1992 Mazda RX7 Type-R
Discussion
I wanted one of these for years, and finally decided to ignore internet horror stories and buy one last year. It came with a fresh rebuild, low mileage and a ridiculously-sized spoiler.
Another shot to show how huge it was. (It's an R-Magic Type-II if anybody wants to buy it, it's been sat in my garage for about a year collecting dust):
It also came with an intermittent idle problem and was generally running rough.
Click here for boring vid
The biggest problem with these cars is that it's difficult to read up on issues online because everything apparently points to a rebuild. So, I took the car to WGT who diagnosed the problem as an electrical wire coming from the ECU which was causing issues with the sensors.
Then, I needed to get that spoiler off. Despite what appeared to be the worlds supply of sealant I managed to prize it off. I also took the rear lights apart and masked them up and sprayed them to emulate 99-spec rears:
Realising I probably wouldn't be able to afford the wheels I wanted just yet, I refurbed the OEM Enkeis in a BMW Graphite using aerosols:
I also removed the front plate until I found somewhere better to put it:
My "ultra reliable" MK1 MR2 then broke (again) so I ended up using the FD as a daily driver. I've managed to amass a few parts since which still need fitting:
I also tinted the front repeaters:
And a quick shot of the interior:
Then this died on me the other day:
So after lots of swearing, wind, rain and more swearing, I finally got it fitted tonight. I have to say, it's up there with changing the plugs as an absolute ball-ache of a job:
Just need to fill the reservoir back up with fluid and bleed it in the morning!
Another shot to show how huge it was. (It's an R-Magic Type-II if anybody wants to buy it, it's been sat in my garage for about a year collecting dust):
It also came with an intermittent idle problem and was generally running rough.
Click here for boring vid
The biggest problem with these cars is that it's difficult to read up on issues online because everything apparently points to a rebuild. So, I took the car to WGT who diagnosed the problem as an electrical wire coming from the ECU which was causing issues with the sensors.
Then, I needed to get that spoiler off. Despite what appeared to be the worlds supply of sealant I managed to prize it off. I also took the rear lights apart and masked them up and sprayed them to emulate 99-spec rears:
Realising I probably wouldn't be able to afford the wheels I wanted just yet, I refurbed the OEM Enkeis in a BMW Graphite using aerosols:
I also removed the front plate until I found somewhere better to put it:
My "ultra reliable" MK1 MR2 then broke (again) so I ended up using the FD as a daily driver. I've managed to amass a few parts since which still need fitting:
I also tinted the front repeaters:
And a quick shot of the interior:
Then this died on me the other day:
So after lots of swearing, wind, rain and more swearing, I finally got it fitted tonight. I have to say, it's up there with changing the plugs as an absolute ball-ache of a job:
Just need to fill the reservoir back up with fluid and bleed it in the morning!
ks mate 
Keep up the good work. The black or anthracite? on black look to those wheels set the car off nicely!
Thanks guys. The wheels are BMW Graphite grey so they're fairly shiny when cleaned properly. Most of the time they just look anthracite (I wanted them to look similar to R32 GTR wheels).
The running costs aren't horrendous considering the performance. Alright, it's far from economical, I average anywhere between 9-15mpg although this is whether you drive like a granny or a hooligan (a double-edged sword), and this should improve to early 20s once she's been mapped as she's overfuelling quite heavily. Insurance is surprisingly cheap, although I suppose at 26 now I'm not getting any younger, and the tax is very cheap (for now, there seems to be plenty of RX7s being stung when the V5 is changed so they're not classed as 1300ccs anymore). It's worth all the money though, the way this car drives is sublime. I always felt when I sold my track-MX5 that I'd hit a peak with cars in terms of driving fun, and I've driven a lot of prestigous cars over the years. The RX7 just feels like a big, sorted MX5 but much more stable above 100mph. Really sedate cars at low speeds, and then as lairy as you want it to be when you push the loud pedal. I've never loved a car quite so much!
The running costs aren't horrendous considering the performance. Alright, it's far from economical, I average anywhere between 9-15mpg although this is whether you drive like a granny or a hooligan (a double-edged sword), and this should improve to early 20s once she's been mapped as she's overfuelling quite heavily. Insurance is surprisingly cheap, although I suppose at 26 now I'm not getting any younger, and the tax is very cheap (for now, there seems to be plenty of RX7s being stung when the V5 is changed so they're not classed as 1300ccs anymore). It's worth all the money though, the way this car drives is sublime. I always felt when I sold my track-MX5 that I'd hit a peak with cars in terms of driving fun, and I've driven a lot of prestigous cars over the years. The RX7 just feels like a big, sorted MX5 but much more stable above 100mph. Really sedate cars at low speeds, and then as lairy as you want it to be when you push the loud pedal. I've never loved a car quite so much!
superb looking RX!!Gorgeous car. I remember seeing one of these for the first time when i was about 17. A guy in a neighboring street had one which, coincidentally enough, was identical to how yours is in the first pic. It was a case of 'wtf is that!!!!!'. I would always drive up that street on the way home just to look at the car. When i got into a position of buying one i chickened out and got a supra instead. The RX7 is defo on my list of cars to own.
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