hi, im new to this board, im just here for my bro, he's buyin his first car soon (under a grand) and is dead set on gettin a rx7. however, he has locally found a pile of an FB (81gsl) that the guy is askin 600 for it runs good, but is a bondo buggy, and needs a clutch. im askin for u guys to help me convince him to wait untill he can find a 2 gen in his price range. tell me, what are the benefits of an fc vs fb?

 

Actually, for a first car, I would take an FB over an FC. The "bondo buggy" thing sounds bad though. The FC is cheaper and easier to work on, more reliable, and frankly more fun to drive. The FC is marginally faster, but the FB is easier to mod to make fast. The style is a lot more "dated," although I wouldn't call the FC modern either. Either of those are decent cars, but the FB has some positive advantages for a first car.

Brad

 

the fb is really more reliable over an fc!? even with the cars age?

so y is it more fun to drive?

any more opionions please?

 

the FB is ~2300 lbs and it doesnt have all of the hyped up electronic bullshit that makes cars hard to work on. yeah they were underpowered but that is easy to fix and it has great lines, get a good paint job and the mariah kit + a carbuerated 20B and you will stomp most FCs on the road

it will also teach him that its what is under the hood that makes it fun, not the windshield sprayer LEDs

Justin

 

the FB is lighter and more tail happy, and MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH easier to work on than an FC.

Here's an idea:
Engine swap on my '90 TurboII: Few days ~ 20 hrs labor
Engine swap on my '80 RX-7 race car: One hour out, one hour in.

 

Don't buy a "bondo" buggy FB, it will be nothing but trouble and won't be worth the gas you put into it.

FCs are pretty reliable as long as they have been taken care of. The electronic stuff isn't complicated at all, and is quite reliable. You'll find that most electrical (at least, engine electrical) problems in FCs are caused by backyard hack mechanics that have no idea what they are doing.

 

actually don't first gens have like 120hp and second gens like 160?

 

Aaroncake are you suggesting i'm a hack???



i was just saying that carbuerated engines are much easier to work than FI

Justin

 

This is making me want an FB

 

No, not saying you're a hack...

But carberated (however it is spelled) engines are not necessarily easier. The carb is a dumb device, unable to take care of itself. At least the FI system (besides being several orders of magnatude more efficient) is self adjusting and healing (save for the TPS).

 

hmm, so maybe he should just offer him 400 for hte thing and do the clutch ourselvs. we can tell that its been rusty and bondo has been used, it allmost looks like it's paintjob was spraypainted (yellow)... it wont be a show or go car... just a kids first car... (hell i started with a beater buick lesabre, now im in the process of selling my prelude and gettin a 240) anyhoo i guess we will see if the guy takes our offer. but im sure there will be hardly any resale value...

but ive never worked on a carberated before.... i guess its about time.

 

i heard that the first gens with the 12A had 100hp...while the GSL-SE had the 13B which put out 135...after i went from my 85 rex to the 88...the power difference to me was like whoa!

 

aaron, i was jsut kiddin about the hack thing, i dont need you to tell me what i already know

the reason i think that carbuerated is easier is because i can fix or make jsut about anything that is mechanical but i dont understand computer programming. i can do all kinds of electrical stuff as long as it doesnt require resistors/capacitors/etc.... its jsut easier for me

Justin

 

first gen = 1 rotor
second gen = 2 rotors
third gen = 2 rotors + 2 turbos
why didnt third gens have 3 rotors and 2 turbos?
that question alwayz makes me think

 

GOOD ONE!!!

PS, they all had 2 rotors man.
LMFAO

 

who says first gens run on 1 rotor??? mazda production engine have always been 2.. unless somebody can correct me

 

did mazda every make a lawnmower?

 

i actually find working on 1st gens to be a pain in my *** lol, i really think FC's are easier to work on, but maybe thats cuz ive spent more time with them, oh well lol, my base is at 180k and still kicking pretty hard

 

1st gen with 12A=100hp 105TQ
1st gen with 13B=135hp 133TQ
86-88 2nd gen n/a 13B=146hp 138TQ
89-91 2nd gen n/a 13B=160hp 140TQ
86-88 2nd gen turbo=182hp 180TQ
89-91 2nd gen turbo=200hp 198TQ

 

1st gen with 12A=100hp 105TQ 89-91
2nd gen n/a 13B=160hp 140TQ
The FC is more than "marginally faster"

 

Hmm me being fc biased would go with an fc just on looks the only thing an fb has on looks is all the reasonably cheap widebody kits the fc has less kits but is still an eyecatcher when driving down the road...

 

It's also 2900 lbs. vs. the 2400 of the FB. It's MARGINALLY faster. And, the FB is easier to mod.

Brad

 

Any of them will make you happy.
They're all RX-7s.

 

Don't the S4 n/as weigh ~2600lbs? The gsl-se weigths ~2500 right? That would be the fairer comparison. So we're talking about a 100 pound difference.

 

well now we found an 88, 13b, 101k mi, good brakes/clutch, no rust (prev owner bought it down south) runs good, but doesnt idle what could the prob be with that? its an hour away, we might go check it out, hes askin 1100. he cant afford to do any major engine work if he got that one.