of pocket.)
Whats you budget that your setting out for this 97 car as youre going to struggle hard to find a blown 97 car for a start!
well said....many people forget this!!!!
the reason im saying 80k engine free miles is that somone said the new 13b engines which newera can get a hold of are of the same spec as the last rx\'s, i.e. 2002 engine spec. someone said these go to 80 before rebuild. thats why i reckoned on that.
i guess what it all comes down to is what a person considers to be least of risk and then get a balance between that and the amount your willing to pay.
I think too much is made of the fragility of the engines in RXs. In three years, the only part of the car I\'ve NEVER had trouble from is the engine! Everything else is a nightmare. All the ancilliaries burn out, crumble to dust, blow up, or just downright stop working, the suspension bends and the bushes tear to bits, but the engine carries on regardless. Mine\'s daily driven, never warmed up as much as it should be, never cooled down slowly enough, abused in all weathers. So long as it\'s not been left to stand so all the seals perish, the engine should be no more likely to break than any other sort. Just be aware that the tips will wear eventually, and so long as you know what to look for, budget for repair before they fail.
Much as I hate to swell his head any, Jit\'s right! Buying a blown-engine car gives no you guarantee the rest of it is in any fit state either, and you have no chance to test it to find out.
Might it be doable in many cases Nik? Won\'t most blown engines just be stuck in limp home mode? Or is that idea playing with fire?
I dont think we, as noobs, should restrict ourselves to just this approach if at all possible, DW- you can always pick up a loan of you think you\'ve found "the one".
argghhh stoppit.... my heads about to explode!!! :D
Quote from: bluerxMight it be doable in many cases Nik? Won\'t most blown engines just be stuck in limp home mode? Or is that idea playing with fire?
I dont think we, as noobs, should restrict ourselves to just this approach if at all possible, DW- you can always pick up a loan of you think you\'ve found "the one".
Guess it depends on why it\'s gone phut. From my understanding,
if you could get an engine to start with blown seals of either sort, you certainly wouldn\'t be driving it hard enough to test brakes, chassis track, suspension, boost control, and all the other things you\'d like to be straight! Better to find the money for a UK registered car with rebuild history. Like I found out with my two, it means the rest of the car can (and does) fall to bits, but at least you\'re spared the extra worry of the engine sh!tt!ng itself.
Jit, don\'t hurt yourself patting yourself on the back! :Laugh Sell the man your nice black Rex!
All fair points there Nik. With here, FDUK, pistonheads, ebay and good old autotrader there\'s no shortage of cars to go at, and I\'m definately not in a rush, so it\'s a case of wait and see.
As for Jit\'s car- shes all yours, DW, it\'s saving up time here :)
here we go:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200212364419&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=200212364419&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=010)
If you have a look at what he has bought, he needed to buy a new ecu.
I would stay away personally, oil leak from sump, good compression?? How does he know, has he tested it.
Uprated drift - great for drifting.....mmmm me thinks thrashed to hell and back
Looks like a gauranteed bag of arse to me! No photo of the engine bay, so you\'ve only got his word on the shedloads of goodies allegedly under the bonnet. Would have more credence if he could spell "GReddy" correctly. If all he has to do is read it off the elbow, it shouldn\'t be that hard!
Those lights will fail an MOT, too. Unless it comes with the standard ones, budget for that at the very least! Sump gasket is an absolute PITA to re-seal, engine out or rack dropped off the bottom job, unless you\'re lucky enough to be able to undo all the mounts and jack it and the gearbox up enough to do it, in which case you need the dexterity and tiny hands of a proctologist. Might be the only bright point, if you have to take the engine out anyway to replace/repair it you can do the sump gasket properly, too.
Any advert that refers to "drifting" more than once might as well translate as "mercilessly thrashed from stone cold by a mechanically unsympathetic baboon who\'d rather show off to his mates than treat a car with any respect. Will explode expensively shortly after purchase. Avoid"
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130210442690&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=003 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=130210442690&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=003)
how about this. and its near me. i dont know what those compression figures are. i.e. if they are good or not.
Thats Martin @ Speedline. He is a vendor on this site.Very Good figures indeed
ok so should i give him a call and go and check it out. it seems that out of all the advice everyone has given me this would be my best bet.
Unfortunatly I have just sold that car about an hour ago.
Regards,
Martin
Quote from: Speedline ImportsUnfortunatly I have just sold that car about an hour ago.
Regards,
Martin
not suprised with them compression readings lol
nads........
Quote from: nick englishnot suprised with them compression readings lol
Indeed. It is and great standard example, and the new owner is taking it home this week.
I recently bought an rx7 with a blown engine which i am currently rebuilding myself. In terms of cost, the amount can escalate horribly once you get the engine out of the car, i was filled with dread when the bare engine was on my work bench ready to be dissembled. Fortunately only the front rotor and housing were damaged, the car had chucked a seal and badly scored the front housing and damaged the seal inset and one of the combustion areas.
When i looked for a car i tried to find a car with expensive aftermarket parts that i could strip off the car and sell to help with the rebuild, and it has worked well. i have spent just over £1200 in parts so far + £500 for a Power FC, but i have made nearly £800 selling some of the stuff that i dont want on the car (wheels, ebay intercooler, steering wheel, crap coilovers).
The main problem is if you buy a problem car and find you need 2 new housings, 2 rotors and 3 centre, front and plates even if you do it yourself the parts alone will cost you in excess of £3000, which really defeats the object of getting a car with a blown engine as its better value to buy a working car for the amount you end up spending.