what to look out for when buyin a rx7

[azzy]

hello, i am reali interested in gettin an rx7 as my next car but i dont reali know anything about them and the rotary stuff.

i am after a 3rd gen model, about 1994 on wards but it depends on what i find within my budget.  i was wandering if anyone would be willing to help:

what are the different models and which is best.
what is the difference between them
anything relevant to the engine, how long they roughly last and things to look out for.
what to look for when i actualy check an rx7 out before i buy.

and anything else you can think off that would help.

i am based in england so would also appreciate feedback from anyone else living here.

thanks
hope you can help!

[scooby_si]

check these bad boys http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008\' target=\'_blank\'>http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/347.gif\' border=0> out:
what to look for thread
&
3rd gen model guide although IMO there\'s very little between them & a few mods will soon make one better than other.....depending on your definition of better of course
The usual stuff people say with engine rebuild is circa 60k but sum may go earlier & many much longer but if possible having a budget of 3k on standby &/or buy a recently rebuilt one.....
But ask away it seems you have good taste.....lol
Si

[FDDreamer]

Hey azzy. :wave

I\'m in a similar position myself. Best thing i can recommend is to spend a long time researching these lovely cars. There\'s nothing on the road like them, which is a bit of a double-edged sword. You\'ll find if things do go slightly pear-shaped there isn\'t many places who could help.

But that is also part of their appeal. you\'ll probably notice the guys here know a LOT about their cars - and a lot of that comes from hands on experience. What i\'m saying is you might have to be prepared to put in some elbow grease!

As far as models go, depends what you\'re after. There are dedicated 2-seaters available, although the majority are 2+2. Various engine specs exist (although all use the same 13B-REW twin-rotor, twin-turbo set up) from 255bhp up to 280bhp. Also, subtle things were changed in the 96 model - for example the computer was upped from 8bit to 16bit. As Si said, all v similar.

But anyway! I\'m getting off subject! Take your time and look closely at the links Si posted (and, by the way, he\'s a top bloke with confucious-like knowledge (and the world\'s best smilies!)) and see what model you fancy. Any RX-7 is going to be awesome though!


Also, the great thing about the club is it\'s home to not only brilliantly helpful owners, but also to some superb traders. Once you\'ve decided what you want, get in touch with Miguel @ http://www.neweraimports.com, or Brian the link at the top of the page (Rotary imports). You may have noticed Brian posts a LOT of very very useful stuff - he really knows what he\'s talking about, and i\'ve spoke to several people here for whom he\'s sourced a 7. All were singing his praises.

Best of luck dude.

[scooby_si]

http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008\' target=\'_blank\'>http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/3/3_4_16.gif\' border=0> lmao arrr i luv you too but sure u have me confused with sum1 else who knows stuff http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008\' target=\'_blank\'>http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_6_2v.gif\' border=0> lol
Si

[azzy]

thanks alot guys, il hav a read through those links.
i have to admit the only thing that concerns me is the rotary engine and how long its going to last.  i have heard loads about ppl doing their own re builds but i dont know much about the mechanical side of cars.  the main reason i want an rx7 is bcoz they look so gud.

do any of you know any rotary specialists around the london area?

thanks again

[Ric]

Originally posted by azzy
thanks alot guys, il hav a read through those links.
i have to admit the only thing that concerns me is the rotary engine and how long its going to last.  i have heard loads about ppl doing their own re builds but i dont know much about the mechanical side of cars.  the main reason i want an rx7 is bcoz they look so gud.

do any of you know any rotary specialists around the london area?

thanks again

I had those worries too but I think that you shouldn\'t believe all the bad press. Mine has been used regularily to commute 200 mile round trips and has not let me down so far (including throughout the winter)

Key points are servicing the car regularily (especially frequent oil changes and checks on the level)

If you buy a higher mileage car (~60k) that has not had an engine rebuild then general concensus is you might well be looking at one soon so keep a couple of grand free.

Obviously, if you go for a modifed car then the chances are that engine life will be reduced but this is the same with conventional piston engines too.

As for places near London, re:worx are rotary specialists about an hours drive at Portsmouth.  DS Engineering at Dartford are pretty familiar with Rx7s too and do a lot of work on mine and other members cars. There are a few good rotary engine specialists like Carl in the London vicinty too.