midnight mechanic

Use to be in the early 2000's people would come in here and brag about customization of the rx-7's. E.g direct fire, removing the rat's nest, wired secondaries, rack and pinion steering, electric cooling fan, rims, sleepy eye head lights, mariah seats, racing beat exhaust, removing the air pump, hollowing out cat....did I miss any?

...Oh ya, REAR SPOILER !!

Now unmolested OEM rx-7 have higher status.

Am I the only one that noticed?

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

Its always been that way. Unmolested (especially visually) cars have always commanded higher
status. No one wants another persons poor taste in external mods. Its also true for the collector
market in general for all cars, not just rx7s.

My own vision was to always maintain the stock look interior and exterior. What happens under
the covers is fair game. I guess in hindsight, resto-modding is acceptable where it improves
performance and reliability but doesn't mar the original look of the car.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

doing a 100% stock car has always been harder to do than anything else.

not that there is anything wrong with a modded car either.

midnight mechanic

I took out the storage bins, rear speaker covers, and center consul. And the door panels are replaced with thin stained plywood. Spray painted the dash and head liners white. Installed orange floor carpet, and re upholstered the seats in match orange and white.

So I guess it's pretty bad.

NCross

iTrader: (18)

Does it look like an orange cream-sicle?

DreamInRotary

iTrader: (49)

That's why I think I've learned and will be keeping my current FB mostly original. The last one was a beast but it was so far from stock there is no going back. I want this one to be mostly unmolested and stock...for now.

Skurge

inside and out, other than the radio and speakers where the bins were, mine is all original, i love it like that, eventually i'll probably get a set of wheels and maybe when i replace the shocks, get some springs, other than that looks wise inside and out, it will stay mostly stock. its too clean of a car to destroy with adding things to it that cant easily be returned to stock

jim_chung

iTrader: (2)

I think as long as the mods are period correct and done well it shouldn't degrade the price, possibly increase it.

captainmorgan92

I heard red ones are really up in value now too...

Rocketeerbandit

iTrader: (3)

I keep hearing from enthusiast's to keep my car stock. I am the official 2nd owner of the vehicle prior of 21 year ownership. Original receipts for everything. I am restoring the stock parts that are barely worn out to mint and adding mods for complete reliability without hindering the stock feature.

Though I would love to add a stock r1 lip and maybe spoiler to my touring Montego blue 93, I want to know opinions... I am constantly complimented by the community of the cars original integrity.

mntech

My opinion is that I like to buy a stock car and mod it my way. A good point from Moog from Mighty Car Mods was, that he wants to stay off the forums and to get a true real personal feel of the car. I feel like a car with mods is someone elses car not mine. Unless those mods are appreciated then its no big deal.

midnight mechanic

The inside kinda does. I would take a picture but the carpet and door panels are out due to a mysterious leak. I cannot stomach paying $70 for a OEM headlight retractor switch, or a/c blower switch. I want to cover the shortened consul with stained wood, and maybe use plexiglass to mount the toggle switches. Retro euro wood interior look in a japanese car. Can you believe the 1950's triumphs had wooden floor boards??

Shortening the center consul, removing the storage bins, and removing the rear shock strut covers freed up all kinds of space. I can easily fit a 9 foot surfboard with room to spare.

The outside is oem except for the front cowelling vent is bondo'd closed. It was just a debris trap, and blew dust and pollen into the car.

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

The car hobby has several different facuets. There is no right or wrong. Some strictly see their vehicles as utiilitarian daily drivers. Just something to get them from point A to point B. Others as members of the family like pets. Some like em stock, others personalize them to make them there own.

As far as "collector value", the old saying goes, they are only original once. Ultimately, stock and un molested vehicles will be valued the higest. Rarely will aftermarket up grades retain their new purchase values no matter how much of an upgrade over OEM it is.

Hot Rodding an old american car is a different than modding a European or Japanese sports car. You are investing large sums of cash and work to take an otherwise old unappreciated rusty and worn people hauler and transform it into a custom speciality vehicle. There is an actual huge customer base who appreciates hot rods as collectables and will compete for them.

The market or mentality does not yet exist for this phenomena to occur with old J-tin. So if you want to change or mod your car, go ahead, its your car and money, as long as its what you want who cares? Just don't expect some one else to value it the same as you might.

midnight mechanic

No right or wrong? Rear spoilers, spinning rims, springy fake cell phone antennae, oversized rims, and an engine running on 6 out of eight cylinders.

Natey

iTrader: (19)

I dunno...To me a car that's been lightly modded and done well is more desirable than a 100% stock one. Things like an oversized radiator, dual oil coolers, aluminum AST, etc are parts that will always be worthwhile on an FD.
Sleepy eyes and big shiny rims have ALWAYS been stupid on an RX-7.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

sa> fd

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

I like tasteful mods done well such as:

•RB light steel flywheel
•DLIDFIS
•hogged Nikki
•RB long primary
•mild porting like 74 spec
•upgraded fuel system
•wideband
•other gauges
•hockey pucks or competition motor mounts and tranny mount

Bascially anything that increases the enjoyment of the car without detracting from it. Making it so nice it should have came from the factory like this.

The common mods I don't like are:
•aluminum flywheel, puck disc, street strip pressure plate when the engine power isn't high enough to justify it
•loud fuel pump
•removed interior when there was nothing wrong with it
•loud single pipe exhaust
•loud stereo (to get over the loud exhaust)
•stupid looking rims
•lowered for "handling" when it really makes it worse
•painted interior pieces in odd colors like *ahem* white lol
•the big red box (MSD) just for looks when the engine doesn't need it for keeping the spark plugs clean.

This is just a short list. I'm sure I could go on.

mikeric

iTrader: (20)

I purchased my car as a molested Auto-X car with the intention of making it a track/street car. I have since molested the heck out of it and it is probably easier to make a list of what was not changed on it. However, it serves its purpose and was never intended to be an investment piece but rather a fun street/track car. My OS Giken LSD cost more than many FBs and I know that is money that I'll never get back.

One day I may buy an unmolested, original example as I think there is a beauty to them. Meanwhile, I like taking corners sideways and surprising the crap out of Mustangs and Cameros.

As a side note, I own a BMW R Nine T which will probably be made for only two years and will most likely have collector value some day. I have done some mods to that but I keep all the original parts in a box just in case.

woodmv

iTrader: (8)

Just curious, what do you guys think about 15" panasports on SAs? I know there's a lot of debate on waffles vs. aftermarket, but I'm on the fence about going with 15" silver panasports (or the like) over refurbishing the waffles on my 79. Do you guys prefer original wheels? I personally think the 13" waffles look a bit small. For FBs, I think the "+" wheels look rather plain.

Penny for your thoughts?

DreamInRotary

iTrader: (49)

I'm not a huge fan of the + wheels in any way, shape or form. They don't fit the car correctly in my opinion, wheel tuck is terrible, sidewall is proportionally more than a truck in many cases, tire selection is beyond awful, handling isn't nearly at potential even with a 12a and I just don't like the look of them. I prefer the SA waffles, 83 LE Mesh, Enkei Mesh, Epsilons, Rotas, Rikens, Panasports and pretty much every other 4x110 wheel but the + FB wheels.

I will someday be a wheel ***** for 4x110s and have a small collection of sets of Epsilons, Rotas, Rikens and Enkeis in the garage.

Sorry for those of you who like the + wheels, they just really have gotten on my nerves lately. I am currently vowed to never buy another set of 13" all-season tires for the + wheels so I have to find something else in 4x110 or swap to 4x114.3 or 5x114.3 for the time being.

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

I like the stock 14" GSL-SE rims. They're bigger than 13" and don't look too horribly small on this body style.

My GLC had waffles but now has + wheels and I think I might like the + style better. The waffles looked fine but I found one has a big bend in it from a pothole or something so not sure it's fixable.

midnight mechanic

" + wheels " ???????

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

81-85 FB wheels except the GSL-SE wheels. Look like this:

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

I like your style. Although I do have a loud carter pump which I may change now that I have a hogged out nikki.

Natey

iTrader: (19)

RX7