Don't listen to what anyone is saying...its your desicion not they'res. Anyway, I personally have had horrible luck just getting mine running but thats just me...I usually figure things out fairly quickly. My car which isn't even mine yet actually was totally raped in the *** by the previous owners. Its body is in horrible shape, came to my house not sparking or having any fuel delivery...the previous owners swapped in a lower milage motor and obviously don't know **** about ECU grounding because the ECU ground wasn't even connected under the extension manifold (that was why it wasn't sparking), and I think they thought the motor was blown even though it was the fuel pump which was why it wasn't starting...so in other words they can't troubleshoot either.

My advice, buy a cheap *** starter car beat the **** out of it for a few months then get an RX7 thats exactly what I did. I beat the **** out of my Sunfire and it still goes..and my RX7 is still not running now because of another problem which hopefully can be fixed. Try to find an RX7 which is in fairly good running condition, or buy one with limited amount of body damage if you don't mind doing body work like I do.

 

If you want a cheap POS that still runs fine then get a car at repo auction. Cars typically go for $300-$400, maybe $700 if it seems really nice. Unlike a car from some previous owner who's trying to gank you, these cars were all towed so they had to be running. At the same time they weren't worth retrieving, so they're ugly. Don't fix anything on that car unless it's essential; just do basic maintenance. Drive reasonably slow on turns b/c the shocks are probably gone and it may slide easy. Then after a while sell it for $1000 and get a decent car. Just make sure your dad covers the replacement car too. On the off chance that you get a bad repo, oh well you're down $400.

 

Adding to that, it'll be fast as **** when you learn how to drive it confidently at the limit. Even faster after you get adjustable shocks, stiffer springs and camber adjusters and learn how to properly adjust it to your driving style (read book "How to Make Your Car Handle-Fred Puhn) as long as the road ahead is twisty

 

I"m having the same problem with my dad! He doesn't want me to buy the car that I actually like because he says it'll have too many problems!! I just wanna say **** U (but i don't wanna die LOL)! I love the FC, so I guess I'll be paying for it all on my own....

 

Cant you kids save up like 2-3 grand, is not that much especially for n/a FC. Anyways, my car is 20 years old and no problem with the headlights motor. If they do get stuck they do have ***** on the bottom to raise and lower them.

 

Have your dad buy you a mid 90's mustang, v6, 5 speed, with a nice stereo and a cd changer.

Any, that was my first car and I really liked it. Very reliable, sporty, economical and still fun to drive. If you take care of it, it will last awhile.

While your driving the mustang, you can save some money and buy a fixer up 7 and you and your dad can rebuild it.

 

Paying for it on your own will give you an appreciation for it though. When I was in high school this girl was talking about the Mazda Millenia her parents bought her. It was either brand new or nearly new, and her parents were not particularly well off. It was undoubtedly a pretty big financial deal for them, and you know what she was saying? She hated the car and wanted them to buy her something else. I told her what was what, and she shut up after that. Stupid bitch, at least she had the sense to can it, or I probably would have thrown a desk at her face. I've had to work my *** off for a lot of stuff. Not everything I own, but what I have worked for gave me a respect for everything I have. Working to pay for your car, often a necessity and source of entertainment, typically will instill some traits that are part of a good work ethic.

 

+1

My home town is the center of kids whos parents bought them everything, including rather nice cars, and they just have no appreciation whatsoever. God I'm glad to be out of there. There is DEFINITELY a certain appreciation earned when you buy your own way.

 

Yep, paying for the car makes you respect if much more. There was a girl a few years ahead of me that was on her 5th car by the time she was a senior. Her dad kept buying her new cars, and she kept totaling them.

 

Thats for sure!! Dude get an FC non turbo and have fun. Work on it, you'll be doing that a lot, upgrade once you understand more and more about rx7's. Also make sure you have a back up ride ahhaha

 

A neighbor kid of mine had his grandpa buy him a new F-150 and a boat. He rolled the truck on a gravel road and got someone to help him set it upright. The guy who helped him told him to wait for a while so the oil could settle, but not being one to be told what to do he drove it right off and by the time he rolled into town that truck was smoking like the Great Fire of Rome. It was totaled. So his grandpa bought him another truck. This is the same guy who wouldn't let me park my parts car in the back of his lot where it would almost never be seen and where no one EVER parks anything (short unused driveway on a very low traffic road butting against the empty end of a cemetery) because his wife I have never seen out of living as their neighbor for ~12 years said it would be an eyesore. He is a kind man, and he never did me wrong, he just seemed to have some things messed up.

The boy mentioned is the same kid who swore up and down he didn't climb on his sister's car with his roller blades on. You could plainly see the inline 4 marks all over the roof. Brilliant.
The same kid who said I said he wasn't a Christian, when in fact (LOL) it was my younger brother who said it. We figured it hurt his feelings, but he didn't want my brother to get in trouble. Wow, grade A Christian material...
The same kid who would take his new truck and boat 100 miles North to see some girlfriend (both still in high school). Why and how does someone in high school even have that kind of a long distance thing?

For posterity, I have no idea what he's up to anymore. I don't care, I never did, but what I do know ^^^ kind of shows how ridiculous families can be. Some of it way off topic, sorry /rant

 

i disagree, my first car was an 86 NA. look into an S4 NA and you should have few problems. my friend now owns it and it is still running strong with zero problems at 120k + miles. but i guess it all depends on how the PO took care of it.

 

 

Mine has been a great first car for me. Just take the time to find a good one, take care of her, put as much of YOUR money in it as possible to make you appreciate it more, and don't do anything stupid.

 

Quoted for absolute truth. I learned this the hard way. I bought a $950 FC, and spent $3200 on a new motor, fuel pump, etc.

Headlight motors don't go bad frequently on these cars. Really the worst part for reliability is the engine itself, or the oil pump on the 1989-1992 models. Hell, even the engines are good for 150k if they're non-turbo (and it had better be, for your first car)