What are common problems on 1987 Mazda RX-7's?

Question

I'm looking into buying a 1987 Mazda RX-7 GXL its a 5 speed N/A and it has 127,000 miles on it I was looking into restoring it and making it into a week end car. It needs body work because the rear wheel wells are a little roted and the front fenders are dented also the seats need to be redone. Is $1,000 a good price or should I try to get him down to like $800

How will I know if the engine is blown what test can I do to check it. I can't drive the car because its not registered and its parked along side a main road.

Answer 1

i own a repair shop,and you should try to get him down some on it,,because im in to Nissan's ,and i recently bought a 87 sport coupe to restore,,and only payed 500 for it if you can get him down any at all that would be better,the less you have in it right now,,means the more you can do to it,,id offer him 600 ,because my Nissan started out a1100 .and i wound up getting it for 500,so id say he,ll take less you just have to find out how much less,I'm sure if he wants to sell it,,you,ll get a good deal on it,,good luck with it,let me know if you get it,,have a good x-mas,

Answer 2

I've had 2 RX-7's, a 79 and an 84. The 79 was the best and it was one of the first ones out. I got rid of both at around 120,000 miles. The body wears out faster than the engine does. I raced the 79 as well. I wouldn't pay more than 800 as you're going to have to sink in a lot. Be prepared to use a lot of oil. Rotaries are oil burners - about one quart per 2000 miles. Valvoline Racing Oil works great and broke down the least. Mine would destroy Casteroil. I heard a lot of negatives on the synthetics too. You are probably thinking about using some of the super low profile tires as well later. Rethink that. The RX-7 is a car with a major oversteer problem and the back end will come around on you in a heartbeat but with a regular sidewalled tire you can get more forgiveness in hard cornering but with low profiles once it breaks loose there's no saving it unless you're an expert at drifting even then you usually don't have that kind of room on the street. You may also want to run 2 different tire compounds on the front and back. The back being softer for more grip. I prefer Pirellis as they are some of the most consistent acting tires I've ever driven - wet or dry. But they are not cheap. Bridgestones were awful in the wet. Good Michelins are also good but the Pirellis grips better on really hard cornering. Goodyear had nothing in the size I needed. They are some new exotics are out there but they are mostly those low profile jobs that get too hot and will fade on you. I've driven a lot of different cars and the best one that I have ever had is the RX-7. Its a fun car to drive that is forgiving when you push it really hard. Don't do too much jumping with it though as you will eventually bend the frame. Its not a Ferrari but oh what a fun ride. Have fun!!!

Answer 3

OH BOY! If you know nothing about rotary engines, you can be screwed by this guy! Rotary engines will still run and drive if they're blown. Test drive the car and check for proper performance. Engine grounding is an issue, characterized by a hesitation around 3000-4000 RPM. At that mileage, the engine might be ready to go... They have a lot if interesting little problems.

I bought mine for $900 and ended up driving 500 miles one way to pick up an engine for it when I realized the apex seals were stuck! Other than that, the car has held up rather well for its age (1991). Depending on the condition of the rest of the car, 1000 is okay, but try for 8 or 9. So much fun; cant hurt those engines as long as you let them warm up and don't put synthetic oil in it!

Answer 4

Sounds like a money pit, but if you have the skill, time and money, could be a fun project. Those rear wheel wells will be a pain because you can't just bolt on new ones. Paying a body shop to repair them will be $$$$

Any car that old is going to need EVERYTHING, and the rotary engine is one of those black holes that nobody knows anything about. Best bet is to look into JDM used engines. Those are secondhand motors sent from Japan and are a good buy.

I'd offer him $300 and negotiate from there.

Answer 5

I surely have a 1987 Rx-7. it nevertheless runs super. i think of what human beings do not comprehend is you're able to instruct an Rx-7 in for a important provider on the rotary each forty,000 miles. it extremely is not very costly. maximum people who do not comprehend that...would force it into the dirt. lack of expertise isn't bliss.

Answer 6

Those cars are really strong just make sure it never runs on the HOT side if it does then major problems will follow. 5 speed not much to worry about. good car make sure oil change every 3 K ..