rotarydude

iTrader: (2)

**** you are baggy on my retirement plan....

Banzai is right about most things and I think that everyone here can agree he has the ability to see both sides to the story.

I can as well because I did this



Yet I own #33 it is bone stock and staying that way




I am never going to regret the first car because it was headed to the crusher now it has a whole new life. I drive around a widebody that is low, loud and nasty you don't want to drive that beast long distances and I won't regret it either. But I will not stray from originality for #33, #88 or my PA (nor a few others for that matter)

BLUF (bottom line up front) if you want to modify but are afraid you will regret it... don't.... SA/FBs are out there cheap get one that doesn't matter...... and mod the crap out of it then you just have to choose the mood of the day.

sermon complete

ourxseven

iTrader: (1)

I see an SA dash on that that FB bumpered 1stgen vert ... and who knows what two seats those are .

hey dude , what other mix matches are on that car ?

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

Thanks for the vote For what it's worth, I agree with your thoughts as well. Have the best of both worlds, build yourself a nasty beast to hammer around in and wreak havoc AND have yourself a shinny gem to sip wine on the lawn with!

challer2000

Do what every makes you happy, it’s your car. My way of thinking, I can’t see a original 1st gen 7 fetching a high price that I couldn’t get because I decided to do a few mods. The bolt-on option is great so you can always change it back to stock later.

I have a few appraisals for insurance but I would never see even half of the value even if I totaled the car or sold it.

84stock

iTrader: (5)

I guess we'll see an increase in value if Jay Leno buys an FB one day .

pysop7

I remember when i thought the abnoxious bodykits looked good. We were all young at some point, and thought the aftermarket looks of our generation we're better than anything the factory could come up with, but with age comes wisdom, and an appreciation of what the factory designs.

I think i''ll have two cars, the stocker, and the stock-less, because two heads are better than one.

pysop7

He'll get there. He may stick two zr1 engines in it, but he'll get one

pysop7

The 82 gsl i have today is prime for restoring

My biggest problem is finding resources.

IE body shop there are sooo many out there its hard to find a good one especially with experience with older cars

I live in Ft. Bragg North Carolina any good bodyshops???

84stock

iTrader: (5)

I want to find a clean sa and restore on a budget, paint it myself with duplicolor etc etc.

installer67

iTrader: (18)

I'm far from a purist, but what made me fall for the 7s was my first. A stock SA 79'. If there are any 7's that would be "worth" keeping stock, it would be those. I personally own FBs now, and love stock (my wifes will stay that way) and modded, (mine will certainly be modded) as is my red 84 GS. In my mind, and it's just my opinion, the FB and more so the SA, will always be the best of what the 7 has to offer. No computerized tuning needed, no onboard computer etc., just old school down and dirty sports car. So long as you improve it the "old school" way, it will still retain that feel. There's nothing wrong with the FC, FD, or 8s, I think theyr'e damned sexy! But not the same feel or the same technology. IMO

pysop7

with all this said, can kelley blue book and the like be trusted when selling an rx?

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

I thought those only went back so far, unless their is a special older car version. Even if their is, they are all just guides to get a baseline from. Older cars can vary so much in condition its harder to place value as it becomes more subjective (I think its worth something different than yourself)

Plus value becomes "market driven". How many people want the cars vs. how many are left, plus that all important emotional factor thrown in. The emotional factor is what drives people to want the car in the first place and what makes them want to open their wallet and throw gobs of cash at the objects they desire. This is now known as the Stu Syndrome. How bad a case of SS you have determines how much you'll pay.

rotarydude

iTrader: (2)

not fair i demand that it be called Dave's Disease...... LOL

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

having done both i think it is much harder to do a 100% correct restoration, and it is to mod the car.

a friend of mine lost a concours* because he had the wrong head bolts. so the hex wasn't quite the right one. think about that for a minute. how many parts of a 61 250 GT SWB have to be RIGHT for you to LOOSE because you had a wrong bolt?

or my TR3, i get compliments on how nice it is, take it to a show though? and is so far from placing in the competition, it is funny. and to bring it up to placing? would mean frame off resto of a car that is a VERY NICE driver!

BTW i do dig chip foose, he has a way of making things look stock but better

*i have a tr3, so ive done a few car shows, and they are BORING, but when you enter your car you do get good parking...

2ndgencab

Build it! Dont cut the chassis up to much, keep all of you stock parts and go create some terror! Good luck!

84stock

iTrader: (5)

Not worth the investment to do a full resto on a sa or fb, but to keep it clean and original looking is nice.

pysop7

thanks for all your replies.

The two points of keeping stock vs modding with the option to return it to stock hit the nail on the head. As I will probably do most of the mechanical work, this process to restore it to stock will be a slow and methodical process. I look forward to it!

Mazda really did a good job on the design so need to change that, but I prefer small BBS's. So rims are definately in the future.

I want to try and keep my nikki carb as stock as I can. I just really don't want to fiddle with it, because carb work really is not my "forte" But will that choke down the potential power output of an exhaust?

So far, a sterling built nikki carb with a full racing beat exhaust.

That is route I want to go. Just a little bump in power.

Like cold pizza and warm beer??? or something like that

pysop7

the patient

ray green

iTrader: (14)

Beautiful!! Keep it Stock! Stock! Stock!!!

Except some cool non-invasive mods like RB exhaust, 2GDFI, dual alternator pulley, etc. Folks on the form here can help with the details, like that door trim piece.

If you do the maintenance and maintain the interior stock and keep the X wheels, Nikki and blue air filter housing, you will always have the distinction of driving a 1st gen RX-7 in prime form.

Very nice!

Banzai

iTrader: (13)

Stu syndrome is only the begining stages. Left untreated, it could lead to full blown Dave's Disease......

BTW, that's a nice 1st gen! Mod it if you want, but over time the "stock" ones become the rare ones, just because we all want to personalize our rides and make them our own.

84stock

iTrader: (5)

That's right, take a $2000 rx7 and fully restore it for $10,000 and you have a $4500 rx7 with lots of potential buyers, spend $10,000 on extensive modifications and you have a $6000 rx7 with perhaps fewer buyers. Now, spend $2000 just making it great, enjoy it for a few years and lose very very little (someone would die for it at $3000).

pysop7

The recession is hitting the market hard, watching the high end muscle car auctions right now hurts because just a few years ago some of those cars were well over 100,000 dollars and now, depending on the car, are often priced and sold under $50,000.

I believe the 1st gen will have it's day. But before that happens it'll be my oldest daughters first car...SHE'S Five years old! She's gonna hate me.

84stock

iTrader: (5)

I figure if i bought a next to new car like a prelude/rx8 etc i would suffer an average of $3000/ year depreciation plus an extra $500/years on insurance. Soooo if I spend $1000/ year on my fb it is cheaper than the alternative and as a result I do not count this as an investment in the car. Ie: buy a nice fb for $3000, spend $1000/year and enjoy the car for 5 years doing upgrades annually, then sell for $3000 = YOU ARE EVEN, no loss

pysop7

yeah, i guess i should get out of my mind the RX7 will ever be a high value item. Nobody knew a Lemans winning cobra's would be worth millions...they wanted to scrap most of them. The initial investment in the car was purely the love of the car, not monetary.

The simple fact is I, as well as every person here, loves the uniqueness that is offered by rotaries of every generation. The from the engine to how slow the electric windows roll up. If it's worth anything in the future is just an added surprise, but at least most us can say we got the car because of our affinity for something outside the box.

I went to the store today and bought all the Knick-Knacks for detailing my car (FT. Bragg has no good carwashes). I polished her up(in the cold) and she looks GREAT! Minus a few imperfections.

I know my path from here. I really do appreciate everything thats been said. Helped me ease my mind. Now I must study!!!

BTW some Pics, for the pic hungry done today. You can see the snow on the ground, but garage kept

pysop7

Here's a side shot