91 rx7?

[neodeus]

i was at local used car dealer the other day and saw a 91 rx7 non turbo im pretty sure, called about it today and foregot to ask.. anyways its a 91 with 144,000 miles. just a few questions
1) are they reliable it says 3 grand for the car but the guy said its negotable, will i be replaceing an engine or tranny soon or do u think with good care i can get a decent amount of time out of it.
2)are they fast (lets assume its nonturbo) im not talkin crazy fast but i mean fast in the least bit, like my friend has a 99 tiburon auto (fx) and that thing has no guts, would it be worse than that.
3) can u upgrade to turbo or do anything to the engines to beef them up.

if anyone can help me with any of these issues, or has anything else to offer about the 91s please reply, thanks

[dayna240sx]

I would play games with the dealer and see how low he would go...
1500-2200 would be a ballpark depending on condition.
ask for bottom dollar, then start pointing out small issues with the car.

I had an 87 sport with 216K miles... it still ran when i drove it to the junkyard after being rear ended twice, so badly that the passenger doors would not close... had to drill a hole in the upper quarter panel, and use bailing wire and duct-tape to keep it closed enough to drive it to the junkyard..

Also had a 85 GS(L) which died at 186K miles on track in the hands of a co-driver who kept fuel starving the engine under cornering, then thought he wasn't giving it enough fuel, so he punched the throttle... causing more damage... I drove it home from the event on one rotor.... and it died finally stop running in a taco-bell drivethru close to my parents..

I am sure other people can attest to high attained miles in their RX-7.. but those are the ones i have personally seen.

[GringoEJS]

Unless the car has some cosmetic issues, I would be suspicious of the car. I have a 91 and I won't take less than $4500 for it, and you are talking about a negotiable price at a dealer??? Those RX-7s are very good cars when running right, and worth nothing when not running. Pay the $70 for a compression test at a shop that is familiar with rotaries...you may have to call around a bit, but it will be worth it. Also have a Carfax run on it...the 2nd to last one I bought had been rolled back 100,00 miles! I have had 5 RX-7s, and 9 other sportscars, and the RX-7 is the bang for the buck.
Good luck either way...
Gene

[Shiftlock]

Be weary of the engine,especially if it is on it's first engine.Most Rx-7's that old would have at least 1 rebuild.I'm thinking the engine will probably need one soon.

[Soyo]

I found a 91 rx-7 non-turbo near me for $2500 and 98k miles, anything tend to die out around then? its only that cheap because it has like 4 hail dents and old paint, some old guys selling it so I figure he didn't abuse it much at all