Mazda Rotary Club

Hi - just joined the forum.

I\'m going to buy an RX-7 however I\'m not sure what to be looking for. I\'ve browsed this site and a few others and worked out the basic car I want, which is a 3rd Gen Twin Turbo RX-7, but there\'s so much information out there and here its hard to know whats relevant to me.

Basically, I\'ve no real knowledge of modifications on cars. I want to get a pretty standard RX-7, get used to it, enjoy it for a while, then look at ramping it up. From what I\'ve read, the 3rd Gens do 0-60 in less than 5.5 secs which for the moment is fast enough as I\'m used to 9.

So - what do I need to look out for? There seems to be a number of different models on the 3rd gens. Does anyone have any advice on which ones would be appropriate for me. I do like a bit of luxury in a car, so if its nice inside, even better, although I know its what under the bonnet thats more important. Which brings me to the point of engine. A few posts on this forum talk about engine rebuilds. Is it better to get one with an engine rebuild? How long do the engines last? Should I get a standard one or should I be looking for one with some essentially useful mods on?

I test drove one today, but I don\'t trust the guy at the garage. He said it was 500bhp and had a racing engine in. I logged onto the site where the paperwork says the engine was bought from and it says that model engine has 250bhp. I dunno, could it really be mod\'d to get another 250bhp out of it. He didn\'t really seem to know anything about it, and apart from the receipts for some ICE and the engine, there was no other receipts. It was a K reg and was 10.5k. From looking around, if its only 250bhp it seems expensive.

Anyway, before I write a thesis, any or as much information as you can supply to me would be great.

Thanks

gAdj

the guy is bullshiting u guys on this forum sell there mothers for 500 horses :P

what u want is a a standart type r look in the for sale section and also check out this guy he has a gr8 we buisnes going for him and as a member of the club and rx7 enthusiast he wont put u wrong as far as engin rebuilds are concerend i hve seen stock cars that are well looked after at 90k on the clock an engin will only go if u dont treat it right but u might aswell try and get a car with a rebuild done hope this helps if u can read my award wining vocabulary

Hi, Im soon going to be purchasing an RX-7 and have been looking at them for 2 years. A good site to tell you about each model of RX-7 is this:

http://www.rx7.net.nz/fd-jp-models.html


What car are you coming from. Is it somthing like a VTR to have a 9 sec 0-60?

I seriously doubt that the car you tested had 500bhp - if it did then I\'m sure you\'d know about it!!!!!
And for 10.5k I\'d say NO CHANCE:)

It depends on what you want from the car really, insurance etc. etc.

Buying a car that has been modded already can save you a lot of money in the long run, just make sure that whoever did the mods knew what they were doing and that the work was carried out to a high standard.
On the other hand if you\'re a young driver on a budget then you\'d probably be better off going for as standard a car as you can find - always try to get a car with as low a mileage as you can and one with a warranty that covers a rebuild.
Although condition is more important than age or mileage.

I think the general feeling on this forum is that the engines need seals replacing at 60-70k, although some have lasted a lot longer and some have gone pop way before that - depends on how well its been looked after, regularly had its oil changed etc.

The guy trying to sell you the car seems desperate for a sale, and I think 10.5k seem a bit pricey for one as early as that.
Look around and don\'t rush in as its sods law you\'ll find a better one a week later - there\'s plenty of choice now and plenty of reputable suppliers - see the traders forum and try the links in the banner at the top of the page.

Good luck and welome aboard:wave

Steve

Whach out for the garages that trell you there pre 1995 rx-7 they have is a stock 280bhp coz its not, there 255bhp. 280bhp models came around from 1999 onwards and they were the R, RS & RZ models.

Hi - thanks for the replies. My current car is a 2002 Mazda 6 2.3 Sport - I kinda like Mazdas :)

I want a RX-7 as an occasional car, and wouldn\'t mind going down Santa Pod with it. I\'ve got a feeling that once I get a car, I\'ll get a lot more into it. And I\'m 31 - so I don\'t think insurance is going to be too much of a problem.

That\'s a cool site - thanks.

I seriously doubted it was 500bhp. Also, when we were driving, the red "Change Coolant" light came on with a loud constant beep noise. "It\'s never done that before - probably nothing to worry about" was his response. Also, apparently, the brakes had "been done" and the suspension had "been done", but he had no idea what had been done to them. Still - the drive was fun and it just made me more determined to get one. Still the site that put the engine in that car (Hurleyrotary.com) has got a listed 450bhp rx-7 for just 11.5k I think is was. To be honest though, I think I\'d prefer a newer car for my money. Dunno how much the newer ones go for - will check out the traders forum.

Any more info, or hints will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the help.

Forgot to say - are there any models that are particularly better than others. I reckon I\'ve got about 12k to spend. So something around that price range.

The best models is RZ for what you want the car for but they are very hard to get hold of. Not that much difference between the R and RS. the bathurst is a special edition but it came with everything I think. Really at the end of the day there all prety uch the same, unless your a race car driver :) I wanted an RZ but have been looking for sooooo long. Does the 12k include insurance?

No - doesn\'t include insurance - that\'s just for the car.  But I\'m hoping that registering it as my second car and occasional and being 31, it won\'t be too expensive.

Thing is - I\'m not patient. I\'d like to get one as soon as I have enough information about what I should get. So if the RZs are so hard to find, I probably wouldn\'t wait that long.

From that web site you sent me, it looks like there are loads of different versions of R, RS and RZs, from different years. I presume the newer it is, the more toys it\'ll have - or does that not hold true?

Uh oh did i hear the mention of Hurley run away
Si (still bitter & twisted)

There\'s a 99 liquidation one by the looks of it on ebay ATM as well which is currently mucho cheap but i\'m sure that will go thru the roof nearer the end & i know nothing of the condition but might be worth keeping an eye on.....?
Si

You been scar\'d by Hurley then?

my Hurley experiance thread (http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4777&highlight=hurley)
Si

That one on ebay - do you reckon it was built in 99 or just registered in the uk in 99? The interior doesn\'t look hardly any different to the one I test drove today, and that\'s a 92 model. Did they not change much?

So sounds like I don\'t wanna do anything with Hurley. Good job I didn\'t set my heart on that car. A sales man with a weakness for exageration (that\'s the diplomatic way of putting it) and a new engine by a company it sounds like I don\'t wanna deal with.

So, does anyone know of any good garages in the camrbridgeshire area - although to be honest, I have no problem travelling if I feel I can trust someone. Had bad experiences with garages in the past - hate feeling I\'m getting ripped off.

//www.neweraimports.com will import one for you to your spec.