rx7hasnopistons

I'm in the market for a new car and while I don't have a ton of cash to burn so I can't be looking at the pretty 35k turbo IIs on bring a trailer (more like break the bank).

That said I've always loved the FC and have always dreamed of driving one. What is it like to own one (turbo 2 specifically but all input welcome)? help me make a decision to take the plunge or not. how often do problems come up, is it hard to keep reliable daily?

likes, dislikes, favorite things about it, things you hate. I'd honestly really love to get my hands on a Turbo II but so far the only one I've found anywhere in the country is a pretty molested one that I'm wary of tbh. but the price is decent. I'm just worried I'll buy it and then have to turn around and pay someone $$$$ to rebuild the engine and get it proper for someone to actually drive and not mess about pretending they're speed racer.

I've done minor work on cars and bikes before in the past but don't have any tools or a garage currently so any work would have to be done by a shop. is it possible to daily these 15k miles a year reliably and comfortably? I've always heard the rotaries are super unreliable and prone to failure but I have a hard time believing it's really a huge issue.

Is finding parts hard? I don't necessarily need to make it be a classic all original collector's version but Ideally I just want it to drive well. can aftermarket parts be used instead of oem if you don't care about it being original without issue? is there still a market for them?

help me make my childhood dream come true or save my wallet. I don't even know what questions I should be asking so just share whatever info you want.

JerryLH3

iTrader: (11)

Given the constraints you have put out there - daily, 15k miles per year, all work done by shop, and the price seems to need to be on the lower end, I would honestly say don't do it.

The youngest FC is 30 years old. Even the best examples are likely to need some sorting out. Electronics can have all sorts of issues at this age. Interior plastics are brittle. Parts aren't always readily available. They can be reliable and I'm not even saying the rotary is the issue here. A well built engine with a knowledgeable owner can last a very long time. But you are still left with 30 year old car problems.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

every FC is Fishy. all of them. even the big money BaT car had lots of weird things about it (muffler delete?). you won't find an unmolested cream puff car, they don't exist. every FC got driven like they were stolen until something happened and the car got parked. most of the time the engine is fine.

also its fun to play with these things, HKS, Greddy and the other big JDM guys had tons of stuff for these cars. my first T2, i think i tried, 3 engines, 2 clutches, 3 turbos, 5 exhausts, 3 stereos, 3 shock/spring setups, 3 sets of wheels, a couple of steering wheels, different shift *****, a couple ECUs, and maybe more stuff i don't remember, in the space of 4 years. current one has been a slower pace, lol. ive actually been surprised at how reliable my current car has been, its built from spares and floor sweepings....

parts are weird. Mazda has everything you need, but nothing you want. aftermarket stuff, is basically non existent, unless its a name brand Japanese thing

Dak

This is probably a bigger issue than having a rotary engine. Mine is n/a so I can't comment about a TII. I've owned it since 1996 that's 27 years if my math is right. I've daily driven it most of that time and it's been pretty solid. I think a big part of that is being with the same owner all those years and being somewhat decently cared for. I am on my 3rd engine. Original suffered carbon lock around 123k from I suspect previous owner not driving hard enough. Second lasted about 146k mi. but those weren't always easy miles. top part of the 3pc apex seal tried to roll out of the rotor. I'm convinced if it had the current 2pc seals it would have lasted longer. From rebuild to failure I've had almost no engine problems. It's usually non engine stuff because the car is 30 years old. Example mine is broken right now due to the clutch is out. I suspect it's the slave cylinder as it's the original one. The thing I've replaced the most. Door handles followed by the instrument cluster surround and unfortunately the supply of both of them is drying up.

My advice if you want one get it as a second car for a hobby not as your main mode of transportation. Gets some tools and learn to work on it yourself. Most mechanics (at least in my area) view the rotary as some mystery motor even though they really aren't any more difficult to work on or troubleshoot than a piston engine.

WondrousBread

Agreed with the others that an FC is more suited to a weekend car than a daily car at this point.

Owning an FC is best described as "fickle". It will find new and unusual ways to break. You will become your own mechanic owning one, because you'll go bankrupt trying to pay others to maintain it.

The interiors are very brittle. Engines are getting hard to come by, although a low-mileage or rebuilt one will last you a long time. All rubber hoses and seals have started to deteriorate. A set of window and hatch seals costs more than I paid for the entire car just a few years ago. Most mounts are dry-rotted. On the upside brakes and suspension components are very much available, so that's not too big a concern.

Everything electrical is suspect. Relays in the wiper switch, lack of relays in the window switches, the CPU with it's cold solder joints, idiot lights, the headlight sockets corrode and the resistance causes the headlight switch and harness to burn up, and I'm going to rewire my horn soon because it decides to go off at random (even after resoldering the CPU). The engine harnesses have been heated so much they start to get crumbly, the injector and temp switch connectors break when you try to install them, and most connectors are unsealed so weather can get in and dirty them.

I will say this; while the FC breaks fairly often, it will rarely break in a way that strands you. It might drive poorly, but it will almost always drive.

Keep in mind that I still love my FC despite all the issues it's had. You just need to be willing to accept that if you want this particular car, there will be lots of time (and usually money) spent fixing little issues. It's absolutely worth it. If you do get one, try to find one with low mileage (not easy nowadays) and ideally a perfect body & interior. The drivetrain is less of a challenge, even at today's prices. Best of luck

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

its worked best for me to be kind of proactive, so i basically tear down the engine bay to known good, clean everything, test everything and put it back with whatever new stuff is needed (hoses, thermostats, gaskets, its usually not a very exciting list)
then i kind of do the same to the interior, and exterior. the trouble with this is that it takes me 6-8 months or so. if it was shop labor, it would cost a billion dollars.

https://www.rx7club.com/build-thread...d-car-1143056/ my buddy has this thing, and from the time it left my house to the time he took it to the track its been fine

Dak

Yeah, I left out my wipers only work on one speed ATM. I just haven't gotten around to pulling the switch back apart and cleaning the relays again, but hey I got about 20 years since the last time. I've had to disassemble and clean the relay in my CPU to fix my turn signal. Need to take it back apart and check for cold solder joints as my factory alarm quit working years ago and I think it's controlled by it too. Oh and my clock quit working again as well. Had resoldered it years ago and it worked for a few years.

Also on the first engine rebuild I replaced all the vacuum lines with silicone ones and replaced any of those that looked suspect during the second rebuild. I think that has helped alleviate the vacuum issues I see people post about.

I said I've Daily'd mine most of its life. I've had a truck as well for the past 18 years, so I didn't have to. I just like to drive it. Even though it's an underpowered n/a. It's just fun to drive.

lsmsc

I second that.

I drive mine in the in the summer, and mostly its fine, especially considering it beeing 30years old. But from time to time something breaks and you're searching 3 months for a spare part.
Most shops around here won't touch the engine, but honestly thats the part I don't want some random shop tech to mess with.

You need at least a garage to do some maintenance & diagnostics and a way to get around if the car is standing on jacks.

Lil_Bub

Save your wallet and buy your Grandma's Corolla for the daily driving. 🤝

jim4000

save your money up on the side and buy one for a summer/back up car, don't get a nice FC and put massive miles on it, lower miles the better when purchasing and keep lo for resale of course, I had to daily my T2 for 1 year tho and it was a blast I must say, put winter tires on a diff set of wheels and it did great in snow but... salt... lol - for now get a cheap reliable daily like most would recommend...