Comments: 1-15, 16-26
I just got a 88 RX7 with 210,000 mils on it. The car runs perfectly. The handling is really suprisingly good. The suspension is tight and the car handles nearly as well as a Porsche. I have a couple of electrical problems like the anatenna doesn't go up or down. The lights on the dash some times go out and you have to hit it a little for them to go back on. The sunroof still works, but you need to push on it a little to get it to start moving. Also of course my windshield wipers only work on one speed. My brake lights some times don't work.
In summary the car is amazing in its handling and engine speed. The transmission is nice and the seats are really comfortable. Its like this car was built for the highway, when you get upto about 80mph you feel the engine just humming and happy.
I would suggest anyone to get this car.
This car is what I expect from a compact sports car.
Have an 86 with 235K miles.. same problems.. sunroof needs oiling and cleaning of the tracks to keep from sticking/pushing... Slick 50 that bad boy and keep it cool and it will last...what makes these cars cool is the amount of parts you can get on ebay and other dedicated rx7/mazda sites... the new ca smog laws this year (04) will force everybody to run 3 cats to pass smog... before you could pass with only one main... or a bonez high flow...Not now.. its better to have a single tube and replace it with the 3 cat setup when you need to smog it.. the best things to do to your 86 to 89 NA non turbo in ca are these things.. intake/exhaust/bonez high flow cat setup/strut bars Upper and lower... along with struts and springs...racing beat engine torque brace and finally an aluminum flywheel.. couple this with a new radiator and water pump and you'll have a tight/quick/sweet ride.. with this setup the only thing you have to do is change the cats and air box bax to stock for smog.. about 2 hours of work for those that know... heck even keep the stock 14" wheels and run 215/60-14's in front and 225/60-14's in the rear for a little rake...otherwise 215's all the way around..at 235K this setup can't be bad otherwise the car would have failed long ago...
I have the same problems as the first person that posted, my lights keep dimming on and off. I thought it was because I had to replace the alternator, now I'm wondering otherwise. my sunroof has failed to open a couple of times in the last month. some of my belts looked worn down so I replaced those. and boy is it fast, that 1.3 wankel really puts out considering the size of the engine compared to other larger engines. think about this, a newer stock honda civic has a 1.7 litre engine while the rx7s have a 1.3, theyre speed isn't even worthy of a competition. and ya my windshield wipers only work on one speed. its awesome.
I bought a 1988 non-turbo rx-7 gxl and it is in mint condition. I agree with the other comments that the car is quick and has suprisingly good handeling. but even though the car looks nice on its 17" chome rims and fresh new white paint job it still has a couple minor problems. The antena does not go up and down, the windshield wipers only work on one speed, the seal on the sunroof is bad, and the center plastic part around the clock is cracked. Otherwise the car is great the sunroof is good and it doesn't even stick. It is an overall good car.
PROJECT 1.
I just bought an 88 rx7 convertible with 196,000 miles on it and am very happy with it. The only problems seem to all be electrical ones. At least I know that that seems to be pretty standard for them. Of course the wipers only work on one speed, and the top is fickle about weather it wants to close once it is open, but all in all it is a great car, and I would recomend one to anybody.
As with everyone else here I have the same problems just a few more.. my wipers are not working on any speed I changed the switch.. I just gotta check the power wire on the ignition and that should fix that.. I changed my stock stereo and put a deck in and now I no longer have any park lights, but I'm pretty sure its the headlight switch cause it was giving me problems before I took out the clutch n tranny racing a porche (at least I won) yes folks a stock 86 GXL with an S5 engine (89) beat a porsche (track) I pulled 13.7@107,
even with these bugs I wouldn't trade in my 7 for any other sports car out there.
My next project is an 88 SE with a 454 V-8 conversion.
I'll update when that comes around.
I must be the luckiest RX7 owner in the world! Never had any of the electrical problems mentioned. If you're considering purchasing an rx7, make sure you buddy up or at least find a local rotary mechanic. They're actually really cheap to service, as the engine is a simple design. Any faults, and the mechanic will know the fix. I had a flooding problem and the car wouldn't start. (AUD$3.50 parts and AUD$40 labour).
I saw the RX7 1988, 133K miles, advertised in the paper for $1800. After reading reviews here on Car Survey, I decided to go for it, even when my usual mechanic told me the rotary engine was "experimental". Well, if it's that, it's a GREAT experiment! Totally thrilled with this car... being able to buy regular gas is SUCH a plus. The former owner had babied it, and told me (info from the many websites and forums for this model) that putting 2-stroke motorcycle oil in the gas tank every 2nd fill-up would help it stay lubed... and it's true. I can tell the differnce... The thing just PURRS.
The only repair I had to do right after I got it was for a gas leak. One of the injectors was bad. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, Ben at Alex Safety Lane is knowledgeable about this vehicle. Total cost of repair for this was $240. I also had it winterized.
I do have problems with crazy dashboards signals like "Add Coolant"... Even after I "added coolant" and winterized, it still does it. Also the heating gauge seems stuck now and then. But the websites for this car say this is a common problem.
My only issue was I had to drive it two miles in, and two miles out on a dirt road. I was afraid the clearance wouldn't be good enough. Not to mention hills. Well, the rear-wheel drive takes me up without a cough. The car has such power a 45- degree angle doesn't faze it. Also I
found that when dealing with 'washboard roads" I rev up to third gear, and hit 30-40 miles an hour, and it just flies right over them. I'm planning to modify and cherry up this baby and keep her forever.
I've heard it is easy to switch it to hydrogen burning, and saw one just a few days ago in a parking lot at a nearby university, where they were doing just that.
I'm even in the market to buy another one.
Hey all you RX7 owner's? I just bough an 88 GXL for $900.00 with 149,000 miles on her on 3/28/06. Of course it's a five speed. I have had a couple of buddies that owned 87's. That's what got me interested. I just love this car. The girl I bought it from said that it had an overheating problem and they replace the radiator, hoses, and fan trying to fix it. Then finally gave up and put it up for sale. I found out that it only had a coolant leak and I just moved the clamp back an inch and it stopped. There are no major electrical defects (yes my wipers work on all speeds) and the sunroof works smoothly. I just love my new investment.
Hello All.
We purchased an 88 RX7 over a year ago. Haven't drove it to much at all. Kept getting the extension stickers because we figured do to it not running to smooth, it wouldn't pass smog. Well I got a new job, and decided I better get into gear on making it run, and try having it pass smog since the last sticker I got for extension was in sept 05. Well took it to a car place where they screwed me of course. What a shocker. They call me, and say the car is running to cold and I need a new thermostat, so I'm like you sure that's it out of pure shock thinking it would have more issues. In December it did start having an issue with not starting so I would have to push it, thank god being female it wasnt a Cadillac, but that got old. So I asked this car place to fix the starter to. Well long story short it still didn't pass the smog pretest. boy was I mad!!! They say its so close. I didn't think of the fact the car was sitting like 3 months not moving. So I'm hoping tune up, and some good gas I will go for a pretest again. Has anyone in California had smog issues???
Dash lights flickering on and off is a common problem on Mazda's, but is easy to fix, try replacing the dimmer switch for them. It has worked on 2 of my 3 so far also it is much better for the car than hitting the dash.
I own a 88 gxl I bought her 10 years ago. When purchased 124,000 miles it was pretty much my dream car except Wipers worked one speed, speedometer lights only worked when tapped, she started when she wanted to and over heated when she was mad :) I hung in there learning of the 13B engine. since then I have made her perfect (she is to me). wiper switch has a known problem I have a manual to show how to resolve about any problem, I re-soldered that, but ended up buying a new switch just because I wanted everything new (the fix lasted 2 years and still worked great when I replaced it). speedometer cluster had a crack in a connection on back I hot glued that together eventually buying a new one, as for the over heating and having to push start it from time to time it was a bad seal in the engine so I got a brand new one and sent it in to get ported. Only problem I had left was eventually the shocks went bad I didn't notice at first, but they were. It was a hard decision, but I ended up replacing the gxl suspension with 4 pt in the front and 8point adjustables in the rear. By switching over there is no need for the power to the shocks anymore reducing the extra draw on the alt and battery. As for the post above on the smog not passing I am sorry to say, but from the sound of it your engine might be bad. But the lack of passing the smog is probly do to the afterburner valve after awhile she will stick it's a 15$ part and anyone with a 10mm socket can fix it. If anyone needs a full service manual on a 86 to 91 I can send it to you (email or I'm). Below is what I did for my restoration project.
New ported engine (mild port)
cold air intake
fc1000 ignition
koyo radiator
Racing Beat street system (new true dual exhaust from the header to the back)
AC & air pump ect. removed
upgraded fuel pump
4 slotted and drilled rotors steal lines, painted calipers to match suspension
4 point in front and 8 point adjustables in the rear
street performance clutch
upgraded injectors
silicone hoses & plug wires
17" custom wheels
paint silver
erebuni shogun bodykit
s5 tails
3rd brk light removed and 3 led's in its place
side trim removed and fiberglassed smooth with the body
s5 int. and dash swap (black)
racing seats 4 point mazda speed harrnesses
custom gauge pod/pillar
air/fuel, volt, oil temp gauges
Lighting underglo
rev glo gauges (one color green or blue to match affter market gauges).
Panasonic deck + mp3
rockford amp and 2 12" subs mounted in the rear compartments (hatches)
1ft copasitor
In all this sounds like it is extream, but it is very inviting and extreamly reliable. I drove her from North MN non stop to san antonio texas 100 degree heat without even a worry. I am fighting with myself on a rear wing carbon fiber hood and carbon fiber moon roof. I want all 3 but I like the way she is now. Only other upgrade I am looking at is to remove the pop ups with a flush mount kit. Debating on a camden fuel injected super charger package. I believe the package to be unreliable since they have stated they are having a problem with the idle, but I still would like one :), and a haltech engine management system. Anyone who needs the online manual you can write me at joshz@satx.rr.com anyone with a haltech or selling parts they feel I need or might want let me know. Hope this article helps sorry I can't post pics on here.
Wiper switches: Can anyone recommend the best seller of repaired wiper switches? There looked to be a good guy on in the last few days.
Flooding: I have a 1988 convertible with 102,000. It runs fine. I used to have flooding problems. I learned not to start the car cold and move it a few feet to another parking spot and turn it off. It will flood. It has to be allowed to warm somewhat, e.g. by going around a few blocks or letting it idle.
But when it was hopelessly flooded I taped one exhaust pipe shut and taped a shop vacuum to the other and vacuumed the engine for 5 minutes or so, with the engine off. This works every time. Note CAREFULLY: I used a vacuum that had the dust container removed so the fumes went into the air. Confined fumes can explode, of course, with results you do not want. My mechanic removed some sort of check valve at the fuel tank which he claims alleviates the flooding problem by not having the tank pressurized at startup and thus sending a charge up to the engine in a burst. This helped, but not always. Joe.
Hey guys, I just bought a 88 RX-7 Turbo, the anniversary edition. The car had a few electrical problems, i.e. wipers work on only one speed, sunroof needs a little help, but overall the car is great. There are a few vaccum hoses that are not connected and some leaks in the power steering hoses, but nothing major. The car has got the quickness :).
I need some info about the motor. It's my first 7 and I just need some tips.
By the way, on the smog test it shot right off the chart.
(in the UK)
Been offered a 1998 RX7 convertible, Twin Turbo for £1500 only got 65000 on the clock.
Smokes a little when started, but apart from that it seems fine.
What ya think.
Mick.
I too have a 88 RX-7, love the car, wipers won't shut off, had to tap, some times rap the switch, found a used switch on e-bay, now looking for a real good gas tank, In Canada, North Bay, Ontario, (200 miles north of Toronto,, and yes we do have summer. One other problem is the clock dims most times. My antenna won't work either.
Hope some one has a few ideas.
Jerry.