Discussion
It obviously depends on the state of tune but standard ones should last a lot longer than 30,000 miles. In fact, 60,000 is the number often quoted for the average life of the apex seals which might explain the autotrader ads 
You probably know already but there's lots of info and advice available on the forums at www.mazdarotaryclub.com and http://fduk.org/
You probably know already but there's lots of info and advice available on the forums at www.mazdarotaryclub.com and http://fduk.org/
Like trooper says, it's not too expensive and a basic rebuild from a rotary specialist should be about £2500 although quite a few people take the opportunity to introduce some mods whilst the engine is out (porting, fuel system, single turbo, etc) so it can get wallet busting if you aren't careful 
A rebuild will often be done with a 12 month warranty so if you factor in this cost and opt to buy a cheap rx-7 then you have all bases covered. Alternatively, you could go for an older car that has already had a rebuild done from somewhere like www.jimmys-rx7.co.uk who comes highly recommended.
I opted to go for a newer car with very low miles as the post MY99 cars had quite a lot of engineering changes made to them which ironed out some of the earlier niggles such as cooling. Check out www.rx7.net.nz/fd-jp-models.html for details.
Saying that, it now looks like getting a post MY1997 car from Japan is going to be next to impossible following the government closing the loophole on April 1st
A rebuild will often be done with a 12 month warranty so if you factor in this cost and opt to buy a cheap rx-7 then you have all bases covered. Alternatively, you could go for an older car that has already had a rebuild done from somewhere like www.jimmys-rx7.co.uk who comes highly recommended.
I opted to go for a newer car with very low miles as the post MY99 cars had quite a lot of engineering changes made to them which ironed out some of the earlier niggles such as cooling. Check out www.rx7.net.nz/fd-jp-models.html for details.
Saying that, it now looks like getting a post MY1997 car from Japan is going to be next to impossible following the government closing the loophole on April 1st
I've got an RX-7 so I did a fair bit of research before committing. To be honest there's a lot of outdated opinions and old wive's tales when it comes to rotaries. The old NSU has a lot to answer for that. A modern rotary is perfectly reliable as long as it's serviced properly, and the oil is changed and checked regularly. Some need rebuilds at around 60k but there are others that last twice that and more. I'd say, if you're at all worried about having to fork out for a rebuild, get one that's just had one done. As mentioned above, it'll usually come with a 12 month warranty for peace of mind.
Don't be put off by the scare stories. Rotaries are tiny, light, smooth and very powerful (more than 200bhp per litre in the RX-7).
Don't be put off by the scare stories. Rotaries are tiny, light, smooth and very powerful (more than 200bhp per litre in the RX-7).
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