1983 Mazda RX-7

Coupe

1.1L 1146CC R2 GAS Naturally Aspirated

Manual

JM1FB3314D0729375

Clear

Gasoline

I purchased this car with intent to do a SBC swap but cannot get in or out of it as easily as I thought I could and have lost interest. The body of the car is in pretty good shape underneath with a small amount of rust (see photos) which is why I selected it for the swap. There are a few areas that need some addressing such as the small holes behind the left hand rear wheel and in each wheel well, which seems to be a common issue from what I have seen in other RX7's of this vintage. Of all the RX7's I looked at around here that were in my opinion "swap candidates", this one was BY FAR the best as far as rust is concerned. The bigger problem with the body is that the previous owner said the car was backed into by a service van in the left hand rear which dented the metal and broke the tail light. The car could use a repaint, but doesn't look too bad. The engine runs pretty well but leaks a small amount of oil from the beehive oil cooler. The igniters were bad on this car so I wired in HEI ignition units and got it to run and they seem to work well (and if one goes out, it's $30 to replace, not $200 like the factory ones). The engine will start after it is at operating temperature as well, so the apex seals seem to be okay. The car drives, steers, rides and stops well. Clutch and transmission work fine. The limited edition Enkei style wheels are in excellent condition and the tires are practically brand new. The only issue is when the engine is above 5K-6K while engine braking the engine burns oil. The consensus on RX7 forums is that the oil control O-rings/seals are going bad. Other than in that situation, the engine does not smoke. The body has approximately 225K on it (or at least the odometer reads that, it may not be original in this old of a car) but I have no idea how many miles are on the engine. I know it has had to be rebuilt at least once with the track record of the Wankel engine not lasting much more than 120K. The interior is rough and lots of the plastic is oxidized. I have a few random interior pieces from a GSL parts car I bought for its limited slip differential, which is included in this auction. It's rusty, but a wire wheel and a media blaster should clean it up well. The pop up headlamps work well. The four way flashers,radio and windshield wipers do not work. I recommend this car be trailered since I did not get to put many shakedown miles on it, but it never gave me any grief when I did drive it. I have a clean Wisconsin title in my name for the car. The buyer is responsible for setting up and paying for all shipping/ transportation costs of the vehicle. If you have any more questions or would like more pictures, please do not hesitate to ask. This could be a fun little summer car with some tinkering, an excellent candidate for a V8 swap, or since it is cheap, a beater or parts car.