Ok, I've been looking for a little car to have some fun with and have always liked RX-7's so I figured why not get one? I just want something that is quick and handles well and that I could take to the track or Autocross. I definitely cannot afford an FD, which is what I would LOVE to get, so I've decided on an FB or FC.

Right now I'm looking at two cars.

The first is $1,000. It is an '85 GSL SE with a blown engine. The suspension has been redone and the interior gutted. The owner has two sets of wheels and tires for it. He also put in a roll bar and racing seats. I'm not too keen on the interior mods, but I like the suspension upgrades.

The second is an '87 Turbo II for $1,700. It seems like a really good deal, but the rear suspension needs work because it kicks out when you hit a bump or turn hard. It backfires sometimes when shifting, and there is a leak at the oil return line, so that smokes. It has 165,000 miles on it. It has a little bit of rust (fenders and sun roof) and the paint is kind of faded and the hood is black while the rest of the car is red. It has manual windows, but the owner thinks the car is originally a turbo car. My big issue with this car is the lack of head room. I can fit in an FC without a sun roof, but with it my head was rubbing the ceiling the whole time. Is there a simple solution? I've searched but cannot find anything.

Which one do you guys recommend I get?

 

Neither. They both sound like garbage platforms.

Save up more money, and buy something better.

 

Why do they both sound like garbage?

 

If you are dead set on either, I'd go with the FC. You can mod your seat brackets for head room.

 

the FB handles like a pickup truck.

the FC handles like a 944

 

There is no simple solution for headroom issues.
You can delete the stock sliders/brackets and bolt the seat straight in (on your custom built brackets)- but you've lost back-forth adjustability.

You could buy a GTUs, which came with no sunroof.

If you don't mind mismatched seats, you could go aftermarket on the driver side, but even then you don't pick up a lot of space.
If you do dislike mismatched seats, well, you're pretty much fucked because there is nothing "simple" about mounting a non-stock seat into the passenger side.
It can be done but be prepared for some fab work.

 

Get a vert.

on a side note... I'm guessing you're at least 6' 2"? Just curious...

 

Thank you for your response. I don't mind mismatched seats. Do you know of any that are lower? I've been searching and some say FD seats would lower it, but others say they are higher.

Yeah 6'2", but I have fairly short legs for my height (about a 31" inseam), so I have a long torso.

 

FDs are incredibly tight on interior space and the seats suck as a result.
They look like regular seats but are really 7/8 scale replicas.

Before I continue I should reveal some of my prejudices...
I've tried all the different OEM seats Mazda installed in the 2nd gen and found that none of them fit me well, the proportions are just off.
I consider the Recaros sourced from a Honda CRX to be the gold standard of lower end, readily available, non-power seats.
Unfortunately, the seat base does not lend itself to easy modification for the FC floorpan...I tried and gave up.

For the past year I've had a set of Corbeau A4's installed.
I used Corbeau low profile sliders and fabricated brackets myself.
Headroom was fine (I'm 6'1") and the simple flat seat base made install fairly easy.
However, long distance comfort was not good, the thin seat foam- which increases headroom- compresses till your (or actually, my) tailbone started to ache.

The cloth (microsuede is an option) is very grippy but a complete magnet for airborne debris/dust/hair, etc. and very difficult to groom.
Even the big shopvac didn't get them crud free.
The cloth, originally black, started to fade from UV exposure and took on a slightly purple tint as well.

If you only track the car or drive short distances, they are probably fine but I regularly hike between Denver and Chicago (an even 1000 miles, done in one shot) and they were unbearable by the 500 mile mark.

Just last week I installed a pair of Honda Prelude seats (from a '92 model) and so far they are a gigantic improvement...feel like Barcaloungers compared to the Corbeaus.
I did lose a bit of headroom but don't actually touch the roofliner and the superior fit/comfort level is worth it to me. I used the stock FC seat tracks- stock tracks are "double locking", both sides have retaining pawls where the Corbeau sliders only lock one side and leave the other free- but may try the lower profile Corbeau tracks if headroom begins to bother me.

Basically, I've found that you must compromise if headroom is an issue.
Either ditch the sliders, which gains about an inch altogether or sit on a very thin seat pad and hope you don't get buttsore after a few hours of highway droning.

All this assumes you're interested in a "simple" install.
Modifying the floorpan would open up a world of possibilities but is not an easy job.

Most of this pertains to the driver seat...the passenger side is a whole 'nother can of worms.
Go pull your stock passenger seat out and see what I'm talking about...

 

Get the Turbo II and lean the seat back a bit. Its been a while since I pulled a headliner out of a fc, but you could possibly ditch the headliner for a bit more room.