Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1984 Rx-7 Gsl-se 100k Mi - Rust Free - Nice on 2040-cars

Year:1984 Mileage:100407
Location:

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, United States
Advertising:

With much regret, I am placing my 1984 RX-7 GSL-SE up for auction. I kept it in excellent working order for 21 years. I am the second owner. As I was preparing to give it to a family member as a gift, I discovered an internal engine coolant leak that will require some time and effort to repair.

Here are the specifics on this vehicle:

The body is in very good shape with no dents with the exception of a very few "parking lot dings" so small that they are difficult to photograph. The paint is original and glossy. If you look very closely, you will see some hazing on the passenger side of the hood.

There is no rust through or plastic filler on the body. Oddly, there is a small area of bubbling on the lower side of each door. I am not sure why, but they have not changed significantly since I bought the car in 1993.

It has a transparent, tinted sunroof. The original steel one comes with the car if you wish.

I had the windows professionally tinted when I moved to South Carolina. Although I housed it in a garage, I wanted to protect the interior, especially the rugs, from sun damage. An additional benefit was it improved the looks a lot, at least to my eye.

The wheels are original and look very nice. I power cleaned and freshened them up two years ago. The tires have less than 500 miles on them. I replaced them a few months ago.

All glass is good. There is a small (1/2 in diameter) star blemish in the windshield, probably from a small rock strike that occurred before I bought the car. It is low in the center out of normal field of view. It has not changed in 21 years so it's safe to assume that it shouldn't grow.

All lights work as they should. The headlights go up and down quickly and smoothly.

Both power side windows also go up and down quickly and smoothly.

The interior is in fine condition. No one has ever smoked in this car. The dash and vinyl surfaces look very nice. About 10 years ago, I freshened up some areas with matching burgundy dye and they still look nearly new.

The leather seats are in surprisingly good condition with only one small split about 1 1/2 inches long in the driver's seat bottom, as seen in one of the photos. I repaired it with a patch applied underneath and, so far, it has held up well.

The carpet in the rear cargo area faded and became brittle about 15 years ago. I replaced it with a new factory one from a Mazda dealer. It still looks great. (That was the reason for tinting the windows.)

The rest of the original carpets stayed red and still look good.

The steering wheel began to show its age about 5 years ago so I recovered it with a leather "Wheel Skin." This leather cover installs right over the original and laces up the inside. These are not the cheap, laced covers so often seen on older cars.

All the gauges work as they should. Several years ago, a wire from one of the "door not closed" buttons shorted out causing the buzzer to constantly sound. At the time, I didn't have time to troubleshoot and repair it so I pulled the fuse for it. That also disabled the "headlights on", "key in the ignition", "seatbelt not fastened", and "coolant low" buzzers. I just monitored the temp gauge carefully and enjoyed not being annoyed by all those other buzzers.

The heater, AC, and vent systems work fine. The control panel for them sometimes causes problems on some RX-7s, but this one still works - possibly because I used to cycle the switches occasionally just to exercise them and keep them free.

Before discussing the engine, let me quickly describe other items under the hood. The original under-radiator oil cooler was replaced 14 years and 30,000 miles ago and is still dry. The alternator was replaced about 3 years ago and the battery shows a 2010 installation date. It still charges and holds a charge fine so should be good for a while longer.

Three things do not work. The cruise control is one. I believe it is due to a plastic vacuum connector breaking due to age. I didn't need it, so capped off the line and never bothered to fix it. The radio and power antenna also are inoperable.

There are no external fluid leaks on the car.

And now we get to the engine. Until a few months ago, I was confident that I had a solid, strong engine with no issues. It started, idled, and ran smoothly. It accelerated with its usual power. Then, after a 2-3 month period in storage, a huge white cloud of "smoke" appeared on startup. Of course, it wasn't the usual puff of oil smoke common on older RX-7s, but was due to coolant in a combustion chamber. Most owner's of RX-7s recognize this as a very bad symptom. After the engine warmed up normally, the cloud dissipated as I expected.

I drove it routinely for a week on short trips without the white cloud ever appearing again. Although it required a small amount of coolant to be added occasionally, the engine started and ran fine with completely normal temperature.

Before driving the car on an extended trip, I noticed that the coolant overflow tank level was higher than normal. Placing the tube from the cap of the reservoir in a glass of water, I saw a steady stream of bubbles from the end of it. It appears that there is a leak in an O-ring between rotor housings that is allowing combustion gases to escape into the coolant system.

Assuming this is a correct diagnosis, the engine needs a major repair and probably a rebuild. Ten years ago, I would have considered doing it myself. At 72 years old, it appears to be a monumental project and not one I care to undertake.

The engine still starts, idles, and runs OK, but I would not drive it far until this problem is dealt with.

Options to eliminate this problem are: repair/rebuild this engine, replace it with another good Wankel or replace it with a piston engine. There are kits available to install Ford or Chevy V8s into an RX-7 without cutting the hood. As an RX-7 fan, I hate to think about that last option, but it's better than using a car that is as nice as this just for parts.

So, with this car, you would be getting a solid body, very good cosmetics, most accessories working well, but with an engine with an issue that needs to be addressed.

A factory Shop Manual is included in this auction. I will also add a copy of the book Mazda RX-7: The First Generation that I wrote several years ago. The car in the cover photo is this car up for auction.

Sorry for such a long writeup, but I have bought 5 cars on ebay (sight unseen) and wish all sellers would have been as thorough in their descriptions as I have been. I hope you can inspect this car in person. I think that, if you see it, you will bid on it!

If you have questions or need more photos, please contact me by ebay message or call 843-384-0545.

A $300 deposit is needed within 48 hours of the auction close and the rest by certified check, direct bank deposit or cash in person within 7 days.

The usual auction cautions apply - the car is sold as-is with no warranty or guarantee, it is for sale locally so the auction may end early, and I will help your shipper but the cost of shipping is your responsibility. 

Auto Services in South Carolina

Wiley Body Shop Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Body Repairing & Painting, Automobile Parts & Supplies
Address: 170 John B White Sr Blvd, Carlisle
Phone: (864) 948-0008

Ultimate Autowerks ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 2538 Savannah Hwy, Kiawah-Island
Phone: (843) 406-8955

Turner`s Custom Auto Glass ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Glass-Auto, Plate, Window, Etc
Address: 1309 Highway 9 Byp W, Fort-Lawn
Phone: (803) 221-0816

Turner`s Custom Auto Glass ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Parts & Supplies, Glass-Auto, Plate, Window, Etc
Address: 725 N Pike W, Sumter
Phone: (803) 997-0925

Team Charlotte Motor Sports ★★★★★

New Car Dealers, Motorcycle Dealers, All-Terrain Vehicles
Address: 3004 Freedom Dr, Lake-Wylie
Phone: (704) 394-6666

Steve`s Auto Repair Service ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service
Address: 229 Joyce Branch Rd, Windsor
Phone: (803) 642-9546

Auto blog

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata to make video-game debut next week in Forza Horizon 2 [w/video]

Fri, Mar 13 2015

We've driven the all-new, fourth-generation Mazda MX5 Miata. Have you? Well, probably not. With the new roadster not set to hit dealerships until later this year (at the earliest), you might be stuck waiting a bit to climb behind the wheel of the highly regarded two-seater. Of course, if you happen to own Forza Horizon 2, your wait will be significantly shorter. And it'll be absolutely free to boot. The new convertible will make its video-game debut as part of a four-vehicle car pack for the open-world racing title. Downloads will start on March 17. Alongside the new MX-5, the Mazda car pack will also add representatives from each of the roadster's first three generations. Repping the NA will be the 1990 MX-5. The second-generation NB will be represented by the turbocharged 2005 Mazdaspeed MX-5, while the NC will arrive in the form of the Super 20 Concept, shown back at the 2010 SEMA Show. On top of the new vehicles, gamers will also have a chance to win a 2016 MX-5 as part of the new Mazda MX-5 Challenge. Running from March 17 to April 30, those interested in a free Mazda will need to lap its virtual counterpart around the Sisteron Perimeter Sprint Circuit, with the two fastest drivers slated to take part in a head-to-head race in June. The winner will walk away with their very own 2016 MX-5. Oh, and as a final juicy tidbit, the press release clearly states that the Miata weighs in at just 2,332 pounds – just a smidge more than the original NA. (That's with the manual transmission, of course – automatic cars are said to weigh 2,381 pounds.) You can get more specific details on the contest, as well as read more about the car pack, in the attached press release. Check out the release, as well as a preview vid of the MX-5 Car Pack. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. MICROSOFT AND MAZDA LET YOU DRIVE IT FIRST: ALL-NEW MAZDA MX-5 DEBUTS AS FREE DOWNLOAD FOR FORZA HORIZON 2 ON XBOX ONE IRVINE, Calif., March 12, 2015 -- Beginning March 17, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) is giving Forza Horizon 2 players the exclusive opportunity to drive the all-new 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata on Xbox One months before the physical car goes on sale to the public. Additionally, by taking advantage of the free download of the car, and driving it in the game, users will have the chance to win one by competing in the new Time Trial Rivals Contest.

Modded budget Mazda Miata takes on new Porsche Boxster in more challenges

Tue, 23 Sep 2014

Earlier this month, our friends across the pond at Auto Express released the first in a two-video series that would see them try and build up a second-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata that could best a standard Porsche Boxster around the track. While that first video detailed the mods to the MX-5 - a supercharger, some suspension upgrades and a new set of super-sticky rubber being chief among them - and set baseline lap times for the stock car, today, we have the results of the 5,000-pound ($8,200) upgrade job.
Of course, we aren't going to spoil those for you. You'll need to watch the full video, which recaps the upgrades before digging into a comparison of both straight-line-speed differences between the 2.7-liter Porsche Boxster and blown Miata, as well as their behavior and lap times on the track.
Take a look and let us know what you think in Comments.

Fiat version of Mazda MX-5 Miata to be called 124 Spider

Fri, Mar 6 2015

Fiat has a definite use for its recent US trademark on the 124 Spider name, and it's something that should make many performance fans quite happy. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed to Auto Express that the Italian brand's future roadster would bear the classic name. Auto Express reportedly asked Marchionne directly about the convertible at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. The CEO said: "Do we want to do it now?" After another executive verified the name, Marchionne responded: "There you go – a world class premiere right in this room!" Autoblog reached out to Fiat Brand communications boss in the US Ariel Gavilan for more information, and he verified the story. Gavilan said that brand head Olivier Francois confirmed the 124 Spider name to international media during a briefing in Geneva. FCA isn't going quite so far as officially confirming that the 124 Spider shares a platform with the latest Mazda MX-5 Miata, but that's almost a certainty. The two automakers jointly developed the chassis, and the original plan was for it to underpin an Alfa Romeo. However, Marchionne didn't want an Alfa assembled outside of Italy. Fiat even hinted at this possible change as far back as the corporation's five-year plan last summer. Insiders tell Auto Express that the 124 Spider reportedly carries retro-inspired style, and hopefully, that means the roadster evokes the look of the original 124 Sport Spider (pictured above) by Pininfarina. Fiat allegedly is also aiming for a weight less than 2,205 pounds, and the engine range is likely comprised of versions of the brand's 1.4-liter turbo. The mill already pumps out 160 horsepower and 183 pound-feet of torque in the Fiat 500 Abarth in the US. According to Auto Express, Fiat and Mazda have an agreement to launch the Miata in 2015 and the 124 Spider in 2016. A hotter Abarth version could come along eventually, too. Related Video: