21st Nov 2003, 14:34
I've now had 5 RX-7's I have yet to replace a clutch in any of them. They are sensitive to overheating, but the only time I had an issue there, was blowing a radiator hose while going about 100MPH in the California dessert. The engine needed a rebuild after that, but I plunked another one in there overnight and was off and running. Great cars, but yes, you can't neglect them. Bang for the buck is amazing, and love that smooth rotary power.
20th Feb 2004, 11:57
My roomie bought a 2nd generation for $1200 and after a month or so he started to flood out everywhere he went. then the car needed to sit for a day or so before we could start it again. He eventually got sick of being left stranded, so I picked it up from him for about 500 and then It sounds crazy, but the only thing I did to correct the problem was I brought it to the do it car wash and pressure washed the engine and WD-40'd the linkage, and have never been stranded since then.
24th Feb 2004, 23:17
My Rex, i have owned three Rx 7 all 90's and I have never had a problem. except for just making other parts better, clutch, exhaust, air filter, etc.and also I should say flooding problems? I never had any. but if you should have, just disconnect the fuel pump wires behind the drivers seats rear speaker. Its closer to the back of the wheel, behind the interior rug.find then unplug. turn it over about three times. Plug fuel pump wires together and blow flame.
4th Mar 2004, 15:42
I don't agree with the cooling issue on 2nd gen cars. I find generally they run just fine, and that is is the 3rd gens with the cooling problems due to twin turbos and a cooling system that was designed too small. I drive my 2nd gen hard and it never gets hot and is very reliable. It has flooded a few times, but I solved that by removing the EGI fuse and cranking it until it started and then replaced the fuse.
21st Oct 2004, 19:36
Right on the money about the cheap plastic used in the interior. Has anyone notice things like the center console piece, side air vents, and door surrounds all tend to crack? Especially the center console piece that surrounds the radio. They are not cheap at mazdatrix either and you could never find one that isn't cracked at the junkyard. Similarly the outer window trim always are rusted.
6th Dec 2006, 13:47
I have had a 88' purchased it used with 65k miles on it and I have never had a more fun or reliable car, before I purchased the car all I heard was bad things about it, but 90% of the people who say rx7's are garbage are people who have heard it from some one else who has never had a rx7...
15th Oct 2008, 14:17
About 4 months ago I bought a none turbo 88 Mazda RX7. All I know is it makes my 87 I-ROC feel slow. I have no cooling issues though I think my compression is going. But that is after 160,000 miles. I let it sit for about a week or so, then it wouldn't start. After tearing it apart trying to find a problem, going through the deflooding measures I got lucky with a push start. It blew out blue smoke but didn't stop me from leaving some rubber. Now I start it every day and I don't have any problems. As of the interior. I consider that a luxury. It has none.
10th Oct 2009, 08:17
Purchased new, we are driving our 1988 RX7 for 21 years now but have only put 65,000 miles on it so far (I drive fast, not far). It had some emissions problem about ten years ago that the local dealer could not fix. They tried everything and said nothing could be done. A shop called Rotary Performance said that there was an update to the air intake system available and that fixed the problem.
I have replaced the exhaust, brake pads and tune up parts but nothing else. I had the flooding problem for a few years but it went away after one of the tune ups. I do the work myself and can't imagine what cured it.
Planning on a new top for it this year and maybe some body work. Love the car.
14th Nov 2009, 06:27
I just bought Ameli, a 86 na RX7 a few weeks ago for 600 cash. After sitting in a barn for the last 7 years, with a little bit of work, a good engine cleaning, new vacuum lines, plugs, filters, MAF cleaning and a new starter installed, she starts right up every time with over 146k on the stock motor and auto trans, which before I got to it seemed to be heavily neglected.
It's a quirky car for sure, has a personality all of her own it seems, but for the mileage and the fact that it is a auto trans and it shifts beautifully after 146k, and sitting for so many years now, I don't think I could ever say anything bad about it, and disagree strongly now with the weedwhacker on crack persona that the RX7 has been given over the years.
Wasn't my first choice for another (5th) car to have laying around here, but out of all of them I have now, it sure as hell is the most reliable, and has since replaced the 924 as my daily driver.
The car itself is very well balanced and proportioned, probably more so than almost anything else I have ever driven.
The depth perception of the hood and view angles of the car from the drivers seat are second to none, and the dashboard layout, although dated, is something that just tells you this car was a special breed; it is a performance vehicle, but with anything that is a sports car, it should not be let go and should be taken to someone who understands what the rotary engine is, and how it properly operates. Most garage mechanics have no idea what they are looking at or how to go about troubleshooting such a engine, which is why if you are looking for an RX7, even if you have a lot of experience with previous vehicles, you should read up on exactly what it is you're looking at and how the best way to go about fixing such a vehicle should be.
Don't be afraid to dive into it as a project, and also take all the horror stories you may have read with a grain of salt; it varies from car to car, and how the owner last maintained it.
I never would have expected to get such a good vehicle for such a cheap price, but it could have been a lot worse, and it might have been better. Best thing to do is take the car for what it is; a sports car designed in the mid 80s that was targeted at combating the 911 in rally style races and hill climbs. It was Mazda's first attempt at a full blown "next gen" sports car, and unlike the ma70 mk3 Supras, didn't have any of the shoddy framework issues or the inability to modify it like a z31 300zx from the same era.
I know what I'm talking about here, because I have both sitting in my garage next to my 7. Even though over 20 years have now passed, the fc series still can more than hold its own on a good mountain road, or even when properly maintained and with mild modifications, can be a very potent highway vehicle.
The amount of aftermarket for this car is damn near incredible, and rivals that of the s13 (240sx) and "ugh" Hondas...
If you want a fun car as a daily driver, it is within consideration to get one, but as I stated, make sure you do research and find out what to look for before you take the plunge, or you might end up with a car that was beaten half to death before you bought it, and will require a lot of work and more effort than anything else to restore.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
27th Nov 2009, 22:00
Hey guys, I recently bought my first rotary, I'm 16 and I love the adrenalin I get with going side ways. I know it's not the fastest, and not the best to drift with... but honestly I paid $550 for it... Only thing it needed was idle control sensor and new gas...haven't had any issues yet with the car, only that the t-top leaks, car only has 121,000 miles, I love driving it...
4th May 2010, 15:46
Um, I'm pretty sure RX-7s never came with a t-top. Just don't want people lookin' for what doesn't exist. :)
18th Nov 2011, 01:25
RX7s are not fuel efficient and are very unreliable, so rotor tip seals sound like a common issue. Sure, it's a beautiful car, I would love to drive one fast, but not own one.
19th Nov 2011, 01:27
After owning an 80's RX-7, I'll never own another rotary engine car OR another Japanese car. It was horribly built, very unreliable, and slower than my 4-cylinder Dodge Omni.
15th Dec 2011, 18:22
You are so right about 2nd gen RX7s in their excellent cooling capability! The radiator is very equipped to "dump" the heat in a hard driving condition. If you do have heat issues, look at your water pump, thermostat, or some kind of restriction in the cooling system. Or, maybe it's low on coolant.
20th Oct 2003, 17:36
Flooding only happens when you press on the gas pedal while cranking, just keep your foot away from the pedal when you are starting it. If it does flood, crawl under the dash, look for a yellow connector (to the right of the steering column), unhook that, then crank the engine over with the pedal floored, it will start, then stop after 3 seconds. All the fuel is out of the rotors. Reconnect the plug, don't touch the gas, turn the key and you are on your way.