Funniest thing ever said about any of my NA FCs: "I bet it's fast huh?"

 

Yesterday I was at Canadian Tire filling up the car with fuel for the last time this season, because later in the day the car was to be stored for the winter.

I pulled into the pump area, revving the engine a little more than usual. It was, after all, the last time I'd be driving the car for a while. When I got out of the car, the kid in front of me said "Sounds good!"

At which point I have my standard "Thanks. A little over 500 wheel horsepower"

Thus started the conversation. I was just getting the fuel stabilizer out of the car as we walked over and started looking the car up and down. I'm a nice guy, I stopped what I was doing to show him the car.

He said something like "Those have airplane engines"
To which I replied "That's a common misconception. You're referring to a radial piston engine, while RX-7s have Wankel rotarys"

As I was saying this, I opened up the hood and explained about the engine. He had some questions, including asking what the BOV was, and overall it was a nice conversation. He went in to pay for his fuel, and I stated metering out the 200ML of fuel stabilizer that needed to go into the tank. As I was doing so, he came back and said:

"You know what you should do?"
Me: "What's that?"
"Let me take it around the block!"

The request stunned me for a second, and it took some willpower for my answer not to be outright laughter. Sure, I'm just going to hand some sketchy kid at Canadian Tire, who drives a rusted out Blazer with a red Cherry Bomb glasspack literally clamped to the tailpipe, the keys to my 500HP RX-7.

Instead I have a half-hearted casual laugh and told him that since I have owned this car for 12 years, no one but me has driven it and that won't change anytime soon. It's also not just a car that a person can jump in and handle, because someone that isn't familiar with a high HP lightweight vehicle (not neutered by electronic nannies) would have it sideways into a pole before it left the parking lot.

We talked a little bit more about how the car has caused one of my friends to lose bladder control, and how a man with a supercharged ZR1 now thinks his car is slow after going for a ride, and how I have traction problems at the top of 4th gear. He went on his way as I started filling the tank.

A pleasant conversation, generally, but really, how a random person thinks that I'd say "Sure, go ahead! Take it around the block!" is beyond my understanding.

 

^you know that reminds me i had the reverse conversation with a fellow FD owner, he flagged me over as im going home on the highway, and older guy but not OLD, middle aged i suppose

he tells me he just got a turbo 20b swap and he said it just didnt feel right to him, so he continues to tell me he wants me to drive it to see how it compares to my car

needless to say my jaw dropped mentally lol, saddly i didnt get the chance because he was late for work...but who in their right mind stops a complete stranger just because they have the same car and tells them they want you to drive their 600 hp turbo 20b FD because it feels funny

now im a responsible person, i do work on cars for a living so i no the etiquette on driving peoples cars, but im still 22 so the average person usually looks at me like im a reckless *******...which is why he shocked me even more lol

 

I don't get to many ppl talking to me about my car, something about a mowhawk makes them feel uneasy hahah. I do get a lot of dirty looks while dumping oil in the gas tank. One guy did yell that my "4 cylinder" sucks??

 

My car is often called putt-putt....Don't know why. its a streetported NA with a full Racing Beat exhaust.

Delaware is really lame. i never get any attention with my car other than dirty looks for its loudness and when they go around me cause of the exhaust fumes.

 

Was looking for the spark plugs locally the other day and I went into advance auto parts. I asked for spark plugs for an 87 rx7, and I get "Thats a Honda or a nissan?"

Suppose its no worse than every other time I need parts for my talon. The old guy that works at O'Reillys never remembers me and allways looks up parts for an AMC Eagle. Finally just started asking him if one of my friends is available.

 

i was advance auto today, had the hood open showing of my gilmer drive w/ power steering pulley and ford taurus efan that i installed today and an older guy goes
"nice v-6, mine had a 4 cyl so yours must be a sport model".... him
um sir this is a rotary... me
o you mean a 4 cly
no i mean it doesnt have pistons....
thats impossible kid, you musta just bought this car -him
nope i've had this car for quite a few years and built it myslef -me
well kid all engines have pistons, you are just misinformed about cars and i bet you paid someone to do all the work on your car - him
so i pulled out my phone showed him what rotary engines are and then someone told the guys that i did in fact build this car my self. he turned red and told me that my car doesnt matter cuz its an import anyways..... just gotta love ppl. i was nothing but respectful.

 

LOL ^




Zoran_Savic: "3mm apex seals, huh?... You know with 3mm apex seals the engine needs to be rebuilt every 10,000 miles."

 

I had my front bumper off my car and my mom sees the fmic and says "oh your radiator looks pretty."

 

Because that is what its called. Probably has something to do with this Guy :

Felix Wankel

 

Was at one of the local autoparts stores when some guy runs in and says "hey kid that giant metal air filter on your rice burner is getting wet" I had to resist the urge to inform him his G8 was an Australian vehicle and that my car was built in Normal Illinois.

Its mostly the same.
"What is that a vee six twin turrrboooo" - no its only got one turbo and its probably the same as the one on your dodge but I hit full boost before you cross the line
"Stupid little toy car" - this stupid little toy car runs 7s in 1/8th and traps higher than most v-8s running the same times
"haw haw this kids tryna ta race a 4 cylinder" - I've gotten this in literally every import I've ever driven For some reason rednecks think anything from japan or europe has a 4 cylinder in it.

Basically if it isn't ford, gm, or mopar and doesn't weigh at least 3000 lbs its not a "real" car.

 

technically speaking she's correct...

 

+1

Wankel engine is it's official name.

 

Yeah, even my aircraft maintenance textbooks refer to it as a Wankel engine instead of a Rotary.

And to who mentioned about Rx7's having aircraft engines, he was partially right, but also, water cooled V12's made it into aircraft, (Merlin's anyone?) turbo diesel straight sixes, and even V8's on amateur builds, so hes not incorrect, rotaries were tested briefly, but the added weight savings weren't enough to combat the fuel usage, add in the common misconception about rotary unreliability, I doubt I'll ever see one fly, unless I build it myself...

Plus add in the factor that rotaries rarely catastrophically fail would give some added redundancy to a single engine layout.

 

 

"That thing don't have vtech"

 

So my friends know I call my RX7 a Porsche because lol poormansporsche, when I point my car out to other people telling them is a porsche, they usually look crossed and think I'm a idiot. Then they either to proceeded to tell me I'm an idiot and that it's a RX7 or they just walk away.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOwb8QRHrMY

 

OMG! A Rotary gyrocopter! I love it! I've flown Cessna 150's, and at first that was freaky enough, but my god would I **** myself flying that thing!

 

Pull up to a red light.

Guy in truck: HEY!!(FLAILING his arms at me). Does it have an SR?

Me: No this is an RX7.

Guy in Truck: Oh! Have you blown your apex seals yet? He laughs and rolls up the window.

Comment from my dad.
Dad: I saw your old car yesterday.
Me O really?
Dad: Yeah, you know, the one with refrigerator on the front bumper.
Me: I burst out laughing.

 

that is awesome

 

I kinda have the opposite of that story. My old roommate loved my fc and knew how much I loved mine so he bought himself one. Only lasted about 3 months before he sold it for a work truck. Well he moves to Texas, and sure enough I see his car... although when I call him, he was like, so who was driving it. To where I replied, "It was on a trailer. "

 

To which I replied......

 

i guess i can contribute to this now. since a certain instance repeated itself 3 times with the same person.

i work in Lomita and stop by at the 76 gas on western/lomita blvd. every so often for gas and snacks.

day 1

*pumping gas.* random guy comes up to me.

him: hey man. is that your 7?
me: uhhh. yea im pumping the gas in it. *smirk*
him: how much do you want for it?
me: im not looking to...
him: *cuts me off* Cuz i got an S5 and i want to get my girl one too!
me: thats great im sure you both will love trying to keep it running.
him: alrighty man i see you "around"
me: eh?


couple weeks later.
day 2
im driving home on lomita blvld and a white buick * i think it was a buick* pacing me in the next lane. i look over and its the same guy with his lady and kid and giving me the thumbs the up and mouthing the words "i have one too!"


this past friday
i pull up to the same the gas station getting gas but im at the cashier paying for it.

him: hey man is that your s4 out there?
me: uhh yea.
him: yea i remember you. ive seen you driving around this area alot.
me: well i work right down the street and i think i saw you a few days ago in a buick with a girl?
cuts me off
him: yea that was me! nice i have had like four of them but im saving up for a TII. you know of any meets in the area?
me: well have you been to the L&L meet in gardena? Jaime goes there alot. hes well known.
him: yea i know him, i didnt like that meet too much tho.
me: oh yea? well there is the torrance crossroads meet too. have you been there?
him: yea. not my kinda thing either.

im thinking at this point why are we still talking then?

him: have you been the meet at the Hawaiian place in gardena?
me: you mean the L&L one in gardena?
him: yea that one! im gonna make my own meet. in the area.
me: well good luck with that. i mean there are already 2 pretty close by. you should get on the forum and get known in the community.
him: uhhh yea. well later.

not even worth mentioning but i feel like it wont be the last i will see of him. funny tho he mentioned that he had an s5 and apparently wants another but sold it or something. man i dont know. these random encounters are killing me.

 

Id start looking behind you, as well as under your car when you get in it...