What does Veeky Forums think about the rx-7 fd? Is it worth buying one?

How would I deal with the heat problems? Will I not have to make many modifications if I dont push the car often? Still looking into the rx7 but im leaning towards a g35/37 because of all the horror stories.

Dumb car for dumber people

How so?

If you don't want to service the car regularly, don't buy an FD. you have to redline rotaries daily as well as make sure the engine is in good condition at all times. Warm up, cool down, etc.

If you can deal, want to work and learn about rotaries, and like lightweight sportscars, then go ahead.

As for mods, an intercooler and exhaust removes most of the heat issues. look into premixing your oil. that sort of thing will increase longevity.

Something will always be wrong with it.

Unless you are stupid reckless you will never have fun with it on the street. Blasting down a touge in speeds that feel redic in a S14 or Miata feel slow and boring.

> guy who owned one and is very good friends with a guy who has three.

Can you suggest any good alternatives? Other than the 240 and miata you mentioned. Maybe an s2k?

The s2k is a great car. Would recommend.

E36M3 if you need the car to be good at everything, maintenance will cost you though. E46 ZHP if you want something a little newer and safer.

S2K if you want a less practical but better built car that you wear.

JZ80 supra if you don't mind some heft and want more of the GT experience.

FRS/BRZ

In b4 trolls, I trust Vorschlag's opinion on the car over any of the idiots on Veeky Forums. Nothing but pure praise for them. And they're depreciating hard enough they're already in the $15-18k range.

vorshlag.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8145

>Honestly the "86 twins" are cars that people should also look at if they want to have fun on track or autocross. Yes, even versus the Focus RS. That seems crazy - it has 150 less hp and 2 fewer drive wheels - but this comparison can be made simply because the chassis is so much lighter. It has a decent suspension setup, lower center of gravity, decent RWD Torsen differential (no robots, computers, or NASA scientists needed) and again... it is 670 pounds lighter than an RS.

Its not even maintenance on E36 M3s. Its just replacing 20 years worth of worn out shit in a car that wasn't made to last more than 15 years ("environmentally friendly/biodegradable" adhesives/glues/plastics thanks to the Green Party of the 1990s).

Good cars, but most are clapped out and the ones that are in mint shape are a few grand away from a decent AP1 S2K. And the clapped out ones will have you putting in enough money to make up the difference from buying a nicer one.

I'd look at a RX-8. At least in America they're dirt cheap. Buy a cheap one as a second car and have enough left over for a used clean 2nd Gen Prius as a commuter.

S2K = RX8 = E36 M3 = FRS/BRZ in terms of overall performance and even driving experience, imo. You can't go wrong with owning any of them. It just comes down to preference.

Thanks guys ill start seriously looking into s2k's. I like the idea of working on my car but I think getting an fd might be more than I can handle right now.

For me the rx8 is just repulsing. Ive driven a friends brz and it was nice but not for me. s2k seems the way to go at this point.

I dunno why people take a massive shit on the BRZ/86. Stock it's supposed to be a fun car at the speed limit. It feels fast all the time.

If you mod it appropriately you can easily have a monster of a car with 300whp and loads of grip. Toyota just deliberately hamstrung it because the whole idea was to have something about as fast as an AE86 and was as fun as one.

FD a shit.

>if you don't mid some heft

Oh fuck off.

>having shit taste
I bet you like Asuka as well, fag

Like what?

Not OP. How do FCs fair?
There's a few around here for $2k-$5k, and one in particular that I'm looking at. GXL trim for $3.5k that needs a front coolant leak fixed, as well as a new cluster.
>Inb4 that's cheap as fuck
I'm a poor as fuck sag and would need a loan to get it, but could have said loan paid off within a year.

Is it manual, and is pic related?

FC owner here for 7 years

Do not take out a loan to buy a $2K-$5K toy.

Do NOT use an FC as your daily driver

They're wonderful hobby cars - they're fun, they handle really well, and they're easy to make power with provided you're willing to fore go a bit *more* of the reliability (which you ought to be if you're considering a rotary, since that's the fun of them)

If you're poor, you probably shouldn't get a rotary. Think about a foxbody Mustang or something else domestic and somewhat reliable.

Yes to both.
>167k miles, with a rebuild 30k ago
>Completely stock everything

>manual FC in that condition
>$3,500

Holy Jebus, I'll buy it *for* you if it means I get to drive it. And also assuming you supply the money.

>California

Here lies my hopes and dreams

Okay, poor, but more so because I' a bit frivolous with my spending. If I stopped with all my shit, and seriously considered my finances, I could pay it off in 4 months.
As for more maintenance, I'd rather like that. All I have right now is 2 motorcycles, and neither of them really need much maintaining of anything.
I know of a few rotary problems like I can't just start it up, move it, and turn it off. But what else would make it a terrible DD?

Well, that's quite convincing.

I know, believe me, I know. I'd like to move eventually.

No, don't encourage this. He's taking out a loan to buy an FC, that's a bad idea.

I got mine for $1900 in 2009 and it was in comparable shape, that's not an amazing deal.

Wait, why does the car need a new cluster? How do you know the mileage is 167K? It's really very common for people to lie about having had the engines rebuilt. I fell for it myself on mine - fake receipt from a shop in another state.

Also, it's funny how the term "rebuild" takes on a LOT of leeway in terms of meaning when one's putting up a for sale ad. Were the seals replaced? New housings? New rotors? Orrrr did some guy just replace the vacuum lines in his backyard?

FC's are moneypits and timesinks. You're poor, you haven't got money to spare, and you shouldn't have much time to spare since you ought to be working.

Wait a couple years, it'll be worth it. Nothing worse than buying your "dream car", being too poor to make it your own, and then having to let it rot in your driveway because you can't afford it anymore.

Broken speedo.
Here's the ad.
>Inb4 some cunt buys it before i have a bit more time to really consider.

losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5752400560.html

I'd go over everything myself once I got it. I know it's always considered bad to buy your dream car right away, but these cars aren't exactly getting cheaper, or more prevalent.
>The same with Supra Mk.IIIs when i was looking at them as well.

>2009

There's your problem. Haven't seen a reasonably priced manual slicktop in ages.

You're convinced by some guy saying "Omg buy it holy jeebus", but the input of an actual FC owner (pic related) doesn't sway you at all? Sounds like you're looking for someone to reinforce your terrible plans rather than offer you actual advice.

FC's are terrible daily drivers because they're a quarter of a century old, they get about 12 miles per gallon (I averaged nine in the city on a naturally aspirated motor), and because they're generally unreliable. Rotaries hate traffic jams, they hate idling, they HATE the hot weather - all of these will very quickly shaft your quirky old engine. The electronics break frequently (and you'd better know how to refurbish them, because you're not gonna be able to afford replacements, even if you can find them), parts are getting difficult to find in general, on and on. They're quirky old sports cars, they made bad daily drivers when they were brand new.

If you're admitting that your spending habits are out of control NOW, it's probably not the best time to go and finance a notoriously unreliable old sports car.

Don't finance toys.

It doesn't need a whole new cluster, the speedo cable (or the gauge) can just be replaced independently.

Wait, the front seal is leaking coolant!! That shouldn't be happening after only 30K on a rebuild, those seals ought to last at least 50K-60K if the rebuilt was done properly (i.e., if the seals were actually replaced). I assumed you meant the lines were leaking.

Abort. This is a bad idea for a lot of reasons.

Didn't mean it like that, sorry. And if they hate all those, then I guess a rotary really isn't the way for me to go then?
>This is actually very, VERY upsetting, but I'm taking your opinion rather heavily since you own one.
What kind of older car would you suggest then? Something that can still be fun, daily driven, and, as stupid as it sounds, has pop up lights and that boxy/curved look to it?

>Seriously, I fucking love the looks of the RX7 and Mk3s, which is why I was gunning for one of those.
>Mk3 shells alone are about $1k around here
>Ones in derivable condition are around $2-3k
>Decent condition in excess of $5k

And let's say my DD doesn't involve much traffic, and my city driving is limited to maybe 3-5 minutes, then it's empty freeways from there out. Would it fair better in those conditions?

Get a dd, get a toy later

Okay, I'll level. I have 2 motorcycles. One of those is my DD. It's a little 300cc that gets me there and back in about 5-7 minutes flat. I'm looking for something that i can take out for fun, or if by some miracle, it fucking rains.

A MK3 supra is decently reliable. It's got comfortable seats and plenty of interior room. Only huge issue it came with out of the factory is that the headgasket was torqued on improperly which can be fixed easily. It's not at all a fast car. Even the factory turbo model will put out only about ~220HP and it's got some heft depending on the model, up to 4,000 LBS with the targa top. Also if you really want power out of it the stock engine isn't gonna get you anything impressive. People who are looking for power out of a MK3 supra swap in a 2JZ, which is a massive undertaking.

If you're looking to spend ~$5,000 I'd say your most fun for the buck option would be a C4 Corvette. Very reliable and with mountains of aftermarket support, but with a cheesy feeling all around.

I'm not looking for tons of power. And C4s around here are about $6.5k-33k, but I did kinda overlook them. A bit away from the look I was going for, but I suppose it meets the criteria rather well.
I'll keep on the look out while putting away money so maybe I won't have to get any kinda of loan when I find one.

>Saw this 2 days ago
>Asked shop mechanic about it
>Belongs to customer
>Ask if they seemed like they'd be willing to sell
>"He just paid $4k in repairs, so I doubt it"
And that was the end of that.

>A bit away from the look I was going for,

Yeah, that's my whole issue with Corvettes. If C4s looked like an FB or C5s like an FD I'd have one in a heartbeat. They're the perfect enthusiast car with that dirt simple engine, suspension, very agreeable weight, endless aftermarket, and cheap operating costs, but they're ugly as fuck. I don't blame you for not wanting to get one of those pieces of shit, but they're the objective best value in performance if that's the only thing you're going for.

I actually thought they were the shit when I was a kid. Kinda outgrew that taste though. Seeing a few Supras right now though, although having them fixed/towed seems a tad questionable.
>Looking for something to learn a decent amount of wrenching on though.

losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/cto/5756915686.html

orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5757185960.html

inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/5763414798.html

losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/5718426105.html

losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/cto/5703582228.html

Do any of these seem like a good starting point? Or are they more trouble than initial cost leads to believe?
>In terms of towing costs, I live in Lemon Grove, so most of them would have to be towed about 100-150 miles or more.

It's a good car just would never use it as a daily.

It's tiny inside and has no storage with a pretty shitty cheap interior, it's hot as shit to drive in the summer, but driving it fast makes up for its flaws.

It's worth buying if you can get it cheap. They're not worth what they're selling for in the states but I'm glad they are so expensive.

I would NEVER buy a craiglist MKIII Supra for under $3,500. Under that price you're just asking for gigantic issues that the seller isn't willing to put up with. Also when buying an old sports car that isn't ultra ubiquitous or has a gigantic following you'd best have the tools and know how behind you to work on it, as those guys selling them for $1,000 certainly didn't.

If you're really set on a MK3 Supra, I would go over on supraforums and find out everything you can about buying and repairing one of these. The engine is pretty reliable and it's not a very complex car, but it's 30 y/o. Then after that you just have to play the waiting game on craigslist for a number of months and try to find one that isn't rusted to shit or blew a headgasket.

Whelp, that's why I decided to ask rather than going and doing it without. I'l check those forums out and start looking around.
I'll be getting a large influx of tools in the coming months, and would be more than okay having the car to work on for a few months to get drive-able. As I said, I have my bikes for DDing, and them being a money sink wouldn't bother me too much if I'm learning plenty at the same time. Thanks user.

Gonna hijack this thread. I've got a new job, got my DD, want to learn maintenance and I'm willing to blow $4k-$8k on a fun second car.

What am I looking for aside from a rebuild in an FC? Like, I see the TPS issue here on this one near me and Googling the adjustment repair sounds... Complicated but doable:

cnj.craigslist.org/cto/5750375503.html

Been scouting out classifieds on RX7Club as well. If I go out and test one, what should I ask or specifically check while I'm looking at it?

And (more importantly), would I have more fun/less hassle with an AW11?

...

This whole thread is full of missinformation.
TPS is really easy to set though

If you have something your getting for fun, get whatever you want man. Who cares if it's unreliable if you aren't relying on it

...

Misinformation on what?

Rotaries are one of those things i'd always encourage others to buy but would never want to own myself.

I really dont feel like going back and compiling a list of retarded things said in this thread. If you want REAL info, visit a forum dedicated to rotary engines.
Or ask me if you see that i'm around. Sometimes i get to threads too late and just hold my tongue.

You got fucking 9 MPGs in a NA? Bruh

I have a 91 coupe that I drive hard as fuck at all times. 6PI aren't working but VDI is and I redline it all the time and do highway pulls like it's no one's business, and I still pull 18-20 easily. Slightly worse than my old 90 Celica, and way more fun to drive.

You must have had a catastrophically bad leak somewhere in the fuel system. Even an FD gets 14+.

he's a shit poster. He never really owned an FC. He just comes into Rx7 threads and posts the opposite of truth. Classic troll tactics

>I really dont feel like going back and compiling a list of retarded things said in this thread.
>Or ask me if you see that i'm around.
Pick one. He literally just asked you captain faggot.

Seems you're the shitposter here.

I see. Well, he's not wrong about the electronics, so I figured he had at least a little bit of experience.

I had to replace my alternator after the VR blew when I was hooning. It fried my warning lights and blew my blower motor fuse (which has a reset button, they knew that it would happen first) but luckily nothing else. Driving home on just the battery was fun.

Anyway, FCs are fine to daily drive. Just don't be a beginner and you'll be fine, they are very simple cars.

and i answered.
>Go to the forums or ask me specific questions
But he is wrong about the electronics. They rarely have issues in FCs. You seem to have had a crazy circumstance because i've blown a VR as well and not had those same issue. Although ANY car would normally have issues with going over 15 volts.
Had it happen on my MR2 as well. VR went out. Shot to 18v. No issues luckily.

I guess you're not wrong about that. Plus they ARE Shitsubishi alternators. Still, having the VR being separate might have been a good idea, because replacing the whole alternator isn't exactly cheap. And they clearly knew the alternators were prone to blowing, why else would they have a fuse switch for the first thing that would blow if the voltage skyrocketed?

alternators generally last a good long time and mitsubishi makes excellent electronics.
Also you can replace an internal VR by removing the old one and putting in a new one. Its fairly easy to do and cheaper.

yes and no

na or single turbo is the way to go for max reliability

and much like the z32 its a finicky bitch but easy as fuck to work on (unlike the z32)

saving up to buy one or a C5 or a 72 charger.

or do the e rod swap to the z32 because lol commiefornia

best car ever. buy one.

Worst car ever. Avoid one.

2

Hey fuck you buddy

That supposed to be yours?

It is mine, yes

I'm fine with dropping 15k on an RX-7, and a lot more on reliability mods, maintenance, future rebuilds, apex seals, premix and MPG cost etc etc.

So with that said, can I DD an FD?

Guessing you're in Japan with RHD and that R32 in the background.

That is correct

Are you the guy that got it for next to nothing for doing some job?

Also, meant to reply to you and

Yeah that's me. It was a discount deal for helping sell a bunch of cars.

And as far as your question goes...
But if you feel you're up for it, do it. There are dozens of them here and they get daily driven just fine.

Well my first car was a Miata, and I'm 6'3" so I'm used to being jammed in with no storage
And it's AC was broken, so I'm used to heat too

Basically, if I loved the shit out an FD, and meticulously maintained it, preventative work on major components at the recommended mileage intervals, etc etc,

would I still not be sure it would start up every morning/die on me? (besides abnormal weather)

Wow, you are literally driving the two cars I'm going to import.

I plan to get a GTS-t to daily while I save up for a 99 FD + single turbo and cooling mods, standalone etc.

>would I still not be sure it would start up every morning/die on me?
No. But have a compression check done on any car you buy. That'll give you somewhat of an idea on how much longer it'll go before it dies.

Good choices. The GTS-t will make a good daily for you. I really like the series 8 FDs but I figure I can just swap the stuff I like over from one and upgrade the rest.

Yeah, I originally wanted a GT-R but fuck if I wouldn't be scared to drive it every day. Plus, they used to be 10-15k to get into Canada and now they are 40k because of Americans.

A GTS-t will probably run me 10 grand now. Figures... But I'm in love with the interior and the exterior and I really like the RB20 for some reason.

Honestly, an Evo 3 would be a better choice because I could drive that shit year round. I've also considered a GC8 STI. But there's something about a Skyline that screams "drive me".

I drive an FC right now and recently have started looking into FDs more. The suspension and weight have me sold on the car. Getting rid of emissions, single turbo conversion, and lighter body panels can make it seriously lightweight, and that engine is good for some nasty horsepower. Are you in Japan?

Yeah I'm in Japan. Don't be scared to drive them, I daily drove my GT-R for over 2 years until I picked up C35 Laurel to give it a break. Yeah the prices have gone up but I think once R33s start coming in they'll go back down a bit.

>Dark TE-37s with the one red spoke
HNNNNNG

True that. Still, that's going to be a little while. I'll keep my eyes open though, thanks for the tip!

Nice, a C35 Laurel was on my list too. We clearly have the same taste. I also wanted to get a Century but I've decided I'll only do that when I can afford to be chauffeured around. Either way, if I get a GT-R or an FD I'll more than likely go to Japan to check it out myself, or buy one there and bring it back.

FUCK THAT LOOKS GREAT

MFW I still want te-37 time attacks for my mustang.

Thanks, that's my slut lol

The car you posted (I think it's the same one anyway) gave me the wheel specs I need for when I go to get wheels for the 7... those charcoal TE37SLs.

I didn't really care about the Laurel when I bought it but it's really grown on me, it's a great car.

Yes pls do it

I actually don't know what I don't know on offsets to get this done. I've got a 2003 mustang gt, what te-37's can I run on stock rims (aluminum ponies).
I feel like I hit a dead end as I don't see "offsets" in rim sizing in america with the exception of talking about imports.

If you see "backspacing" it's the same thing.

According to the owner of this Mustang
>The wheels have a +22 offset and are 19x9 in the front with 245/35 (basically same size as stock) and 19x10.5 in the rear with 275/40 (I need to drop to 35 next tire change to fix some rubbing issues).

I have no idea how I was unable to google that earlier.
Thanks, I'll take pictures if I buy in. I need 4 in 19x9 +22 with time attack colors.

got you senpai

page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e186530054

they're 9.5 though

China mouh a, China mouh a

You're from Chi-na

(that all rhymes, a)

S2000 has the same problem as the FD though.

drives like a civic until you're at 6k+ and breaking speed limits

Wow, this is a very Chinese post

:-)

Idk what civics you've been driving my nigga but
>no

> t. has never driven an s2k

I'm talking about the FD, but no I haven't driven a S2000

oh, well i mean they're not especially fun unless you're driving way too fast

Yes. They will appreciate in value

It's like the greatest car of all time