my research.... questions for all you car nuts!
 

my fc is going on sale =/ anyways, i'm currently in a research class and i have to create a research, so i decided to have it be... why people choose the cars they drive... so if you could answer it to the best of your ability it would be awesome! Why people choose the type of vehicle they drive?"
the purpose of my research is to determine the reasoning why people choose certain vehicle and what factors they consider when choosing a vehicle whether its, size, social pressure, environmental concern, performance, cost, income, image/status, etc etc basically i'm trying to figure out the decision process to your vehicle choice, and what makes people choose the car they do. ... Thanks! answer it however you like, this is for my research class, please also list your gender, age, and occupation... all this will be kept private, i'm too lazy to make up data or run around collecting it in person ...THANKS! ... almost forgot list the car type(make/model/color/year/classification 2 door, 4 door, sports,engine etc etc basically w/e you know about it), and how you obtain it! also how often you drive and do you love driving? please just answer it to the best of your abilities. im sure you guys wont have trouble doing so =) :icon_tup:

I guess I will start. I got to know RX7's when I was in high school and one of my good friends had an N/A with Racing Beat exhaust. I got to ride in it a few times, it was fast and I loved the way it looked and felt. Fast forward two years and I was living in Santa Cruz driving my graduation present (88 Plymouth Sundance Auto). I saw a 1990 N/A 5sp parked in front of Safeway one day and initially thought of it for a friend who had just had an accident. My friend passed on it and I saw it sitting for about a week, then the price was slashed from 1,800 to 1,000. I couldn't pass it up so I borrowed 1,000 from a friend and went and got it. When I was checking it out for the first time once started and talking to the owner it actually ran out of gas, luckily there was a station across the street. I had barely driven a manual before, but I learned fast. I learned everything I know about mechanics because of that car and all the stuff I did; and had to do, to it. I drove it for 3 years and 70,000+ miles. It never stranded me once. Even when I blew the engine it still got me home!

I fell in love with my 10th AE about 7-8 months before I got to buy it. I heard from a friend that there was an RX7 his dad was interested in sitting behind a local motel. I instantly went and checked it out and to my surprise it was a sweet 10th AE. I could barely contain myself talking to the owner who knew nothing about 7's. He wanted to get it running but had too much on his plate. He initially said no to getting rid of it and I left without knowing if I would ever get to buy it. Well about 7-8 months later I see that it is still sitting in the same spot and I figured it couldn't hurt to ask him again. Well this time he needed money and wanted it out of his lot so I offered him $500 and to get it out that day and he said ok. He was very cool and gave me all the manuals and an envelope that the previous owner had kept receipts in. Once I got it home I finally had my baby where it was meant to be. I promptly locked my keys into it and went to get a spare key and that is where my N/A engine blew. It made it all the way until I got my 10th AE, I couldn't have asked for more from it. Like I said though it still got me home. My 10th AE didn't run for two months but I wanted to do it right.
I have since put about 10,000 miles on it and a few drag events. It's so much fun and makes me smile every time I drive it. I am so glad I got into 7's and I will always love them. My N/A sits waiting for a new engine. Hope this wasn't too much reading.

This will sound strange, but I've always been led to my cars... They chose me. Each car I've bought for different reasons.
After I graduated college, had a real life corporate job and treated myself with the car I'd missed the most. The FC.

Sex: Male
Age: 28
Occupation: Media Artist

Year/Make/Model: 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
Color: Black
Price: 4000
Reason Bought: Sentimental
Driving Frequency: Daily
Enjoyed Driving: Hold On For DEAR LIFE!
Summary: I bought it for some sentimental reasons, and because I had the money to create the beast I never could with my first T2. This is the only car I intentionally sought out. I knew I was going to buy an FC, and I knew it was going to be a project car for me.


Here is my little template...

Year/Make/Model:
Color:
Price:
Reason Bought:
Driving Frequency:
Enjoyed Driving:
Summary:

Having taken Marketing Research Methods, I can appreciate how potentially time consuming such a project could be and am glad to help.

I didn't have much choice with either of my first 2 cars. First was a 97 Civic DX auto, had a slight "misunderstanding" on an offramp due the understeer prone nature of FailWheelDrive. I then started doing research into mods to correct said problem, which led me to the conclusion that the car wasn't really worth modding.

Went to college, civic got wrecked (hooray for drunken FSU girls...:icon_no2:) I was leaving for internship right after so I didn't have time to wait for the insurance company to pay up. I ended up w/ a 99 Camry LE, fine car, but way to boring, and still FWD.

I'd always loved FD's, so I looked and looked, and a Failed Nigerian internet scam later I realized there were none to be had in my price range:(. So I researched alternatives, first an AE86, but there's not much a community outside of Cali. Then I started lurking in the FC section of this site and found that they're pretty cool in their own right.

Got back from internship and sold the Camry on Ebay, and bought my first FC which supposedly had a fresh rebuild......that needed subsequent rebuilding...and apparently a brake MC cuz it died at the top of a hill. Since the motor was new but it needed body work I decided to see if I could find a straight shell for less that what the paint/body work would cost. Not only did I find a shell, but one w/ a running motor! I sold the motor out of the first FC, and just drive the "shell"

Sex: Male
Age: 24
Occupation: Student/ Automotive Service Advisor

Year/Make/Model: 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
Color: Black
Price: 2500
Reason Bought: RWD / Performance
Driving Frequency: Daily
Enjoyed Driving: Life is in the corners
Summary: I bought it because I was fascinated w/ the rotary engine, sick of FWD family cars and wanted something w/ performance. I couldn't afford and FD, and the FC is one of the best sports car bargains out there.

Honestly thank you, after reading this it hurts me to know i have to get rid of my fc =/ even driving an e90 3 series doesn't cut close. I will have to write ten pages on the data you guys have provided once again thank you! Anyone else care to share?

Sex: Male
Age: 24
Occupation: Graphic Artist/Ad Designer

Sex: Male
Age: 20
Occupation: Student/ Ice Cream Stand by Summer

Year/Make/Model: 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
Color: Black
Miles: 128K
Price: 700 plus 3000 in engine rebuild
Reason Bought: Support from this forum, 80's looks, cheap performance, unique

Year/Make/Model: 2001 Chrysler Town & Country EX
Color: Silver
Miles: 90K
Price: 7000
Reason Bought: Massive hauling room, people carrier, decent gas mileage, "flies under the radar":twitch:

Driving Frequency: Daily driving gets split pretty equally between my 7 and my van
Enjoyed Driving: Lets say that if it has wheels and an engine I love it.

Summary: My first car was a 98 Toyota Camry LE. 4cyl leather automatic. 50k miles on it when I got it from my grandmother. Probably the perfect car for a new driver, however, I hated that car with a burning passion. It was so sensible and slow, it was just plain boring. Car has no unique styling, being an automatic was a bore to drive, not to mention the thrilling race tuned suspension that the car DIDN'T have. I beat the shit out of the car for 10K miles then sold it for $6.5k, and purchased the car I had dreamed of for years. A minivan. Yes, I have a passion for minivans. I went to dealerships, stopping in with my dad, asking to see vans, they salesmen would always say "oh you are in a band? our cargo vans are in the back of the lot over here." or "Are you sure? we have some great SUV's in stock right now." Sorry guys, nope I want a minivan, dual sliding doors, captains seats and a V6. Finally I found I managed to find a 3rd generation Town&Country, loaded up with all sorts of goodies from a small dealership in Massachusetts, and I drove it home the next week. Immedately I began to tailor the van to the party mobile I had always envisioned, added a pretty decent sound system, and loaded it up with all my friends every weekend and went out on adventures. I had always known that the van would be very accommodating, comfortable, and able to transport just about anything. Little did I know the full extent of the van's versatility. I can easily fit my entire 14' catamaran on the roof and go out for a day of sailing with some buddies, or I can carry all of my and another kids stuff for going off to college with the seats taken out. Excursions are huge and everything but I am convinced they dont have anywhere near the usable interior space that the Van does. On top of all of this, the van has a 3.6L V6 pushing about 200hp to the front wheels, needless to say it is more than enough power to light up the front tires and lay some pretty serious minivan rubber.

However after driving it for a year/year and a half, I needed something that could be tossed around in the corners. Over my first year in College I met a buddy who had an '88 10th Anniversary RX-7, I pretty much immedately fell in love with the car and began scouring the internet for months to find the right deal in the New England area. I found my gem through this forum, it was located in New Hampshire, blown engine, couple rust spots, but it was a turbo. So I took a trip home one weekend while my family was on vacation in Hawaii and rented a Uhaul and towed the thing back to my house and left it in the driveway. I spent last summer learning how to work on cars and rebuilt the engine myself. Mind you before I worked on my RX-7 I had never even so much as done an oil change myself before, I actually did my first oil change on my van on the same day I cracked the engine block apart on the 7. My parents, friends, and anyone who learned about my "project" had little faith that the 7 would ever drive on the roads again. However as my first summer came to a close, I actually got it to start on the fresh rebuild, and drove it down to the end of my driveway (it stalled there and we had to tow it back). But none the less I had driven it. Then it was back to school and the car was parked for the winter. I came back from last semester and tied up some loose ends, about a month into the summer the car was registered and insured and I was slowly accumulating miles on the rebuilt engine. After standing in the engine bay, I was slowly equalizing the time spent working on the car with hours spent driving it. It has been one of the most rewarding, educating, and gratifying things I have ever done. Finally driving a car that I essentially put together myself, and it drives like almost any regular car! This doesnt even get into the pure joy of actually driving the thing, I am still in break in, so getting into boost hasn't really happened yet, but driving a stick and having the ability to corner and not have the car roll over is an amazing feeling. The exhilaration is unmatched with anything else I've done.

Basically what it comes down to is that I could have compromised and purchased one sporty utilitarian type car like a Volvo V70R or a Subaru outback, but it would be like getting the jack of all trades and master of none. So instead I have my reliable van which is a blast to ride around with a bunch of friends blaring music, and my RX7 which is a blast to just cruise and tear around corners.

+1 for no compromises and doing what others thought you couldn't (parents especially)

thanks! follow up question, are any you guys concern w/ fuel consumption? ;)

Sex: Male
Age: 25
Occupation: Chemist

Year/Model: '88 Convertible
Color: Red
Price: $3000
Reason Bought: Best car I could find in my price range & how unique it was.
Driving Frequency: Daily
Enjoyed Driving: One of the few true sports cars.
Summary: I bought the car when I was 17 (first car), and didn't know a thing about rotaries at the time. 8 years and every spare dollar later, the car is in even better condition & a lot faster :icon_tup:. It will never be sold.

Sex: Male
Age: 18
Occupation: Student and Laser Shows

Year/Make/Model: 1987 Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
Color: Maroon
Reason Bought: Fit my criteria and fell in love with
Driving Frequency: Daily
Summary: Drove a 68 bug. Wanted to put a rotary in it. During research, I fell in love with the FC. It's not the end all to end all of sports cars but at this point in my life it's the best cross between price, performance, ease of acquiring parts, and FUN. I found a lead that could possibly result in a good car, looked in my checking and had enough, put my bug up for sale, sold the bug, went to look at the car, drove it home. I'll eventually upgrade to something more modern and reliable as a daily when I get the money (something with 4 seats, maybe 4 doors but still sporty of course) but will never sell the FC in order to do so.

Good luck with your research!

I am not the least bit concerned with fuel consumption. I have 3 different fuels in my car! (91 octane, TCW-3, Methanol)

Most of my cars have been hogs, that's why the wife has a Honda ;)

After statements like this, I am surprised that anyone is willing to help you.

You couldn't even bother to properly spell, punctuate and capitalize your post and even state that you are too lazy to make up a proper questionnaire which would result in a valid dataset.

Year/Make/Model:1986 GXL T2 swap 45k on motor
Color:white
Price:200$ no i did not miss a 0
Reason Bought:FUNNNNN
Driving Frequency:daily
Enjoyed Driving: no words can express the joy
Summary:

people drive cars for different reasons. for me i bought my first RX-7 when i was 15. the motor went when i brought it home but i only paid 800 for it and sold it for a grand. enough said! Then came my 85 GSL SE. man that was a car, fast, light responsive. after my frist rx-7 i wanted to learn more about the motor and car. i already know a crap load about mechanics as i am in an apprentic ship for one. The motor's are unique in many ways thats why i am so attracted the these cars. now i own a 86 gxl that i swapeed the t2 motor rear end tranny and everything else even down to the idiot cluster. I became so obsessed with how the motors feel and run. The unique sound that they produce. to steal a quote from a sig i saw "you can pick out the sound of a rotary from one in one thousand". Its the history of the motor and car itself that interest me as well. Felix started when he was 16 in a dream and made it come true dispite the trouble he had during the war. The car is so unique, its so beautifull. there is notting else like it on the planet. everyone will tell you something different but you have to love what you have. same reason guys buy a ferrari or a lambo. its because they love the car. i would have to say (not to bash any ferrari owners) that our cars are more unique. sure they may not have a name built up by rich people and money, but the history of ours is just that, unique. The mazda rx7 has won many awards, races, and car shows. the reason i love mine is simple and this goes for rx7 lovers all over the world. our cars are not over priced ferraries that people are to scared to modify and will ply half way around the world to pick up an emblem because theres got stolen. our cars are built not bought, and just like mine noone will have the same thing as me. we are not scared to modify our cars, we work on them. This is my rant as to why every summer on that first nice day i act like a mad man run as fast as i can to my local inssurance group, pick up my plates run my ass home, bolt on my plate, roll down my driveway and feel like a kid agian. That is what a car should do!

Always wanted to have butt sex with Rye Takahashi, buying a white fc was the closest I could get.