My dad also bought an '82 brand new. He still has it, but after sitting 20 years outside in need of a new engine, it has degraded too far to make any sense to restore. Such a shame. Enjoy yours!
I drove my dad’s and then a 2.8i Capri and the RX7 just seems so much more sophisticated, more modern and faster.. I got a shock when he asked me to price a new exhaust for it though.. the price in the 80’s was £1400.. and that was the best price I found..
It took a long time for the rotary engine to get respect from the general motoring community. Yes they used to wear out faster than piston engines, yes they still are thirsty, but the character and potential power output is very attractive. I had a 1974 RX4 with a 13B turbo EFI rotary in the mid 90's with the boost turned up and it would smoke everything on the road, including a star of the show 'Neighbours' who had a Lotus Elan who tried to drag me but got very humbled that night!
I bought my MK 1 RX-7 brand new in 1980. Charcoal Grey metallic over black interior (not cloth). The amazing aspect of this car with the balance in handling. Even heavy snows did not slow down the RX....other cars and trucks would spin off the highway and the RX just kept on going through the Canadian Rockies---on radial tires!!! Also a very clean Euro design. While in Hiroshima I visited the Mazda factory and watched how they built these cars. Very precise!
I worked for a mazda dealer in the 80s as a driver . The mk1 RX7 was good , the Elford turbo version was better but those bigger mk2s were fantastic - really quick , luxurious and handled great .
I completely rebuilt one 20 years ago and it was a great car. I had the moon roof as well and the ultra rare rotary alloys. I also removed the awful plastic side moldings which gave it a beautiful smooth line.
balls ,only money is needed ,i have friends that have no balls due to cancer but they still manage to buy any car they want ,so not needed in this specific action
@@JohnKowalskyDrive i was joking ,ment to be funny, but cancer isn´t funny? but my friends are well and now they can play football and no problems in the nether regions, both caught it(it´s not caught but my english at the moment doesn´t come to mind other expression) while playing football ,i stoped playing when i was 20 because always ended in violence between friends that lived in diferent streets of the city, we used to take a beer box with 24 botles each team and the ones who win would drink both boxes, but it ended always in violence not that bad no one got hurt properlly, only those two friends , one of them was at night when drunk asking me to look at it and i would replay "show it to your girlfriend or mother!" but once he had the pants down on a nightclub w.c. and i notice them balls very dark ,like black and i told him to show it to a doctor which he did some 6 monthes later, but now he´s fine , i even asked him if he felt the need of scratching it, like in phatom limbs talk about it, he sad ,"sometimes" me wrong it´s "he said", but we´re in our 70´s and we are ok for the age and trype of life we choose to live
@@JohnKowalskyDrive I did not have the balls (resp, an idotic reason) and did not buy a car that was really cool, and so bought the "reasonable" variant, an Opel/Vauxhall Vectra hatchback. Almost 30 years later, I decided "What the heck" and bought it - a 1994 Opel/Vauxhall Calibra V6. A deliberate after-midlife-crisis toy. From time to time making 120-130 mph on the Autobahn - NICE. And as he mentions it, the 170 hp it has give me 26 mpg - not too bad, I think There is not so much time as we think we have - just have fun when it is affordable. A neighbour of mine, a Mercedes fan through and through, realized his dream with a Mercedes W124 - and drove around in it for a year or so before his age overwhelmed him. He died recently. I told his wife I am happy for him that he still could have this fun with this car. The older you get, the quicker the range of possibilities how to have fun diminishes. So don't care what others think, "that is crazy", just do it - the others secretly are envious that they don't dare. I say with my sailing that with time you have more and more experience and become better. But with time also your fitness diminishes. So there is a sweet spot where you still have the ability to "empower" your skills - but then....
My Dad worked in a Mazda garage in Manchester and used to look after an RX7 which had a turbo kit fitted. I remember going out in it with him on road test as a young lad. It was epic, and the old man could drive! He race Superkart for years. Happy times.
I had the first RX-7 sold from my dealer. Red over black, 5-speed gearbox. It was a blast! I was a rep for residential lighting companies and traded light fixtures for the dealer's new home for part of the RX-7 cost. I was put to the top of the list and ended up with a small discount overall instead of paying $1,000 over sticker. I drove it pretty hard for three years--kept the oil changed at 3-4k intervals and didn't have a single problem. It was tail happy, which made it more fun (although in wet conditions you needed to tiptoe around corners). I lived on the east bench of town so had a hill to drive up. In the winter I sometimes had to park it on the street and walk the final couple blocks home. It wouldn't go up snow covered slopes. That was the only negative I can remember. I drove an FC for several months as a demo at the Volvo dealership I worked at (it wouldn't sell), it was a better car--build, handling, acceleration--than the first gen, but lacked the excitement of the early car. Great video
My wife ran an RX8 as a company car back in the early noughties. The engine was epic, so smooth, I can’t believe how good it was. Underlines how dramatically different this would have been back in the 80’s 😀
noughties ?yes they were a bit and in 87 the RX-7 two seats was a very nice car, i bought one ,the finishings inside were nice, mine was white and blue inside
In the early 80s my dad drove a 626 and brought one of these home as a service loaner - not a great family car but the coolest car I could recall getting to sit in to date (I was not old enough to drive). Great review - could see owning one of these one day.
I have a stock '84 mk1 still with its exhaust 'reactor' - have owned it for over 30 years and is part of the family . recently picked up a fc convertible turbo for light restoration -Sorry if I sound smug but I love these cars
PPL 98X was my old metalic blue FB with the TWR body kit and steering wheel. I was the second owner and put a Janspeed exhaust on it as the mazda exhaust was more that three times the price, what a change in driving experience quicker! And now with a brap in the voice although my wife wasn't too keen on the sound. What a great car. Thanks for the memories, a great video 👌🏼👍🏼👌🏻
The RX8 does have a metering pump the same as all the others. The main problem with them was that they were sold to people that didn’t understand that they needed to be driven hard and that they weren’t a good commuter car. Rotary cars will always be an enthusiast car. I’ve owned both a mk1 and FD and loved them both. Had a Rx8 as well and my son owns one also never had any problems with them.
I had a series III 1985 RX7 back in the late 80’s/early 90’s. It was a really fun car and the beeper added to the fun - although my wife used to get annoyed with me because it was obvious that I was pushing the car a bit. It really came into its element above 140kph which was surprising as it really wasn’t that fast otherwise. Fuel consumption wasn’t great and you need to keep an eye on the oil as it will use it. I sold it in ‘92 because we were supposed to be getting annual emissions testing and with the extractors that I put on there was no way it’d pass. I replaced it with a Celica GT-Four Turbo 4x4, which was a truly great little car. I kept that after the lease ended and gave it to my wife who loved it. Finally we sold it in 2008.
When the first RX7's hit the market, I went to the dealer to buy one. When he told me there was a $3,000 add-on to the base sticker price of $7,500, I was out of there. Come to 1993 and Mazda released the twin rotor RX7 with the "new", softer, body style. Bought one that time at sticker price and drove it for 4 years and loved it. Had to sell it after 4 years because my oldest son was turning 16 and my insurance agent told me my auto insurance for the RX7 was going to quadruple due to a 16 year old male driver and a high performance car (it was around 1994 that auto insurance companies in the US finally figured out HP to weight ratio was a much better indicator of performance than just HP, and the RX7 had one of the best HP to weight ratios of any car that was not an exotic). I regret to this day having to sell the car, but have no regrets about buying it.
mine had a rotor in 87 and i think my father´s rx-7 the previous model was wankel engine too, oh? twin rotor , that i don´t recall i have to see when arriving home this afternoon
Great video! I bought a 1988 FC in 1999. Having previously owned a Mini and MG Metros it wasn't like stepping into the past. It was like stepping 100 years into the future! Fantastic grip, handling and performance (although the over-assisted steering actually less good than a Mini or a Metro). It did about 20mpg and lasted over 100k miles on 3k mile oil changes before losing compression. Wish I still had it! The FC the most unloved but personally I liked the styling and it was a brilliantly engineered car. I think Mazda did everything possible to flatter the rotary engine.
The first gen RX7 has always been, and still is, my favorite RX7. I absolutely adore the design. Never bought one despite them being pretty cheap at some points, because my budget doesn’t usually leave room for rebuilding a rotor engine…or any engine tbf. ..but seeing one again is lovely. Thanks 🙂
A racing team here in the US prepared their drivers to run RX-7s by removing the synchronizers from the gearbox and insisting they downshift and floor it every time the rev buzzer stopped! In other words, keep it above the red line. The race cars would be rebuilt after each race if needed, so over-revving was not an issue.
but with the rotative wankel engine the rpm´s are high but not more than a couple of seconds on the red line, for some reason they put the rpm counter in front of the driver bigger than the speedometer on the left
Had an Fd3 for 7 years and loved every minute. It never broke down and looked fantastic and after a good tune it was fast. Would have another in a heart beat if they weren't 30 grand and up now.
Back in 1994 I bought a 1985 gsl-se. with the 13B, that car was a beast for its time! I used to rev the hell outta that engine! Always reliable, never gave me any problems. The only thing that sucked was gasoline!⛽️ Mine was black with the red leather interior. Loved it! I wish I still have it today! One thing I forgot to mention! Here in the states they didn’t have rear seating! That’s definitely a rarety!
Hi Jack. It's so good to see more rotary content on you channel. I've owned mazda rotary powered vehicles on and off since the early 80's. My first was an Rx-3 coupe and my current rotary is a rare TWR kitted Rx-7 ... the one that you saw at Bicester. There are so many myths and misinformation surrounding the rotary engine so it's great to see you debunking a few. Ian's car is most likely, the best example of a Series 3 Rx-7 in the UK in my opinion.
Great drive - thanks Jack. I was in middle school when this car was new and had a magazine ad pinned to my wall. I drooled over that car every day. Fun to see it again all these years later and so familiar, crazy monotone interior and lovely alloy dished wheels.
What a brave and innovative company Mazda is. I'm in my mid 70s now and have had the pleasure of owning 11 Mazdas. None of them has disappointed. No I'm not Japanese, I'm a scotsman living in Canada
the early Rx7's are like Mazda's secret recipe. its simple direct and fun, but its also practical (you can fit a full sized fridge in the back). reliability was pretty good too, although its been ages since I had one as a daily. the early Miata is kind of the follow up, in spirit.
Jack, the Mr1 was the best balanced car I have driven. That may sound funny considering some of the cars I have owned and driven. It was the only car I have ever got in and could drive at 10 tenths immediately. It gave you all the information with time to respond. Some unnamed mid engine cars would tap you on the shoulder as they went backwards into the scrub. I have one of these on my "look for" list. Great video mate.
Love this car, had a 1979 RX7 back when I was in high school. Enjoyed it for a few years and sold it more than what I paid for. Will always be a place in my heart for this car.
Someone may have already mentioned this, but the RX8 DOES still have an oil metering pump that injects oil into the rotors. The issue with the original RX8’s is that there are only 2 injectors which wasn’t enough. The second generation (R3 in UK) has 3 oil injectors, which made a massive difference to the longevity. 😊
I’ve always loved these and I’m not inherently a rotary fan. I love the old Clarion stereo in the background too. I had one of those in the day so it really brought back memories.
Jack, these videos of yours are amazingly fun to watch. Thank you very much for the entertainment and the short bursts of education on classic car history that come with it. 😊
I had the same car, but in ice green registered in 1984. Loved it and it was very reliable. Sold it at around 60k miles. I loved the engine and performance. I replaced it with a Jaguar XJ6 which was just as fast in a straight line, roomier and used less fuel 😭
I'm gonna track one down and buy it after watching this. I understand why they're so cheap, it's not really the engine, it's everything else about the car, the recirc steering and the live rear axle. From what I've read and heard, with knowledgable care and maintenance, these can run just fine for many many miles.
I had a little known rotary, a Mazda RX3. It was a smallish 2-door "sports coupe". The best part was the engine - many happy hours chasing the revs up to the tachometer chime. It showed heels to many who passed it off as a little Japanese econo-box. I sold it on before anything catastrophic happened to the engine. Great little car.
Had a '77 RX-3SP. Exact experiences as yours. A cheap little tin can of a car, but lots of fun and quick for its day. My engine was toast at 92K miles, and I couldn't afford to replace or rebuild it. Sold the car for $200 in '85. Saw it again a year or two later on the road. New engine, I wondered?
They are 1. Hand grenades period 2. Bland sound 3. Gas guzzlers 4. Like dating a supermodel who would leave you without warning 5. Expensive to own And they were addictive when they were running. Having owned two 3d gens (FD) Two 2d gens and 1 first gens, I finally gave up. 😂
@@Agu_Ra BMW Z3 3.0, Subaru BRZ and a Jeep Rubicon. None are as fast or sexy as the FDs were but they start every time and get me wherever I want to go.
I’ve owned 6 first gen RX7’s. 2 road going track cars and one dedicated race car. All on second hand motors. Never had an engine failure and always sold the motors after upgrading to a second hand more powerful unit for more than I paid for them.
i had one of these 30 yrs ago. i paid the equivalent of 25 quid for it as my mate just bought it to get him around while his van was being painted and didn't want it after. it had just had a an engine rebuild and was a fantastic car to drive...wish i still had it!
I was in Spa last weekend and there was an RX7 going hard through the hilly bends and streets. However, it smoked almost like a two stroke. Cheers from Belgium. Even Suzuki attempted a bike with a rotary engine, the RE5. To hear and see you describe the seats makes me want the car only already for that. It seems like an airy, roomy, comfortable and relaxing space to be when driving such a car. Especially with that sunroof.
Completely agree on the FB being the gem of the range, and I have an FD. The problem with the FD is that it's just too fast for normal roads. It's very buttoned down and serious and not very playful. There's also a lag to the throttle that never fully goes away because of the turbocharging. A lighter smaller high-revving NA FB is a more delicate experience.
I was working in a garage and happened to see a carby off an RX3 and that said it all. Tiny little primaries and two huge secondary barrels. and that smooth rev into tomorrow engine, wow. My brother had 7 and it was great. they really come alive in 3rd gear.
@@asphalthedgehog6580 There was an article about this. In the Ro80 Club International where there are elderly members that bought / owned Ro80’s back when they were current. None of whom recall the finger waving myth. It’s that, just a myth which continues to be spread to this day by people in an attempt to appear knowledgeable.
Had one for a few days. A mate of mine used to service my Alfa 166 and once he gave me his RX7 while he was sorting the Alfa. Very nice, sweet engine, sorted chassis. Only thing wrong was the steering - vague and needed constant correction. Still, decent (and interesting) enough.
I bought a 1983 Rx7 in 1990 and owned it for the next 14 years, beautiful car, enjoyable drive and in my opinion not too bad at all on fuel. I loved it.
Only Rotary car I rode in was a Mazda RX2 saloon. The lady owner already had engine sorted under warranty,, this was 1978. Wonderful turbine smoothness. Up to 60 mph still did 30 mpg , which was about the same for many saloons of the era, but above that it drank fuel in a crazy fashion. Virtually silent at low speeds.
I love these just for the fact thet threy're something different. Who cares if they're not objectively the very best at this or that that some nerd thinks is very important?
My wife had a 72 RX2 rotary. Was a great car. Had to add oil once in a while due to the seal lubrication and change oil regularly. Used to dump on Porsches all the time.
My Mum had one , a 1976 RX2 in Olive green with a brown interior . The thing was super fast …but I do remember her bitching about the fuel costs . 😀😀. We got rid of it in 1989 , when she bought a Mitsubishi Tredia 1.8 SLX ( I know ….don’t even go there 😀😀)
I like an engine that chases the redline. I had an M54 2.2i in a BMW 320i and it was a sweet engine that seemed to build power at least to about 6250rpm. I'm now in an old Z4 2.5si with the N52 si engine and it has the low down torque but builds power right to 7000rpm. Feels like a proper sportscar engine.
These were massively popular back in the day here in Australia, Jack. Well loved by owners and the local motoring press it was a sad day when the RX-7 was no longer sold
My family had an '85 GSL-SE with the 135 hp 13B and a '90 GSL (mk2, non-turbo), which I owned for a while. The first gen was more fun to drive. It's lighter and is one of the few cars I've driven that smoothly oversteers by default; you steer it as much with feet as hands near the limit. Just a joy of a car to drive and the buzzer at 7K brought back some happy teenaged memories! The second gen was heavier, more powerful and more sophisticated (mine with an 8K redline). All independent suspension; Mazda was taking aim at the Porsche 944 and while it made the car faster and far more buttoned down it wasn't as fun to drive. The apex seals also failed just out of warranty, but I think it was an assembly issue as the car struggled to idle smoothly from new. In North America, a clean GSL-SE is a forgotten used car, but i still think it would be a great affordable classic as long as you have a good rotary guy.
My earliest oversteer lessons were also in the first-gen RX-7. The watts-link rear end is amazing for progressive breakaway, similar to the Alfa Romeo Milano/GTV6.
I had a couple of 1982's and they were the most fun cars to drive that I've ever owned incredible handling. If you ever lost control, all you had to do was push the collection and let it back out and you would have it right back. It was like driving a go cart. I miss it a lot, but I don't miss having to add. A quart of oil every time I filled the tank!
They didn’t remove the oil injection onto the engine on the RX-8. Just reduced it and changed where and how it was injected onto the apex seals. Still, the issue there was not enough lubrication.
They addressed this in the Series 2 (R3) RX-8 by increasing the Oil pressure and re-introducing the 3rd injector per rotor (towards centre of Apex Seal)...
My first car EVER! 1980 RX7, in red of course, even had the sunroof! Until the engine locked up 💔 and no mechanic would even look at it, lol, this video took me down memory lane, thank you. 🍺
Love a rotary, I had two RX3s back in the early seventies that I adored as a boy racer but come P/X time for another car you couldn't give them away. The key to long life of the rotary engine is regular maintenance and warming up the engine before driving it enthusiastically as Number 27 said, yes it liked a drink and also spark plugs mis firing were an annoying issue when revving hard, no rev limiter or warning buzzer on the RX3s and if not careful doing a U turn in wet conditions it would spin the wheels with the rev counter going off scale, then there was the noise. In later years I restored two Suzuki RE5s rotary engine motorcycles to show condition, one of each model, no engine problems there in fact they were quite reliable, regular maintenance is mandatory, neglect is a killer.
Brilliant. ❤. Rexy! I had one not long ago (AGU 27-) and loved it. Not a lot of money and mega fun, non turboed SA is a solid engine. The key on all rotaries is to use mineral oil and not synthetic (which causes apex to stick). Thanks Jack!
I used to service these in period - 1982 - I think hey cost £9.5K about the same as a Porsche 924 - I think the styling still looks good - thanks Jack for great content
Wow, I'm so glad you're doing on of these 1st gen RX7s. In 2007 I traded in my Volvo 740 Estate on a lightblue 81 (first facelift) one with the triangular rotary alloy wheels, not the classy semi chrome ones on this one. To me it was one my alltime favourites for a multitude of reasons: - it handled beautifully, the weight distribution and suspension setup really is near perfectly engineered, I totally agree on that. - the sound is brilliantly linear indeed, people either love it or hate it. I loved those angry bees in the front. - surprisingly enough it was supremely comfortable on bumps, almost like a Citroën (sorry, my opinion). It did seem to fly over all the Dutch bumps with no worries. - shifting through the gears is ever a joy, never had one to do that better, only an MX5 comes close (again sorry, my opinion). - it could do standing burnouts when requested, even with only 105 or 115 horsepower (yes, at times I can be a hooligan too, sue me 🤷🏼♂) - yes it does use a lot of petrol, especially on short trips, I rarely got more than 14 mpg. Long distance travelling however got me over 30 mpg at 70 mph. - yes it does use more oil, but who cares? I always used Comma mineral oil on these ones, the engine likes it and even smells nice (not oily at all, just nice) and I added some twostroke oil to every fillup as well to ensure good lubrication. Apart from a new battery and rear brake refurbishing it was super reliable. The only real drawback for me was getting in that stupidly low thing, I always hit my head, me being tall and all. 🤦🏼♂ Getting out was easy though, I just rolled myself out. 😆 Happy memories
Such a lovely delicate looking little thing. In the ‘90’s my step mom had a top spec 85 GSLSE. All brown inside and out with leather seats. Nice little car. The 2nd generation will always be my favorite. Much more modern and grown up looking. I got to borrow my mom’s roommate’s brand new 87 automatic for a day. I was 17 and I throughly enjoyed that car.
My step mom traded her 240Z for a 1st gen RX 7. I scoffed because I was all about the big V8 muscle cars. One day while searching for something different for a daily driver I came across a used GSL-SE and decided to test it. I LOVED it. It was my daily driver until a lady hit it in a grocery store parking lot. That was 35 years ago and I still miss the way it revved, the way it shifted, the way it could be tossed around...once I swapped the factory 70's series tires for some sticky 60's!!!
A good aftermarket exhaust system will do wonders for the sound of the rotary engine in this RX-7. One issue you didn't discuss is that it can be very difficult to find a mechanic who is willing & able to work on rotary engines, a lot of workshops just don't want to touch them.
@gazzafloss It appears a lot of mechanics don't want to touch these simply due to being unfamiliar with them. In reality, rotaries would be no more difficult to work on than a conventional engine.
@@gazzafloss They are indeed very simple. Basically you strip all the ancilliarys off, tip it on end, undo the bolts that hold the housings together and you lift off the layers one after another. Bit trickier putting it back together as you have to hold the seals in place when you lower a rotor housing into place but string works a treat. I know its a bit more involved than that but that's it in a nutshell.
Many comments saying the Rev warning limit buzzer is annoying. Erm, well yes, its purpose is to warn of over revving, not as a guide for when to change gear!
But you're supposed to redline this engine? (All properly designed engines even of the 4-stroke piston type should cope with the factory-designated redline/rev limiter, which has presumably been set within the capabilities of the oiling system, conrods and valvetrain -- obviously the rotary having far fewer moving parts by comparison, so there's less stresses on it than a typical 4-stroke engine.) (E.g., the Honda S2000 with its 9150rpm rev limiter (IIRC) has valvesprings that don't float until ~9500rpm, and the early K20 engines even with their lower 8600rpm rev limiter have exactly the same valve springs too, so there's no risk of valve float in that engine either. The oil pump and conrods are obviously designed to support the rpm where the factory rev limiter is set.) The Suzuki RE5 single-rotor bike only revs to 7000rpm which is kind of strangely low though, but 4-stroke piston motorcycle engines with their smaller components than car engines obviously routinely have rev limiters of 12, 13, 14k rpm -- even 19k rpm on the Honda CBR250RR 250cc inline-four.
Nice car Jack, I've been waiting for you to get a rotary to review. IMO the Mk1 RX7's are the prettiest of the RX7's. I owned an RX2 back in the 80's and used to hillclimb it. Those engines just love to rev. No torque so you never get any power surge, just a clean linear rev out to where ever you changed gear. I now own a 2012 RX8 Spirit R, one of the last RX8's. It's only got 21,000km on it. Mazda fixed the problems with the Renesis engines in the series 2 RX8's and provided you look after them they are as reliable as any other engine. Warming them up and warming them down is especially important. A rotary engine is a sandwich - cast iron, alloy, cast iron, alloy, cast iron - and as the two metals expand at different rates you have to warm them up before thrashing them. Same with warming down. Don't switch off immediately after a high rev run, let it idle for a few minutes. The red line is 9,000 (cut out at 9,200) in my RX8 and it will rev out happily to the red line in every gear (up to 5th so far).
I have a 62k mile metallic-blue over black-velour 1980 RX7 that my father bought new from the Mazda dealer in Burbank CA. My father had earlier purchased a 1978 RX7, red over brown vinyl. 1978 was the first year the car was available in the USA and they were all the rage at the time--dealer markups etc. He had to go from his home in the lower Hudson Valley (NY) to a dealer in Burlington VT to get the car. It had a 4-speed and revved high at cruising speeds. (For '79 all RX7s got a 5spd). I don't recall what happened to the 78, but by 1983 it had been replaced by a much-fancier black over black leather GSL. Regrettably, I wrecked that car in high school. It was then replaced by a Corvette, which was a much faster and more serious sports car, thus ending my father's dalliance with RX7s. I am glad to still have the California car and will never sell it. It appears few first gens have survived. Every once in a while I see another one at cars n coffee, but they are surprisingly rare nowadays for a car that was once ubiquitous. PS: I think the secret to rotary engine longevity is to use it regularly. You do not have to redline it; just running it up to operating temperature will adequately lubricate the apex seals.
I was fortunate to manage parts and service departments. The new RX7 had just come out, so we had to take one out to street race in Philly...(yea, insanely stupid racing hard in a car that you don't own....) and it was the toast of the town.....kicking some very serious butt. On monday, we replaced the clutch kit.....the RXs launched best with a 6000rpm stepoff....tough on the clutch disc!...but we replaced it under warranty.... What a marvelous car, and quite reliable!
If you want a rotary that sounds wicked, I recommend finding one with a peripheral port. When I was a kid, they were surprisingly common in RX3s and RX4s, and sounded like a large capacity 2-stroke bike, but with a lumpy idle like a V8 with a huge cam.
A Great trip down memory lane my father had a NSU RO80 in the mid 70's after years of Jaguars thinking it was the future a bit like EV today he didn't keep it long. Later he bought an RX7 in 81 brand new and I loved that little car and definitely the pick of the 3 I reckon just for the velour and the buzzer.
Absolutely loved my C reg, ie same vintage as your test. Ran it for 9 years @ consistent 25 mpg in mixed commuting and distance driving! 1 engine rebuild in that time by Eamon(?) Hurley, who used to drag race an awesome RO80 engined bike. Perhaps my engine lived because I shifted at the right point, rather than waiting for the beep - when you're past peak shift torque?
Yes, but the Ro80 was the first twin-rotor production car, rather than the single-rotor Spider. And even that is disputed as the Mazda Cosmo 110 was launched almost simultaneously with the Ro80.
The mk3 RX7 has always been on my list of cars id own If money was no object, I just love the looks of the car! I've driven an RX8 and I didn't like it at all so gutless I thought. Cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👍
I bought a JDM FD in 2018 for a pretty penny (for me anyway) as it was my dream car and had to own one once. I did enjoy it, but it was constant anxiety, even if it was perfectly reliable (other than never boosting properly) for 4 years. Went back to a JDM MX-5. It's funny because a year after I got mine, a friend got an FB like in video, but it was pulled out of a barn and cost him less than £500. A few months later it was on the road, and I still cannot decide which one I prefer. That says a lot! The engine without the turbos and eveything else strapped to it is absolutely dreamy imo. An MX-5 steering rack would be nice on one
The Mark I RX7 won three Australian Endurance Championships (1982, 1983 & 1984) and the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1983. Came second in the 1983 Bathurst 1000 and 3rd in the 1984 Bathurst 1000. So some real on track pedigree and when fitted with the Group C Bodykit they are a very dramatic looking car.
I've owned six of these 1st-gen RX7s. All of them were the series 2 and series 3 model years ('81 through '85) and had the 12A engine (only 101 hp in North America) with the GSL option package. Observed real-world fuel economy averaged around 22 miles per imperial gallon (around 20 miles per US gallon. Best observed fuel economy was at constant highways speeds of around 100 kms/hr - where I reached 27 mpg. Even at an average of 120 kms/hr I could still get 24 mpg, but in city driving with revs winding out between shifts I only got around 17 mpg.
The 1982 Rx7 that I own has been either my father's or mine for the past 42 years. It's a fantastic, basic, honest sports car. I'll never sell it.
My dad also bought an '82 brand new. He still has it, but after sitting 20 years outside in need of a new engine, it has degraded too far to make any sense to restore. Such a shame. Enjoy yours!
I can tell almost the same. 1989 Volvo 480 Turbo. NEVER gonna sell it.
I drove my dad’s and then a 2.8i Capri and the RX7 just seems so much more sophisticated, more modern and faster.. I got a shock when he asked me to price a new exhaust for it though.. the price in the 80’s was £1400.. and that was the best price I found..
@@theautojournalsand your point is??
It's funny that British people, who live with classic British cars, believe the RX7 is a grenade.
😂
Oh come on, they're no less reliable than Italian cars .... and just as much fun!
Try as they might to destroy the efforts of the Germans and Japanese, now we know why they bombed both. Great cars despite the bombing.
@@warntheidiotmasses7114auswhitz,unit 731!!
This car still looks great decades later.
Had an '80 RX-7. Loved it. I once read about an RX-3 (I think) racer who said that if the rev buzzer stopped sounding then it was time to downshift.
😄😄😄😄
Was he from Anne Arbor , MI? I had a friend that raced at Waterford and said the same thing!
My friend had one of these and it was one of the smoothest cars I have ever ridden in.
It took a long time for the rotary engine to get respect from the general motoring community. Yes they used to wear out faster than piston engines, yes they still are thirsty, but the character and potential power output is very attractive. I had a 1974 RX4 with a 13B turbo EFI rotary in the mid 90's with the boost turned up and it would smoke everything on the road, including a star of the show 'Neighbours' who had a Lotus Elan who tried to drag me but got very humbled that night!
I’ve had my 82’ RX7 for 22 years, been the most reliable car l ever had. Thanks for reviewing this car.
I bought my MK 1 RX-7 brand new in 1980. Charcoal Grey metallic over black interior (not cloth). The amazing aspect of this car with the balance in handling. Even heavy snows did not slow down the RX....other cars and trucks would spin off the highway and the RX just kept on going through the Canadian Rockies---on radial tires!!! Also a very clean Euro design. While in Hiroshima I visited the Mazda factory and watched how they built these cars. Very precise!
I worked for a mazda dealer in the 80s as a driver . The mk1 RX7 was good , the Elford turbo version was better but those bigger mk2s were fantastic - really quick , luxurious and handled great .
I completely rebuilt one 20 years ago and it was a great car. I had the moon roof as well and the ultra rare rotary alloys. I also removed the awful plastic side moldings which gave it a beautiful smooth line.
side moldings, mine was just the body didn´t had anything on top of the metal
Here it is... the car I've always wanted, but never had the balls to actually buy.
balls ,only money is needed ,i have friends that have no balls due to cancer but they still manage to buy any car they want ,so not needed in this specific action
@@RUfromthe40s It wasn't meant that serious. Obviously testicles aren't needed to drive a car.
@@JohnKowalskyDrive i was joking ,ment to be funny, but cancer isn´t funny? but my friends are well and now they can play football and no problems in the nether regions, both caught it(it´s not caught but my english at the moment doesn´t come to mind other expression) while playing football ,i stoped playing when i was 20 because always ended in violence between friends that lived in diferent streets of the city, we used to take a beer box with 24 botles each team and the ones who win would drink both boxes, but it ended always in violence not that bad no one got hurt properlly, only those two friends , one of them was at night when drunk asking me to look at it and i would replay "show it to your girlfriend or mother!" but once he had the pants down on a nightclub w.c. and i notice them balls very dark ,like black and i told him to show it to a doctor which he did some 6 monthes later, but now he´s fine , i even asked him if he felt the need of scratching it, like in phatom limbs talk about it, he sad ,"sometimes" me wrong it´s "he said", but we´re in our 70´s and we are ok for the age and trype of life we choose to live
@@JohnKowalskyDrive I did not have the balls (resp, an idotic reason) and did not buy a car that was really cool, and so bought the "reasonable" variant, an Opel/Vauxhall Vectra hatchback.
Almost 30 years later, I decided "What the heck" and bought it - a 1994 Opel/Vauxhall Calibra V6.
A deliberate after-midlife-crisis toy.
From time to time making 120-130 mph on the Autobahn - NICE.
And as he mentions it, the 170 hp it has give me 26 mpg - not too bad, I think
There is not so much time as we think we have - just have fun when it is affordable.
A neighbour of mine, a Mercedes fan through and through, realized his dream with a Mercedes W124 - and drove around in it for a year or so before his age overwhelmed him. He died recently.
I told his wife I am happy for him that he still could have this fun with this car.
The older you get, the quicker the range of possibilities how to have fun diminishes.
So don't care what others think, "that is crazy", just do it - the others secretly are envious that they don't dare.
I say with my sailing that with time you have more and more experience and become better.
But with time also your fitness diminishes.
So there is a sweet spot where you still have the ability to "empower" your skills - but then....
My Dad worked in a Mazda garage in Manchester and used to look after an RX7 which had a turbo kit fitted. I remember going out in it with him on road test as a young lad. It was epic, and the old man could drive! He race Superkart for years. Happy times.
I had the first RX-7 sold from my dealer. Red over black, 5-speed gearbox. It was a blast! I was a rep for residential lighting companies and traded light fixtures for the dealer's new home for part of the RX-7 cost. I was put to the top of the list and ended up with a small discount overall instead of paying $1,000 over sticker. I drove it pretty hard for three years--kept the oil changed at 3-4k intervals and didn't have a single problem. It was tail happy, which made it more fun (although in wet conditions you needed to tiptoe around corners). I lived on the east bench of town so had a hill to drive up. In the winter I sometimes had to park it on the street and walk the final couple blocks home. It wouldn't go up snow covered slopes. That was the only negative I can remember.
I drove an FC for several months as a demo at the Volvo dealership I worked at (it wouldn't sell), it was a better car--build, handling, acceleration--than the first gen, but lacked the excitement of the early car.
Great video
East Bench? SLC?
@@ghoovergs3 Ogden, now Mountain Green.
My wife ran an RX8 as a company car back in the early noughties. The engine was epic, so smooth, I can’t believe how good it was.
Underlines how dramatically different this would have been back in the 80’s 😀
noughties ?yes they were a bit and in 87 the RX-7 two seats was a very nice car, i bought one ,the finishings inside were nice, mine was white and blue inside
This is the one I always wanted, the Mrk1 was the best looking
SUCH a pretty car. My favourite RX7. Lovely 80s interior. The Capri doesn't even compare in my view, the 2 litre version could only dream of 130bhp!
In the early 80s my dad drove a 626 and brought one of these home as a service loaner - not a great family car but the coolest car I could recall getting to sit in to date (I was not old enough to drive). Great review - could see owning one of these one day.
I think these look amazing especially against the RX8
yes it seems not a RX-7 or even less an 8 but how cool are the backdoors
I have a stock '84 mk1 still with its exhaust 'reactor' - have owned it for over 30 years and is part of the family . recently picked up a fc convertible turbo for light restoration -Sorry if I sound smug but I love these cars
PPL 98X was my old metalic blue FB with the TWR body kit and steering wheel. I was the second owner and put a Janspeed exhaust on it as the mazda exhaust was more that three times the price, what a change in driving experience quicker! And now with a brap in the voice although my wife wasn't too keen on the sound. What a great car. Thanks for the memories, a great video 👌🏼👍🏼👌🏻
The RX8 does have a metering pump the same as all the others. The main problem with them was that they were sold to people that didn’t understand that they needed to be driven hard and that they weren’t a good commuter car. Rotary cars will always be an enthusiast car. I’ve owned both a mk1 and FD and loved them both. Had a Rx8 as well and my son owns one also never had any problems with them.
That interior is glorious, the velour is amazing. Looks so, so comfortable.
I had a series III 1985 RX7 back in the late 80’s/early 90’s. It was a really fun car and the beeper added to the fun - although my wife used to get annoyed with me because it was obvious that I was pushing the car a bit. It really came into its element above 140kph which was surprising as it really wasn’t that fast otherwise. Fuel consumption wasn’t great and you need to keep an eye on the oil as it will use it. I sold it in ‘92 because we were supposed to be getting annual emissions testing and with the extractors that I put on there was no way it’d pass.
I replaced it with a Celica GT-Four Turbo 4x4, which was a truly great little car. I kept that after the lease ended and gave it to my wife who loved it. Finally we sold it in 2008.
When the first RX7's hit the market, I went to the dealer to buy one. When he told me there was a $3,000 add-on to the base sticker price of $7,500, I was out of there. Come to 1993 and Mazda released the twin rotor RX7 with the "new", softer, body style. Bought one that time at sticker price and drove it for 4 years and loved it. Had to sell it after 4 years because my oldest son was turning 16 and my insurance agent told me my auto insurance for the RX7 was going to quadruple due to a 16 year old male driver and a high performance car (it was around 1994 that auto insurance companies in the US finally figured out HP to weight ratio was a much better indicator of performance than just HP, and the RX7 had one of the best HP to weight ratios of any car that was not an exotic). I regret to this day having to sell the car, but have no regrets about buying it.
mine had a rotor in 87 and i think my father´s rx-7 the previous model was wankel engine too, oh? twin rotor , that i don´t recall i have to see when arriving home this afternoon
Great video! I bought a 1988 FC in 1999. Having previously owned a Mini and MG Metros it wasn't like stepping into the past. It was like stepping 100 years into the future! Fantastic grip, handling and performance (although the over-assisted steering actually less good than a Mini or a Metro). It did about 20mpg and lasted over 100k miles on 3k mile oil changes before losing compression. Wish I still had it! The FC the most unloved but personally I liked the styling and it was a brilliantly engineered car. I think Mazda did everything possible to flatter the rotary engine.
The first gen RX7 has always been, and still is, my favorite RX7. I absolutely adore the design. Never bought one despite them being pretty cheap at some points, because my budget doesn’t usually leave room for rebuilding a rotor engine…or any engine tbf. ..but seeing one again is lovely. Thanks 🙂
A racing team here in the US prepared their drivers to run RX-7s by removing the synchronizers from the gearbox and insisting they downshift and floor it every time the rev buzzer stopped! In other words, keep it above the red line. The race cars would be rebuilt after each race if needed, so over-revving was not an issue.
but with the rotative wankel engine the rpm´s are high but not more than a couple of seconds on the red line, for some reason they put the rpm counter in front of the driver bigger than the speedometer on the left
Had an Fd3 for 7 years and loved every minute. It never broke down and looked fantastic and after a good tune it was fast. Would have another in a heart beat if they weren't 30 grand and up now.
My dad had one of these new in 1982 when he was the age I am now - bright yellow. I loved it as a kid!
Back in 1994 I bought a 1985 gsl-se. with the 13B, that car was a beast for its time! I used to rev the hell outta that engine! Always reliable, never gave me any problems. The only thing that sucked was gasoline!⛽️ Mine was black with the red leather interior. Loved it! I wish I still have it today! One thing I forgot to mention! Here in the states they didn’t have rear seating! That’s definitely a rarety!
Your comments echo the Aussie car press back in its day. Thanks for taking this example out and providing this review.
Hi Jack. It's so good to see more rotary content on you channel. I've owned mazda rotary powered vehicles on and off since the early 80's. My first was an Rx-3 coupe and my current rotary is a rare TWR kitted Rx-7 ... the one that you saw at Bicester. There are so many myths and misinformation surrounding the rotary engine so it's great to see you debunking a few. Ian's car is most likely, the best example of a Series 3 Rx-7 in the UK in my opinion.
I had a number of them including an Elford turbo. Change the oil regularly is essential. This one is lovely.
Great drive - thanks Jack. I was in middle school when this car was new and had a magazine ad pinned to my wall. I drooled over that car every day. Fun to see it again all these years later and so familiar, crazy monotone interior and lovely alloy dished wheels.
What a brave and innovative company Mazda is. I'm in my mid 70s now and have had the pleasure of owning 11 Mazdas. None of them has disappointed. No I'm not Japanese, I'm a scotsman living in Canada
So basically Jack, you’ve been lent the nicest RX7 Mk 1 on the planet…..
It's a series 2, the series 1 has smaller tail lights and different interior to name a few things...
the early Rx7's are like Mazda's secret recipe. its simple direct and fun, but its also practical (you can fit a full sized fridge in the back). reliability was pretty good too, although its been ages since I had one as a daily. the early Miata is kind of the follow up, in spirit.
Jack, the Mr1 was the best balanced car I have driven. That may sound funny considering some of the cars I have owned and driven. It was the only car I have ever got in and could drive at 10 tenths immediately. It gave you all the information with time to respond. Some unnamed mid engine cars would tap you on the shoulder as they went backwards into the scrub. I have one of these on my "look for" list. Great video mate.
Best car I ever had, the 12A rotary was glorious
Love this car, had a 1979 RX7 back when I was in high school. Enjoyed it for a few years and sold it more than what I paid for. Will always be a place in my heart for this car.
Thanks, Jack, even though I have known a lot of people who drove various models of the rotary, this is the first real insight into them.
Someone may have already mentioned this, but the RX8 DOES still have an oil metering pump that injects oil into the rotors.
The issue with the original RX8’s is that there are only 2 injectors which wasn’t enough. The second generation (R3 in UK) has 3 oil injectors, which made a massive difference to the longevity. 😊
I’ve always loved these and I’m not inherently a rotary fan. I love the old Clarion stereo in the background too. I had one of those in the day so it really brought back memories.
I had a 2 year old one in 85 and I loved it. I was in the Navy and drove it several times cross country and daily drove it in DC.
A Mazda rotary isn't a car you buy/own/drive with your brain, you do it with your Heart.
Great stuff, would love to see more of the japanese eighties sports cars and coupés reviews.
Jack, these videos of yours are amazingly fun to watch. Thank you very much for the entertainment and the short bursts of education on classic car history that come with it. 😊
I had the same car, but in ice green registered in 1984. Loved it and it was very reliable. Sold it at around 60k miles. I loved the engine and performance. I replaced it with a Jaguar XJ6 which was just as fast in a straight line, roomier and used less fuel 😭
I'm gonna track one down and buy it after watching this. I understand why they're so cheap, it's not really the engine, it's everything else about the car, the recirc steering and the live rear axle. From what I've read and heard, with knowledgable care and maintenance, these can run just fine for many many miles.
I had a little known rotary, a Mazda RX3. It was a smallish 2-door "sports coupe". The best part was the engine - many happy hours chasing the revs up to the tachometer chime. It showed heels to many who passed it off as a little Japanese econo-box. I sold it on before anything catastrophic happened to the engine. Great little car.
Had a '77 RX-3SP. Exact experiences as yours. A cheap little tin can of a car, but lots of fun and quick for its day. My engine was toast at 92K miles, and I couldn't afford to replace or rebuild it. Sold the car for $200 in '85. Saw it again a year or two later on the road. New engine, I wondered?
- the chassis on those first gen RX-7's was a reworked version of what underpinned the Mazda 808/818/Mizer & RX-3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Savanna
Had an 84 in the 90’s…lovely car, so smooth and quick. Regularly did a London to Brighton run at a speed that would have cost me my license today.
Lovely looking car, and what a beautiful interior, colour included. £15,000? If I didn't live 10,000-miles away, I'd snap it up.
They are
1. Hand grenades period
2. Bland sound
3. Gas guzzlers
4. Like dating a supermodel who would leave you without warning
5. Expensive to own
And they were addictive when they were running.
Having owned two 3d gens (FD)
Two 2d gens and 1 first gens, I finally gave up. 😂
Well, that's a dedication to rotary if I've ever seen one! What do you drive now?
@@Agu_Ra BMW Z3 3.0, Subaru BRZ and a Jeep Rubicon. None are as fast or sexy as the FDs were but they start every time and get me wherever I want to go.
@@48920jeff FD is a stunning car for sure, but Z3 and BRZ are solid choices as well
@@Agu_Ra Thanks. I like both very much.
I’ve owned 6 first gen RX7’s. 2 road going track cars and one dedicated race car. All on second hand motors. Never had an engine failure and always sold the motors after upgrading to a second hand more powerful unit for more than I paid for them.
i had one of these 30 yrs ago. i paid the equivalent of 25 quid for it as my mate just bought it to get him around while his van was being painted and didn't want it after. it had just had a an engine rebuild and was a fantastic car to drive...wish i still had it!
I was in Spa last weekend and there was an RX7 going hard through the hilly bends and streets. However, it smoked almost like a two stroke.
Cheers from Belgium.
Even Suzuki attempted a bike with a rotary engine, the RE5.
To hear and see you describe the seats makes me want the car only already for that. It seems like an airy, roomy, comfortable and relaxing space to be when driving such a car. Especially with that sunroof.
Completely agree on the FB being the gem of the range, and I have an FD. The problem with the FD is that it's just too fast for normal roads. It's very buttoned down and serious and not very playful. There's also a lag to the throttle that never fully goes away because of the turbocharging. A lighter smaller high-revving NA FB is a more delicate experience.
I was working in a garage and happened to see a carby off an RX3 and that said it all. Tiny little primaries and two huge secondary barrels. and that smooth rev into tomorrow engine, wow. My brother had 7 and it was great. they really come alive in 3rd gear.
My favorite model, love the SLE wheels!!! Love the og RX7 body, such a cool looking car!
Owners of the RO80 raised fingers when passing each other. It was the number of engine swaps they had.
🤣🤣🤣
That’s an urban myth!
@@djphilmanns not really. They did. Of course as a joke.
@@asphalthedgehog6580 There was an article about this. In the Ro80 Club International where there are elderly members that bought / owned Ro80’s back when they were current. None of whom recall the finger waving myth. It’s that, just a myth which continues to be spread to this day by people in an attempt to appear knowledgeable.
@@djphilmanns: unfortunately you can't educate people out of disinformation and their own stupidity these days, 'cos antisocial media, etc.
Had one for a few days. A mate of mine used to service my Alfa 166 and once he gave me his RX7 while he was sorting the Alfa. Very nice, sweet engine, sorted chassis. Only thing wrong was the steering - vague and needed constant correction. Still, decent (and interesting) enough.
Was literally looking at this on Ebay last night! Knew instantly from the reg in the thumbnail haha!
I bought a 1983 Rx7 in 1990 and owned it for the next 14 years, beautiful car, enjoyable drive and in my opinion not too bad at all on fuel. I loved it.
Only Rotary car I rode in was a Mazda RX2 saloon. The lady owner already had engine sorted under warranty,, this was 1978. Wonderful turbine smoothness. Up to 60 mph still did 30 mpg , which was about the same for many saloons of the era, but above that it drank fuel in a crazy fashion. Virtually silent at low speeds.
I love these just for the fact thet threy're something different.
Who cares if they're not objectively the very best at this or that that some nerd thinks is very important?
My wife had a 72 RX2 rotary. Was a great car. Had to add oil once in a while due to the seal lubrication and change oil regularly. Used to dump on Porsches all the time.
My Mum had one , a 1976 RX2 in Olive green with a brown interior .
The thing was super fast …but I do remember her bitching about the fuel costs . 😀😀.
We got rid of it in 1989 , when she bought a Mitsubishi Tredia 1.8 SLX ( I know ….don’t even go there 😀😀)
I like an engine that chases the redline.
I had an M54 2.2i in a BMW 320i and it was a sweet engine that seemed to build power at least to about 6250rpm.
I'm now in an old Z4 2.5si with the N52 si engine and it has the low down torque but builds power right to 7000rpm.
Feels like a proper sportscar engine.
These were massively popular back in the day here in Australia, Jack. Well loved by owners and the local motoring press it was a sad day when the RX-7 was no longer sold
My family had an '85 GSL-SE with the 135 hp 13B and a '90 GSL (mk2, non-turbo), which I owned for a while.
The first gen was more fun to drive. It's lighter and is one of the few cars I've driven that smoothly oversteers by default; you steer it as much with feet as hands near the limit. Just a joy of a car to drive and the buzzer at 7K brought back some happy teenaged memories!
The second gen was heavier, more powerful and more sophisticated (mine with an 8K redline). All independent suspension; Mazda was taking aim at the Porsche 944 and while it made the car faster and far more buttoned down it wasn't as fun to drive. The apex seals also failed just out of warranty, but I think it was an assembly issue as the car struggled to idle smoothly from new.
In North America, a clean GSL-SE is a forgotten used car, but i still think it would be a great affordable classic as long as you have a good rotary guy.
My earliest oversteer lessons were also in the first-gen RX-7. The watts-link rear end is amazing for progressive breakaway, similar to the Alfa Romeo Milano/GTV6.
I had a couple of 1982's and they were the most fun cars to drive that I've ever owned incredible handling. If you ever lost control, all you had to do was push the collection and let it back out and you would have it right back. It was like driving a go cart. I miss it a lot, but I don't miss having to add. A quart of oil every time I filled the tank!
They didn’t remove the oil injection onto the engine on the RX-8. Just reduced it and changed where and how it was injected onto the apex seals. Still, the issue there was not enough lubrication.
Came here to say just that. I had my injection rates increased when I bought my 8. Along with some premix!
They addressed this in the Series 2 (R3) RX-8 by increasing the Oil pressure and re-introducing the 3rd injector per rotor (towards centre of Apex Seal)...
My first car EVER! 1980 RX7, in red of course, even had the sunroof! Until the engine locked up 💔 and no mechanic would even look at it, lol, this video took me down memory lane, thank you. 🍺
Love a rotary, I had two RX3s back in the early seventies that I adored as a boy racer but come P/X time for another car you couldn't give them away.
The key to long life of the rotary engine is regular maintenance and warming up the engine before driving it enthusiastically as Number 27 said, yes it liked a drink and also spark plugs mis firing were an annoying issue when revving hard, no rev limiter or warning buzzer on the RX3s and if not careful doing a U turn in wet conditions it would spin the wheels with the rev counter going off scale, then there was the noise.
In later years I restored two Suzuki RE5s rotary engine motorcycles to show condition, one of each model, no engine problems there in fact they were quite reliable, regular maintenance is mandatory, neglect is a killer.
Opening up the exhaust with headers and 2.5 inch straight through system will make them so very exciting to listen to
Brilliant. ❤. Rexy! I had one not long ago (AGU 27-) and loved it. Not a lot of money and mega fun, non turboed SA is a solid engine. The key on all rotaries is to use mineral oil and not synthetic (which causes apex to stick). Thanks Jack!
Ah yes - i remember the buzzer. First time it happened i thought someone was beeping their horn at me 😂. Fantastic car
I used to service these in period - 1982 - I think hey cost £9.5K about the same as a Porsche 924 - I think the styling still looks good - thanks Jack for great content
Wow, I'm so glad you're doing on of these 1st gen RX7s.
In 2007 I traded in my Volvo 740 Estate on a lightblue 81 (first facelift) one with the triangular rotary alloy wheels, not the classy semi chrome ones on this one.
To me it was one my alltime favourites for a multitude of reasons:
- it handled beautifully, the weight distribution and suspension setup really is near perfectly engineered, I totally agree on that.
- the sound is brilliantly linear indeed, people either love it or hate it. I loved those angry bees in the front.
- surprisingly enough it was supremely comfortable on bumps, almost like a Citroën (sorry, my opinion). It did seem to fly over all the Dutch bumps with no worries.
- shifting through the gears is ever a joy, never had one to do that better, only an MX5 comes close (again sorry, my opinion).
- it could do standing burnouts when requested, even with only 105 or 115 horsepower (yes, at times I can be a hooligan too, sue me 🤷🏼♂)
- yes it does use a lot of petrol, especially on short trips, I rarely got more than 14 mpg. Long distance travelling however got me over 30 mpg at 70 mph.
- yes it does use more oil, but who cares? I always used Comma mineral oil on these ones, the engine likes it and even smells nice (not oily at all, just nice) and I added some twostroke oil to every fillup as well to ensure good lubrication.
Apart from a new battery and rear brake refurbishing it was super reliable.
The only real drawback for me was getting in that stupidly low thing, I always hit my head, me being tall and all. 🤦🏼♂
Getting out was easy though, I just rolled myself out. 😆
Happy memories
an old friend had an identical one of these. really lovely car. drove and felt like being in something upmarket.
Such a lovely delicate looking little thing. In the ‘90’s my step mom had a top spec 85 GSLSE. All brown inside and out with leather seats. Nice little car. The 2nd generation will always be my favorite. Much more modern and grown up looking. I got to borrow my mom’s roommate’s brand new 87 automatic for a day. I was 17 and I throughly enjoyed that car.
Still one of the prettiest cars ever made.
My step mom traded her 240Z for a 1st gen RX 7. I scoffed because I was all about the big V8 muscle cars. One day while searching for something different for a daily driver I came across a used GSL-SE and decided to test it. I LOVED it. It was my daily driver until a lady hit it in a grocery store parking lot. That was 35 years ago and I still miss the way it revved, the way it shifted, the way it could be tossed around...once I swapped the factory 70's series tires for some sticky 60's!!!
A good aftermarket exhaust system will do wonders for the sound of the rotary engine in this RX-7. One issue you didn't discuss is that it can be very difficult to find a mechanic who is willing & able to work on rotary engines, a lot of workshops just don't want to touch them.
Though they appear a very simply structured engine. I've watched Rob Dahm on TH-cam strip and rebuild rotaries in a very short time.
@gazzafloss It appears a lot of mechanics don't want to touch these simply due to being unfamiliar with them. In reality, rotaries would be no more difficult to work on than a conventional engine.
@@gazzafloss They are indeed very simple. Basically you strip all the ancilliarys off, tip it on end, undo the bolts that hold the housings together and you lift off the layers one after another. Bit trickier putting it back together as you have to hold the seals in place when you lower a rotor housing into place but string works a treat. I know its a bit more involved than that but that's it in a nutshell.
Many comments saying the Rev warning limit buzzer is annoying. Erm, well yes, its purpose is to warn of over revving, not as a guide for when to change gear!
But you're supposed to redline this engine? (All properly designed engines even of the 4-stroke piston type should cope with the factory-designated redline/rev limiter, which has presumably been set within the capabilities of the oiling system, conrods and valvetrain -- obviously the rotary having far fewer moving parts by comparison, so there's less stresses on it than a typical 4-stroke engine.)
(E.g., the Honda S2000 with its 9150rpm rev limiter (IIRC) has valvesprings that don't float until ~9500rpm, and the early K20 engines even with their lower 8600rpm rev limiter have exactly the same valve springs too, so there's no risk of valve float in that engine either. The oil pump and conrods are obviously designed to support the rpm where the factory rev limiter is set.)
The Suzuki RE5 single-rotor bike only revs to 7000rpm which is kind of strangely low though, but 4-stroke piston motorcycle engines with their smaller components than car engines obviously routinely have rev limiters of 12, 13, 14k rpm -- even 19k rpm on the Honda CBR250RR 250cc inline-four.
Nice car Jack, I've been waiting for you to get a rotary to review. IMO the Mk1 RX7's are the prettiest of the RX7's. I owned an RX2 back in the 80's and used to hillclimb it. Those engines just love to rev. No torque so you never get any power surge, just a clean linear rev out to where ever you changed gear. I now own a 2012 RX8 Spirit R, one of the last RX8's. It's only got 21,000km on it. Mazda fixed the problems with the Renesis engines in the series 2 RX8's and provided you look after them they are as reliable as any other engine. Warming them up and warming them down is especially important. A rotary engine is a sandwich - cast iron, alloy, cast iron, alloy, cast iron - and as the two metals expand at different rates you have to warm them up before thrashing them. Same with warming down. Don't switch off immediately after a high rev run, let it idle for a few minutes. The red line is 9,000 (cut out at 9,200) in my RX8 and it will rev out happily to the red line in every gear (up to 5th so far).
I have a 62k mile metallic-blue over black-velour 1980 RX7 that my father bought new from the Mazda dealer in Burbank CA. My father had earlier purchased a 1978 RX7, red over brown vinyl. 1978 was the first year the car was available in the USA and they were all the rage at the time--dealer markups etc. He had to go from his home in the lower Hudson Valley (NY) to a dealer in Burlington VT to get the car. It had a 4-speed and revved high at cruising speeds. (For '79 all RX7s got a 5spd). I don't recall what happened to the 78, but by 1983 it had been replaced by a much-fancier black over black leather GSL. Regrettably, I wrecked that car in high school. It was then replaced by a Corvette, which was a much faster and more serious sports car, thus ending my father's dalliance with RX7s. I am glad to still have the California car and will never sell it. It appears few first gens have survived. Every once in a while I see another one at cars n coffee, but they are surprisingly rare nowadays for a car that was once ubiquitous. PS: I think the secret to rotary engine longevity is to use it regularly. You do not have to redline it; just running it up to operating temperature will adequately lubricate the apex seals.
This car is in excellent condition. They didn't like sun and the interiors would rot out from sun exposure.
Braaap braaap braaap!!! Love the series 1s: so pure, clean and lithe!
I was fortunate to manage parts and service departments.
The new RX7 had just come out, so we had to take one out to street race in Philly...(yea, insanely stupid racing hard in a car that you don't own....) and it was the toast of the town.....kicking some very serious butt.
On monday, we replaced the clutch kit.....the RXs launched best with a 6000rpm stepoff....tough on the clutch disc!...but we replaced it under warranty....
What a marvelous car, and quite reliable!
If you want a rotary that sounds wicked, I recommend finding one with a peripheral port. When I was a kid, they were surprisingly common in RX3s and RX4s, and sounded like a large capacity 2-stroke bike, but with a lumpy idle like a V8 with a huge cam.
Peripheral porting was the 'classic' rotary engine hot-up, however it certainly didn't improve emissions or fuel consumption.
A Great trip down memory lane my father had a NSU RO80 in the mid 70's after years of Jaguars thinking it was the future a bit like EV today he didn't keep it long.
Later he bought an RX7 in 81 brand new and I loved that little car and definitely the pick of the 3 I reckon just for the velour and the buzzer.
Absolutely loved my C reg, ie same vintage as your test. Ran it for 9 years @ consistent 25 mpg in mixed commuting and distance driving! 1 engine rebuild in that time by Eamon(?) Hurley, who used to drag race an awesome RO80 engined bike. Perhaps my engine lived because I shifted at the right point, rather than waiting for the beep - when you're past peak shift torque?
Small correction: the 1964 NSU Spider was the first Wankel engined production car. Not the RO80
Yes, but the Ro80 was the first twin-rotor production car, rather than the single-rotor Spider. And even that is disputed as the Mazda Cosmo 110 was launched almost simultaneously with the Ro80.
I learned quite a bit from your review. Thank you.
The RX8 still had an oil metering pump system. It has 2 injectors per rotor in the series 1 and for the last R3 model they added a third.
The mk3 RX7 has always been on my list of cars id own If money was no object, I just love the looks of the car! I've driven an RX8 and I didn't like it at all so gutless I thought. Cracking stuff as always Jack buddy 👍
Need to try an RX8 dude.. not done one yet!!
@@Number27 would be interesting to see what you think.....I found it very disappointing.
I bought a JDM FD in 2018 for a pretty penny (for me anyway) as it was my dream car and had to own one once. I did enjoy it, but it was constant anxiety, even if it was perfectly reliable (other than never boosting properly) for 4 years. Went back to a JDM MX-5.
It's funny because a year after I got mine, a friend got an FB like in video, but it was pulled out of a barn and cost him less than £500. A few months later it was on the road, and I still cannot decide which one I prefer. That says a lot! The engine without the turbos and eveything else strapped to it is absolutely dreamy imo. An MX-5 steering rack would be nice on one
Nice to chat to you on Sunday at Goodwood, another great video today
The Mark I RX7 won three Australian Endurance Championships (1982, 1983 & 1984) and the Australian Touring Car Championship in 1983. Came second in the 1983 Bathurst 1000 and 3rd in the 1984 Bathurst 1000. So some real on track pedigree and when fitted with the Group C Bodykit they are a very dramatic looking car.
Fascinating insight into the rotary engine. A bit pricy for my bucket list though.
I've owned six of these 1st-gen RX7s. All of them were the series 2 and series 3 model years ('81 through '85) and had the 12A engine (only 101 hp in North America) with the GSL option package. Observed real-world fuel economy averaged around 22 miles per imperial gallon (around 20 miles per US gallon. Best observed fuel economy was at constant highways speeds of around 100 kms/hr - where I reached 27 mpg. Even at an average of 120 kms/hr I could still get 24 mpg, but in city driving with revs winding out between shifts I only got around 17 mpg.