I thought FC's were more known
 

I posted a question about ebc pads, with no response, so I decided to email ebcbrakesusa and see if they can give me the part number.

I got an interesting response, I thought most people know about FC's, that is most gearhead types...


ME:
I am going to buy a set of front and rear yellow stuff pads for my FC.

It is a 1988 S4 Turbo II (FC3S) Rx7 and I was just wondering if you could give me the part numbers for the front set and rear set, just to make sure I can get the right ones, people I've been dealing with can't tell me they will work for sure with the car as there are some slight differences in pads amongst rx7 models and years with the FC3S.


Thank you,
Cletus

Response:

Cletus, I'm not sure if I can really help you with this or not. This is a car I've never really heard of. I assume it's a Mazda since your mention RX7, but the S4 you mention is of course an Audi model number. After checking several catalogs I can find no mention of the FC3S designation for any Mazda or Audi, no one else here has ever heard of it either. Give me as much information as possible, including complete make and model description, engine size in liters, FMSI # and anything else you can think of to try and narrow it down, I'll do whatever I can to try and match it up to anything I can cross reference.

Best regards,
EBC Brakes

-No one there has ever heard of an FC3S either? Yikes!-

Yeah, it's just a major company that makes products for a wide variety of cars. Now, if you asked RE-A then, that'd be a different story. Just write back and ask about a 1988 Mazda Rx7 Turbo.

lol...... that was a bonehead mistake on your part! you dont tell someone the chassis code, or the series # when ordering parts! ... only people w/ interest in a particular car know all the lingo!

but that made me laugh...thanx for that!

that's good. You'd have to tell them just that it's a Mazda, Rx-7, 1988, turbo or non-turbo. Everything else is "insider" lingo.

And FC3S is actually FC33. Notice that there is no FC3S in the actual serial number.

Yeah they don't list in their computer the chassis name or generation or series. Haha, now he thinks he did his company a favor by discovering a limited edition Rx7. "Tell us your engine size and whatnot. An S4 is an Audi" hahahahahahaha........... only import lovers know it as FC and FD. Only 7 owners know it as S4 or S5. Even worse, tell people you have a turbo II and they'll ask if it's the twin turbo or turbo FC? Hahahaha just say 88 Rx7 turbo.

That's only if you want to get technical. The VIN put out either FC33 or FC35 but the chassis code is FC3S or FC3C.

FC3S is the chassis name. FC33 means coupe FC35 means convertible. so elnots, learn that FC in the chassis name just specifies the Rx model line. The FAQs break it down.

Now I've never understood FBs, the chassis name for an FB is really SA something.

Technically, the last "3" means 3-window coupe.

SA22C


-Ted

Giving the series information does limited to nothing in telling somebody what car you're talking about other than Mazda RX-7. Just Year/Make/Model/Induction

Afterall, all cars have series. There are series 1-like 8 accords, and it's the same way with civics, and us cars too.

A mazda dealership wouldn't know what you're talking about if you said I have an s5 fc.

actually "fc3s" comes from the japanese model/VIN I cant get a very clear pic to post of the vin plate from the jspec front clip I bought but that is the origin.

Yeah I gave him extra info so he should be able to help me out, but I was suprised, because there are so many people that I happen to meet that when I say I have a 2nd Gen Rx7 they are like "Oh you have an FC?" So I guess I thought it was more common knowledge. but yeah just thougth it was a funny response, My bad, but at least mentioned Rx7, they should know that is a mazda.

FC3S = Coupe

FC3C = Vert

SA22C = 78-80

FB3S = 81-85

coupe is fc33 in north america check your vin.

LOL

Yeah you should have been like, yo man i need some green stuff pads for my 88 S4 FC3S TII streetported with oversized Apex seals and a 20B dropped into that BIIAATCHH!! FC OWZS!!!!!

Thatll get the EBC dudes a little confused

LMAO!

man good laugh dude thanks.

Read much? It says FC33 on the vin, but it's an FC3S by chassis designation...

so if the s4 is an audi....is my s5 a super secret 5wheel drive audi with a hidden 5th wheel?

I thought the number for Audi's referred to the engine... Like the A8 is an 8-cyl, the S4 is a 4-cyl, etc... I'm probably way off base here, but then again I don't really care haha... :p:

bad news?
 

Let's see after giving him all kinds of specific MAZDA information, the guy from gave me the correct part number that corresponds to the rx7 brake pads,...

but then at the end of the email he said I should contact SUBARU to double check...? What.....? This is seriously funny, it makes me wonder how people like this get positions at such places...

Almost as good as the time I went to Autozone to buy a water pump gasket for my '70 mustang, even though I had the gasket in hand and it didn't match the gasket in the box corresponding to the 351C engine the guy said I was stupid for buying the gasket for a 351W windsor engine that matched perfectly (hmmmm..), but never thought that his computer might have it mixed up...

then maybe you should of told them...
i thought you were acting like a smart ass saying, omg, look, fc s4, im smart because i know unknown designations....

all the honda guys going to call thier car by ek and eg and then call YOU stupid for not understanding...

Well no I don't think he is stupid because I said FC3S, S4, Turbo II, Rx-7 etc. and he didn't know exactly what I was talking about (a Mazda), that's my bad for using all the rx7 lingo, but I emailed him back again, specifically saying that it was a:

MAZDA Rx-7
Year: 1988
Model: Turbo II
Engine: 1.3L Rotary Turbo

Then he said something about subaru....so it is kind of funny...

And I don't think I ever called him stupid, but sometimes you have adapt, and figure things out, you can't always just look up everything in a book - man that would be that shiz... (and of course I did tell him specifically mazda after he asked, not like I'm a complete ass about it, but it is funny that now he said to contact Subaru...no?)

But I was saying I thought that Rx-7 were more well known, and also known by FC3S, just from my experiences with random people.

Yea you are off lol... Theres and A4, A6, A8 and yes the 4,6,8 is the cylinders,
But with the S4 thats a good question because the engine is a 6 cylinder bi turbo... Then theres the RS4 same this just upgraded turbos, and all the good turbo stuff

When you bring your car to a sshop do you ask for FC brake pads? No you fucking twit! Just like how the Z guys don't go around telling everyone is a Z31 or Z33 or something. Why not just tell them its a Kouki?

You need to realize they make pads for a bunch of cars. When I get parts for cars I want the VIN or the make, engine, model, and year.

Don't try and make it cute or make it act like you something about something. Beleive me, they know their shit :), if you want the part don't fuck around and waste their time.

Btw, why would he want to look it up? You might not even purchase the item? You know how many parts are in a parts book for ordering? You were one of the million e-mails he read today.

Christ, some people think the world will bow to them. You can learn to adapt or go elsewhere for your products.

You could've saved yourself a bunch of time and hassle (and forum bandwidth) by simply going to EBC's website, downloading the catalogue, looking up the part number and then quoting it to them. It took me about two minutes total...

2006 EBC catalogue page 84:

88-96 RX-7 Yellowstuff front pads: DP4763R

88-96 RX-7 Yellowstuff rear pads: DP4729R

Many parts suppliers now have their catalogues online. Don't expect to find what you want every time, but always check there first.