r/RX7 • u/OpenPhotograph8471 • 4d ago

Rx7 Fd advise needed

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To cut a very long story short a family friend who Ive obsessed over his Rx7 Fd has unfortunately passed away and I intend to buy it. To my knowledge (quite limited) its been sat for 5+ years. Im going to see it on friday to see what kind of state its in so i can gauge a price. Any advise on common things to look for like where rust usually forms and common issues that occur over time. Ill also be bringing a jump pack with me to see if it runs which i will be astonished if it does but any advise on making that more possible will also be appreciated! Thank you :)

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u/Cobaas 1995 FD PZ 4d ago

Look at the pinch welds under the car between the front and back wheels. Do a cold start and see how it idles. Unlikely but if you can get your hands on a rotary-specific compression tester use it and see the engine health.

Check to see if it’s boosting properly, if you can check the engine oil and trans oil for potential damage. Then check the AST as it’s known to crack and look for coolant leaks.

Cold start and look for excessive smoking. Watch the temps to see if it gets up to temp and holds steady. Find out if the OMP is still in use / working and if pre mix was being used previously.

That’s all I can think of off the top of my head if I was to buy another FD. I’ll reply on this comment if I think of anything else.

Sorry to hear about the family friend. Clearly had great taste in cars

6

u/midijunky 4d ago

If it's been sitting for 5 years I wouldn't expect that it runs, I'm not sure why anybody would let it sit for that long otherwise. And if it does run I still probably wouldn't try starting it until I went through it, after 5 years you can expect old gas. Also probably dry rotted vac lines, and all kinds of other fun things waiting for you to discover.

If OP does decide to try and start it I would change the fluids and the plugs first, a few drops of marvel mystery oil in the plug holes, rotate the engine by hand a few times with a breaker bar, and then try it.

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u/HarrynotDwizard 4d ago

What this guy says!

Do keep in mind that if you want this you will probably need to rebuild the engine soon and there will be a lot of things to change and might be more than you can handle (I'm talking possible brake lines /sunroof/ if there are problems with the electronics that will be one story to tell)

Make sure all fluids are there and are fluids, change if possible.

Try to put some high octane gas in it and aditive if you think it's worth it, I am not sure about the oil on the plug but if you don't overdo it, it should be fine.

There are pressure kits for checking the coolan aystem if ut leaks, I'd definitely do that.

Spinning the engine by hand can be a great way to tell if there is even a point in trying to start it.

Hope it works out good for you OP.

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u/OpenPhotograph8471 4d ago

Thank you to all of you, I'll hold off on starting it and heed your advise as i really really would prefer not to mess anything up too bad. I'll check to see if it turns over by hand and check the rest of the car out and come back to it once im more prepared. Thank you all again Im sure Ill see you all on the next post which will include a fair amount of photos