5k: Frightfully Clean: 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
The FC generation Mazda RX-7 is currently languishing in the no-man’s zone between a collectible classic and depreciated junk. The savvy buyer might consider picking up cheap example and parking it in a barn for a few decades and then “discovering” it and flipping for big profit. The Daily Tourist will pickup a perfectly clean condition 1 example, drive it for a few years till it is condition 2 or 3 and then sell it for a profit…because who wants to do a bunch of work on some crummy car just to let someone else drive it. Here is a great clean condition RX-7 offered for nothing — this 1987 Mazda Rx7 Turbo II is offered for $6,200 in Leesburg, AL Tip from Jeff L who says “How often do you see a second generation (FC) RX-7 that hasn’t been beat
to crap or horribly modified, and it’s a turbo to boot! Looks minty
fresh.”
Most sports cars from the 80s haven’t started appreciating yet (E30 M3 notwithstanding) and the market reminds me of those horrible house flip shows that were all the rage in the pre Bear Stearns housing crash. Those shows were filled with dumbasses who had quit some unfulfilling job as a landscape architect or lifeguard and now owned a fix-er-upper house. They spend the next six months dumping entirely too much time and money doing superficial repairs to sucker the next guy into thinking the house was some fancy mansion. At the end of the episode the flipper would stand up in front of the camera and say “duh…I made $100k gross on this flip after 6 months of work, but my profit was $15k after expenses and I think I just need to focus on doing the next one quicker:” You stupid imbecile I’d shout to the scrolling credits and preview for Niecy Nash’s latest show, everyone on that block made $50k in appreciation during those 6 months and you would have been far better off if you’d sat around the painted your toenails or started a cult worshiping rare Ikea lamps. I gotta stop watching HGTV.
The Turbo II uses Mazda’s 13B rotary engine displacing 1.3 liters and turbocharged/intercooled to make 185 horsepower. The RX-7 isn’t a monster at the drag strip, but the smooth rotary engine mated to a high pressure turbocharger makes for a car that loves to be driven fast.
Inside this car looks really nice, much better than most of the V8 swapped piles of junk we see littering craigslist and ebay most days. This one looks clean and ready to be driven, but the seller says it has a few “pings and dings” from being 27 years old. Hopefully those pings aren’t coming from the engine.
See another clean FC for less? tips@dailyturismo.com
But you have to ask yourself… is that a stereo equalizer or individual horse power switches? I miss the 80's 🙁
There is a kid in my neighborhood with a modified one of these. I am totally jealous of him. I am at the exact opposite time of my life as he. I am sure he is not at all envious of the child seats in my daddy mobile.
I actually rented a convertible Rx-7 for my prom and it was quite fun. Probably the best part of the night. Cops came to my hotel room party and I did not get lucky.
Ah, the second car I ever owned. If I remember correctly I purchased my 88 in 1995 for $4500, but couldn't afford to replace the catalytic converters that had failed so it could pass CA smog tests. I believe it had three cats at $800 each.
If the twin sequential variable turbine turbos in modern cars have made you forget what turbo lag feels like, you should scoop up this to relive the olden days of lag gone by.
Most passenger car turbochargers these days are actually pretty conventional – twin-scroll turbines are common, or smaller parallel twin turbos, but variable geometry is only on diesels (with the exception of the Porsche 997 Turbo and ye olde Shelby CSX-VNT…a K-car!).
Turbo lag is all but extinguished today because the turbos themselves have gotten much smaller and more efficient for the same power output / flow as an older larger unit. Less inertia for quicker spool-up, and exhaust energy is converted into usable boost more immediately. Also direct injection and VVT across the board for gas engines has made a huge difference in drivability.
Cflo you forgot the Koneggesseggesgggeee 1 . Known for being the car with the longest brand name and the shortest model name, the "1" uses some kind of homebrew VGT according to this bald dude. Maybe we'll see one for less than $20k in a few years…..
Bought an 89 GXL (non turbo) with 102k for 2500 in 1998. My first car, I wanted to love it, but what an overheating POS it was.
BTW, when are we going on a communal rant about the Google car? No steering wheel or Brake Pedal! It's going to be like being trapped on the Disney "it's a small world ride"
Not to mention it looks like a robot panda bear head.
And I thought loosing our clutch pedals was bad.
I like it! Maybe a good Left Handed Spanner or Coffee Brake article. Those self driving Panda bears are going to be the end of us all!!
These are great cars, extremely fun to drive and easy to work on, this model has some worthy items that base models lack. But I do see these pop up often enough, in pristine condition, from someone who loved them and cherished them only to ask a very high price and it stays on the market long enough for them to take an offer at 60% their asking price. Being down in AL its a surprise this hasn't been bought by an LS1T56 swapper already, easy to sell the stock T2 drivetrain to a rotary diehard when in as good condition as this car, then the LS1 swap almost comes free if you keep it simple. Not a bad price on this one, I prefer these S4 vs S5 cars too.
This is my car