MosesX605

We all know that owning a RX-7 is an addiction. Even myself, who went RX-7-less for five years, jumped on the chance to own one again when my wife found one in the classifieds and basically forced me to buy it. The question is, how many have you owned?

This is my fourth 1st gen car and my fifth RX-7.

My first was an '82 GS, bought when I was 19. It was my first car and I bought it without any knowledge of:

1) Manual transmissions
2) Cars
3) Rotaries (or engines in general)

Before the '82, I was driving my mother's '81 Pontiac Phoenix and didn't even know where the engine oil went. A few months into the '82 and I had read the Haynes manual from front to back, registered on this forum and gotten fully hooked on rotaries.

Then came the '79 GS. The '82 was a heap and had many problems, but it was pretty. So I sold it and bought a cosmetically-challenged by mechanically solid '79. That car became my race jalopy. Over the years it got two engine swaps, a GSL axle, dual 36 DCD carbs and a custom exhaust based on the RB short primary and a Borla main muffler.

I also bought a '79 in Spark Yellow off a mechanic's lot. The owner had brought it in for some routine work and never returned. It sat on the lot for five years before I swooped in and bought it for $500. I brought it back to life but after I had a good look at the undercarriage, I decided that the rot was way too much for me to fix, so I sold it to a young guy with a welder in need of a project.

Round about the time I got out of school, I decided that I was done with carbureted cars and I sold my jalopy to a rotary fanatic who drove it for several more years before getting an RX-8. I bought a '90 GX from a friend who assured me that it just needed a coilpack. Turns out the engine was blown and he just wanted to get rid of it. Because I knew the guy, I didn't do a compression test before I bought it.

Lesson learned, and one less friend. I didn't have a garage at the time, so it sat on my Dad's driveway for six months before he sold it at a garage sale for $200 and kept the proceeds as 'driveway rent.' I couldn't really blame him.

Selling that '79 That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Not the biggest, mind you, but up there. I missed that car with a firey passion but I was now in a new job, with a new house that needed quite a few renovations and I couldn't justify the expense of a toy car that was only useful for five months of the year.

Then, out of the blue, my wife pointed at a very nice looking RX-7 in Stardust Blue and told me to go take a look at it. I resisted: we had other things to spend our money on, etc, etc. But she insisted, so I went to go look at the car and bought it that very day. Of course, it snowed three days later so I only drove the car a handful of times before it was banished to the garage, but I've got a mountain of parts ready to be installed and a plan to drive a nice, stock, RX-7 all summer. I'm a lucky guy, since I wouldn't have pulled the trigger unless my wife had pressed the issue.

The best part is that the car turned out to have some seriously nice vintage Enkei wheels and Chastain louvers, recently had the front-end rebuilt and only had 100k miles on the clock.

So how about you guys? How many RX-7's have you gone through, and how many did you keep?

andernamen

iTrader: (2)

All together, I've owned 4. I still have the second one I bought after I wrecked the first. I bought it in January 1989. Working now on it's second motor, the first one went at 210,000 miles.

Redliner223

iTrader: (6)

I've got 2 and I think that's going to be it for rx7's for me, or at least that's what I keep telling everyone.

Qingdao

iTrader: (3)

I think 3 will do it for me.

I've got the SA with MAJOR restore in its future. And I wanna supercharge a renesis in it.

And the turbo FB just cause everyone else has one.

and I'm looking for an FB/SA shell title or not for a 350 small block mad man track car.

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

I've owned the one I have since 1983. It was my first car out of school and I wanted the best
auto crosser I could get. It was a toss up between an RX7 and an FIAT X/19. I am the second
owner. It was a DD from 83 thru 89, in KS,NJ,TX and PA. The snow took its toll. In the 90s I
got the RB Dellorto, RE Dual Facet Fuel pumps and RE Exhaust and installed them. It was a
Sunday driver or any sunny day until 2000 when it developed rear bearing issues. It went on
stands for 3 1/2 years while I worked at failing in a DOT com bubble startup. Then I refreshed
the brakes, fixed the rear bearings, installed poly bushings in the suspension and go it back
on the road again. This is probably around the time I started on this forum.

Now its on stands again for all new tierods, LCA (RB adjustables), brakes and some trimming
of the springs. Should be good to go in another few weeks.

dougingraham

My first RX-7 was an 82 GSL that I bought in 85. I was 29 at the time and this was really my first sports car. It was Tornado Silver with Red cloth interior. I lowered it and added an ARKay turbo and free flowing exhaust, Alpine CD head unit with EQ and subs in the passenger side storage box. Fun car after the Turbo upgrade but no longer a good daily driver. I blew up the motor and put in a rebuilt one and then traded it for an 87 GXL. I put about 40000 miles on it in the two and a half years I owned it. I saw it a few years later and it was just trashed out inside and out. I knew it was mine because it still had my Stereo and sub install.

My second one was purchased in 1999 from a couple who was having their second child. This was the wife's car and she took good care of it. This was an 85 GSL and had 110k miles on it. Sparkling Metalic Black and red leather interior. The only thing I did to this one was install the Racing Beat muffler on it when the original one rotted out. In 2003 I had the carb rebuilt and OMP replaced. In 2005 it started doing the white smoke thing on start up about one day in three. The cat converters all had holes in them and one day it flooded on start and that was the beginning of the end. I got it running later but after a few more events like that one I just gave up and pulled it into the garage where it sat until June of 2011. This is when I started converting it to an EV. The first drive as an EV was September 23 of 2012. Most of that time was not spent doing the conversion but was just fixing the stuff that was wrong with the 27 year old car. I still have two things to address and I am going to consider it done. Those things are add a vacuum pump for brake assist. It is a little stiff without the assist. And put a ceramic heater element in place of the heater core for heat. This is really the only thing that keeps me from driving it every day the roads are not icy. Converting an already good car like an FB to electric makes it even better. The electric motor has even more of the characteristics that we all love about the rotary engine. I hope some of you get to drive it someday at an RX-7 gathering.

My newest FB was found by a guy in my office who told me I needed to look at this car. It was a Sunrise Red 85 GSL-SE with 113k miles. Exterior is in good shape and the interior is excellent. This was fall of 2012 and after the test drive I managed to sort of talk myself out of it. The next day I mentioned this to the guy who told me about it and he said, Oh no. You have to buy it or I will be listening to you whine about it for the next six months. Of course he was right. My goal with this one is to keep it reasonably stock. "She" has new OEM front springs. Shocks all around. The Racing Beat exhaust from the GSL-EV which I cleaned up and repainted. Stainless brake lines all around. Poly control link bushings. Stainless oil cooler lines and then a new oil cooler because I broke the original when I replaced the lines. Brake and backup lamps are LED's because they are so much brighter. I have driven this car about 6000 miles now. 4000 of those miles was on a road trip where she visited Seven Stock. She behaved beautifully but I am not 29 anymore and the ride in the SE is quite a bit stiffer than I would like for a road car and the seats are not as comfortable as they once were. I probably won't do that trip again in that car.

I've been thinking about doing another FB conversion to EV, this time with performance in mind. I can pretty easily put in a motor that will accept 288 kw (386 HP) and will have a flat torque curve from 0 to 5000 rpm of about 350 ft-lb with a red line of 6000. A guy I correspond with has this power system in his Porsche 944 and does 4.5 sec 0-62 times. I would guess WHP would be around 270 HP. Much more than this and I think there would be problems with twisting the frame into a pretzel.

DreamInRotary

iTrader: (49)

Had 3 FB's so far, 1 FC.

I'm 20 right now, and had all 4 of them in the last 3 years.

With many more coming in my future.

estevan62274

iTrader: (32)

I've had 4 FB's, 1 Fd & 1 RX-8 since 1989

.

mazda6guy

iTrader: (1)

Since 2003 I have owned 2 FBs and 1 FC.

ray green

iTrader: (14)

I'm currently on number 5. Still a project but going to be the best one yet.

The Tan One:


The Brown One:


The White One:


The Silver One:


Current project, the White One II:

lx_machado

iTrader: (13)

Nice Ray, It looks like we are tied. I'm on number five also.

1985 GS Blue
1984 GSL Silver
1985 GSL-SE Black
1985 Race car
1985 GS Red

Stevan

iTrader: (17)

I am on #5 also. 1st one in 87. Usually drive them for a few years and then sell them for one reason or another. Then get another when a good deal comes along or I'm jonesing for one bad enough.
Had few parts cars too, but don't count them as they were never on the road.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

I just picked up a Dover White 85 S model. It makes number 31 for my FB ownership. I've been buying and selling and restoring 7's since 1999. I've had 4 FC's, 3 of which were TII's.

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

I am on #3.

1. 1983 GSL - ran it for a couple years, got through some emissions loopholes until they were closed, sold it.

2. 1984 GSL-SE - ran it for a few months, engine died, replaced it, lost my garage, sold it.

3. 1985 GS - towed it 200 miles home and am going through just about everything on it before i install a new engine, good transmission, and a limited slip/discs rear end.

lwrobins

On my fourth 1st gen. My very first car was a 79 SA. Owned a couple after that. Always loved the look and RWD.. Never really understood or liked the rotary engine until now, with my current 85 GSL

lwrobins

Are you happy you found the Rx and not an x-19? I had an X-19 fell apart just looking at it. However it was kinda fun!

t_g_farrell

iTrader: (1)

Oh no doubt. The X1/9 would have been fun but Fix It Again Tony is not just a
saying. While in school I had a roommate with an old FIAT 850 Spyder and that thing
shed parts like crazy.

dbragg

iTrader: (7)

Currently sitting at 6.5, so I am only buying 0.5 more and then I'm finished.

1. 84' - first car - cancer victim, sold
2. 84 GSLSE - parts car came with #1 - parted and scrapped
3. 80' - first SA and initial project Mr.Wankel
4. 85' GSL - Cookie Monster - near stock DD that got totaled, RIP, and parted
4.5 83' - split purchase with friend/neighbor, friend/neighbor rolled it first night, parted and scrapped
5.5 79' - current Mr.Wankel - parts transplanted onto, and chassis swap with 80' with friend/neighbor who inevitably parted and scrapped the 80'
6.5 84' GSLSE - Pacific wide body roller, currently on the edge about building or selling

Whizbang

lets see here...

1 82 12a GSL (scca pro rally car)
6 or 7 GSL-SEs
1 82 GS
1 SA
1 81 GSL

so i guess like 11?

PK_12A

iTrader: (3)

Well you see this is my first, always wanted a 7 they fascinated me ever since one of my friends showed me his dream FD. I much prefered the older FC chassis until one day I spyed a brown SA on Bay-Front on Hilo Hi, it had "RX-7" on the fender and "Rotary Engine" on the tail. I had never knew the RX was older than the fc but, I had to know more. A weekend of reading later and I was in love. Up until 10' I couldn't find one then, in on a trailer she road, that distinct "RX-7" on the fender. I bought her from my neighbor for $500 he was happy to send her to a loving home and collect the money. So one new engine set-up, a rear-end, and 4 years later here we are, I still have her and don't really intend to sell her. Yup she's my first.

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

Just the one.

Come this September, I'll have had it 25 years.

iowa_hawk1

iTrader: (4)

You guys must be loaded. I bought an '84 GSL new in February of '84. Couldn't afford another one so I still have it.

flight_of_pain

I still have the first one I ever bought, but if you count cars I have repaired and sold, and wrecked cars that I have bought and parted out... then I am up to about 17 or so.

Isaac