The RX-7 has quite a following in the US and around the world, with many web sites devoted to both individual owner's cars and to maintenance, modification, racing and other lore. And someday I'll have some links here to some of those sites. For now, here are some illustrated descriptions of work I've done or had done.
I bought this car from the original owner in December of 2000. I found it in Florida on classifieds2000.com, and made the deal, arranged payment and shipment to California without ever actually seeing the car. This worked out as well as it did because the previous owner, Joe Bourne, is an honest and forthright guy.
I wish I could say the same for the transport company, A AAA Best Choice Car Carriers, Inc. I chose them because they were based near to where the car was to be picked up and, as a result, they picked up in the area twice a week. Unfortunately, during the trip a small dent was made in the car's right rear quarter panel. Best Choice accepted responsibility for the damage, but incredibly, expected me to pay their $250 insurance deductable. Take a moment to re-read the last sentance. Imagine that you took your car to a local repair shop and it was damaged while in their posession. What would you if the shop expected you to pay $250 toward the repair costs?
I'd sue 'em, too, but the logistics of making a court claim against a company at the other end of the country make it difficult to do the right thing. Given that I would have to make two trips to FL (at least $200 each) and then hope the judge would award travel costs AND hope that Best Choice would actually pay any judgement, I sadly decided that principle wasn't worth it.
I did, however, post to as many mailing lists and newsgroups as I could find about my experience. With any luck my cautionary tale has cost them at least one customer, so I'm contenting myself with that as revenge.
OK. I feel better now. The car, dent now repaired, is fabulous. I had 18744 miles on it when it arrived, and had obviously been as well cared for as Joe claimed. The interior and exterior are immaculate, and even under the hood the car looks new. The car even had the original tires and battery, although they were getting long in the tooth (the battery died a couple of weeks after the car arrived, and I replaced the tires in mid-March '01).
Although red wasn't my first choice for a color, when you're dealing with a pool of fewer than 850 cars (combined '94 and '95 production with manual transmissions and without sunroofs) you don't pass up a great car because it isn't your favorite color. I've come to appreciate the color more in the time I've owned the car; it certainly is eye-catching.
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