1988 Mazda RX-7

Turbo II Convertible

-

Manual

JM1FC3511J0108746

Gasoline

YEP...HERE WE GO AGAIN AND IT'S GETTING OLD....THIS IS FLIPPIN' GROUND HOG DAY...AUCTION NUMBER 2 IS NOW IN THE BOOKS...I'M BATTING 1000...2 FOR 2 ON YO-YO ANAL ORIFICE BIDDERS!! HOPEFULLY, THE THIRD ONE WILL BE THE CHARM!! CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME... Here's what I'm looking for...am I asking too much?...An honest buyer...an auto enthusiast with integrity, common sense & the actual ability to appreciate & purchase my Rx7. Integrity, y'know...that character trait whereby someone actually follows through on their committed word...someone who understands that their word is their bond and that at the end of the day, it's all they have to define their character. It's an intrinsic core value that was generally instilled in one through proper parenting in ones formative years. Perhaps a U.S. military service personnel, police officer or fire fighter...or simply...someone with honor. As Robert McGregor said.."it's the gift a man gives himself." If you possess it, you and your loved ones know it. If you're unemployed and sitting in your mothers basement in your underwear, get a life or just chamber one and take it for the team. I don't care...just don't bid!! If you are incapable of abiding by the conditions of the auction, it's real simple...DO NOT BID! You ruin the entire process for the legitimate eBayers, you waste time & money. With that having been said, to the legitimate buyers, please read on... Before you & up for bid is an example of the MAZDA Rx7 Convertible that Mazda built, but did not make available for the United States market. The performance Turbo II version. Make no mistake, this is NOT the same anemic & underpowered convertible that was available from 1988-1992, here in the states. Those were fun cars, just not enthusiast cars. This is a very rare & unique automobile. It is NOT merely a backyard tuner car. The history of this car and what differentiates it from "average" Rx7 convertible's is the following: During the 80's & 90's, my family was in the automotive business as co-owners of a Mazda franchise in S. Fla. Upon learning of Mazda's plan to build an entirely new convertible on the 2nd generation Rx7 platform, we purchased an inaugural example for ourselves. It is a U.S. spec car, not a gray market car. It is believed that Mazda imported approx., 5000 convertible Rx7's for the first model year. This cannot be substantiated, for Mazda did not keep records of individual models imported, only total export numbers for their entire product line. Mazda North America, utilized actor James Garner to promote the Rx7 convertible in its television ads. He appeared with a bright red convertible that looked slightly different than the cars in the brochure, it had the look of a Turbo II coupe. This piqued our interest at the dealership...was it show or did it also go? Some investigating was conducted and we found that indeed, Mazda did produce, Rx7 Turbo II convertibles. The problem was that they were not being offered to the American market. For the next 2 years, my Rx7 was utilized strictly for "sunny days". It had barely been driven 10K miles. At that time, seeing the potential for collectibility, I conferred with my uncle to see if he would permit us to do a full Turbo II conversion at the dealership, for we could purchase everything required at cost. We also had in our employ, our shop foreman, who happened to be one of the best rotary technicians in the state of Florida. The conversion would be an easy accomplishment for him. Everything from the radiator back is built to 1990 Turbo II specs. This includes the ECM and the entire wiring harness. We opted for the 1990 spec Turbo II engine, for it had refinements and produced more power than the earlier '88 & '89 models. Everything was ordered directly from Mazda. The engine conversion alone exceeded $10K in 1990 dollars with ALL the necessary components, hardware, labor and miscellaneous. The wheels are 1990 Rx7 GTUs, these are 16". These are ultra rare and were selected to set the car apart from the stock Turbo II wheels of the earlier coupes. The original factory convertible wheels were a 15" alloy wheel with a honeycomb pattern, supplied by BBS. The hood is the lightweight 31 lb., aluminum Turbo II hood. These retailed for almost $2K. (try to find one now) The exhaust was swapped out in favor of a performance dual exhaust system made specifically for the 13B turbo. This was sourced & supplied by Racing Beat. It sold for $1600. Other than the exhaust and a K&N filter, the engine is completely stock. These are all factory Mazda components, not aftermarket. To enhance the luxury aspect of the car, power windows, mirrors, locks & a factory alarm system were installed on the car. The car is equipped with factory cruise control as well as factory AC. It is original (12A), it has not been retrofitted. It blows ice cold. The car has always been a Florida car. A one family owned, garaged & pampered, non-smoker car. It has NEVER been in an accident. It is completely rust free & still retains 95% of its original paint. The interior is in very good condition. No dash cracks or warps. The conversion was completed with exemplary quality and attention to detail when the car had approx. 10K miles. Understand that the entire dash cluster was entirely swapped out for a new Turbo II cluster @ approx. 10K miles. The car has been driven approx. 28K additional miles in the last 20 years and approx. ONLY 600 miles in the last 5 years. Obviously, the new odometer in the turbo cluster wasn't reset to where the non-turbo cluster left off. It presently shows approx. 28K miles. With the approx. 10K on the car at the time of the conversion, the car presently has very low documented mileage of approx. 38K actual. The title reflects true actual miles, not exempted. The overall condition of the Rx7 supports the miles. In 2005, a friend who is also a Mazda franchise owner, serviced at his dealership & stored the Rx7 indoors for me that winter while construction on my home was completed. A service writer inadvertantly omitted a digit and entered the wrong miles into the dealer service network. It is a clerical error, not an odometer discrepancy. In addition, upon completion of the engine rebuild in October of this year, on 11/03, I was driving the car in a suburb of Tampa to put some miles on the break in of the rebuild. A driver in an adjacent lane swerved, lost control of their vehicle and subsequently hit the center median with his vehicle. Based upon the statement of a purported "witness", I was cited for having caused his accident. CARFAX now shows that the Rx7 was involved in an accident on 11/03/10. Unequivocally, I state that the Rx7 WAS NOT involved in his accident and I have hired counsel to vigorously defend & exonorate myself against this false charge. Enclosed in my photographs is a copy of the Fla. Hwy. Patrols driver exchange of information. It clearly states according to the hwy. patrol officer, $0.00 damage to the Mazda. I will provide a notorized affadavit statement of fact for whomever purchases the car to corroborate that there was no physical involvement of the Mazda. For any Doubting Thomas' out there, I'll go one further...prove that the Mazda sustained so much as a scratch or any damage in the incident of 11/03/10, and I'LL GIVE YOU THE CAR and $10,000.00, for free!! Here's your chance...there, that should shut up the naysayers...buncha' whiners. The car always had great drivability with a great profile & stance. It's a "sleeper". It is deceptively quick and handles like a slot car. Top down on a Summer evening just adds to the fun factor. The convertible design configuration that Mazda developed allows for one to enjoy a full top down experience...top up...or top up with the rigid center portion removed in a "targa" configuration. The automotive world had not seen a convertible like this prior. Also offered for the first time was a wind buffeting deflector, aft of the seats. Other manufacturers including MB, would soon copy it. I am now 51 years of age and scaling back on some of my vehicles. It is time for someone else to take over the care of my Rx7 Turbo II convertible. In anticipation of selling it, over the last 2 months, I had the car comprehensively gone through from "bumper to bumper". The car did NOT necessitate restoring, however, to make it as close to how it was when the conversion was completed in 1990, I have fully refurbished it. Firstly, the engine was pulled, taken apart and completely rebuilt by the same gentleman that installed it. He's 64 now and retirement for him is in sight. He's still the rotary cracker jack he always was. The engine bay was detailed while the engine was out. The engine rebuild was done to factory specs & encompassed the following: All new gaskets, oil o rings, 2 mm apex seals, springs, bearings. 2 new rotors, 2 new rotor housings, 1 intermediate housing (the side housings were machined) The turbo and the intercooler were taken apart, inspected & cleaned. Any hardware that necessitated upgrading or replacing, received it. Every plastic line, fitting & clip was replaced. All new belts, hoses, filters & fluids. (differential, trans, coolant, oil, brake & p.s.) New oil cooler lines (2) New NGK plugs & Racing Beat wires. New clutch, pressure plate & throw out bearing. New synchros & shifter bushings. The flywheel was machine resurfaced. Factory Mazda remanufactured power steering rack. The steering in these cars is essentially of the full power variety for ease of parking. As ones speed increases, the system becomes neutral, that is where the acute handling comes into play. New brake pads and all 4 rotors were turned. Tokico struts were installed in 2006, they are fine w/no sign of leaks. No sagging in the springs. Toyo Proxes tires at all corners, they have approx. 10K miles on them. New battery. The AC was evacuated & dye tested. Fittings and o rings were replaced and the system was then recharged. It is ice cold. (12A) When production of the convertible ceased in 1991, (yes, there are 1992 models, they're simply '91 leftovers) I had the presence of mind to order a factory carpet set, new convertible top, headliner, as well as replacement seat covers before they would no longer be available. Climate stored for years, these were all replaced in the last 3 weeks. (see pics) New carpet pads & insulation, as well. The car was then fully detailed. The car should be driven moderately for another 500-1000 miles to properly seat the engine seals. Stock these engines generated 200 HP with 195 lb/ft torque. It is estimated that with the RB exhaust, K&N filter, hot wires & plugs that the car is in the low 230's. The Rx7 looks, runs, sounds & drives great! It is as tight as it was 20 years ago. Nothing delivers power as smoothly as a rotary. I have owned many Rx7's over the years as well as having utilized a 13B engine in an ultralight. They are legendary & reknown for their extreme reliability. All power equipment operates accordingly. Power windows, mirrors, locks, cruise control, power top. The original Pioneer combo stereo CD unit comes with the car. These were known to be tempermental over time, mine was no exception. Presently, there is a Sony AM/FM/Cass player. All speakers including the factory option headrest speakers play well. All gauges are fully operable. There is a factory turbo boost gauge in the cluster. In addition, a Racing Beat boost gauge w/an adjustable boost control knob are located directly to the right of the steering column. (6-9 lbs) is optimal. Factory tilt leather wheel, no wear or scuffs. All safety features are fully operational. New Bosch wiper blades. All original glass & rubber gaskets. All are soft & pliable, not dry rotted. The factory tonneau convertible boot is included with the car. Surprisingly, these were a $600 option. It is in excellent condition. I also have the storage bag for when the center portion is to be stowed away. Likewise, it is in ex. condition. All factory books, keys & records. Factory jack, tire tool & the original spare tire, which has never been on the ground. A new set of floor mats will also be provided. The Rx7 needs nothing other than a new owner to continue to drive, enjoy & provide the level of care it has always received. Given the age of the car, it is however, sold in "as is" condition with no expressed or implied warranties. Please have your funding in place prior to placing your bid. Thank you. Please consult with your spouse, therapist, pet or Magic 8 Ball, prior to placing your bid, as I am not running a clinic for the confused. Thank you. YOU ARE bidding to buy the Rx7, not to be the first to, "look at it". Thank you. Inspections are welcome prior to the conclusion of the auction and at your expense. A $1000.00 earnest money payment is due & payable within 24 hours of auction close. It is non-refundable. The remaining balance is then due & payable within the next 6 days. To reiterate...the buyer has one week to have the car paid for in full. No exceptions. If you "buy it now" full payment is due within 3 days, no exceptions. I prefer a legitimate bank to bank wire transfer. It provides a documented record of the transaction for both parties. I have accurately represented the Rx7. Bid with confidence. I am a collector/hobbyist, not a dealer or professional "ebayer". Clear Florida title in my name. The Rx7 and I are presently located in the Colorado Springs vicinity. Delivery and/or shipping are the sole responsibility of the buyer. I am confident that the Mazda could be driven home to anywhere in America. I will assist to store the car for anyone that requires time to arrange their shipping. If you elect to fly in & drive home, I will gladly pick you up at the Colorado Springs airport. Trailered delivery is possible in the lower 48 states for $1000.00. Non-negotiable. Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions. I answer my phone quicker than I respond to email. I have numerous additional pictures available. If you would like a specific area picture, let me know. $9500 is the price of admission. It's a bargain and less than the price of the conversion alone. If you're an enthusiast, you already know that it would cost twice that to build. It is commensurate with the Rx7's condition, ownership factor, mileage and present collector market. Going back to 1988, including the purchase price of the car, close to $40K has been spent. Where are you going to find this much fun wrapped up in a classic roadster with looks, performance and handling, at this price? Bid what you are willing to pay...it's not as if there are a surplus of these available. It is a tremendously fun car and certainly not one that everyone else is driving. Thanks for looking & good luck when you bid! Jeff (719)-492-1234, c