RE: Mazda RX-7: PH Heroes

[cocopop]

Well timed. I have, quite literally, been off the phone for 10 minutes with my friendly rotary specialist.

Problems.

Problems involving fire.

It's lucky I love it so much.

[BoxsterEtype]

That engine rebuild price is a bargain next to the IMS prone Porkers!!!

[vtecyo]

Good poster car.

I'll take a Supra, thanks.

[FD3Si]

BoxsterEtype said:

That engine rebuild price is a bargain next to the IMS prone Porkers!!!

Indeed. And how much is an AJP engine rebuild? An RB26 build? etc etc.

If you want to retain the beauty, and have a bombproof powerplant (and incur the wrath of rotary purists) then buy one with a blown motor for circa 2k, take the car to Dyno Torque, and come out with a car with an engine that looks factory and is completely bombproof, for a bargain price.

Edited by FD3Si on Friday 25th July 12:57

[Speed Badger]

I had a Type R RX-7 and loved it, but for me I always felt like I was 'getting away with it,' by which I mean not having something horrendous go wrong! The power delivery from the engine is incredibly smooth and linear, so if you're the kind of person who enjoys the big shove in the back when the turbo kicks in then you'll probably be disappointed. I think the key word when describing the RX-7 is balanced, like being in control of a rev-happy ballerina, dazzling you with her tiptoe dance.

The fuel bills are ridiculous and the oil consumption high by design, but is it all worth it for that one day when you find yourself traffic-free on that perfect road in beautiful sunshine and you nail it? Undecided. Possibly if you lived away from the suburbs as I don't, but otherwise I think my ownership experience was one of right car, wrong place.

[FD3Si]

The oil consumption is nowhere near as much as people say. Mine uses less than my wife's DC2 and E46 330i.

[theJT]

Fascinating contrast to the RX8, which are worth half as much. The lines on this are just so elegant in comparison, everything perfectly proportioned.

[dukebox9reg]

FD3Si said:

BoxsterEtype said:

That engine rebuild price is a bargain next to the IMS prone Porkers!!!

Indeed. And how much is an AJP engine rebuild? An RB26 build? etc etc.

If you want to retain the beauty, and have a bombproof powerplant (and incur the wrath of rotary purists) then buy one with a blown motor for circa 2k, take the car to Dyno Torque, and come out with a car with an engine that looks factory and is completely bombproof, for a bargain price.

Edited by FD3Si on Friday 25th July 12:57

Yes but the RB26 (standard) can go a lot longer than 40-60k between rebuilds

[j_s14a]

Seriously considered building an LS engined one. All the benefits with none of the downsides imo. Better fuel economy from a V8

[FD3Si]

dukebox9reg said:

Yes but the RB26 (standard) can go a lot longer than 40-60k between rebuilds

Not in my highly representative sample of about 2 people I know with them! /Shampooadscience

[*Fletch*]

I will own one of these at some point but could never understand given the engine is designed to use oil, why Mazda didn't add a large dedicated oil tank to supply the engine, with suitable low level warnings.

[J8 SVG]

FD3Si said:

The oil consumption is nowhere near as much as people say. Mine uses less than my wife's DC2 and E46 330i.

Put together?

[yellowstreak]

I've not been in an RX7 but a friend who really likes his rotary engines took me out in his triple rotor Cosmo. The performance and the way the power was delivered was impressive - so linear. He also has an RX3 without a turbo, such a cool looking car.

[rotarymazda]

kambites said:

I've often wondered how viable it would be to fit the higher powered RX8 engine to one.

That car is a Spirit R with the higher spec turbo . It was spec'd at 280bhp but will be around 310bhp (mine has the same engine/turbo combination).

The RX8 is spec'd at 230bhp and non-turbo but in practice, you are lucky to get 200bhp out of it. The RX8 exhaust ports are vulnerable to hot exhausts so don't respond well to forced induction.

Oil burn rate on my 2000 RS is 1 litre per 3K miles. I'm still on original discs (have full history since new). Tyres are lasting 15K miles a set.

Well written article, seems pretty accurate.

Mine was the blue one on wheeler dealers a few month ago, starts ~50 seconds in. http://wn.com/wheeler-dealer

Edited by rotarymazda on Friday 25th July 13:55

[CrisW]

kambites said:

Fabulous looking car on the rare occasion you see one which hasn't been butchered.

Lovely chassis too, although I never really got on with the engine. I've often wondered how viable it would be to fit the higher powered RX8 engine to one.

Edited by kambites on Friday 25th July 11:49

Would be better to fit a 20b and ditch the turbos. I've read about such a car in an RX8 chassis with circa 300bhp. Personally I'd put a turbo on there but each to their own.

[anything fast]

have I read this article or does it say there were only 124 sold in the UK???

That has got to be a load of tosh surely??

[Eidolon]

I put my money where my mouth is and bought a '97 RSR in 2004, had it for two years. Quite a while ago now but the things I remember were the savage acceleration and a fantastic mechanical gear change. You always knew if you had a cool car if school kids scramble to get a better look when you drive past, the Rex had that in droves.

Course, petrol was much cheaper then, don't think I could afford the fuel bills today.

[jpf]

Had a 1995 for 9 trouble free years and 96,000 miles. Be very faithful to oil changes and it won't bite.

Having children forced its departure and I genuinely enjoyed that car. Tough in the winter, but that is another story.

[TB Rich]

So cool but couldn't afford the fuel and potential for bills really.

I wish Honda had produced a slightly bigger brother to the S2000 in the same vein as the RX7 (i.e token rear seats and in coupe form). A reliable F20C motor - still rev hungry like the RX7 rotary, same UK power outputs pretty much too but more reliable and economical.

I expect if someone was to do an F20C conversion you would get hunted down and sacraficed, but dare I say I think I'd prefer that over the rotary

[DaveCWK]

I would love a late model standard one, but they go for a fair whack and I don't think I could live with the fuel consumption