Discussion
Los Angeles said:
iaint said:
...so I can poke you in the eye ...Or maybe I'm just being oversensetive coz, being an RX-7, it's off at the doctors being rebuilt...
Dear me, you go out of your way to taint your advice. The thread originator asked for views on the car not on me. Fair enough, I'll gorw up a bit then
Los Angeles said:
The RX7 was a very fine car for its day. However seeing it as a contemporary bargain has its downside, as you seem to have discovered.
Anyone doing even cursory research will know this. It wasn't so much a discovery but an accpeted risk. I'm actually on my second rebuild. First was on 45k dues to water-seal failure. the damage was done in Japan before it was imported (at 38k).
This rebuild lasted ~18k. Not long you amy think, and you'd be right. I'm not pissed off though as it died from a chipped rotor tip/corner seal at ~165mph. Almost certainly because fo a 'hole' in the map that caused detonation OR just a problem for a heat build up and high revs. I'd managed 172mph earlier in the day when everything was a little cooler!
Los Angeles said:
The complications I referred to under the bonnet involve a rebuild of that "simple" rotary engine every 60,000 miles, frequently 50,000, and in a few cases I have come across, as short as 40,000 miles.
A well maintained 'standard(ish)' car can see far greater miles than 60k but they do suffer if used for a lot of short or stop-start journies. In the US, where average journies are longer with less jams, 100k+ is not unusual. If I'd kep the car standard and well maintained I'd be expecting at least 60k from the rebuild.
Los Angeles said:
In the UK it can mean a bill of up to four thousand pounds, depending on how "tame" is the mechanic employed
True. Some are cheaper than others. I paid £4800 for the 1st one but that included a lot of other work (new rad, engine mounts, etc). The rebuild, from one of the more epensive shops in the UK, accounted for about £3200 of the cost, less if you don't include optional rebuild costs - I had the porting enlaregd a tad.
Los Angeles said:
and if the turbos need rebuilt, the vanes retrimmed,
No different for any performance turbo car. My turbo-pack (before it was replaced for a single turbo kit) lasted through a lot of abuse - I was pushing it way beyond it's optimium performance envelope!
Los Angeles said:
along with the rotary seals rerpaired.
Usually the cause of the rebuild in the first case and therefore and part of that.
Los Angeles said:
That puts the car off my list of first choice sports car bargains though it may not deter others. I have known enthusiasts boost the performance from the stock 255 bhp to an estimated 300 bhp.
Very minor modifications (de-cat, filters, etc) can see > 300 fly bhp. Add fuelling upgrades and cooling and you can see 330rwhp on the standard twin-turbo setup. With the single turbo on mine I could push it to ~500rwhp with the current supporing hardware I have in place but I'm aiming for a more modest 450rwhp
Los Angeles said:
Now, anyone asking for advice on buying a pre-owned RX7 is bound to hear enthusiasm from owners because the car is in many respects a driver's dream, but advice has to be tempered with the knowledge that new ownership may incur a rebuild.
most pre-owned will have been rebuilt. Buying from an enthusiast will give a good report but is also likely to end up with a list of the risks. We're not quite the rose-tinted owners that seem to own TVRs
Los Angeles said:
My other reservations about the car involve the lack of zest from the engine at low revs
Yup, it doesn't pull well from 500rpm. Standard car is stonking from 2500rpm. Mine's a bit more laggy (should be less so with the new, super clever, engine with hooge porting) - 4000 rpm to 8500 is pretty special though.
Los Angeles said:
its cheap cabin materials, [the standard of its day]
God yes. It's a nice place to sit in terms of feeling part of the car and nice if cheap plastics are your thing. As you said - part of the Jap car market inthe 90's.
Los Angeles said:
and the insurance costs which seem to me to be unacceptably high in the UK.
No worse than equivalent cars. Mine's pretty reasonable considering the modifications and location.
Los Angeles said:
If anyone wants sound advice I suggest they contact the Mazda Club: www.mazdarotaryclub.co.uk
A good source of UK info. as is www.fduk.org (UK 3rd Grn RX-7 club).
Los Angeles said:
Captain Muppet said:
Has anyone got any info on slapping the wankel in an MX5?
I'm sure it's been tried - everything else has been on MX5s! - but I'd have to wade through a pile of research material to find out who, why and where. In the end, why bother when you can buy the real thing in that car's elder sibling - the RX7? If I remember correctly the bell housing is a blot-on. As for space, heh, it's a rotary, of course it will fit.
If it were my mx-5 however I'd try and find the J-spec 12a turbo than simply go for an NA 13b. (power to weight)
Edited by brap_brap on Monday 26th February 02:26
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