1989 Mazda RX7 GTU from North America - Comments

I have only had the car a short time, and I bought it from a person who was fed up with the flooding problem. So far, a coolant leak and plugged fuel injectors have been the only problem. I overheated the engine recently, and I am crossing my fingers that I have not permanently damaged the engine. The catalytic converter is also broken off, just before the exhaust "Y," making the car sound like a World War II fighter plane with a five speed.

So, far, I love the car. I also have a 1982 RX7 that I have modified somewhat. The 1989 GTU will leave the 1982 behind, but not by much.. It corners like a cat on carpet, and highway touring with the car is like flying a jet really close to the ground. "Wheel hop off the line hinders drag strip starts, but once under way, the RX7 is explosively fast." Car and Driver, 1988. I would have to agree, but the GTU suspension and quiet interior will mislead you to believe that it is not accelerating as fast as it really is. I believe this car would likely pull a 15 second quarter mile, a feat that my 1966 Barracuda, with a 273 V8 would do only on its best day. The car still has the stock stereo, which I will likely give to the thrift store. Being over six feet tall, I find the seats in the GTU to be too stiff and tall. The sunroof in the 1989 could have been bigger, perhaps the same size and layout of my 1982.

Flooding problem is a part of these models. They were born with it. Unless you have a turbo 2 or series 5, you need to fix this, but it is real cheap! You only need to install a switch that cuts the fuel pump, so if it wouldn't start, you cut the fuel, it picks up the revs, and you turn the pump back on. Easy! The series 5 simply has this function built into the accelerator (only on the "turbo 2" models that I'm aware of)! If it floods, you hold down the accelerator to the floor, and ECU knows to cut the fuel because your starting the car. Once the revs pick up, you let off the accelerator, and she fires up.

Knowledge is power!

I am a little confused by terms like "sports car","explosively fast", and "15-second quarter miles" in reference to a non-turbo RX-7. I had one, and it was so slow you needed a CALENDAR to time it thru a quarter mile. I used to be embarrassed by old ladies in aging Pintos beating me away from stoplights. I traded mine for a Mustang. THAT is a sports car. What the appeal was of the early RX-7's was I'll never know. I bought mine under the delusion that it was a sports car. Only later did I discover that it was really a glorified golf cart.

I am the proud owner of an '89 Rx7. It has 117,000 miles and still runs like a champ. It has plenty of acceleration and down shifting while cornering only adds more fun to the experience.

Some people don't seem to understand the fact that if you do not wind out the gears in small engine cars, it will be difficult to utilize the power available. This car does not red line until 8,000 r.p.m's.

I have had some clutch problems as well as losing the drive shaft at 40 mph, which was a very interesting experience, to say the least. But all in all, my car is solid, reliable and fun, with the exception of the flooding issue, which can be fixed by putting the pedal to the metal if it will not turn over.

A 1989 Mazda Rx7 is not the fastest car in the world, or was it designed to be. But how many cars can you buy for $2,400 and drive it 140 mph without shaking to death. This cars beauty is in the eye of the beholder, But I will tell you I am happy to own my Rx7!

I know a guy who lived in Germany for three years... he had a nonturbo RX-7 and said it reached 142 MPH... and I easily believe him. Just because you got a junker FC with the front end out of alignment, and don't know how to shift, doesn't mean that FCs can't do 130+... jesus, grow a brain. Do you really think that EVERYONE IN THE FREAKING WORLD is conspiring against you to trick you into thinking that the FC can go over 100Mph? My 88 Bonneville can do 104 mph... and it only has 150HP... My dads FB can go over 100mph too... "in 4th gear" he says.

Actually, no, stay away RX-7s. Please, keep driving your Mustang... and don't EVER touch an RX-7 again.

Hi I'm a 14 year old boy starting to look into first cars. My wealthy uncle owns a 1989 Mazda RX-7 and I have always been interested in it and rx7s in general. The only upgraded I think he has done would be some kind of fancy exhaust. For my first car I want nothing, but speed. This car is currently in storage and nobody will drive it, but they are selling it soon. Can someone tell me what kind of performance this car would have? I would really appreciate it ill check back soon.

My 7 is an 85. It will do 115 MPH. When I bought it, it was slow. Do the following mods: Free up the exhaust flow and install a lighter flywheel and grippier clutch. It is now very quick and much more a sports car than heavier, more powerful cars.

I’m 19 years old and just today got into my first RX-7! It’s a 1989 non turbo, but with all the optional extras. Manual with cruise control; It’s the best of both worlds! I got air in the break lines so I can’t push the higher speeds without a runway to stop! should be fixed in a couple of days. I can’t wait to explore this car’s capabilities, though I’m still scared of it!

I'm 16, and mystep-dads boss has an 89 rx-7, am getting it this weekend, feb 26, 2007. I already have in mind about 2k worth of body style upgrades, if it already runs good, if not, I'm going to work on performance first, btw my email is daocgamerz@hotmail.com if anyone has any comments about things to do or not to do about this car, please let me know... thx!

The ideal performance upgrade for the RX-7 is a 4.0 Ford V-6 (or even a 3.0, or an earlier 6 is more powerful than the stock RX-7 engine). It requires some cutting and specially fabricated motor mounts, but it is an awesome performer and much more reliable than the problem prone rotary. The entire drive train from the Ford will work with a bit of cutting and a re-built, spliced driveshaft. Having owned one with the rotary I don't really recommend trying to make do with them. Mine required constant attention to keep it running.

Putting a Ford V6 into a RX7 makes as much sense a putting a 13B into a corvette. What makes the RX7 unique is the rotary engine. If you don, t want an engine that you have to rev or want a a lot of torque get yourself an iron block push rod motor. If you insist on an engine swap the LS1 has a lot more power and a lot of people have done it.

The rotary is a very good engine if one knows how to take care of it, and while it will not produce much above 700 horsepower in 2 rotor (13B) form, it will definitely put out a very reliable 300 with the right modifications. The 3rd generation (FD) model is very single purpose, and that purpose would be a speedy one, so it is not suitable for those who need luxury or utility. However if one wants a good auto-X machine/track car that can be daily driven, or even just a weekend driver or canyon carver, an FD makes perfect sense. While the other models of 7 (FB and FC) handle just as well, without modifications they can be slightly underpowered. All in all watch for engines with above 80,000 miles that have not been rebuilt, because the apex seals are apt to break soon, and a good rebuild costs around $3,000 depending on shop and amount of things replaced.

I have an 88 rx7 non turbo, its at 11300 miles I just started noticing a little coolant on the oil dipstick, can any of you owners tell what is wrong and how much to fix it, can't be a head gasket because to my understanding there is no head gasket in it

whats up.

I have an rx7 1988 and I too noticed a little coolant on the dip stick I had it run under several pressure test and there are no signs of internal leaks, I was losing coolant through a heater hose, one guy commented that it could be condensation, so get it checked out, but I hope its not a sign of an engine rebuild.

I love my RX-7 I'm going to fix it up and keep it this is the car I wanted since 88 and now I have it! go to www.myspace.com/resejhordanmusic to see pictures of it now and soon it will be painted, re topped and a new exhaust which brings me to my question, is it necessary to have 3 converters on the car, I don't want to shell out 600 in catalytic converters plus the headers and pipes.

I have an 88 Non-turbo Rx-7. It would smoke on start-up, and

eventually flood. After taking the plugs out overnight, the engine restated, with lots of white smoke. Turns out the

sub-zero starting assist valve (on the underside of the snorkle) was leaking, and the car was drinking enough coolant to flood the engine, plus cause some hesitation.

I replaced the valve with a new one, and about one year later, this same problem appeared.

This may explain why you have some coolent in your engine, plus black-smoke on start-up (if the car has sat overnight).

I simply disconnected the hose from the value and plugged it up. But I do not live in a cold climate, so you may have to find some other solution.

Best of luck.

Yes I have a 1988 Rx-7 and I have been owning it a little over a year and I got it for a 1,000 $ and I am having the flooding problem with it right now and I can't figure it out if someone knows what it could be comment me on here please- thank you it was quick when it was running and it is a very fun car to drive and to learn about it would easily get to 140 mph in no problem well with me driving it, well thanks if someone could help me with my problem I would appreciate it thank you.