hey guys, i would appreciate some help in what to look for in buying an rx7 twin turbo. i currently own a crimson red toyota mr2 turbo with a few mods, but these have always been my dream cars. dont know anything about rotory engines, and im not asking for that. but could someone give me a breakdown of what the difference between a touring model, FD? and any other models. like mr2s im sure some years they upgraded this or that. just asking for a simple breakdown. any chance of me finding one with less than 100k for around 8 thousand dollars? or is that a cheap piece of ****? just started on my venture. sorry for being a newbie, and hope to own one soon enough.

tyler

 

touring model has leather, bose stereo system, and sunroof. R1/R2 models have dual oil coolers, stiffer suspension, and different (ugly i think) seats. a base model can have a number of options. you can find one for that price but be aware that if the engine has anywhere upwards of 65-70,000 miles on the engine, you will need a rebuild ($2000). i suggest thoroughly researching the rotary engine before buying one.

 

most FD's are selling for about $12k-$15k, there are some exceptions here and there but thats like the normal price.



You can get ones with blown engines for $5k-$8k depending on the other conditions in the car.



the pricing has no real standard it sorta goes by what the seller feels like asking, i've seen ones sell for $3,500 and others for like $23,000 or more. Lots of little variables involved.



kevin.

 

so if i were looking for a twin turbo, what model would be the cheapest, price wise? do they all need to be rebuilt after 60k? what entails a rebuild, and about how much are they for these motors? thanks again guys, i hate to be the newbie

tyler

 

all 3rd gens are twin turbos first of all, unless modified to be a single turbo.



The cheapest I guess would be a base model, called "base", but the touring and base models often sell close price wise. The R1/R2's are generally the more expensive models. With R2's being more expensive since theyre from 94 and 95 in which less were produced aqnd the bugs of the 93 version were worked out a bit better.



Most engines need a rebuild, depending on how they were treated. Some can last 100k or more, some will last 40k. It's all about maintenance. However the normally thought is if you buy one with over 60k that hasnt been rebuilt, then just to save you time and money down the road you should rebuild, and port it most times, right away. This is just a preventitive measure in most cases.



Don't worry about being new, everyone asks questions even the regulars.



kevin.

 

All i can say is shop around. AutoTrader is the best. I got my car on there for 15k with a ton of great stuff done, i brought it back put 4k more into it and now it's a 11 sec beast. I would make sure the engine rebuild was done some where good if you get a rebuild. Just ask us here and someone will tell you if it's a good place or not. Also be ready to travel for it if you want a good deal i live in PA and i went to FL. Mines a 93 R1 by the way. Also look for single turbo it's just a lot better i feel. It takes care of the whole mess of vacume lines ans gives you some more power. Just take you time and look hard and good.

 

Another dreamer..

You ever find a car?

 

who me?



kevin.

 

if you have the money, a good place to look would be www.lamotorcars.com

they offer a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty with their 3rd gens.

talk to Lance if you find one you like there.



otherwise autotrader is a good place. ebay is kind of wierd. for a few months there will only be a handful, then almost as if someone waved their magic wand, there will be a crapload of FDs on ebay. That's where i found mine.



kevin's right about the rebuild stuff. it would be nice to find one that has a freshly rebuilt engine. if not, then it wouldn't hurt to make sure that you have enough dinero, in case you need one right away.



you could always find a shell and get a remanufactured engine from Malloy Mazda. even have it rebuilt/ported if you want.



good luck in your search.

 

I got my '93 Brilliant Black base for $14K with 70K miles on it, great condition. from ebay. You may want to know the colors too: brilliant black, montego blue, cym?? (yellow) , chaste white (i believe they call it), vintage red, and silverstone silver.. good luck.