D1GP

Sup all, I'm new. I was really interested in getting an S14 240sx but due to the rarity in my area and price, i've been considering the FC3S, which i can get for 2-5000..... so cheap. I want to make it a drift car (and no im not some idiot who just watched Initial D). I dont know a damn thing about RX-7 and rotaries. I want to know how reliable a rotary is, i heard it was ez to rebuild one. I also want to know the strengths and weaknesses of the FC.
Thanks all, i hope to get to know you and learn.
Peace

goblues24

fc has 50/50 weight ratio...and can be very exciting and easy to handle....once you get used to its breaking points...also the fc has some real low end torque issues..using this against your interest in drifting...

as far as reliablity....if you get any used car its tought ot know whats going on in the engine as far as wear and tear...if you get an fc your looking at upwards of 13 or so years of wear....and maintenance is a huge detail that needs to be followed...so depending on the car you get...well it could blow in a week just like any car..but rotaries have been known to last along time without significant performance loss if they are maintained religiously from the get go..heard many stories of 200,000 mile rotaries..running strong..at the same time ive heard alot of stories of nissans and toyotas high end engines lasting as long too...due to maintance...you should really do your homework on what it takes to make a rotary last as it is alot different than a piston engine..you are lucky to have the internet on your side...if you do proper web searches you can get enough info and testimonials of rotary owners to keep you online for days on end rotaries can be very reliable and bulletproof if you know whats going on inside and how to recognize when you need to twaek them or all the little bitty things that have a huge impact on how it runs..**** it is barely a friction producing engine..comparitively speaking to a piston engine..but at the same time so many little things like vaccuum hoses and stuff can cause terrible engine blowouts..if not recognized soon enough..the rotary just has many more systems in place to make it function than a piston engine uses...the more informed you are the better decision you can make

mtl x7

i can tell from your user name that you were gonna drift it...
for me, i thought the 240sx was common...i was gonna get one until i saw my seven for $1000 mwhahah
for some people, once they got their hands on a seven, they'll never let it go...

strenghts:
R X 7
not many people have them
looks pimp
almost perfect 50-50 blance
smooth handling

weakness:
the rear has little to no room for other people haha
not many aftermarket aero kits..most are japanese = expensive
cold starts sometimes get annoying to fix
heres a page that lists more problems with the fc
http://www.johnr.com/rx7faq/faq2.html

read the FAQ's above this section to learn more

mtl x7

and yeah there are alot of people that got into drift because initial D...i dunno why, the show isnt that great...and i always thought the camera angles sucked...
those are sometimes the people that get thier **** wrecked...

btw what car do you have right now?

D1GP

lol, i love initial d, but i love drifting b4 that. it's actually based on real facts and all.
the car i have rite now, hhmmmmmmmm im driving mah parents old 84 toyota compact truck lol

D1GP

thx for all the facts goblues24. is there any way to fix the low end torque issues?

and y the hell r fcz so cheap? they're sport cars and sport cars never go so cheap. i found a 92 for like 1000....... ummmmmm wtf?

and i went to that site w/ rx-7 problems.... seems like alot....... mechanical are ez to fix but most seem to be electrical.. blaaaaaaaaaa

cloead

Yea, a v8 swap.

cloead

92? are you in japan?


anyways if you buy an fc be prepared to work on it.


i paid 3700 for my 88 t2.. and theres still work to be done, mainly electrical.

1987RX7guy

iTrader: (3)

Cloead GO TO YOUR ROOM

D1GP

hmmmmm if i wanted a v8 i wouldnt have gone to an rx7 would i? i wont disgrace the rotary w/ a v8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hmmmm i got 5000 budget, if i buy one for 2500, would the other 2500 be enuff to get it into safe, reliable, good conditioN?

mtl x7

yep

anyextee47

some parts might seem pricey but with 5g you should have no problem getting a good fc. i got mine for 1600 in fair condition and some people might still say i paid to much. i guess they're so cheap because they're so uncommon and most people don't know thier capability.

goblues24

well fcs are so cheap cuz of the same reason dvd players are so cheap now, when they were introduced they were expensive..then other people offered the same thing at a lower price..now they are cheap.....its a matter of supply and demand...and of coarse technology...technology dictates the pricing just like a tracking of pentium computers or the like..if you buy the hottest computer right now...in a few months technology will pass it by...and you could get the same thing for much less...fcs only hold their value as well as they do because of special interest and because they have an innovation or introduction to new technology, that noone has mass duplicated..hence the rotary engine...given it is now 12 or so years old...and now a v-4 can accomplish what a 13 b can..but the v4 will need some add ons..basically the rotary has presented itself and proved itself as an innovation of new technology..and has a huge potential..while still maintaining its integrety..which has been proven throughout the years of its usage...the biggest and most desireable innovation introduced by the rx-7 is its near 50/50 weight ..adding up to superior and very hard to match handling ability..even though many cars of the present can match the 12 year old rx7 in power..at the same time they cant hold a candle on the track to the 7..and with the new technolgy they also introduce new systems of operation that have not been tested and refined..like the rx7 has..because its been around a little while longer..in the same sense as the rx7 saw admiration..newer cars are seeing it too like the wrx..with its ability..its a very respectable car..compared to the rx-7..i think i am getting off line with my comparisons..but basically i think the 7 is still comparably priced with the old sports car market..but only if you compare the extremes..i mean i have a 90 z that i see being sold on the market for much more than i see 90 7s getting sold..but that is when compared to the average..and its like comparing apples to oranges when you factor in value..because the z has a name that is valued in circles that are different than the 7...and an ignorant z owner will pay more for a z that is not comparable to a 7 of the same year..just because he is a z guy...supras are the same..hell even probe guys or mr2 guys feel like their special interest car is better than the other..im just glad that they are holding value..and still being respected..as they need to be..when it comes to value i spent 4500 bucks on my vert..and my selling/value point was that it had a new engine installed by a respectable business..if you search on threads you will see that most people think i spent way too much on my car..and they will gladly tell you they got their vert for less than half the price...but in a few years, maybe less..but i hope not for them, they will be posting how they just swapped in a new motor and it cost them upwards of 2-3 grand..i had a different idea of value in mind when i purchased mine..i placed my value in the fact that i had a basically brand new engine..not some used or yard type engine...or a rebuild from george down the street..i figured the biggest investment i would have to make after the purchase would be the engine..

after the engine the next big investment you have to worry about with old cars is the drivetrain and suspension..most people overlook this fact..but it can be just as costly if you have a bad drivetrain and/or suspension..as a new engine..unless you have a hook-up...**** if you live in a restrictive state you will have to worry about your exhaust system too...the exhaust system cant be properly replaced in such restrictive states for under a grand....i dunno im just trying to share as much experience as ive had throughout my times with cars..most have been 7s..and trying to let you know all that can go wrong..cuz unless you get lucky or can do your research..you stand a good chance of getting a car that will need immediate money put back into it..once you get it registered or run it for awhile..its an old car..you cant expect it to be just a 1000 dollar purchase and then a dream for 12 more years..its old technology..the special interest is that its old technology that is very rewarding when maintained correctly..cuz when the 7 runs right..it is hard to compare it to other cars..everyoone has their own ideals about what they think value is when purchasing old cars..some will buy an old junker just cuz it has a nice paint job..or cuz it has a nice stereo system..but what would you rather have..i nice looking car sittin on the side of the road that you spent a few bucks on..or a nice looking car that you spent a little more to buy..that stops to help the guy sittin on the side of the road...when hes broken down i guarantee hed rather have your car..even if its not his favorite color..and doesnt have a flashy radio. hell get in and let you take him to get help..even though he doesnt aggre with yopu spending more than he did on his car..cuz his is soo much better..with the radio and shiny paint..but he'll keep those thoughs to himself as you drive him to get his car fixed..while sitting in your overpriced average car..maybe you wont get what im saying...but i hope you do...just dont buy it cuz you love it off the bat..take the time and get it checked so you know what you are getting yourself into...good luck....and i hope you get a good 7 that hasnt been beat up and run dry on oil..they are out there and only paperwork and receipts can prove it..not just cuz the guy says so..