well my ? is does any one know about or own a 3rd gen RX-7 ?
I have a change to get one cheap but I heard that the engine is unreliable and overheats alot, so wanted to know is there was any thing you can do to make the engine more reliable or is the engine hit or miss like the cl tranny ? any info would be great

thanks

 

the question is how much do you really enjoy working with these cars? I have owned 2- first and second gens.

Without getting to detailed, you must consider the following things:

Compression check, Compression Check, Compression Check.
(have this done)

Cooling and oil system checks out. (Very important systems)

whats the milage on the car and has the engine been rebuilt?

My dealings with the 3rd generations are limited but I know that most enthusiast understand that owning any RX-7 means the possiblity of a new engine at around 90- 120K. I was introduced to a company in Nazarath, PA called "KDR" that specialize in RX's.
they might be a good contact if you decide on setting up one inthe future.

I really enjoyed the cars when the were at their peak. I ran them hard at times, but once you have invested lots of time and money you tend to worry more often when the foot goes down.

In conclusion, I would suggest taking that particular car in a having it checked out before you decide. You want to at least have a few 1,000 miles left on it and some better knowledge of the beast before things happen.


another option is finding a toyota Supra (had to throw that in)

good luck, let us know what you decide

 

well the engine has been rebuilt since about 80k miles and now the car has about another 20k miles on the new engine, whats wrong with a rebuilt engine

 

One of my best friend's dad has one. A '93. At around 45k something cracked in the cooling system and he ended up burning antifreeze instead of gasoline one day. Not exactly the best way to feed your engine.

I think the general concensus of the 3rd Gen RX-7 is: tons of potential, awesome looking, awesome handling, etc. But very expensive to keep running, more so if you mod it.

This guy's RX-7 is his daily driver still. Pushes over 400whp. The maintence scheudle is ridiculous though.

Good luck.

 

Do a search for "tips on buying an rx-7" I was in the market for a 3rd gen a couple a years ago and found a few sites with great info. Also check to see if there are any rotary specialist around you and see if they'll check the car out.

 

nothing wong at all with a rebuild, you just want to make sure it was a "factory rebuild" of the block.

unless it was done by a specialist of some sort (meaning someone who knows these engines very well). Just ask the seller, I'm sure they will tell you.

seems like a good deal if it has a new block, like some of the guys mentioned these cars do have potential

 

I have owned over 10 RX7's and have never had any major problems. Currently I own an 84' with 15,000 original miles in showroom condition. As with any car, the rotary must be taken care of properly.
I would argue that a well maintained rotary will last longer than most piston engines.
I certainly woudn't worry about buying one if you like the car.

 

That's bold faced lie unless when you say piston engines you mean unreliable American junk. Most RX7 owners I know are enthusiasts and they are meticulous about caring for their engines and doing all their maintenance on time. The bottom line is that engine is poorly built. I would compare it to an American car of the time (3rd Gen RX7s I mean). I don't have statistical information but I do have personal experience of at least 15 or so friends in Dallas who have had to rebuild their engines around 80-120K miles. Modded engines perform even more poorly without extensive buidling of the engine's internals.

Luckily we have http://www.rx7.com/ in Dallas. They're probably one of the nation's leaders in RX7 knowledge and repair. There's a guy in Dallas that sells RX7s like crazy. http://www.lamotorcars.com/ . He's basically got the RX7 market cornered in TX and pushes probably 4 or 5 of them a month (3rd gens). He's got a lot of knowledge and his RX7s even come with a 3 year 36K warranty (drivetrain only I believe), that he gets from an outside insurance company.

Do your research and make sure that diving into an RX7 is really what you want. It's like my neighbors that have Ferarris, they're great cars WHEN THEY RUN but expect it to be in the shop a LOT.

 

Fuck the rotary, 2 RX7 guys that hang out at the local car spot have RX-7's with LS1 motors in them. They both did the conversion at the same time and said that a company made a kit to fit the LS1. One dude is pushing around 500 plus horses without spray and all motor. The other guy has a pro charger supercharger and says he's making a lil more than 500 to the wheels also. They loved the styling and handling, but hated the upkeep of the rotary so they went for a different route.

 

yeah, I have a friend here in Austin that has an RX7 with a small block V8 in it. Very fun.

 

yea, the RX7's w/ the LS1's are sweet, and they are actually lighter then the rotary motor!



btw, 3rd gens can be found CHEAP these days. I've seen a few w/ blown motors in the 4-5K range. Then get a new motor for like 3K and you have an awesome ride for 8,000

 

That's a great idea however the matter still exists that there's heat problems with the 3rd gen motors, in particular one of the cats is right underneath an integral part of the engine and causes faster wear. Even with a new engine, you can expect to have your car in the shop about 30% of the time. This is a w/end driver, not something for the daily grind.

 

it can be a daily driver and reliable if you find one with a blown motor and get yourself an ls1 out of a wrecked camaro or f-bird.

 

I'm a first gen RX-7 guy and compared to the cars being built at that time, 79-85, the rotary(12A motor) was more reliable and could take more abuse.
I will agree that as Mazda introduced fuel injection into the 2nd and 3rd gens(13B motor) and forced induction to go along with it,
this hurt and complicated reliability to a degree.
There is no question that 3rd gens had the most problems but
being in the shop 30% of the time is a little harsh and would disagree that they require service to that extent.
Most people who own 3rd gens mod them and beat the crap out of them, which accounts for why they have increased problems, many of these owners being kids who like to race.
Anyway, I don't think reliabilty should scare anyone from buying an RX-7 and having the Rotary is what owning an RX-7 is all about, so why people would buy one and do an engine swap is beyond me, just go buy another product if that is what you are after.
The Rotary is alot of fun and makes the RX-7 unlike any other car, so if you are interested in one go buy it and enjoy it and you will enjoy it.
Maybe not the best daily driver in terms of reliability out there but most people buy older RX-7's to enjoy as a part-time fun vehicle and they are great for that and plenty reliable in that respect.

 

I agree, it's all about how you maintain the car and if you are out abusing it. If you do proper maintnence you can make it last. I have a buddy who has almost 200K on his original motor and has only replaced the seals!

 

1) replacing the seals is not cheap. that is an intensive job.

2)I agree completely with it being great as a 2nd part-time fun vehicle

3) most people who own 3rd gens do not mod them. most people you hear of or see stuff on in the auto industry maybe mod them but I'd dare to say less than 30% of people who own RX7s mod them. That's really already giving modding too much credit. I'd say the modding market is anywhere from 10-15% max on most cars.

3) yes the 3rd gen is a horrible daily driver. of my countless friends who own them (and love them btw) I can attest to the claim that about 30% of the time you will have some problem that you're trying to fix. Like I said, this doesn't take away any from them completely loving the RX7 but still... I would definitely want to have a beater if I owned this car.