The Regular Summary of Classified Ads of Se7ens Found For Sale

[Cueball1]

I was simply passing on what i was told by the owner. When he said solid rxy gen 2 diff, he must have 1 of those bits of info wrong.

[Cueball1]

Last minute on the BAT westfield!  17,500 currently

[Kitcat]

22 minutes ago, Cueball1 said:

Last minute on the BAT westfield!  17,500 currently

It sold for $25,250.  Worth it, IMHO.

[Cueball1]

Was suggested I try to find a mechanic in the Phoenix area to look over that DSK since I can't make the trip there in the next month.  Any idea what kind of mechanic to look for?  With the rx7 drive train and being a newer replica, I'm not sure an old british specialist would be the way to go! 

 

Any mechanic references, ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Bruce K]

Cueball1 - Having purchased cars in via this process before, I would recommend the following:  Because we know that DSK's were built with strong chassis and developed suspension, your primary need is to ascertain the condition of the RX-7 driveline components, and then the general cosmetic and mechanical condition of the balance of the car.  Therefore, I recommend that you contact a performance or tuning shop specializing in Japanese imports.  Ask for a shop with RX-7 experience, which should be easy to find in urbane Phoenix.  Vet the shop's credentials.  I have always worked with cooperative owners, who took their cars to the shops I hired.  That makes things much easier.  If that is not a possibility, you will need to work out the details, and find a single skilled tech who will go out and visit your car.  Find out the cost to assess a)  the specifics of the rotary drivetrain and b) the general mechanical and cosmetic condition of the remainder.  For any skilled car mechanic, the rest of the vehicle is basic - does the car start, stop, steer and accelerate properly?  do all the instruments work?  are the bearings properly adjusted, loose or noisy?  condition of the shocks?  any corrosion?  condition of exhaust?  do the brakes pull?  condition of pads and rotors?  any leaks?  condition of windshield?  etc.  Combine the best couple of lists from the internet and make a checklist.  Have your man inspect his specialty - the RX-7 components - and then the balance of the car, combining his acquired mechanical skills and your checklist.  Make sure your technician takes pictures of everything - dozens of quality images.  Tell him you want his frank appraisal - the hard truth.  I bought my 935 Tribute our of Connecticut in this manner, and, using the same technique, avoided a beautiful but mechanically hammered Porsche Turbo out of Florida.  I also did the same with the Clabber Girl NASCAR racer out of California and a Backdraft Racing Roadster out of Florida, and these last two turned out to be excellent acquisitions.  Just make sure you have all the photos and a completed checklist before deciding.  I also request all past maintenance records and any receipts.  From all this data, you can an accurate assessment of the vehicle.  NOTE:  The expert review process has also saved me money - when repairable problems were detected by the mechanic, I used the information to leverage a lower price.  AND the reviews never cost me more than two to three hundred dollars each - much less than 2-way airfare and lodging.

 

GOOD LUCK, and let us know what transpires!

[Cueball1]

BruceK,

 

Thanks for the lengthy and thoughtful answer.  I'm really looking for an Ls3 Brunton.  This would be an interim car to tide me over until the right Brunton comes along.  I figure at the DSK's price, and if it's a good car, it should easily hold it's value.  Something to have fun with at track days again and sunny day drives now that I'm living in an area with tracks close by again.  (Was in Idaho the last 10 years.  No road courses within 6 hours drive)

 

 

[11Budlite]

Here's an illustration of the DSK space frame chassis showing the added reinforcing tubes.

 

Edited March 30, 2022 by 11Budlite

[GregM]

I ended up purchasing the DSK from Arizona. Gotta have it shipped now. I'm super excited.

[Kitcat]

Congratulations! I look forward to hearing more after you get it. I suspect it will be extremely fast.

[Bruce K]

20 hours ago, Cueball1 said:

BruceK,

 

Thanks for the lengthy and thoughtful answer.  I'm really looking for an Ls3 Brunton.  This would be an interim car to tide me over until the right Brunton comes along.  I figure at the DSK's price, and if it's a good car, it should easily hold it's value.  Something to have fun with at track days again and sunny day drives now that I'm living in an area with tracks close by again.  (Was in Idaho the last 10 years.  No road courses within 6 hours drive)

 

 

Thanks for the appreciative remarks - anything for a fellow Sevenista!  You can use the same technique for a Brunton or nearly any other car.  I've used the technique 7 total times, though I have modified it in recent years.  Lately, I pay for the appraisal, so I can make the deal on the car.  Then, if the car is east of the Mississippi, I hook up my enclosed hauler and drive over to perform a final inspection and pick up the car.  The savings on commercial transport usually pays for my road trip, and very often I end up buying other bargain odds and ends to go with the car.  Because of the pre-inspections, there have never been any unwonted or unwanted surprises.

 

That's a shame - I didn't realize Idaho was track-unfriendly.  Such much beautiful flat land - too bad.

 

Sorry you lost out on the DSK, but now you can concentrate on that Brunton.  If you want torque thrills, the Brunton is your baby.  I was on the M-59 yesterday with my Alfa 4C, which is a low-weight, high-output 4 cylinder sporter similar in theory to our Sevens.  A last-gen ZR1 rolled up next to me and offered challenge.  I refused, because I was already doing 85 and also because I did not wish to be shamed..  Good thing - the Vette driver decided to put on a show.  When he dropped that hammer, it was instant Saturn V, including the noise.  Within about a hundred yards, he'd added 70 mph to my velocity.  With the Brunton, you will not reach the same top speeds, or achieve the same top gear acceleration, but between 0 and 100 your two cars will likely be thinly separated, if at all.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Bruce K

[Cueball1]

GregM, congratulations!  Let us all know what it's like.  DSK 7s appears to be a rare bird.  Well done.  Car seemed to be a good buy.

[GregM]

6 minutes ago, Cueball1 said:

GregM, congratulations!  Let us all know what it's like.  DSK 7s appears to be a rare bird.  Well done.  Car seemed to be a good buy.

Thank you and we will see but it is for sure quite an interesting animal with the DSK reinforced frame and the rotary engine. I always wanted a Seven and I always liked rotary engines. I never imagined that one day I will drive a seven with a wankel lol

 

But when you think about it, it makes perfect sense in a car like the Seven. It lowers the center of gravity even further and it adds lightness as well. So besides the reliability aspect, it sounds like a great combo.

Edited March 30, 2022 by GregM

[Cueball1]

Absolutely.  I think the 7 with an rx7 drivetrain is an awesome combo too!  Love the way they rev and sound.

 

I'm not sure wankels are unreliable, they simply have parts that wear faster Than contemporary engines.  Apex seals are the biggest fail point.  Believe there are updated more durable ones available if these ever give out.  50-100k is a typical life span.  That should be a hell of a long time with how many miles a 7 typically gets put on it!  

 

Having several 60s muscle cars, those motors rarely lasted 100k miles too.  It's only modern piston engines that 200-300k miles without a rebuild is now kinda the norm.

Edited March 31, 2022 by Cueball1

[Croc]

@GregM  Well done!  Congratulations!

[fastg]

Being a huge 2-stroke fan I have always lusted after a rotary, but the stars have never aligned. They are misunderstood rather than unreliable, run rep-mix and you should be good. It's a great package for a 7 fits very easily. Dan have a purple turbo rotary Rotus is his shop the last time I was there. 

 

Graham  

[GregM]

5 minutes ago, fastg said:

Being a huge 2-stroke fan I have always lusted after a rotary, but the stars have never aligned. They are misunderstood rather than unreliable, run rep-mix and you should be good. It's a great package for a 7 fits very easily. Dan have a purple turbo rotary Rotus is his shop the last time I was there. 

 

Graham  

I grew up racing go karts when they all had 2 stroke engines so I'm very familiar with the scent and the character. Never had a rotary but fell in love with the sound of it at Le Mans Classic a couple decades back when I heard the Mazda 787b idle in the paddocks for the first time.

[Kitcat]

I recently read a story that a 2 stroke leaf blower produces more pollution in an hour  than an V8 pickup does driving from Texas to Alaska. OTOH, I loved my 2stroke  Vespa Grand Sport, bought new with my paper route savings in 1963.

[Bruce K]

6 hours ago, fastg said:

Being a huge 2-stroke fan I have always lusted after a rotary, but the stars have never aligned. They are misunderstood rather than unreliable, run rep-mix and you should be good. It's a great package for a 7 fits very easily. Dan have a purple turbo rotary Rotus is his shop the last time I was there. 

 

Graham  

I am a bit confused - how is a Wankel like a 2-cycle?  2-cycles run dirty, and Wankels do not.  2-cycles are also smelly, and in general are not running properly unless they produce visible fumes - both untrue for Wankels.  2-cycles require pre-mixed fuel, and Wankels do not.  2-cycles use excessive fuel, while Wankels are only medium-thirsty.  To me, the motors are similar only in their high power-to-weight ratio and use of hydrocarbon fuel.  I absolutely agree that a Wankel is a great fit for Seven.  Sevens have little mass with which to absorb vibration, and Wankels produce almost none, even at zingy engine speeds of 9 and 10K rpms.  Because they produce competitive hp, but are a bit low on torque, the light weight of Sevens provides ideal compensation.  it would be great to see a line of Sevens once again, like the Rotus, featuring the Wankel..  The RX-8 motor produces 250 hp and 162 ft/#'s stock and weighs only 210 pounds.  A Duratec with less hp will tip the scales at 240 pounds.  The Wankel is a great engine choice.

[fastg]

They are both piston ported engines, they have great similarities. Rotary's are very dirty, when they tried to clean up the RX8 the outcome was a disaster. Most rotary owners run pre-mix oil to protect the apex seals. Direct inject a 2-stroke and it's a very clean engine, I think there is a new 2-stroke motor that has just passes the new European very strict pollution requirements. 

 

Graham 

[Bruce K]

5 minutes ago, fastg said:

They are both piston ported engines, they have great similarities. Rotary's are very dirty, when they tried to clean up the RX8 the outcome was a disaster. Most rotary owners run pre-mix oil to protect the apex seals. Direct inject a 2-stroke and it's a very clean engine, I think there is a new 2-stroke motor that has just passes the new European very strict pollution requirements. 

 

Graham 

I owned a last-gen RX-7 and never once pre-mixed, nor did my dealer advise it.  I agree that rotaries do not run as clean as conventional 4-strokes - the oil they bypass clogs the cats too quickly, which is why we have not seen exploitation by manufacturers of their other innate qualities.  And the only 2-stroke that has passed Euro standards is the Langen, which is strictly a bike engine.  Bear in mind that Euro standards, though nearly equal between bikes and cars, still heavily favor bikes because they are based on grams of emissions per mile, which favors featherweight bikes in comparison to ton-plus cars.