View Full Version : 3g RX7 owners
Boostgod
08-01-2006, 12:20 AM
Hey all,
I just wanted some imput on these car. As some of you might know im in the process of selling my R. I'm considering importing a friends 1995 rx-7 R1 with 51,000 miles.
I'm not sure if this is a smart move on my behalf, as i keep hearing stories of poor reliability concerning the rotary, not to mention attrocious fuel economy. Also what would the resale value be for a car in this condition (assuming mint). Are 3g RX-7's hard to find buyers for? Because I was planning on possibly reselling the car after a few months anyway.
My other options include: ( assuming the R does sell)
S2000 (high milage ap1's)
93 Supra TT's
my main concern is resellability.
ALL INFO APPRECIATED FOLKS.
If it's a 95 then it would be an R2 not an R1. It's very easy to resell an FD in Canada as long as you're not asking $30K like a lot of other people who have them do. I find them very overpriced in Canada.
If the car is stock and has been babied for 51,000 miles then you should get another 50,000 miles out of it. The first thing is to make sure the reliability mods are done, this will help increase engine life. Fuel economy is terrible, so it wouldn't be a good daily driver. I would go for it if the car is a low milage original but if it's modded...it could be a time bomb.
I also might be biased since an R1/R2 FD is my dream car.
3g RX-7's are exotic cars. Period.
They need to be STOCK, and looked after very carefully. Mods need to be done by competent people (you wouldn't bring your ferrari to MR LUBE, right?).
Well cared for, they'll last a long time. A VGC 3g RX7 in canada is worth 17-20k IMHO. On the right day, you'll get more.
Mileage is bad, and you should be putting 94 in it.
That said, the driving experience is second to none.
Boostgod
08-01-2006, 04:08 PM
Thanks for the info, and bump for somemore! :)
Gerry
08-01-2006, 04:56 PM
Oh boy, another convert!
Good things:
Stock handling is excellent, especially the R1/R2 model.
Stock brakes are phenomenal; all I have done is braided lines, better fluid (RBF600) and GS3 pads all round. Using stock rotors.
Power is good, and the bolt-on mods from Pettit and MazdaSpeed improve breathing, one of the weak points of the stock system.
Reliable 300hp costs about $3,000.
One of the top ten car designs of all time, according to the Design Institute.
Bad things:
Cooling. Upgrade the rad at least.
Requires dedicated maintenance. Change the fluids. Often, then oftener.
No cup holders ;)
Did I mention they run hot?
Best thing:
MazdaSpeed. I got a front hub assembly (hub, bearing, wheel studs, abs sensor) for $94 US delivered to my door in 48 hours. The dealer wanted $210 and not in stock. Oh and by the way, that was the original hub, 146,000 km, and the last 7 years in Solo 2 and Solo 1 competition.
Good luck!
A VGC 3g RX7 in canada is worth 17-20k IMHO.
However, people like to sell them for 25-30k up here. The ones currently on auto trader right now range from 15-33k.
John Powell
08-02-2006, 11:28 PM
I'm not sure where the bad rep for reliabilty problems with rotaries comes from. Maybe from ancilliary parts such as the "rat's nest" vacuum system or turbos, but the engine itself is damn near indistructable with reasonable maintenence. They will wear and apex and side seals do need replacing periodically, in which case the engine will lose compression and thus power, but there's no rods to throw, pushrods to bend, valves to burn or break, and similar issues that plague piston engines. I've never owned one on the street, but I do know that in Regional racing applications it's not uncommon for a rotary to go three or more full seasons without needing a rebuild. I suggest that if anyone has questions about rotary reliablitiy issues for raod or racing cars they go to probably the best rotary forum I've found for straight talk and good advice, and that's <mazspeed> (http://www.mazspeed.com/forum/main.php)
Maybe from ancilliary parts such as the "rat's nest" vacuum system
Arrrgh...I'm living this hell right now though with a 2nd gen. Removed the injectors to have them cleaned and I must've messed up the vac lines somehow on reassembly. :mad:
I'm not sure where the bad rep for reliabilty problems with rotaries comes from.
Mazdspeed is a very good website. In the 3rd gen RX-7 the reputation comes from the fact that Mazda downsized the cooling system (to save weight) and since rotaries like to run hot....combine that with the heat from a pair of turbochargers and the engines were/are very fragile. But rotaries are generally reliable, they just can't be driven by anyone. They have special requirements.
John Powell
08-03-2006, 10:45 PM
Arrrgh...I'm living this hell right now though with a 2nd gen. Removed the injectors to have them cleaned and I must've messed up the vac lines somehow on reassembly. :mad:Luckily the rats nest is all gone from my car. :D If you have a factory service manual it may have a vacuum system diagram that might help (there's one in the manual for my FB), and another possibility for help is the parts list for your car that can probably be found on <RX7 Tech Data Downloads (PDF)> (http://www.lazycode.com/rx.html) .
Boostgod
08-03-2006, 11:29 PM
gerry, you have had your car for 140kms. What reliability issues have you encountered?
Luckily the rats nest is all gone from my car. :D If you have a factory service manual it may have a vacuum system diagram that might help (there's one in the manual for my FB), and another possibility for help is the parts list for your car that can probably be found on <RX7 Tech Data Downloads (PDF)> (http://www.lazycode.com/rx.html) .
Turns out I forgot to install the lower grommets for the primary injectors. Duh. :o
Gerry
08-04-2006, 09:45 PM
gerry, you have had your car for 140kms. What reliability issues have you encountered?
I actually bought the car used in 1997 with 48,000 km for $28,000.
1. I had an electrical gremlin that plagued the car for two seasons that ended up something stupid: a bad ground strap. It's the simple things that drive you nuts.
2. I had a transmission issue - hard to shift into 3rd. This took some time to fix since the dealer screwed up the first rebuild by neglecting to replace third gear. Seems fine now.
3. The cruise control stopped working about 100,000 km. I simply removed it since it weighs about 5 lb.
4. Had to replace the rear speakers - one of them developed a crack in the cone ;)
5. It is on the second ACT pressure plate since I got it. Could have something to do with track days :confused:
Other than that the car has been very reliable.
Oh, you need to change the fuel filter annually.
Cheers, Gerry
John Powell
08-04-2006, 11:53 PM
I have an ACT Competition clutch assembly in my car and it's not given me any problems. It was in the car when I bought it and I've put about one full season of racing on it, plus I think it had at least two or three seasons under the previous owner. Maybe there's a problem somewhere else in your driveline that's affecting your clutch?
John Powell
08-05-2006, 11:13 PM
This is a bit off topic, but as most who read this post have RX7s and probably know of MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) as the engine conditioning additive of choice in the 'States, I have some news. I just found some in my local Canadian Tire store on Friday. I don't know if it's the same formula as in the 'States as I heard that the reason we couldn't get it here was that it contained a chemical that was banned in Canada, but I'm going to check the MMO website and ask them. The Crappy Tire product number is 38-0126-4, and it's $8.99 (+tax) for a 946 ml bottle. Enjoy! :D
MMO came back the very same week I "imported" a couple of cases to sell to the local RX'ers. Just ended up eating it.
Was tuning a 3g this week. WOW. In my FB, you are doing 140kph before you notice. In the FD, it is significantly more than that...
Great car, but be careful with the mods. This one has wide wheels and lo-pro's and tramlines like crazy!
John Powell
08-10-2006, 10:53 PM
MMO is owned by Turtlewax. I sent them an e-mail and they replied that it's the same formulation as in the 'States, and that Crappy Tire was the only one that sold it in Canada but that they stopped selling it two years ago! :confused: I e-mailed them back and told them that I hadn't seen it on sale back then, but I got some at the store in Orleans, Ont. on August 4th. and that it wasn't marked as a clearance item, so I asked them to re-check their information. That was three days ago and I haven't heard back from them yet. Right now, though, I'm not concerned as I used it to finally get my car running again, and with a bit of luck I'll be out for the last two race weekends this season. :D
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