Does this look like a good RX-7??

[gsb876]

Best thing to do Stew, is get someone off this forum to perhaps go with you to view the car as even alittle experience is better than none at all???

Also that way the guys there can\'t bull$hit you about certain aspects of the rx???

Gurj

[stew205]

Update after viewing

Ok just got back from seeing the car. Overall the bodywork didn\'t look bad, a couple of stone chips and a small shopping trolly type ding in the passenger door.

The front bumper was a slightly different shade, is this common? Didn\'t look accident damaged.


Engine sounded good enough and idled fine with no evident knocking or nasty noisey.


Concerns Concerns

Things that did concern me though were that he had also changed the gearbox to one out of his other RX. His other RX seemed to be his pride and joy so I think this one has ended up with the worse gearbox. No nasty syncro noises on test drive but he didn\'t do any high revving gear changes.

The drivers seat had more wear than I would have expected for 25Kmiles use. It had a stich repair to the vertical bolster:confused:


Bigger Concerns Concerns

I was expected it to be very quick but it didn\'t seem to be.
It picked up nicly at low revs but didn\'t have the top end power I would expect from a 280BHP engine in a relatively small car??:confused:

From reading previous posts on here it seems that the 2nd turbo not operating correctly seems to be a fairly common fault.

Should it really pull hard high up the rev range?

I\'ve owned a couple of 300BHP cosworths and they really pull  and don\'t seem to run out of puff even though they are not as revvy.


One other thing which wasn\'t even a concern before I sat in the drivers seat is would I fit


I\'m 6ft 4 and my left leg fouls the hand brake when its released, surely some other tall people own one of these cars?


Didn\'t buy it, said I would let the guy know!



Gotta say this is a really friendly and welcoming website also, makes want to own an RX-7 even more now!

[MikeLMR]

moving to the correct section :wave

[J4P RX]

The front bumper was a slightly different shade, is this common? Didn\'t look accident damaged.

Yeah because they are plastic and the show the colour differently.  Most of them have a slight indentation in them too in the same place.

[stew205]

Yeh wasn\'t to sure where to put it.


Thanks
Stew

[wiggy]

from my limited experience of ownership I would say there is something wrong with it.

I\'ve had 300+ cossies, 300+ GT4\'s etc and this car deffo seems the quickest once that second turbo wakes up.

In mine so far I have had a few tail end moments once that second bad boy wakes up. The back end gets all giddy and tries to overtake the front In the wet this is amplified 10 fold.....hehehe

I\'d say the second turbo isn\'t doing anything from what you say.

I thought the same thing in mine until I opened her up, about 5000rpm things get very interesting :rollin :rollin

Regards

[stew205]

Yes does sound like the second turbo doesn\'t it.

Could it just be an elictrical fault stopping the turbo from operating or is it all mechanical?
Could it be diabled on purpose to hide a prob?

[bnaellis]

Originally posted by wiggy
from my limited experience of ownership I would say there is something wrong with it.

I\'ve had 300+ cossies, 300+ GT4\'s etc and this car deffo seems the quickest once that second turbo wakes up.

In mine so far I have had a few tail end moments once that second bad boy wakes up. The back end gets all giddy and tries to overtake the front In the wet this is amplified 10 fold.....hehehe

I\'d say the second turbo isn\'t doing anything from what you say.

I thought the same thing in mine until I opened her up, about 5000rpm things get very interesting :rollin :rollin

Regards

You may wanna check your tyres as in the dry on a stock or close to stock rx7 you should have no issues with traction at all under acceleration.
If the 2nd turbo is working normal on a rx7 it will always put a smile on your face:D

rgds

[wiggy]

Sorry I\'ll re-phrase, I didn\'t mean it lost traction in the dry it just gets lively and certainly wakes up I\'ve had a few moments in the wet though where it starts to go sideways all good fun.....I forgot what it was like to drive a high powered RWD car

[bnaellis]

Originally posted by wiggy
Sorry I\'ll re-phrase, I didn\'t mean it lost traction in the dry it just gets lively and certainly wakes up I\'ve had a few moments in the wet though where it starts to go sideways all good fun.....I forgot what it was like to drive a high powered RWD car

What the gt4 like in the wet ?
The only car that I have driven with worse traction in the wet than a rx7 is an old 1983 Y reg bmw 323i, I am pretty sure you can\'t get worse than that.
Careful in the wet though mate, probably the most common way to stack an rx7 is by over correction when the back steps out as it all happens so quick.


rgds

[wiggy]

This is the killer because the GT4 was ultra grippy in the wet, it was probably better in the wet as you could get the back end out and do some very tasty 4 wheel power slides. In the dry it just understeered. I played around with the suspension loads in the 4 as it had the works in terms of adjustament. Loads of neg camber and it handled better than a go cart but was a nightmare to daily drive. You\'d turn the wheel and it would steer itself and the wheel would just want to jump out of your hand and go round the corner, great on track but pants driving to work #

So, going from one of the better handling 4x4\'s to a powerful RWD is going to take some getting used to again. My old cossy (about 6 years ago) was about 340bhp and RWD and was a handful. I\'d like to think I\'ve learned a lot since then though doing about 5 track days a year. I always say to everyone with a fast car. GET ON TRACK....its THEE best way to learn to drive fast in a safe controlled manner. You can push the car as much as you like to its and your limits and learn a thing or 2 about how to prevent it in future

But this sometimes is in one ear and out the other, just like telling people they need the right suspension setup and brakes. No one ever seemed to listern until I psated them with less power Shit hot brakes and suspension = a bloody fast car, the BHP just helps :rollin :rollin

[RX7TypeR]

i agree wiggy.....rite setup of sus and brakes and ur a weapon...i had a 4x4 cossie spend a lot of time on sus and brakes and less on getting big power....was runnin 360 in the end..took it to oulton and was leavin alot of expensive motors!!!!with big power! Was a very very good day!:D

[Big Stu]

I wouldnt be to worried about getting in one? Im 6\'5" and 18 stone and i get in mine fine. However you do look like a complete **** getting on and out.

Also you would definetly feel the burst when the 2nd turbo came in. It really does fly at greater than 5000 rpm.

Stu

[stew205]

Two big Stu\'s on one web site:rollin


Does your left leg not foul the handbrake lever though?

[Big Stu]

No Not at all. My leg is below the handbrake against the central console. But it doesnt interfere with driving. The only issue i have is remembering to bring my foot all the way off the clutch after changing gear since my legs are so long.

I did try a few cars and all seemed to be slightly different so maybe that is it??