1988 Mazda RX7 1.3 Litre Rotary Engine

Summary:

It's an amazing first car experience!

Faults:

When I first bought my RX-7, the seats were worn in pretty good so I just threw some nice blue NOS seat covers on them and they look and feel lke new. Other than that, just a bit of minor electrical work needed, but no nothing huge and that cannot be fixed yourself.

General Comments:

My RX-7 is sporty, it handles like a true pro. I like how low you sit in the car and surprisingly, you have the control feeling. The cabin is very roomy and extreamely comfortable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th December, 2004

9th Mar 2005, 21:46

I am thinking about buying an RX 7 for my first car. There is one for sale for 1000$ right now. It is a 1988 RX7 GXL. I'm wondering if the seller knows of anything hidden that will screw up the car in the future. What do you suggest I do?

13th May 2005, 09:22

I am currently looking at a 1981 RX-7 that's only fifteen hundred dollars and I was wondering if there were any questions I needed to ask. Is the car a money trap and is there any part of the car a need to look at closely.

1988 Mazda RX7 SE 1.3 Liter Rotary

Summary:

Sporty, fast, and fun!

Faults:

Coolant hose came off the first day I got it. Clutch cable was loose. Air conditioning never worked.

General Comments:

Handles like a true sports car should: quick and sleek. Just because it is a rotary doesn't mean that I have had a lot of problems with it. This car is very reliable! Besides basic maintenance, I have never had any major problems with it. It is my daily driver and am never going to get rid of it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th September, 2004

1988 Mazda RX7 GX 1.3L Rotary

Faults:

Passenger side pop up headlight unit jammed half way up, and the motor kept turning trying to pop up the light even witht he key off, which would drain the battery if it sat overnight.

Electrical glitches, such as my Add Coolant buzzer constantly and randomly going off when the coolant is topped right up. Common problem with these cars.

Poor ignition ground. Sometimes does not start, and depending on what position the key is in while in the "ON" position, the blower motor decides to work only if the key is tilted more towards the driver.

Power antennas kept breaking due to cold weather. Later removed, along with entire audio system. Problem solved.

Needs an alignment. Starts to shake at 140+ kmh.

Driver's side seat has small rips in it, and the top of the steering wheel is felixible and mushy, unlike the rest of it. Must be due to heat exposure.

Brittle dash plastics. Pieces crack and break. All Series 4 (1986-88) cars were known for this. Issue was addressed by 1989.

Strange whooshing noise coming from rear passenger side strut tower when hiting bumps.

Small oil leak from the oil cooler line.

Some spots of minor surface rust emerging.

Wipers only work on low speed. I have no washer, no high speed and no intermittent. Almost all RX7s suffer from this problem.

Blower motor only has off and high speed functions.

Intermittent clock. Does not display right time and turns itself on and off. Common problem on these cars.

AC does not work.

5th/6th injection ports stuck closed due to either lack of backpressure made from custom exhaust system, or lack of being revved over 3800rpm. Commom problem on Series 4 cars like this one.

General Comments:

I paid $1500 for this car. After the test drive, I thought I was getting a real bargain, but the more I worked on it, the more I found wrong. However, I bought it with the intention to be a project car, although it is my daily driver as well.

Anyways, this car is equipped with a 1.3L 13B Fuel injected rotary engine, putting out 146hp. I bought it with a complete 2.5" exhaust system and added a K&N air filter. This car is stupidly fast!

I like it because it is a base model with no power options, therefore making it not only lighter, but also much more simplistic than the loaded and turbo models.

Handling is very good for stock form, but could be stiffened up a little bit with stiffer sway bars and front and rear strut bars, as well as a decent set of adjustable coil overs.

Seats in the base model car are uncomfortable and unsupportive.

The rotary engine is an amazing piece of engineering. An RX7 is definetly the best car I have ever driven. I definetly recommend one to anybody. If you've never driven one, you owe it to yourself. They are also so simple to work on and learn about.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th March, 2004

23rd Mar 2007, 22:07

Get a fuel cutoff switch. It's probably flooding the engine. It happened to my 88 and now it starts everytime.

12th Nov 2009, 13:48

I have been having some problems with my base 88' RX7... the only issue I have came across lately is my car not being able to start. My battery is brand new along with a brand new alternator... I'm not sure if it is the starter or what not, but last week it started up fine. Who knows? When I started it a few days ago, my exhaust was spitting out mad amounts of smoke. I don't know... If you have any suggestions, let me know.

12th Nov 2009, 13:50

How much did you pay for it???

24th Feb 2010, 10:47

Make a fuel pump switch to stop your car from flooding.