For the past few months I have been saving some cash up for a Miata, or a 240 SX. However last month some drunken jerk totalled my Jetta while it was parked on the side of the road, and I need another car right away.



Due to the insane resale value of Miatas, I'm going to have a really hard time finding one for less than $2000 (all I have), and while the 240SX is much cheaper, they aren't very common, at least not in my area (Michigan), or on ebay.



However I have noticed than RX7s are super cheap. I have been interested in the RX-7 since I was a kid, and maybe it's time I finally got one.



Althought I'm aware of the inner workings of the Wankel, I can't say I really know as much about the RX-7 as I do about other cars, so what I need to know is if there is any reason why I should get a cheap 86' or newer RX-7 (probably non-turbo) from somewhere in the south-eastern US. What I'm looking for is satements like, "Don't buy an FC, the motors are expensive to fix, and vaporize at 100,000" or something like that. If there are no problems, then I don't seen anything as cool as the RX-7 in my pathetic price range.



It should be noted that I plan on keeping this car for a while, and racing the **** out of it in Solo II.



All advice will be considered. Thanks.

 

if your after reliability a nonturbo is the way to go they usually last 200k miles turbo's generally have more issues, are rare, cost more money etc. if this is gonna be your only car get a N/A . my GTU has been reliable for 3 years of very hard driving and has never let me down

 

"very hard driving" gets my vote for understatement of the year.



"abused like a red-headded step-child" is more like it.

 

I have been driving RX7s since my first in 83 and I have found if you run good oil and no additives and change your coolant yearly....you will get 150+ out of the motor, nowadays you can only replace the engine (about 2000.00 for 12 month unlimited mileage warranty. that says alot for the engine...). I have an 88 that I bought with a bad apex seal and went through the guys records and found he had used Magic Mystery Oil additive all the time he had the car..the engine went out at 80k miles...

 

They are just as reliable as any other car, just maintain them. I went through the records on my car after the motor blew @ 111K miles...and found that the women who had it before me relied on Jiffy lube to do the services, and on every receipt they had it says "constantly low on oil"..or "cust was told to maintain oil level" she never did...that motor probably would have gone the full 200K at the rate I babied it, lol.

 

Well that's what I was hoping to hear. I guess it will be a FC for me.



However I must say that your guy's opinion of "long" engine life, while impressive, doesn't amaze me. My Jetta had 160,000 miles on it, and it ran like a watch when that screwball totaled it. I called it the "Krautmobile". The A2 was the master race of automobiles if there ever was one.



Thanks for the info.



Chad

 

RX-7's are great cars. I had an 86 GXL for 4 years and never had a problem with it. I sold it with a 130,000 miles on it. I test drove an 87 not too long ago that had 200,000 miles on the original engine. The car had been a straight commuter car, and the engine still had a fair amount of pop. Fc's look good, have good power, and handle better than most cars. Just make sure to check your oil, keep an eye on the coolant, and the car should last as long as you make it. Theoretically anyways.