This clean 1979 Mazda RX-7 is listed at no reserve on eBay, with bids at present just a tick over $2,000. The cosmetics are quite strong thanks to a repaint in its original color and a beautiful tartan cloth interior that remains in excellent shape. Mileage is just under 120,000, and while the car does run, a pilot bearing issue prevents it from driving at this time. Find it here on eBay sold with a clean North Carolina title.
The decision by the seller to sell the RX-7 as a running but not driving car is a puzzling one to me. The pilot bearing seized over the winter and is not a tremendously complicated job, but the seller is simply including the parts and letting the next owner take care of it. The description claims the car was running and driving before last winter, but the pilot bearing failed during the colder months.
I certainly can understand just wanting to wash my hands of a project and I’ve done it more than once, but this seems like a very good car aside from the lone non-shifting issue. If it were a total basketcase I’d say sure, don’t worry about one more repair – you’ll never see the value of your time back in the sale price. But an RX-7 that presents this well certainly seems like it’d be worth fixing before selling.
That being said, the seller does acknowledge having one too many projects on his plate, hence the potential fire-sale of his rotary project. With no rust to speak of and excellent cosmetics, along with a seemingly healthy drivetrain besides the trivial matter of a pilot bearing, this no-reserve RX-7 seems worthy of a closer look (if not a bid) if you’ve been hunting for a rotary-powered project.
Fishy. Stay away. I will guess many more problems hidden under the “pilot bearing” smoke screen.
Pilot bearing issues are quite common with rotary engined cars. Could also be a misdiagnosed clutch hydraulic issue.
Thats not a realy bad Problem, can often be fixt just by pumping gas, with Clutch down. so it often go free. have done it with many diffrent cars….
but thats ofcourse, if it is the real Problem.. but very nice car, with 120,000 miles..
i would love to fix her…
Forgot, it must be done while driving. 2. gear would fit. pump the gas,with Clutch pedal down, so car is Jumping, as if it was driving on kangaroo gas…so it will 90% of all go free…
These cars will not pass a Ca. smog test even when new…
The rotary engined Mazdas had no trouble passing CA smog. Cars which couldn’t pass couldn’t be sold in CA, and Mazda sold lots of rotary powered cars there.
Loved my Rx7s, my fav cars were low go carts, my TR3, My 58 Porsche speedster, I never owned one but the 914 6s I worked on were awesome. Killer rides.
Looks pretty good to me. The biggest issue would be how well any body work was done prior to the repaint. If you are in seriously interested, then go see it in person. Look for signs of bodywork done due to accidents. As for rust repairs, that would be mainly confined to the rocker panels and rear fender arches, also behind the right rear wheel well, to the passenger side of the muffler. Clean oil does not mean it was changed in a rotary (it never really gets dirty), therefore ask to see a log book of records. Great fun reliable cars for the money. As I always say, “more fun than a barrel full of monkeys!” If those are the original seats and door cards, then it had to spent most of it’s life properly stored in a garage out of the sunlight.