Buying a rex with a blown engine?

[devlin_weed]

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

[Timmy]

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.

[bluerx]

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.

[ro284]

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,

[Jit]

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!

[devlin_weed]

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?

[ro284]

what 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,

[devlin_weed]

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?

[Paul-Tll]

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..

[Jit]

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!)

[Ed_RX7]

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!

well said....many people forget this!!!!

[devlin_weed]

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.

[devlin_weed]

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.

[Nik da Greek]

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.

[bluerx]

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".