Hi All.
Finally got an rx7 after first starting a tentative wanted add on here 9 month ago.
A forum member reached out and said he was potentially selling but wasn’t sure yet.
For that 9 months Ive been watching the market and looking at every rx7 fc/fd being listed on forums/ facebook ebay ect.
I really wanted a 99spec car. There were a few pre 99 with the facelifted parts fitted but that wouldn’t do.
I wanted as standard as possible. Nothing against other peoples vision for the car but it isn’t mine. I didn’t want someone else’s dream.
Colour wasn’t important as I think the rx7 shape suits them all. But preference was yellow, red and blue.
Healthy engine. I didn’t want to buy a car and immediately have it off the road for an unknown period of time getting and engine rebuilt.
The forum members car was all of the above and nothing in the 9 months of looking came close.
A follow up message on here just to keep contact going in June and the seller had made his decision to sell. Life and timing slowed it down a touch on both sides but eventually both of us were free and a date was organised.
I didn’t mention the car was 200+ miles away so a return train journey was booked. 5 hours each way. Always nerve wracking going to view a car so far away.
I’d researched for 9 months felt pretty confident in what to look for and to make sure I was buying a decent one.
Buyer picked me up at the station and we drove back to his. Up goes the garage door and there it is. He drives it out and my poker face, not that I had a good one anyway, completely dropped.
I’ll have it.
Quick spin to confirm it starts and stops as it should but unless the engine fell out on the test drive I wasn’t taking the train home.
Price was the price and to be honest it was priced correctly. With me being 5 hours from home I was a captive audience anyway.
Deal done. One small argument with chase bank to send my money to the seller. Natwest no problem.
5 hour drive home highlighted some issues. Nothing major but stuff that will need to be addressed.
First of all the coilovers are unbearable. Managed to make it to oxford before giving up and adjusting them. Set it all to 1/2 way and they stopped being pogo sticks with zero high or low speed damping.
Rest of the journey was uncomfortable but not unbearable.
Exhaust hits what I think is the rhs towing eye. Easy fix I think with some harder durometer rubber mounts. Its also a bit noisy for me. Ill see if I can quieten it down a touch. Its drones on the motorway.
4th gear synchro is on the way out. It doesn’t like to be rushed. Its fine if you drive like a granny.
Only the rear speakers work.
Not sure if its how they are but the idle seems to be a bit erratic. When hot it seems to jump around from 700ish to 1000ish. Can hear a muffled pop or two from the exhaust.
It also shakes the car a bit when the idle drops down to the 700s.
Small amount of throttle to bring up the revs to 1000rpm ans it smooths out nicely.
If it sounds like I’m not happy you’d be wrong. Im over the moon with it. I’m realistic that it’s a 26 year old car but I’m also a perfectionist so I probably have higher expectations than most and hate when anything isn’t right.
The car has been sat around for a while doing the yearly MOT run and not much else. It made the 250 mile journey back without any mechanical faults apart from the above. So confident it’s a sound base with good bones.
Just needs that 10% to get it up to my level. I’ll probably never get there but its fun trying and will keep me occupied.
Immediate plans are giving it a top to bottom service. Replace anything that looks tired or are known potential issues.
Fresh tyres.
Then work through the above issues over time.
Its staying mostly standard. I’m going with OEM+.
Modern ECU with as many sensors to monitor the engine as possible.
Spacers to push the oem wheels out a bit.
Carbon front lip.
Carbon rear wing blade.
Undecided on feed side trims.
Custom Ti full exhaust system. (Love the sound of a Ti exhaust) if I can get it quiet enough.
Stock power as 280hp is plenty for me to enjoy on the road.
Again a big thank you to the previous owner for selling me the car as I had nearly lost hope that something was going to turn up which matched my wants.
Id even started looking at r32 gtrs. Glad I held out for this rx7 as its a beauty.
Unfortunately its on the road until I can clear out the garage. This wont be seeing any salt.
Gets the seal of approval. He didn’t want me to sell my subarus but now is very happy to go in daddy’s race car.
3 more shows to go to this year before its tucked away for hibernation.
Finally got an rx7 after first starting a tentative wanted add on here 9 month ago.
A forum member reached out and said he was potentially selling but wasn’t sure yet.
For that 9 months Ive been watching the market and looking at every rx7 fc/fd being listed on forums/ facebook ebay ect.
I really wanted a 99spec car. There were a few pre 99 with the facelifted parts fitted but that wouldn’t do.
I wanted as standard as possible. Nothing against other peoples vision for the car but it isn’t mine. I didn’t want someone else’s dream.
Colour wasn’t important as I think the rx7 shape suits them all. But preference was yellow, red and blue.
Healthy engine. I didn’t want to buy a car and immediately have it off the road for an unknown period of time getting and engine rebuilt.
The forum members car was all of the above and nothing in the 9 months of looking came close.
A follow up message on here just to keep contact going in June and the seller had made his decision to sell. Life and timing slowed it down a touch on both sides but eventually both of us were free and a date was organised.
I didn’t mention the car was 200+ miles away so a return train journey was booked. 5 hours each way. Always nerve wracking going to view a car so far away.
I’d researched for 9 months felt pretty confident in what to look for and to make sure I was buying a decent one.
Buyer picked me up at the station and we drove back to his. Up goes the garage door and there it is. He drives it out and my poker face, not that I had a good one anyway, completely dropped.
I’ll have it.
Quick spin to confirm it starts and stops as it should but unless the engine fell out on the test drive I wasn’t taking the train home.
Price was the price and to be honest it was priced correctly. With me being 5 hours from home I was a captive audience anyway.
Deal done. One small argument with chase bank to send my money to the seller. Natwest no problem.
5 hour drive home highlighted some issues. Nothing major but stuff that will need to be addressed.
First of all the coilovers are unbearable. Managed to make it to oxford before giving up and adjusting them. Set it all to 1/2 way and they stopped being pogo sticks with zero high or low speed damping.
Rest of the journey was uncomfortable but not unbearable.
Exhaust hits what I think is the rhs towing eye. Easy fix I think with some harder durometer rubber mounts. Its also a bit noisy for me. Ill see if I can quieten it down a touch. Its drones on the motorway.
4th gear synchro is on the way out. It doesn’t like to be rushed. Its fine if you drive like a granny.
Only the rear speakers work.
Not sure if its how they are but the idle seems to be a bit erratic. When hot it seems to jump around from 700ish to 1000ish. Can hear a muffled pop or two from the exhaust.
It also shakes the car a bit when the idle drops down to the 700s.
Small amount of throttle to bring up the revs to 1000rpm ans it smooths out nicely.
If it sounds like I’m not happy you’d be wrong. Im over the moon with it. I’m realistic that it’s a 26 year old car but I’m also a perfectionist so I probably have higher expectations than most and hate when anything isn’t right.
The car has been sat around for a while doing the yearly MOT run and not much else. It made the 250 mile journey back without any mechanical faults apart from the above. So confident it’s a sound base with good bones.
Just needs that 10% to get it up to my level. I’ll probably never get there but its fun trying and will keep me occupied.
Immediate plans are giving it a top to bottom service. Replace anything that looks tired or are known potential issues.
Fresh tyres.
Then work through the above issues over time.
Its staying mostly standard. I’m going with OEM+.
Modern ECU with as many sensors to monitor the engine as possible.
Spacers to push the oem wheels out a bit.
Carbon front lip.
Carbon rear wing blade.
Undecided on feed side trims.
Custom Ti full exhaust system. (Love the sound of a Ti exhaust) if I can get it quiet enough.
Stock power as 280hp is plenty for me to enjoy on the road.
Again a big thank you to the previous owner for selling me the car as I had nearly lost hope that something was going to turn up which matched my wants.
Id even started looking at r32 gtrs. Glad I held out for this rx7 as its a beauty.
Unfortunately its on the road until I can clear out the garage. This wont be seeing any salt.
Gets the seal of approval. He didn’t want me to sell my subarus but now is very happy to go in daddy’s race car.
3 more shows to go to this year before its tucked away for hibernation.
