"MM54" (mm54mk2)
08/22/2015 at 17:11 • Filed to: None
2
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"MM54" (mm54mk2)
08/22/2015 at 17:11 • Filed to: None | 2
| 11 |
At a Junkyard today while looking for some stuff (which was a bust, all I got was a battery hold-down for my crown vic, which should stop my battery bashing the trans cooler lines every time I turn right), I was in the very back of the yard, in weeds to my waist. Some cars were totally inaccessible, stationary for decades. Then I saw it.
A red/orange (likely faded red) first-gen RX7 was sitting there. It had been hit in the passenger’s side front, but not too hard - it looks like the fender and bumper were shot, and the headlight mechanism probably needs some serious un-bending. The rest of the car looks fine. The hood wasn’t even popped.
I pushed the tall weeds away and found the last sticker on the car being from 1991. Opened the door, the interior is pretty nice. 50k miles. Manual (was there any other option on these? I doubt it, but not sure), popped the hood. The engine bay looked entirely complete, sans battery. I closed everything up and went back on my way, turning to look back at the outline of the car as is disappeared through the weeds.
It’s been many hours, but I keep thinking back to the sad little rx7 in the weeds as tall as it, seemingly complete and forgotten. Before I left I asked the owner of the place about it, he said the owner had planned to fix it, but it just sat for years before he junked it.
I have no idea what condition a rotary that’s been sitting for that long may be in, but I’m honestly tempted to tell the owner of the yard (who is sort of a family friend) that I’ll buy the car off him if I can get it to fire where it is. For the right price I’d be tempted to take it off his hands either way. I don’t know when it last ran.
I don’t really have anywhere to put it, but I could probably work something out.
Oppo, I need you to talk me out of this nonsense, or convince me to find out how much he wants and start looking for a storage unit nearby to rent.
For your time, a similar, less-sad rx7:
DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
> MM54
08/22/2015 at 17:20 |
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Go after it. Rotaries aren’t that difficult and a little ATF in the spark plug holes should help free up the seals.
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MM54
> DancesWithRotors - Driving Insightfully
08/22/2015 at 17:23 |
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Maybe I’ll call Monday and find out how much he’d want for it, and if I can try to get it to turn in the yard (maybe pull it out of the 4 feet of almost-trees first).
RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
> MM54
08/22/2015 at 17:24 |
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Definitely update us if the little fella does fire and you pick it up! I love reading a good restoration story! :)
AddMustard
> MM54
08/22/2015 at 17:35 |
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Not to be an enabler, but do it.
I had an 83 or 84, was the car I learned to drive on, it couldn’t idle at all. It’s one of my 3 or 4 “I shouldn’t have sold that” cars
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MM54
> AddMustard
08/22/2015 at 17:54 |
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While hunting for the hood release I appreciated finding the choke knob. When I got my Chevelle it was similarly idle-challenged, carb rebuld sort of fixed that. I’d imagine these carbs are pretty gummed up from sitting so long, but I’ve nothing against rebuilding them if I were to acquire this.
Boxer_4
> MM54
08/22/2015 at 17:57 |
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This generation could be had with either a 3 speed automatic or 4 speed automatic, in addition to a 4 speed manual (dropped after 1980) or a 5 speed manual. I believe the US market version had either the 12A carbureted engine or the 13B fuel injected engine. The early ones were known as the SA22C in the US until 1981, when 17 digit VINS were required. Starting in 1981, they were known as the FB in the US (while the rest of the world still referred to them as the SA22C).
There was a 1980 RX-7 (12A, manual, SA22C) at my high school a couple of years ago (2012) that a student brought in as a tech-ed project. This one was an LS, or Leather Sport, version. These came with a brown leather interior and were limited to 2,500 built (1,000 were in Aurora white, which this one was). The engine was rebuilt, but incorrectly, and as far as I know it is still sitting on school property (a friend of mine still talks to the teacher). I have an tentative offer in of $500-$800 when the school finally tells the teacher to get rid of it.
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MM54
> Boxer_4
08/22/2015 at 17:59 |
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Nice! Any idea what parts availability is on these? If I pick this up it needs some parts for, at minimum, the headlight mechanism to get it legal again. I’m sure there are many other bits and pieces it needs.
It’s carb’ed, and I think a 5-speed. I don’t know the year or VIN. What are your thoughts on looking further in to this?
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Boxer_4
> MM54
08/22/2015 at 18:36 |
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It’s probably a 12A, which isn’t too hard to find parts for (Atkins Rotary has a several levels of rebuild kits, ranging from cheap to expensive).
Body parts will be harder to find. Some can be found at a site called Black Dragon Automotive , but I don’t think they have everything you are looking for.
If you can find a headlight, go for it.
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MM54
> Boxer_4
08/22/2015 at 22:06 |
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I’m going to call Monday and find out how much he’d want for it, and go from there.
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MM54
> Boxer_4
08/25/2015 at 21:54 |
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I got a price today - I’m on the fence at this point*. Going to try to get some pictures e-mailed to me tomorrow detailing certain areas, like where it was hit, and the engine bay. I’m keeping the number under wraps for now, I’ll post up pictures when I get them to see what Oppo thinks.
*It’s at the high end of what I think it’s worth, and factoring in at least another $100 to get it delivered on a flatbed I really need to take another close look and make a decision. I didn’t look very closely when I first saw it since I was looking for other parts for other cars, and it wasn’t until later that I realized there was some potential. I honestly don’t even remember if there were tires on it.
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Boxer_4
> MM54
08/26/2015 at 20:18 |
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Yes, look it over really well. Good luck. Hopefully it works out the way you want.