Rx7roadtrip

I'm looking into possibly getting an FC/FB as a long-distance (3000+ mile) road trip car, going from Sacramento, CA to Pikes Peak, CO. Would a <$5000 FC be a good choice for this?

I've heard mixed things about FC reliability, but I'm sure it depends on the previous owner- Would $5000 be enough for a decent, reliable(ish) example or would it likely need a rebuild? MPG is also somewhat important given the distance, could these do over 23 mpg on the highway?
Given the choice, I would likely go for the vert for the open-top experience, but I haven't heard good things about power and handling. Would a vert still be fun to drive?

Overall, I'm between a FB/FC RX-7 or a NA/NB Miata or Del Sol at this point. I think for my budget I'd be able to find a decent example of these, but what is most important to me is which would be the most fun to drive. I've liked rotaries for a while now and have been looking to get one, but I want to make sure that I am making the right choice for the trip and my budget.
Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

dguy

iTrader: (8)

Buy the Del Sol.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

you money means nothing. you have to realize every Rx7 was driven like they were stolen and then parked when the owners got bored or whatever.
so its very rare that any Rx7 has been maintained (and if it was no FC owner keeps any records for some reason). plus these things are OLD.

basically you need to factor in some time and a little money to fix the stuff that the previous owner didn't mention.

i personally really like the Verts, they are slow, but they are also really refined, its more grown up than you'd expect. handling is still fine on the vert.

i usually get 18-22mpg (knock a couple off if its a turbo), but my driving is usually mixed, so all freeway 23 is possible.

Manny_Apex

iTrader: (1)

I'm struggling to make sense of this post.

To answer your question, all of those cars would be HORRIBLE road trip cars, but that's my opinion. There's a difference between choosing a road trip car as something that'll strictly be driving for road trips versus driving whatever you have because that's what you have to drive.
Two questions I have for you are A). Do you even have a car? And B). Is this a one time road trip, or something you're going to be doing frequently?

Hot_Dog

So, Sacramento to Pikes Peak is only about half that or 1500 miles. I used to take my S5 on about 750 mile (~2000 mile r/t) road trips about twice a year. I would drive non-stop (about 12 hours) from the DC area to the Chicago area to visit with family. I would drive through the Appalachian mountains in western MD, WV and southeastern OH. My S5 non-turbo was a dog going through those "mountains". Had to keep shifting back and fourth through the gears to keep my speed up. Obviously, your trip would be worse. I used to live in NM many years ago and hate to think what it would be like climbing mountains that are 12,000 feet high in my RX7. Keeping the RPM's up obviously used a lots of gas, which isn't cheep nowadays. Secondly, the cockpit is small and the seat does not provide much leg support. So, you'll be hurting or at least stiff after a day of driving. My car is in pretty good shape mechanically, but I'm also the original owner. So yes, I consider my car reliable and would not hesitate taking it on a long road trip, but not through the mountains. Usually, nowadays I'll just rent a car to use on a road trip to keep from adding miles on my RX7. On a trip like you're planning, I'd just rent a car.

Rx7roadtrip

Yes I have 2 80s/90s cars and am mechanically experienced which is why I'm even considering this.

I know it's very impractical, a wagon or truck would be much better, I want to drive a sports car so I can enjoy the drive and the back roads along the way.

I want a car for road trips and a weekends, I have a larger daily and another 2 seat project car, an 84 Fiero- sat for 23 years and I got it running, driving, and legal.

Planning on a one time trip, around 3000 miles total. If it goes well I might consider another.

I posted this because I like rotaries and the RX-7 even if they are impractical, and I want to know if I should keep an eye out for a good one if one pops up when I'm searching.

Rx7roadtrip

A rented car would definitely make more sense, but I'm going into this trip a lot for the journey in the car itself, I would like for it to be interesting and fun to drive.

It sounds like for most of these options comfort will be an issue. I figure because I'm young I had might as well do this trip when I can bear the lack of amenities and comfort as doing a trip like this in an older sports car has been something I've wanted to do for a while.

In my distance calculations I'm figuring on a round trip, it'll have to make it back as well, which makes gas mileage a bigger factor.

Thank you for all the advice, I think at this point I'll be looking for a Del Sol or Miata unless a particularly well-kept RX-7 pops up for sale. Doesn't sound like I'll probably be able to find a good one in that price range though.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

oh why did you say so? the FC is way easier than that. your chance of finding an FC that has been maintained are still near zero though

DR_Knight

iTrader: (23)

Yeah fc’s are reliable once you’ve gone through everything with a fine tooth comb.

new gaskets, new rubber, are the fuel injectors leaking? Is the engine harness frail, cracked and could short? What about the body harness? Are the hydraulics good? Clutch have life? All the suspension bushings and arms in good working order?


And btw, I’ve pulled apart lots of sitting fc engines to find pitting on the irons, oil control rings dry rotted, requiring a rebuild including some new/used internals. Friend gave me a s5 t2 car that sat complete for 13 years and this is the condition of the engine.

add in the stupid jdm cool car tax on parts…. If they’re even available because owners like myself have learned to hoard them. So at that point you’re starting with a factory original fc with ~150k miles for around $5k which needs a lot of work to be refreshed.

it’s a fun car though. I’m just glad I put money into mine over the past 13 years, so I’m not paying todays outrageous used parts prices.

cluosborne

I can definitely attest that an FC can do a road trip and I did it in mine in 2006 and covered 5000 miles in two weeks. But, that was after I did fluids and filters and a few years after a rebuilt engine was put in. The car had nearly 120,000 miles on it at the time. Average MPG was 23-26 cruising cross country and ran just fine on regular (mine's an NA).

I still have the car, which now has 164k+ miles on it, and I wouldn't hesitate to take it on another cross-country road trip. But that's only because I've kept maintaining it and refurbished systems (I completely overhauled the suspension in 2017 and replaced the transmission with a rebuilt unit last year).

Oh and I do keep records on what I do with the car thank you very much. If anything, I've been going full circle on getting the car slowly back to factory appearance and only upgrading where needed. I recently changed out a yellow Momo horn button for a subtler black and silver one and cleaned, refurbished and reinstalled the factory seats (aftermarket ones are positioned too high and thin shell ones are either too expensive or not meant for street use).

It's not so much the cost of the car, but its condition and what you're willing to put into it. The engine's maintenance is especially critical and the car's weak point whether turbo or naturally aspirated but especially the turbo ones. If the engine has been rebuilt or replaced and has been maintained (with receipts and records) then I'd say go for it.

But if you're looking for something that just requires routine maintenance and has a good chance of making it 1500-2000 miles sight unseen, get the Miata or the Del Sol because their original engines will last longer. I'd go for the Miata only because they are more plentiful than the FC or the Del Sol and parts are easier to find. Regardless, they are old cars and you are taking a chance no matter what. Be prepared to turn a wrench or pay a reputable shop that knows rotaries if you go the FC route.

That said, I would consider any of these cars to be a fun platform to learn on and have fun.