Car for the GF

[Tetsubo]

Well, I am a huge Mazda guy and know a bit about the FCs. Here to ask if this would be a decently reliable vehicle for my GF to drive back and forth to and from work(only about 5 miles if that). What are some common issues with them, because I will be the one attempting the work if anything goes south. I won't lie I kinda like this car for myself. She can only spend about 4K on it.

Found a guy selling a '89 for 3500. Seems like a pretty good deal, and may go look at it.

Part of the add:
Very clean Mazda RX-7 GTU Auto transmission with only 58k original miles. Garage kept.

Here are some Pictures.

 

[Tyler_]

Looks like a steal. I would imagine the cars in pretty good running order looking at how well the interior looks to be taken care of.

 

[Tetsubo]

She is complaining that this car is older than she is....

 

[ToNeZ90]

lol so? i bought a 87 about 3-4 months ago with 45k more and needs body work and electrical. The car was paid off by the time I was born. That car is in great condition and if she's only driving in mainly 5 miles to work, it shouldnt be too bad on gas. It looks like a nightmare to work on but once you get in there its actually been getting easier for me. It's a steal for the condition, but try to get him down to 3k if you can. Is the engine running good?

 

[Tetsubo]

I have gotten into some work on my buddies RX8 so I'm hoping i know a bit. Have yet to witness it in person but he says he is the only owner and it runs geat. I would like to tinker with it whenever possible to familiarize myself with the mechanics.

 

[mymmeryloss]

Get it. Just make sure she gets it up to operating temperature everytime she drives and checks the oil with every fuel up!

 

[chomper149]

I say dont get it. Especially if she isn't a car person. Rotaries are often considered too much work even for a lot of "car" people
I love rotaries, had a fd but recently sold it/ picking up a protege daily.
But you need to know about the engine to properly maintain them/ even drive it correctly. Take it easy till it's warmed. Rev it then turn it off to push air fuel mixture out to not foul plugs. Not being turbo is gona help. But if you want a good daily get a Honda. If you want a real sports car thats gona take more work than average get a 7.

 

[magnumP5]

While you shouldn't have any problem with an automatic '89 GTU, especially one that's a one-owner, garage-kept car, it won't make a very good commuter. It looks like you're looking more for something to play with rather than a car for her. Best bet for her would be a Civic of the same age. Reliable, practical, good fuel economy, and it will be cheaper. That being said RX-7's aren't that difficult to deal with. All the rumors about bizarre start up and shut down rituals are from those with beat, run-down cars. The only difference is they will require the oil to be topped off more often. As mentioned above, if you check the oil at every gas fill up, like you should with any car, you won't have any problems.

 

[chomper149]

Yeah i have never had any problems with my fd, but i did a lot more regular maintenance than other cars would. Changed the oil frequently for the oil metering pumps/ you should never really need to top off your oil. Since you change it pretty frequently and it doesnt eat that much oil that you need to fill it up frequently. Reving/ turning it off as the rpms falls is mainly for cold turn offs, to expel fuel to prevent flooding. I just always do it to prolong the life of the plugs/ prevent any possibility of flooding. Just a safety measure/ things to consider when driving a rotary.
id be kinda more worried its auto. It may be less abused/ babied more. But rotaries often have a problem of carbon build up, especially if it isnt redlined often. So theres a drawback, and i also cant comment on the tranny itself.
Still as a daily, it doesnt have much room if you ever need to bring stuff. RWD which with its power and your non-icy roads will probably be okay, but you never know, how would she react if it ever broke loose on accident? MPG will be low
And finally, the auto trannyy will kill any fun this car gives you and the driver connection an rx7 is made for

 

[R-X-R]

make sure u have AAA lol

 

[03MSP86]

That thing is wicked clean. I dont think Id be able to convince my wife to drive one tho. Like you said "its older than me" lmfao No thought on rarity and nostalgia. hahahah

 

[321zoom]

Clean find but get it for someone who would appreciate it. If she's just looking for a car to get her from point A-B this car may not be for her.

 

[callphy]

i wonder if u able to get another AT if that AT went bad

 

[hornsfan10609]

I would not buy an RX7 for my GF unless she was into cars. If you don't want to be working on it all the time I would look at a protege or something far more reliable. You can find an MSP for $4k that would complement the MS3 perfectly.

 

[magnumP5]

The original post is over one year old so it's safe to say the OP didn't get this for his GF. Also, to all of you saying things like "better get AAA" or "plan on working on it all the time" have any of you owned a auto N/A FC? They're the most reliable RX-7 you can possibly get!