Used car dilemma - help!

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, this girl at work has been parking her spouse’s BEAUTIFUL black 1993 RX-7 in my parking lot at work. Yesterday, I noticed the “for sale” sign in the front window. I am totally torn, so I’ll give you all the facts I know. Please tell me – do you think it would be a bad idea to buy this car?

First, I do not need a new-to-me car. I drive a 1995 Honda del Sol, which runs perfectly, looks cute, never breaks down and, of course, I love my car. It’s been paid off for almost 2 years, so I do not have a car payment. And my insurance is dirt cheap, since it’s classified like a Honda Civic. My car has 63,000 miles on it, dual airbags, AM/FM Cassette (no CD), A/C, and power everything. Oh yeah, for the car lovers: only about 130 horsepower; this is the Si model, not the VTEC.

The RX-7 has 49,000 miles on it. The owner just told me that her hubby isn’t sure he wants to sell, so he’s taking offers. If he gets the right offer, he’ll sell. She also told me that he just put a new engine in it, new exhaust and some other things. It’s a twin turbo, rotary engine, about 255 horsepower, jet black with tan leather interior, complete with ABS (note: my car does not have ABS), dual airbags, power everything and a moon roof.

A quick search through Kelly’s and Edmunds reveals that I can probably sell my car for somewhere between $8K and $10K . Even though the Honda blue books at about $6K, they don’t make 'em anymore and people are paying as much as stated for the rare little birds. Same sites said the RX-7 retails for as much as $27K, but people are paying each other somewhere in the neighborhood of $12K.

I went out and closely inspected the Mazda. It’s been painted – you can see the chips and scratches. It could have been wrecked. I’m also concerned they had to drop in a new engine in a car with less than 50K miles. Sounds fishy to me.

But it’s SUCH a pretty car. This is purely an emotional decision. It’s clear to me that it wouldn’t necessarily be a sound financial decision. Tell me what you think: bad idea? How about RX-7 owners and former owners? Do the Mazdas hold up as well as the Hondas? Will I find myself spending twice as much on maintenance? The gas mileage is probably poor, compared to my Honda, and I’m sure the insurance will jack up, if not double. I can afford all that, so it’s not the primary consideration.

I have not test-driven it yet, because I’m afraid I’ll fall in love and make a stupid decision because I might look really cool in the Mazda.

Feedback please! What would you do?

2

New engine? Might have been wrecked?

Nope - bad idea. I’d have nothing to do with it. Sounds like the car you own is a keeper.

3

come on, *it’s paid for *

Just keep your little doggy running. Put all that money you would have blown on payments and insuraance in the bank. 5 years from now, buy your dream car with cash.

4

I’d treat that car like a sore penis…it’s best if you don’t f*ck with it.

5

Only if you think the guy at the Mazda shop is cute. Those rotary engines go zoom, zip, roar, and grrrrrind, in that order, within about 50K to 70K miles.

Keep the Del Sol. If you’re a person of any magnitude you’ll feel claustrophobic in the RX-7, even with the moonroof.

Keep the Del Sol. It’s got a zippy little engine, a no-quit tranny, and super gas mileage. The water pump is even easy to replace.

Keep the Del Sol. You can be sure that the insurance company will not classify the RX-7 as anything but a sports car. My old insurance company actually had a 200% sports-car surcharge.

6

Great advice everyone! I knew if I appealed to the Doper masses, you’d all talk me out of a bad decision. I just checked with my insurance company: the insurance would not quite double, but will go up $30 a month.

I am tiny, so I like the tiny cars. The del Sol is just fine, needs no repairs, just a little body work. Maybe I’ll have it painted and keep it going for another 5 years.

All of your advice has just saved the downpayment on a house that I’m about to save up.

THANK YOU!

So … it’s true: those rotary engines tear up pretty fast?

7

well, the current owner has already had to replace it once…

8

Mazda’s in general hold up pretty well, as do most other Japanese cars.

The Rotary engines have been known to start burning oil faster than their piston cousins, otherwise they are pretty strong.

As for the engine being replaced, I would simply ask them why. Even for a Turbo engine, thats quite early. How old are these people? Are they of the “age” that the car was abused and or raced? If you are the slightest bit unsure, stay away.

If you have your heart set on it, get it profesionally inspected. If they won’t allow you to, take a hike. They’re probably hiding something.

All of that being said, I like them. The sequential turbo setup is very nice in that car… and you’re right, they’re pretty stylish. However, if you like that style I would personally take a 90+ Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo over one of those. It won car of the year for something like years straight while being more or less unchanged.

9

Sorry, folks, but it’s all over now. Didn’t mean to alarm anyone.

First, yes, the owners are of an age to have raced the thing, legally or not. She told me they’d been doing 140 on I-10 the other day. Just bragging or not, that makes me nervous. Clearly, they basically burned their first engine out. And I don’t know if they’re the first owners or not. Given her salary, I somehow doubt it.

But here’s what clinched it:

I left work and went to Target to pick up some mulch. I bought six bags – about 40 pounds each. Then I went to the grocery store for my Turkey Day supplies. On the way home, I said to myself, “Self. Can you fit six bags of mulch and eight bags of groceries in an RX-7? Hell, no.” I am constantly reminded how impressive the trunk space truly is in my del Sol (who needs a backseat?). After that, I whistled headed home, because I knew I would be keeping my car. Screw the pretty Mazda. I can’t travel in it and I can’t garden with it.