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Is this a good deal?! 88 Rx7 Turbo

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Old 05-20-2009, 10:46 AM
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Question Is this a good deal?! 88 Rx7 Turbo

Hey guys, just want some feed back and opinions. Please don't bash me as I know the basics of rotarys and am a previous rx8 owner, and have always wanted a FC rx7 but alas I know almost nothing. I found this gem, I will not post the link in fear that someone will jump on it before I do if i decide not to, don't want to miss out, has happened to many times before. Well..ill post the specs and pics, here ya go.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miles: 160,000 (on chasis)

Price: $6,000 OBO

Title Status: Clean

Location: mystery!

Will trade for toyota tacoma only

-----------------------------------------------------
Vehicle Description:

-Rebuilt "bullet proof" motor with about 5k miles on it. Street port, all s5 housings, s4 turbo rotors, Rotary Aviation "Super Seals" apex seals (they won't break), all emissions removed, ported intake and throttle body.
-550cc primary injectors, 850cc secondaries
-s5 stock turbo running stock boost
-Rtek programmed ecu
-Full Turbo II Swap, Trans, Drive Shaft, Diff, Axles
-Tom's Motorsport Carbon Fiber Seat with custom rails
-DCW Steering Angle Mod
-White Mooneyes Dish Steering Wheel (not pictured)
-Clear JDM Bubble Shift **** (not pictured)
-CX racing 3 Row FMIC
-Turbo XS BOV
-Racing Beat Exhaust, turbo back, best exhaust you can get for FC. So classy.
-Autometer Boost gauge
-Custom Aluminum turbo inlet pipe.
-MMR motor mounts
-ACT 6-puck metallic sprung disc, new stock pressure plate, new slave.
-FD Fuel Pump and hard wired with relay.
-Cusco Coilovers
-MB Battle Wheels, 17x9.5 +15 all the way around. 215-45 tires front, 245-40 rear.
-s5 Tail Lights
-Projector Headlights
-Relocated Battery
-Alpine Head Unit, Ipod hook-up
-Power windows,power locks, sun roof.
-Working Ice Cold A/C. I bought the car with working a/c and I've been driving it a while, and I've never had to charge it. So no leaks!
-Power Steering
-Car was Dynoed at 275 wheel hp and 275 wheel tq on stock boost.
-Gutted Interior
-Built by Jeremy Lowe and Lowe Performance out of S*******




YES KITTY MOD IS INCLUDED, HELPS LUBE THE APEX SEALS


OR!!!! THIS ONE?!!?

"88 rx7-- 5 lug, D1 drift kit, 17 inch rims, tein springs, cold air intake, street port rotary engine, after market high flow radiator, new custom paint, jspec tail lights and jspec head light control. clean title.. $4,000"

Only thing is its non turbo! =[ how much can I expect to put out with a street ported motor with mentioned mods?




Last edited by madjon73; 05-20-2009 at 10:51 AM.
Old 05-20-2009, 11:22 AM
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I flew over a thousand miles a few months ago to buy my 2nd gen. It's a completely bone stock '90 GXL (nonturbo) that had 120,000 miles on it. Runs great, looks good with a few minor issues. To me a bone stock one is worth more as quite frankly I don't trust most of the work that RX-7 owners do to their cars. I paid $2700.

On that TII, notice just how black the bumper is from the exhaust. It's running pretty darn rich. I call his work into question. Look at the steering wheel. It has no hub behind it. While the steering may work just fine, it looks ghetto as hell. He's got a quick panel bolted into the radio slot with the radio above it. This panel is for a gauge of some sort. I shudder to think what the wiring on that has got to look like. It's not the greatest install. The seat is nonadjustable. I wonder why he removed the carpet and half of the interior yet retained the a/c? That's a good example of a bad call when it comes to knowing what to mod and what not to. Not that I condone taking the a/c out. I do see a broken a/c vent as well as a broken defroster vent.

While hard to break, the RA apex seals are extremely hard on rotor housings. They chew them up and spit them out the exhaust. If that motor has 5K on those apex seals, that's about half of it's usable life before the housings are "worn out" assuming they were even new ones rather than reused old ones which is unfortunately common.

Another red flag is the "running stock boost" comment. That's a complete lie!!! Stock boost is about 8 psi. That car makes 160 hp stock. With the RB exhaust AND a fuel cut defenser which allows you to raise boost AND a programmable ecu which is there, AND boost set at 14 psi which is damn near a flame thrower heat wise at that point, that car will get around 275 rwhp which just so happens to be the number he mentions. That engine is absolutely maxed out on it's setup and I'd actually back it down to save it a premature death. All emissions are removed which translates to "this car can't idle on it's own and smells like ****". In some states this is also called "worthless".

Personally I'd pay about $3K for it and then part it out but that's just me. Then again it wouldn't be worth the effort. Rarely do I find a TII that I'd buy at nearly any price.

The 2nd car is the better option to me from what I can tell. I can't see everything about it but I'd favor it. I'd remove the stupid body kit, install new flash to pass lenses, change the wheels, and put a decent suspension back on it. As a result I'd pay no more than about $3K for it max assuming it runs good, still has a cold working a/c, and still has all emissions control devices yet I suspect it doesn't. If it doesn't, $2K.

As I said, a stock RX-7 is worth far more to me. There's less to fix and easier to live with. They're also harder to find.
Old 05-20-2009, 11:32 AM
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I like the Grey one! Buy it now and take off the stickers as soon as you can. Goo Gone ftw!
Old 05-20-2009, 11:38 AM
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I was thinking the same words as RG. That first turbo car looks like, from what mods were done, it won't be alive for all that much longer. I'd be scared to get it, as people who go monkeying with these cars are usually kids who listen to their Honda tuner friends to get it right. Evade it and save yourself a LOT of headaches down the road.
Old 05-20-2009, 11:50 AM
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Thank you for your info and input rotary god, very in depth and greatly appreciated. About the 2nd one, its non turbo so about how much can i expect to put down power wise since its street ported, what ever the hell that means lol
Old 05-20-2009, 11:58 AM
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"Porting" is about increasing the Intake and/or exhaust ports to allow more air flow through the engine. The term "Street port" is about how it is best used for street use, as it keeps the idle virtually the same and gas mileage doesn't change much if at all. With a mild SP, you'll more than likely be heading close to 190 - 200 HP at the wheels, I'd be assuming. It all depends on how well the port was done and how large they went. It won't be easy to tell unless you drive it. If the port is messy and doesn't flow well, you may be LOSING power, instead of gaining it.
Old 05-20-2009, 12:41 PM
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I'd be curious to know who ported it. If it's a reputable shop then it should be fine. There are a few I don't trust though. If it was ported by a friend or he did it then I'd be very skeptical. There are many threads on the 7 forum that show people's attempts at porting. Most of them being very ugly. Yet the responses to most of them are on the order of "looking good" and so forth and so on. Most do not look good. There are only about 2 people who aren't shops that I'd trust to port an engine. Keep in mind I do trust myself!!!

While streetports should be topping 200 rwhp, we don't usually see it happen. Most people just don't know what mods to do in what order. It should have the potential for it though. While that may not sound like much, just remember that car weighs a few hundred pounds less than the RX-8 so even with similar power it would be faster. It'd be a fun car. I've owned a 400+ hp turbo rotary before but my current low powered n/a is perfectly fine for me. It's actually quite fun and I don't have to worry about it. When the engine tops 250K, then I'll worry.
Old 05-20-2009, 08:06 PM
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I contacted him today and was told the car was worked on at 2 different shops, "pole position and pettit racing" I've heard of pettit but never of pole position sooo idk any more feedback?
Old 05-20-2009, 08:37 PM
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Originally Posted by rotarygod
I flew over a thousand miles a few months ago to buy my 2nd gen. It's a completely bone stock '90 GXL (nonturbo) that had 120,000 miles on it. Runs great, looks good with a few minor issues. To me a bone stock one is worth more as quite frankly I don't trust most of the work that RX-7 owners do to their cars. I paid $2700.

On that TII, notice just how black the bumper is from the exhaust. It's running pretty darn rich. I call his work into question. Look at the steering wheel. It has no hub behind it. While the steering may work just fine, it looks ghetto as hell. He's got a quick panel bolted into the radio slot with the radio above it. This panel is for a gauge of some sort. I shudder to think what the wiring on that has got to look like. It's not the greatest install. The seat is nonadjustable. I wonder why he removed the carpet and half of the interior yet retained the a/c? That's a good example of a bad call when it comes to knowing what to mod and what not to. Not that I condone taking the a/c out. I do see a broken a/c vent as well as a broken defroster vent.

While hard to break, the RA apex seals are extremely hard on rotor housings. They chew them up and spit them out the exhaust. If that motor has 5K on those apex seals, that's about half of it's usable life before the housings are "worn out" assuming they were even new ones rather than reused old ones which is unfortunately common.

Another red flag is the "running stock boost" comment. That's a complete lie!!! Stock boost is about 8 psi. That car makes 160 hp stock. With the RB exhaust AND a fuel cut defenser which allows you to raise boost AND a programmable ecu which is there, AND boost set at 14 psi which is damn near a flame thrower heat wise at that point, that car will get around 275 rwhp which just so happens to be the number he mentions. That engine is absolutely maxed out on it's setup and I'd actually back it down to save it a premature death. All emissions are removed which translates to "this car can't idle on it's own and smells like ****". In some states this is also called "worthless".

Personally I'd pay about $3K for it and then part it out but that's just me. Then again it wouldn't be worth the effort. Rarely do I find a TII that I'd buy at nearly any price.

The 2nd car is the better option to me from what I can tell. I can't see everything about it but I'd favor it. I'd remove the stupid body kit, install new flash to pass lenses, change the wheels, and put a decent suspension back on it. As a result I'd pay no more than about $3K for it max assuming it runs good, still has a cold working a/c, and still has all emissions control devices yet I suspect it doesn't. If it doesn't, $2K.

As I said, a stock RX-7 is worth far more to me. There's less to fix and easier to live with. They're also harder to find.
+1 but the fact that owner of #2 claims the tails to be "jspec" when they're simply just S5 tails is a bit misleading, leads me to question potential exaggerations. Eagle eyes on that missing passenger defroster vent RG, wow! Also, I'd assume the "cold air intake" to be a short ram with an autozone filter on the end. The parts aren't exactly quality (fake body kit, unknown CAI, springs on OE shocks, etc). He fails to mention names which means the parts are most likely poo-poo.

You may want to look into S4 Vs. S5 FCs as well, there are some notable differences.


IMO neither are worth it, at all. I purchased my bone stock fc with an original 64,000 miles for far less than these...
Old 05-20-2009, 08:37 PM
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So to answer...



NEITHER!
Old 05-20-2009, 09:08 PM
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well around here theres not so many preserved FC's and im not gonna do the whole out of state thing. Soooo, between the two which one...damn these cars for being so sexy yet havin such a delicate motor! >.< It's a curse!
Old 05-20-2009, 09:53 PM
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I agree with everyone else. RG is right on target re: you are better off finding an unmolested, bone stock one for 2-3K and then going on from there with your own work/modding. U just cant trust anyone else's work, unless u know for sure the seller's rep and the car's history, thats an exception. Those 2 cars look pretty molested and likely driven hard.
Old 05-21-2009, 08:47 AM
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As a bit of info, both cars are '88 models. The n/a is obvious as he states that it's an '88 but there are also some other things that give it away. First off the maroon color on the n/a was only available in '88. I know. I had one! The second giveaway on those cars is the badging on the back. The S4 body style (S5 was the body upgrade among other things) ran for 3 years, '86-'88. Look closely at the emblems on the back. Notice that "RX-7" and "Mazda" on the left and rights sides respectively, are black plastic. This is characteristic of only '88 models. In '87 one of them would have been plastic and the other a sticker. In '86 both would have been stickers.

Looking at the first car I'm a bit unsure if it was actually a TII to begin with or if he did a TII engine and ecu swap. It's got an n/a hood on it rather than the light aluminum TII hood which has a hood scoop. It has power windows and a rear wiper so it could be a TII or could have been a GXL with a conversion done to it. The radiator is off of a TII though so it's probably a TII with an n/a hood on it. I wish I could see the whole instrument cluster, particularly the left side of it. That would be a dead giveaway.

The bottom car has no rear wiper so it definitely wasn't a GXL. It also has no sunroof which is a dead giveaway. It's rare to find one without a sunroof. I prefer them. They're lighter and have a bit more headroom. Those stupid sunroof motors get pretty weak over time anyways. Can anyone see the wheel lug pattern? I can't quite make it out. If it's got a 4 lug pattern, it's a base model. I suspect it is but I can't quite tell. The other models had 5 lugs. A base model has manual windows. I wish I could see an interior shot. They also have smaller brakes. Single piston calipers on front with non vented rotors in rear. The rest of the models have 4 piston calipers up front with slightly larger rotors but the same rear calipers with vented rotors.

It's possible to do a 5 lug conversion but you need everything as it's more than just the calipers and rotors that are different. The brake lines are also slightly larger, the master cylinder is different and the brake booster is much larger. If you only swap calipers and rotors you'll get less stopping power!

Just some things to pay attention to.
Old 05-21-2009, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by rotarygod
As a bit of info, both cars are '88 models. The n/a is obvious as he states that it's an '88 but there are also some other things that give it away. First off the maroon color on the n/a was only available in '88. I know. I had one! The second giveaway on those cars is the badging on the back. The S4 body style (S5 was the body upgrade among other things) ran for 3 years, '86-'88. Look closely at the emblems on the back. Notice that "RX-7" and "Mazda" on the left and rights sides respectively, are black plastic. This is characteristic of only '88 models. In '87 one of them would have been plastic and the other a sticker. In '86 both would have been stickers.

Looking at the first car I'm a bit unsure if it was actually a TII to begin with or if he did a TII engine and ecu swap. It's got an n/a hood on it rather than the light aluminum TII hood which has a hood scoop. It has power windows and a rear wiper so it could be a TII or could have been a GXL with a conversion done to it. The radiator is off of a TII though so it's probably a TII with an n/a hood on it. I wish I could see the whole instrument cluster, particularly the left side of it. That would be a dead giveaway.

The bottom car has no rear wiper so it definitely wasn't a GXL. It also has no sunroof which is a dead giveaway. It's rare to find one without a sunroof. I prefer them. They're lighter and have a bit more headroom. Those stupid sunroof motors get pretty weak over time anyways. Can anyone see the wheel lug pattern? I can't quite make it out. If it's got a 4 lug pattern, it's a base model. I suspect it is but I can't quite tell. The other models had 5 lugs. A base model has manual windows. I wish I could see an interior shot. They also have smaller brakes. Single piston calipers on front with non vented rotors in rear. The rest of the models have 4 piston calipers up front with slightly larger rotors but the same rear calipers with vented rotors.

It's possible to do a 5 lug conversion but you need everything as it's more than just the calipers and rotors that are different. The brake lines are also slightly larger, the master cylinder is different and the brake booster is much larger. If you only swap calipers and rotors you'll get less stopping power!

Just some things to pay attention to.
RG... PM me if you ever decide to sell the FC or if I find one, I will go pick you up from Houston and buy you dinner and in exchange you tell me if the car is worth or not. I am in Austin, so not too far! lol

Carlos
Old 05-21-2009, 12:50 PM
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I'll actually be in Austin this weekend. Going to the Express game Saturday.
Old 05-22-2009, 06:33 PM
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I'm bored waiting for my next lecture so thought I'd give it a quick search.

I'd personally prefer this car over those you linked:
http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/ctd/1154081537.html

Not only low mileage, but true S5 w/ an extra 1,000 RPMs to play with. In fact, if this car were local I'd love to trade my lower mile version for it!
Old 05-22-2009, 06:34 PM
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Oh, an interesting note is those pictures of the second one are from 6 months ago as well :/
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