Hi,
I currently have a silver series 2 which I want to sell (the body isn't that good). I will have enough money to get either a great first gen or a relativley stock second gen (n/a). What do you guys think I should get? The first gen has more potential in a straight line but I have heard that 2nd gens handle better,I have never driven one, is this true? If so is it possible to make a first gen handle as well as a 2nd?

 

yes and no. the 1st gens have that awesome go-kart feel and are very darty were as the second gens can gain much higher mechanical grip due to the ability to mount larger tires and irs in the rear giving you teh ability to adjust camber on both ends. the bad part about 2nd gens are that they are heavier and the damn "passive rear steer" bushings that will change the toe in the rear under hard cornering. luckily that is a $40 remedy from mazdatrix. the other 2nd gen perkes are a newer, more up to date interior and extras. its really preference of taste. what do you want out of the car. for me its a daily driver and the 2nd gen fit the bill better for obvious reasons. but i miss the fun my 1st gen offered. oh yeah, another peep. r&p steering that doesn't take 30 turns to make a corner.

 

IMHO the first gen is a far superior car to the 2nd gens. if you go with the 79-83 cars.....the interior still looks like a sports car........not the 626esque insides of the 84-91 cars.......
I dunno why people dog the recirculating ball and socket set up in the 1rst gens. Bnez still uses the set up. You can replace pieces as they wear, unlike the R&P you have to replace as a unit. You keep the back lash in the box in check, and update the bushings, I think the set up is far better.
1rst gens are down on power, but they didn't have much to compete with when they were built. Even the Turbo 280 wasn't a problem for the NA 12A (thats kinda fun to say)
Alot of people still judge cars in str8 line performace......well the axle in the 1rst gens is a better set up for dragin.......IRS squat and the caster changes, and you ride on half your tire.
As far as updated interiors for a comuter? What doesn't a GSL 1rst gen have? Mine has Cruise, AC, PW, what else ya need?
Take a 1rst gen, freshen up the suspension, update the sound system with one of your choice. Throw in a Ported 13B, or a TII and show your tail lights to plenty of cars, in a str8 line or a twisty.


C

 

1st gen gets my vote.

 

for the same amount of money put into each car,

a first gen would be faster than a 2nd NA because of wieght and simplicity.

 

well ... they can both be made to handle great! stock for stock, the Gen II handles better, in my opinion simply because it makes you say, "OH ****!" a little later than you would in a Gen I.

like jeremy said, it comes down to a matter of taste. the Gen II is a newer, bigger car and you actually feel it. it's a GT, and to me, it took more to get it to feel like a "sports" car than any Gen I i've had. so i prefer the Gen I (though i've never been a fan of the steering ).

i prefer the Gen I, although if i could afford to add a T2 to my stable, i would. however, you'd have to decide which one YOU prefer. drive both ... in my opinion, you can't lose no matter which you choose.

 

1st gens get my vote, you could mount larger wheels if you want by adding some wheelarches and they look better than a widebody kit in my oppinion.
I find 1st gens handle far better than 2nd gens.

 

FC's are great, if you like electrical gremlins, heavy sports cars, incredibly expensive and failure prone electrical switches & relays, being mistaken for any of a dozen '80s hatchback coupes, cracking cold-solder-points in the ECU, and the funky rear-steer problem already mentioned.
That aside, 4-wheel discs, R&P steering, & IRS rule. And despite the weight a good N/A is very sweet.

 

ive driven both and definetly prefer the first gen it just makes you feel connected to it and the road where as the second gen felt disconnected like my dads buick

 

here's another idea. why don't you ask this question in the 2nd gen area. otherwise its like strolling into the rx7forum and asking 7 or supra. what response do you think you will get. i gave you a nuetral answer and why i have what i have because i've owned both and each has there pluses and minuses. at least there is one other member here that is not blindly biased and screw whoever was just verging on insulting. also a note on the 2nd gen problems listed, those are less of a problem if you can get a s5 (89-92). the car doesn't feel as connected STOCK. my 1st gen didn't feel connected to anything STOCK. then i added bushings where the old ones desintegrated and put new springs and shocks in. but who the hell buys the car on this forum with the idea of leaving it stock. like anything, you have to remember where you want to go with the car. what are your goals. if you like the tail happy, go-kart feel of your 1st gen then stick with it and work on modding it up. plenty of cool **** is happening to them right now as directfreak, mike-p, and the ausi crew can attest to. otherwise ask over in the second gen forum and see what you like about those. take a drive in a good one while you're at it.

 

What sort of mods would you have to do to a first gen to get it's handeling up to the level of second gen. I consider handeling the most important factor in a car followed closley by straight line speed.

 

well, there is only so far you can go with suspension tuning on a solid axle. thus why all major racecars use irs. 1st gen advantages being lighter, as was mentioned earlier can have wide wheels with a wide body. at the same token the 2nd gen has irs, ability to fit wider wheels stock, and "i laugh at your viper's tread" wide if you go widebody. 2nd gen also has more support and a wider range of choices based off of what setup you would like. however the drawback being that 2nd gen parts are going to run you more typically. most typical 1st gens will get adjustable shocks with sport springs and polyurethane bushings. a wide body kit will run a pretty penny and most think bolt on fender flares are a bit too tacky. your call there.

 

definately the first gen...!! Looks better IMO.

 

if it was a turbo II vs gsl-se then I would say TII.

but thats not the question now is it.

 

first gen all the way. i'm with indyrxtc on the interior.

 

i LOVE 1st gens, id go with a 1st, i think they just feel soo much more racey... you sit low in them compared to a 2nd, never drivin a 2nd but ive been in one and i much prefer the 1st . i think they look cooler aswell, more sporty, but then again i love anything rotary who here doesnt...

 

Stock 4 Stock on the suspensions..........................both cars with struts, shocks, springs, tires, and wheels........I still think the 1rst gen feels more stable.
I have never raced a driver in a 2nd gen that knew what he was doing, and I only put a worn out T2 thru the ringer.......b4 I transplanted its engine into my 83.
I think there is a guy on here that put IRS from a Miata into a 1rst gen. And I know I had a discussion about the 2nd gen IRS in a 1rst gen.....its all about how much you wanna spend and what you want to do.
Even though this is the 1rst gen part of the site. For the money, and bang for your buck you cannot beat them. Hone your skillz and you can out handle most 2nd gens, with a 1rst gen. Not many people can drive a car to its full potential.
Once you can drive beyond what the car can do, upgrade.

C

 

I'm not 100% on this, but it seems that getting a 1st Gen to handle well is not as expensive as 2nd Gens. I mean, look at the sheer number of 1st Gen race cars and classes that allow you to modify almost nothing but the suspension... and most of those on a tight budget... there has to be good suspension for cheap for the 1st Gen to become the most raced 'amuteur' car in the US. 2nd Gen has its perks too, it can probably be taken further than the first gen, but for a sweet full race setup I bet its almost twice the cost or more.

 

yea a 1st gen would be a great choice if on a tighter budget , im sure if i had plenty of cash i would tryin gettin a 2nd, doin it right up ....hmmmm that give me a future idea... (3 or 4 years from now ) .

 

The 1st gen is always going to be more tail-happy than the 2nd gen, due to that solid axle. However, that's not a problem if you learn to drive the car correctly. (not that I'm a fantasitic driver ) Economics wise, the 1st gen is the better choice. You can spend 1/2 the money on the car, and then get struts/shocks/springs and still not be up to the price of the stock 2nd gen.

Plus second gen's look like Dodge Daytonas.

So go 1st gen.

Matt
1979 SA22C

 

I have owned a 88, 87TII, and now my 85. All of these cars differ quite a bit as far as what an enthusiast and individual wants from their RX7.

Personally I prefer FB's and FD's. Either way you just can't go wrong with a rotary