Thought I should say hi.

[gaz1977]

Hi.

I am considering restoring a 1985 model that I have found in a barn near my house in Suffolk. The car was parked up in 1992 and has not turned a wheel since. There was nothing wrong with it when it was put into storage and seems remarkably rust free (apart from the bottom of the wind screen, but that looks saveable.)

Its a silver car with red cloth interior and has only covered 40,000 miles.

The problem is i know nothing about the RX7 what so ever.

Not even sure what to pay for it. Any Ideas?

Gaz

[codge]

Hi Gaz,

Check very carefully for body rust against the buying guides on here.
Then maybe we can have a better guess at value. You need to ponder why it was laid up.....engine or body, there'll be a reason.
Unusual for as little time as 7 years resulting in the reinforcing plates in the back wheel arch starting to fail but needs checking out.


Codge

[ian65]

Hi Gaz,
welcome to the forum
If the car is solid bodywise, then it's worth saving but don't under estimate the amount of work required to recommission it...... I've got exactly the same thing..... a 1984 silver RX7 with the red interior and it's been stored since 1992...... just a an indication, I've had to replace:
Clutch
Clutch master cylinder
Clutch slave cylinder
All rubber flexible hydraulic lines
Brake master cylinder
Rebuilt all brake calipers
Skimmed brake discs
Full service
New tyres all round
Cooling system overhaul
Refurbished suspension
New wipers
Refurbished fuel system inc all lines, fuel pump, fuel tank, carb
Etc., Etc., Etc....

My thread detailing what I've done so far is here...

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=268

As Dave says, it's very seldom someone sticks a 7 year old car way and leaves it there if there's nothing wrong with it...... it could be a blown engine which was serious £££££ back in 1992, certainly enough to take it off the road......... these days you can pick up a second hand engine for £100 to get you on the road..... but they were big money back in 1992.
A big plus in the cars favour is that the bodywork won't have been subjected to the last 27 British winters and salt laden roads so it should be, as you say, relatively rust free, which is a very rare thing in one of these cars these days.
What's it worth.... well, I was given mine for free but the money to recommission it will be quite a bit. I personally wouldn't pay more than £300 - £400 for it.... depending upon condition.

[gaz1977]

Thanks for the advice. I am not expecting it to be a quick job.
I have known the owner for several years. Apparantly her kids were getting older and she needed a bigger car.
She could not bring herself to sell it and didn't need the money so just parked it up I the barn with the idea of using it at weekends etc, but never did. I have seen the car running a few weeks back and it sounds sweet.i have not idea at this time if the brakes are seized or not. ( I expect they are).
I had a fairly good look around the car this morning and all the common rust areas seem fine apart from below the windscreen where there is a few rust bubbles. The interior once cleaned will be mint as you would expect from a car that
Has covered 40k.

Once I am hopefully the owner I will post some pics up on here.

Wish me luck.

Gaz.

[spoddy]

hello mate

well i have been in that position myself, with a 'Project' fb lying in a garage, off road and walking away wondering should i, could i bring it back to its former glory and drive off into the sunset or am i better walking away and buying one MOT'd and on the road for the £2000-£4000 its advertised for.

my advice would be to really listen to the guys on here as they know their stuff and have been through the whole restoration process and can give you the SP on what to look for and expect. As Ian says engines can be picked up, its really the condition of the bodywork, the rusty areas which as hidden, ie under the rear seat, the sway bar plates in the rear wheel arch area, all explained in the buying guide on this web site.

read that and check out the areas and see how they compare. the engine will need done up or replaced and like any car lying about, seized components such as brakes, clutches, etc will need replacing, so you'll have to budget for all of that and then someone to do the work.

i have been advised to spend the money, which you will end up spending fixing one up anyway and buying one that is on the road. the problem is the selection available. there are a few nice examples advertised on ebay and other sites so go compare as the insurance ad says and have a think about it all and don't rush in.

but plenty of folk on here to help with your queries and can better advise you from their experiences.

welcome to the site

[ian65]

if you know the owner and also therefore the history of the car as you do, then that's half the battle...... it sounds very promising Gaz.... keep us posted!

[myatt1972]

Welcome Gaz,
Sounds like you may have dropped on a nice barn find, hope it works out for you.
Good luck

[gaz1977]

We had another look at the car today. (handy when a barn find is only 50 yards from your back door)

We pumped the tyres up and jacked it up to see if the wheels would spin, and they did.

None of the brakes are seized and they all work as they should

The Handbrakes fine.

The Clutch feels ok.

But most of all the underside is perfectly solid.

I have had a good look at some peoples projects on here and it has given me a far better idea of what to look for.

Thanks Everyone.

Gaz

[Lucky]

Come on, put us out of our misery

[ian65]

Come on, put us out of our misery

I'm sure he will when/if he actually does a deal for it and owns it.