NOOB Alert: Seeking help from rotary community...

[masticatingcow]

Hey everyone,

Longtime lurker, new post here...

I have read through the FAQs on this site regarding the FC3S, and still have a general question. Keep in mind that I am new to the rotary engine, so...

A friend of mine is selling his 86 FC for $400. The immediate question is "what's wrong with it?" Well, for starters, the rear body panel behind the driver is pretty badly dented. However, it's purely cosmetic; both the rear axle and frame are straight. Secondly, the high beams do not work. If you play with the switch long enough, then yes, they come on, but the dash lights go out. The driver's door doesn't match the body color, one of the rims is bent (still drivable) and I think there is an exhaust leak. The car has 130,000 miles on it and still runs pretty well. In fact, a lot of the "problems" I thought it had (like high-RPM starts) turned out to be normal RX-7 behavior. So, assuming he is able to pass CA smog this month, I want to buy it.

This will not be my daily driver; I have a 240sx for that. But as a project car, is it worth it? How steep is the learning curve considering the rotary engine and, let's face it, the significantly more sophisticated electronics equipment, from my Nissan?