82-85 mazda rx-7.anyone familiar with these cars? (RX7, fuel, buying)

[flburgos]

I have been shopping for an 82-85 rx-7 and was wondering if there we're any tips anyone can give me on this vehicle.I.ve always wanted one of these cars and now i need a car so i was looking into buying one.

[mr.man]

Had an 86, but i can tell you those rotary engines are delicate and tricky to work on, most shops did'nt want to touch mine, when those apex seals go whooo you're in trouble. The newer rotary engines with 3mm apex seals are said to be more reliable, these are fun cars but $$$$ to fix in certain areas, do your research before buying. Here are some sites that may shed some light. Mazspeed's First Generation Rx-7 Club Page 1st Generation Specific (1979-85) - RX7Club.com

[flburgos]

Originally Posted by mr.man

Had an 86, but i can tell you those rotary engines are delicate and tricky to work on, most shops did'nt want to touch mine, when those apex seals go whooo you're in trouble. The newer rotary engines with 3mm apex seals are said to be more reliable, these are fun cars but $$$$ to fix in certain areas, do your research before buying. Here are some sites that may shed some light. Mazspeed's First Generation Rx-7 Club Page 1st Generation Specific (1979-85) - RX7Club.com

mr man you are the man thanx!

[studedude]

I worked at a Mazda dealer when these cars were introduced. A lot of people who bought them didn't realize although they are small, they were never designed for fuel economy. They are fun to drive and with modifications can be as fast as most V8's

[305guy]

My friend had one of those cars and they were very expensive to repair due to the rotary engine. He got rid of it for that reason, that and fuel economy. Tell you what though, that car could fly. It had great speed and was fun to drive.

[miu]

Originally Posted by flburgos

I have been shopping for an 82-85 rx-7 and was wondering if there we're any tips anyone can give me on this vehicle.I.ve always wanted one of these cars and now i need a car so i was looking into buying one.

Is it going to be your daily driver? I have a 79 RX-7 project car. They are not very fuel efficient cars. I hope that you are mechanically inclined. My boyfriend's dad used race a RX-3, so he knows how to work on them.

[wankel7]

I have a 86 and 91 turbo. The 86 lasted 183k on the orig. engine before it died. Not bad considering how hard I beat on it.

I believe all production rotaries use 2mm apex seals. They did switch from a three piece to a two piece design though. Not sure when that switch happened.

The 86 would do about 25/21 highway/city. But it is a fun car to drive of course.

And it sounds like play toy so who cares about gas.

Already mentioned RX7Club.com - Powered by vBulletin Racing Beat - Mazda Performance Specialists MAZDATRIX for Mazda RX7, RX8, Rotary Engine Parts and Accessories

Also, Mazda has a neat program to help racers. Sign up for a SCCA membership which is about 60 bucks. Then Autox or drag race your car twice a year (you dont even have to go all out. Just putter around). This gives you a 20-40 percent discount on stock and race parts from mazdaspeed. Also, you get the employee discount on new mazda cars. Excluding the the mazdaspeed cars. And the program costs nothing. Really really cool and has saved me a ton.

MAZDASPEED MOTORSPORTS DEVELOPMENT Racing Support Home Page

Rotaries are not hard to work on and I don't get why people say they are. There are no valves, cams, timing chains, pistons...It is an engine with three moving parts. Its not that hard Now if you have no tools or skills or internet yeah it could get tough. But I did my first engine rebuild ever on my 91 turbo. Between the Haynes book, rx7club, factory workshop manual, and the rebuild video...it still runs

It is true that you can make a v8 go faster for the same ammount of money. But that is like trying to get the fat chick in the bar...when you should aim a little higher and go for the hottie


James

[Team Three]

I am looking for a shop in St Lucie County, Fl. that can rebuild the engine on my 83 RX7.
Team Three
Bob

[Belinda_Cooperstone]

Run away now.

[Sayantsi]

Rotaries are bulletproof engines - many people don't understand them and hear bad things, and will give uninformed opinions, but for those of us who've owned rotary-powered cars like RX-7s, the experience is unique, very rewarding, but not without its issues.

A rotary basically has three parts that move, but the apex seals are in constant use and wear out over time. Unfortunately, while the engine design is simple, to replace the seals requires taking the engine apart. Early rotary engines had good life expectancy though - on par with cylinder engines of the day, so a rebuild is pretty straightforward unless you have a turbo engine. Gen 1 RX-7s didn't have turbos, so you're good there.

The first gen RX-7 you are looking at should be a lot of fun - you want to look for smoke when the engine is idling and off high rpms as an indication of the engine's health, and you want to look for rust on the body and chassis. The rotary is prone to fuel flooding so you'll want to be mindful of that - its typically caused but starting a cold engine and then stopping it while its trying to warm up. Too much fuel is left in the engine and it will flood. Also, injectors that are old can leak and cause flooding. There are a couple tricks to getting a flooded RX-& to start.

Everything else is standard used car stuff. The 86+ RX-7 mostly added weight and complexity, so a first gen is a great choice. If you ever do need to replace the engine, get one from an 86+ car and enjoy the added power.

I'd also recommend RacingBeat for Mazda parts - great reputation.