While we tend to think of the classic barn find as a slice of Americana, the truth of the matter is there’s no limit to what folks will stash away among farm equipment and animal feed. This 1988 Mazda RX7 has clearly been laid up for a while and is situated in one of the most appropriate barn find settings we’ve seen as of late. Is it worth rescuing this rotary-powered wonder, or is it a parts car at best? Find it here on craigslist for $1,200 or go here if the ad disappears.
The thick coating of dust is impossible to stage this well, so I’m confident the Mazda has been parked here for quite some time. This FC chassis RX7 marked the second generation of the model to grace our shores, but it is the less loved naturally-aspirate 13B model, and not the hot-rod Turbo II. It’s tough to justify a major injection of cash into a car like this when better examples exist and the turbocharged model is the one you’d most likely aspire to own.
Oof – that thick coating of mildew on the steering wheel and gear shift knob tells the tale as to how long this RX7 has been parked. The seats look surprisingly nice, however, not showing the type of wear you’d expect given the confines of the Mazda’s long-term storage arrangements. These are still lively, tossable cars even equipped as this one is, and perhaps there’s a chance it could be brought back to life with some basic engine servicing and a suspension / brake refresh.
However, for that to happen, the price has to drop by at least half. My apologies to the seller, but these simply aren’t worth that much in running/driving form, much less as a barn find basketcase. I do hope the Mazda isn’t pared out, especially since it appears to wear a different shade of paint unlike so many of these that are silver or white. While its chances of survival are slim, you have to love the as-found condition – no matter what kind of car it is, that first peek does make your heart rate jump a bit, doesn’t it?
Finally! A car right up my alley! This car is a mess. The only way it is worth the asking price is if it has a factory glass sunroof, the rear cargo cover in the hatch, and the Factory CD player which was available in 1988 for the first year. Otherwise this is a $400 parts car.
There is no chance this will ever run or see pavement again….THE GREAT WANKEL EXPERT HAS SPOKEN! Lol!
My favourite generation of RX-7, a clean yet brawny design without the scoops, flares and wings that most Japanese sports cars of this era were blessed with. It has definitely made my mid-life crisis short list…I’ve always thought of it as a Japanese 944.
The “but it’s not an actual Barn find!” people are rejoicing!
Leave it in the barn for another 20yrs…..might be worth something then…
Just for reference, this is my 88 rx7 gxl that I had shipped from Washington state last year to Illinois, rust and dent free but not running and I gave $1000 for it plus $600 shipping. They are out there for cheap and MUCH better shape than this one for almost the same money.
That really puts the ask for the barn car into perspective….
Nice car, hope you have a ton of fun with it!
@RX7turboll…how are these to work on motor wise, compared to a piston engine? Shadetree mechanic level or requiring a pro? Feedback greatly appreciated.
Very easy to work on yet the parts are very expensive to buy. The best thing I ever bought many many years ago was a video from Atkins Rotary on how to rebuild them and realize that it was a piece of cake as long as you have good rotor housings and a good set of seals, not cheap Taiwanese ones! You can do it….
Thought a good cleaning and a tune-up would make this a decent driver, but holy crap, look at the rusty metal that’s fallen off. Yikes! The space saver tire on the back is not a encouraging sign either.
That’s just the rocker panels, every car after 10 years on the midwest looks like that. What are you crying about? It’s been in a barn for 30 years. Why do you think sheetmetal and welders exist?
Meh, I wonder what the apex seals look like after all these years? Sorry, rotaries are neat engines, but give me a piston engine any day.
Back in the mid 80’s the way we got em running again was to tow it behind a vehicle and let the clutch out in second gear, drag it around a lil bit and the old girl fired up. I don’t know if that’s recommended, but hell, it worked. Anyone else try this unorthodox method?
Yeah, I’ve tried it.If that doesn’t work, it won’t run…
Back in the mid 80’s the way we got em running again was to tow it behind a vehicle and let the clutch out in second gear, drag it around a lil bit and the old girl fired up. I don’t know if that’s recommended, but hell, it worked. Anyone else try this unorthodox method?
Push starting?
The Wankel engine is like a 2AM hookup in a bar. Seems like a great idea, but in the the light of day, reality sets in and you’re hungover and full of regret.
On paper, the Wankel is an engineer’s dream: Simple, smooth, and light. In reality, they’re an engineer’s nightmare: weak on torque, poor fuel economy and emissions performance, and expensive to produce. Despite Mazda’s best efforts, these issues remain unresolved decades after GM threw in the towel and cancelled its Wankel program.
On the plus side: I bought my ’85 RX-7 with 90,000 miles and sold it with 190,000 miles. The engine ran perfectly with no issues.
I would love to take this project off by I think my wife would leave me and take the kids if I take on another project. I already have a 73 Datsun 240Z getting a rebuilt RB25 engine. I daily drive a 97 Lexus SC400 that will get a 1JZ or 2JZ engine swap. Bought a MK3 Supra a month ago for $650 bucks that runs, that will get a 1JZ or 2JZ engine swap. Last bought a 91 MR2 that could use a new paint job and will get a 3SMGTE engine swap.
I’ve owned a few RXs and have an RX-8 right now. Outside of fuel injector issues, I loved my ’87 RX-7. The 13B rotary engine was a piece of cake to work on, at least I found it to be. There’s a lot of information on how to work on them on the internet these days, which make them less intimidating. Now the Renesis engine in the RX-8 is a pain.
I’m sure this car’s engine is going to need rebuilt or replaced, but for some reason I don’t think that’s the car’s biggest issue!
Im a rotary lover and that series 4 is not a nice chape but the engine
13B is grate had a 1st gen with a turbo 13B fast as hell it was
The RX7 in the add is to me mostly a parts car. I have had two RX7’s a 79 and an 86. I made the mistake of switching the oil in the 79 from pertoleum based oil to synthetic Castrol GTX. It blew out the apex seals when I did that. The only problem I ever had with the 86 was some bad gas I got at a Marathon station. It was either water in it or to much ethanol because it just didn’t want to start after I filled it up. Took about ten minutes of cranking to get it fired back up. I ran that gas out of it eventually, changed the fuel filter and threw some 100 octane racing gas in it. OMG that thing was fast after that. I never bought my RX7’s for fuel economy. I bought them because they haul A$$. I do recall a story I heard numerous times that you could expect about 50k miles out of the engine before the apex seals blew on the motor. But the right shop could fix that for you and you could go another 50K.
Not true on those mileage claims of 50k life span on the engines. Early wankels in the rx2, 3 and 4 series were about that but after the rx7 started in late 78, average life is about 125k , much more of you baby it. Believe it or not, reviing the engine to its red line every week actually extends its life! Great engines that sadly may never be used again by Mazda in production cars..