first generation Mazda RX-7's, anyone have backround with them? Options

[saleeka]

I've stumbled across an oppurtunity, through my father, to pick up an 84 for what seems too good a deal, and I've yet to see the car in person. I don't know anything other than it's an 84, it's a stick, and its dark blue... Dad has rode in it a few times, and when he got an oppurtunity to purchase it, he thought of me (so i'm assuming it's worth what the guy is asking?) Don't know if it's a 12A or 13B... Either way, I thought i'd throw this out there, because if I pick it up, it will likely be a father/son weekend toy. There are certain rotary issues i'm aware of, but it would be nice to know what to look out for from someone who's had experience wth 'em. I'll update with more info as I learn.

This post has been edited by saleeka: Jul 19, 2008 - 11:45 PM

[95celgt]

Well im somewhat a rotor head but i specialize in 13b's (FC & FD)........but i've dealt with 2 FB's, and heres a QUICK list of what i picked up along the way....

RUST........typically in bottom rear quarter area (behind the rear tires/ under neath rear bumper)...look for that it can get reaaaaal bad in the fb...
12A, overheating/blown coolant seals are more common in the 12A than the 13B...
white Smoke from tail pipe/ pressure in the coolant sytem (usually causing the water to overflow from the coolant resvior bottle) = blown coolant seal
check compression as a motor that old can have stuck apex seals...and check the plugs for fouling/flooding....
DO NOT rev untill the motor is warmed up, this blew my coolant seal on the compression side wich lead to the coolant leaking out of the overflow bottle, theres a bandaid fix for this but it gets annoying checking/ refilling coolant..
IF id DOES flood often then you need to rev the motor as you turn off the ignition...this will allow the rotors to push out all the gas by the time the rotor stops moving.
If it runs real good a redline a day keeps the carbon away....


You'd be real lucky if you managed to score the GSL-SE as that model had the 13b-re which made a bit more power and had factory LSD
the fb i was gonna buy was this special model the guy didn't know what it was worth he only wanted 1000 for it and i let the oppertunity go....some guy down the street has it in his driveway now lol

O if you REALLY want to look into it www.RX7club.com is your best friend!

[95celgt]

here i quote whitey85mtu from rx7 club:

"under the rear bins, check for rust. Also check the drivers seat pan and the rear suspension pickup points. These are the most common places for rust to form, and if the rear suspension mounts are rusted, it's gonna take alot of time to replace them. The carb will probably need to be rebuilt, and if a stabilizer wasn't put in the tank, a full system cleanout is in order, but you probably already knew that. The tanks tend to rust on these cars, so you may have to keep on replacing the fuel filter until you get all the loose flakes out of the tank.

As far as maintenance, i'd suggest that the first thing you do is drain your coolant and look for rust. the coolant tends to eat the metal around the coolant seals in the older engines if it's left in the system for too long. Normally you want to change your coolant every year so the engine doesn't get damaged. After that, i'd change all the fluids with a good quality motor oil. Some people are anti-synthetic, some people are pro-synthetic, the debate being because of the motor having to burn the oil. Personally I run Royal Purple in the engine, trans, and rear end. I noticed a huge drop in trans temperature after switching from Valvoline semi-synth to Royal Purple on my old 7 with a stripped interior. Cap and rotor are a must, as are spark plugs (NGK BR8EQ14 (stock) or NGK BR9EQ14 (hotter heat range, help combat fouling), DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT NGK's) and plug wires. A new fuel pump may help performance, as the stocker is barely adequate when new. Run a can of SeaFoam through 1/8 of a tank and run the piss out of the car until it's almost dry, and then fill up with a can of SeaFoam and drive it. The SeaFoam will clean out your engine and help it run better."

and this is a sticky made by a mod//its a general what to look for post for rx7's:
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=601804