PJB1

My brother is trying to buy an rx7 for about 5k and seen a couple but one has had rebuilt engine and the other has not, the one that has not is 1500 cheaper??
any advise where to but and what to look for?

Varboy

AFAIK engine rebuilds are a fact of life with these cars.

I would get one, but not as a daily driver.

With tasteful styling mods, these cars look the dogs

GC8

'Rebuilds' are common but theyre quite inexpensive; especially compared to an EJ20!

loony toon

iTrader: (4)

Depends on what he is doing with the car !!!!

As a daily commuter the engine will need a rebuild because it is really not made for it but as a fun weekend car is a wicked car to have !!!

If you do get one the rebuild cost is quite minimal and when its done if you get the seals from a rx8 fitted they will last longer and be much stronger than the original ones.

Bright side is cheap tax as its only a 1.3, cheap insurance as most companies still dont know what it is and insure it as a 1.3 !!!!! I know someone who has a 450bhp modded one and pays only £350 fully comp !!!!!!


Id have one anyday of the week

ice maiden

A rebuild would cost you more than £1500.

TimmyboyWRX

^^ depends on what you have replaced ^^ i looked into one of these a year or so back... if you are replacing the rotor tips alone then £1500 sounds about right, if the water and oil pumps etc,, are done and the resy then itl go up a bit in price wont it. either way needs doing at roughly 70k miles, but thats far from the only expence, oil every 2k, plugs every 5k or summit ridiculous like that!

Blueblaster

If he is looking at a £5k RX7, but is tempted by one £1500 cheaper that hasn't had a rebuild then he obviously can't afford either of them. What if he buys the £5k one and it goes bang - it happens a lot with these cars? Has be got the cash for serious repairs? Doesn't sound like it. He should find himself a nice 3yr old hot hatch and enjoy trouble free motoring. The RX7 is probably the best looking car ever made (controversial) but is a 24 carot, diamond encrusted money pit - those short of cash should not apply.

ScoobyDoo555

I do like these cars - saw one outside Kidderminster last year. In red with the Veilside kit on it (don't normally like the Veilside stuff, but I have to admit, it looked quite tasty on the RX)

Had a big HKS zorst on it too - typical Jap ricerocket

My mum was with me (she's, well, collecting her pension ), she saw it before I did, and commented on how nice it was!!

I confess to knowing little about them, but the "what if" costs do seem quite similar to my Audi tbh. (new replacement turbos looking at about £2.5K )

A very nice car, but "buyer beware" - have an all eventualities budget.

Dan

Nate

iTrader: (2)

I can't fit in one so I won't be getting one ..... They are made for shorter people

Chris L

Have a look at Evo this month - they feature an RX7 in their 10K cars write up. The engines have to be rebuilt at 60K and you should factor in anything up to £4K - depending on who you use. Great cars though - well worth a look if you can find a good one, but you do need to make provision for running costs, which inevitably can be high.

The best place to start is the Mazda Rotary Club website.

Chris

esp ltd

iTrader: (1)

We've stopped selling these now as they never ever seem to run as they should There are so many pitfalls with these cars plus they do around 8 to the gallon, need new oil every 1500 miles, if you flood it then it's sparkplugs out every time...any bugger to change, they will spin you 360 degrees if you get it wrong plus they are not anywhere near as an comfortable as an Impreza!! Get a Scoob or an early Evo and you'll be far better off

PJB1

cheers, he likes the look of them and would only be using it mainly at weekends and he is not the quickest of drivers.

PJB1

what would you get if you were him and dont like look of scoob or evo, likes something quick and not too big in size

Chris L

How about an early Integra Type R? Probably in the same price bracket - big kudos (still reckoned to be one of the finest handling FWD cars ever), bomb proof engines and pretty good residuals. You also have a good following in this country, so there are plenty of clubs / bulletin boards where you can get advice.

PJB1

i will show him one cheers

darkblueturbo

This guy knows his stuff - and can give you a quote on engine rebuilds and the like. He's one of the better priced options...

Any one he sells, imported from Japan, always comes with an engine rebuild by him with 12 month warrenty.

Jimmy's Mazda RX-7 Specialists Ltd

delcbr

shouldnt the question be would you buy a time bomb? enough said

delcbr

there was a write up in retro cars not long ago and they got one of the countrys leading wankel engine specialists to talk about the engine and they said if the engine isnt used frequently then the carbon hardens up in the engine and damages the seals so i guess it must be better to use everyday than opposed to say getting used every sunday.

a wee story here 2 guys i know one with a chipped (**** chip) fiat coupe 20v turbo and the other with the rx7 twin turbo uk model ended up in a wee race they dont know each other but i know them and apparently they were pretty much neck and neck........few month down the line the boy with the rx7 needs an engine rebuild and he spent ages getting a good un and the boy with the fiat his big ends went at 70,000 miles.

delcbr

ythis is what heshould look for Honda : Bye Bye VTI!! or Mazda : mazda familia gt-x/r or this daddy costs a bit more though Mazda : MAZDA 323 GTR VERY RARE THE CLEANEST EXAMPLE

RedScoob

You can rebuild an RX7 lump for about £750 (if you don't mind getting your hands dirty), and that's including rotor housings (the housings from a TurboII fit with small modifications). The handling and braking are superb, and in the dry I would have to think long and hard before trying to chase one in my WRX.
I say, go for it. Budget for a rebuild and then you should have 40k of untroubled motoring if you keep a close eye on the oil level. Expect mpg to be 10 to low teens when driven "enthusiastically" (bwahahah!!!).

HankScorpio

Disliked by a few on here but a well looked after Fiat Coupe is a solid proposition.
I had one for nearly four years and only had one minor problem in all that time.

delcbr

the fiat coupes look smart and make a distinct noise from the exhaust (the sound of rushing air which is quite loud)

EvoBarry

My other half has just bought one, superb car, if you drive one you'll want one, simple as. I was going to have it but couldn't bear to sell my ITR to cover future bills...

Budget on £3k min. for a professional rebuild, WGT et al, but get a prospective car compression checked and you'll have some idea of where you stand with it, rebuild wise. Ours is showing 7.5 so about midway through its current "lifespan". We got it cheap so we're happy with that. Just get a drive in one if you can, that'll decide it for you if you have any petrol in your blood

noobscoob

My choice... mr2 turbo. seriously reliable. 2 years and a sticking caliper was it's only garage trip other than a service and mot. 5.5 to 60..150 odd mph and they wont blow up after a week. sorry but i wouldnt touch an rx7. total money pits.

RobEvo5

iTrader: (9)

Buy mine in in the for sale thread.

Bloody fantastic car, and mentioned above once driven you are smitten. As well as the die hard looks. Mine is a daily driver and does it well. So long as you look after it, it will look after you.

I have done pretty much all the jap cars now and this one wins hands down.

Not many cars that can offer 360-400bhp on stock transmission, engine, turbo's fueling, breaks. Pounds per smiles and looks nothing comes even close IMHO.

Yes you might need to spend 2-4K sometime. But a rebuild would likely be on the horizon on any 5K performance jap car, and will cost you allot more than 2-4K to build it.

Only critisism is they are a harsh ride and the scoob feels like a Bently by comparison. Similar ride to a Elise or VX.

PJB1

pm me your spec please mate or email pic to paul.bennett42@btopenworld.com and will pass to my bro.