RX-7 FC - good first car?
 

I am a 16-year old boy from the St. Louis area (turning 17 in November) who is looking for an N/A Mazda RX-7 FC as a first car. I have a driver's permit (not yet a license), I am currently taking driver's ed, and I have at least 24 hours of driving experience. I have been looking into getting an RX-7 FC as my first car for a few years now and I have done plenty of research on this car during the meantime. From my research, I have concluded that an N/A RX-7 has great handing, they would be decent daily drivers, and that they are for the most part reliable especially for a car with a rotary engine. My dad owned a 1990 RX-7 coupe for a few years in the early 90's and from what he has experienced he believes it would be a good first car for me. I'm going to try and avoid getting a Turbo II as the insurance rates will most definitely go up from the N/A and I feel like a Turbo II is suited for more experienced drivers rather than a first-time driver.

Any thoughts on getting the RX-7 FC as a first car and which years and/or trim levels I should be looking towards?

An s4 (86-88) would be a good option. Finding a GXL would be even better as they've got decent options and the better brakes, an LSD, and 5 lug hubs.

The FC rx7 is a good car when it is good. You have to remember these are 30 year old vehicles, and requires good maintenance. It also takes a certain knowledge base to fix or maintain these cars. Now my second car (I was 17) was a 1988 rx7. at that time it was only 9 or 10 years old and was a 1 owner car that was in perfect shape when I bought it, but in your case it is now a 30 year old car and will need some tlc. things break and things are no longer available.
So the answer to your question in my opinion is NO a fc would not be a good first car AS a daily driver. A FC would be a good first car to
tinker with and be a weekend warrior. I am not saying that there are not people out there daily driving their RX7, but I would surely make sure you have a back up vehicle. For example I would daily my fc anywhere but I like the piece of mind knowing I have another vehicle to
get me around if I have any issues with the rx.

If you have the money, this would be one to buy. It's a bit of a drive but not bad. I'd buy it if I didn't already have three cars.

https://www.rx7club.com/midwest-sale...k-obo-1119104/

no, a rotary powered car isn't a good choice for a first car for anyone.

Oh yes, let's just scare people off, good idea.

Research is key. Also understanding that these cars cost money, and a good bit more of it than - say - an Accord.

However, these cars are easy to learn and easy to work on. It is a commitment that you have to be willing to make. Outside of the engine itself, it is just another car. If you can find one with good compression and some form of service history showing that the last owner cared about maintaining it, then its really not a bad option. The reality of the situation is that you will basically need to have the funds available to rebuild the engine at a moment's notice and still be able to afford to give the car a good refreshing. If you can make those things happen financially, you'll be fine. If you can't, then buy something more reliable like a mkiv golf/jetta with a 2.0.

Good first car ? no, just because you need time and money to tinker with it if its not a good example to start from

would i daily drive one ? yes and i do (89 vert). gas is the only downside i have as i maintain my car to the point where it needs no extra thought every time i start her.
i spend about 25 bucks a week to driver her, but then again i only work 10km from my house your experience may vary/

I would recommend another car as a first car just until you know exactly what to do in case it hits the fan.

start with an S4 if you really want to drive one. parts are cheap(er) than an S5 and easier to come by when it breaks and definitely get a coupe over a convertible.

IF you want an extremely cheap and good on gas car to drive i would recommend a Tercel or Echo since they are basically bulletproof. cheap on gas/insurance/parts and the money you save you can use for the Money Pit lol

Your initial query is not specific enough.
For instance, what does your first car have to do, is it your only mode of transpo and how capable a mechanic are you?

I too have dailied a S5 for a decade now and yes, the NA can be quite reliable.
About 90% of the car is not even specifically rotary related, it's standard 80's Japanese tech.
The electrics are quite FC specific and pricey to boot.
Gas mileage will always be wretched and if you must be emissions compliant, the struggle can be very real.

I'd say that your mechanical aptitude is the biggest factor when considering ANY older car because you will be working on it pretty regularly.
You should also be aware that the FC is more a GT car than sports car.

You'd probably be a lot happier and a whole lot better off starting with a Miata.
They're cheap, parts are everywhere- as is modding advice- and they're simple to work on.

agreed with everything you have said but i would add that if your'e a big man you might not fit into a Miata. I barely fit into a Vert and i have only about an inch or less of clearance from the targa section to my nogger

I tried to drive one and i was not comfortable, im tall and a little bit pear shaped if you know what i mean lol

my first car was an 86 rx7 that i saved up and bought when i was 15, no license just permit. it taught me how to work on cars and i gained a lot of driving experience from it. it had 106k miles when i bought and the engine blew at around 107k. had to learn how to rebuild an engine with the help of my friend and i am currently running that rebuilt engine in my 91 rx7 now when i bought it as a shell. so yes, i do think it is a great first car. :-)

If you jump into this thinking that the car will be 100% reliable..then NO.
Remember its a 30 year old car and stuff breaks..or needs replacing.
If you rely on this car to go from point A to point B then you'd better be an average mechanic and have a bit of experience with hands on Auto work.
It's your choice really..But I would be looking at a common Car..(like Honda,toyota,whatever) as a first car.That way you can get where you want to go and not have to fix stuff!..(BUT I would also get the RX7 and tinker on it and then drive the B-Jesus out of it!)

I’m surprised so many people encourage an RX7 as a first car. I disagree, for reasons already stated above. No one is trying to scare you off; we all clearly love these cars and want to see them on the road. However, you’re young, you’ve likely got responsibilities such as work, school, etc. and you may not have the time/money/skills to keep the car going 100% of the time. You’re better off with a Civic or Miata or something of the sort for a first car.

yep, research isn't key because they have so many random issues. they are quite simply unreliable most of the time and not just because they solely have rotary engines. the electrical systems barely worked even when the cars were new, the engines have an obvious plethora of problems and the rest of the car now has 30 years of arthritis.

if you had an rx7 and never had any problems with it, consider yourself lucky.


the rest of us know not to advise someone that these cars are good daily drivers or totally reliable without investing lots of time into them, or you quite simply have luck on your side.

all you need to do is go through the history on this forum and see how many threads are out there where people got frustrated no matter how much help people gave them, and often those threads never even came back with a result that the cars got fixed.

Some of us had a passion for cars at a young age and were willing to commit to the downsides of rotary ownership. However, in as many of these as I've owned over the years I really do not agree that they are as bad as some people make them out to be.

To each their own. I think its a great first car for someone looking to learn and get into the nitty gritty of old sports car ownership. Its a great platform. Solid build, good handling, and the community support is (or rather, was...) fantastic. All the information is out there. There will be ups and downs, but that's life.

Is something like a miata a better choice? Probably. But why be normal? Why do what people 'generally recommend'? Why not suffer a bit ? People have gotten weak-minded.

I'll continue to combat the idea that its a bad first car because I don't believe that everything should be easy, and there is very little new blood coming into this community that stays, so I'll take any opportunity to encourage someone to take the plunge into rotary life.

ive only spent about 200$ on unexpected maintenance :o: but now that ive said that i look forward to more problems soon :crying:

Luck has nothing to do with, preparation does.
Anytime you begin with an "old" car, I think you're crazy not to spend a couple of weeks going through it, stem to stern.
The brakes are an excellent place to start...one, they're important and two, they get you to all four corners of the car and you can begin to assess the whole chassis and drivetrain. Don't be stingy- unless you see obviously new stuff, replace/rebuild everything. Parts are pretty cheap and the process is simple.
Grease/antiseize every bit of hardware you touch and clean/dielectric grease every electrical connector you can reach.
Replace all belt, hoses , fuel lines and vac hoses.
The whole process can be done over a few weekends and you've begun to get ahead of the problems that might lurk by simply overwhelming them before they can bite.

I don't think the electrics are "bad" per se, but the FC is a child of its time and the Japanese had fallen in love with electronics, a lot of which is incorporated into the switchgear. Best way to deal with that is just make sure everything works when you buy the car, try to stockpile some spares, eliminate what you can and hope for the best.

Finally, there's the rotary engine itself.
My experience has been entirely positive but you can't overlook the fact that service and parts are way more difficult to source than a piston engined car...it's just the nature of the beast. If you think the risk is worth the reward, go for it.

Well said, clokker, very well said.

unfortunately luck does have a role, you haven't dealt with broken irons and coolant seal failures like so many others have.

there is also climate and ambient conditions that take a toll on cars more in one area than another.

you can be proactive and garage the car, keep it clean and up to par on maintenance but there are still innate gremlins that many will wind up dealing with. granted the better you treat it the better it will treat you. but most of these cars have had rebuilt engines by now, no matter how well they were maintained and irregardless of mileage. i'm almost amazed when i see a car still running on the original engine.

most the the young kids looking at cars won't notice that someone may have chucked some block seal in a bad engine car to pass for good, until 2 weeks later when the temp gauge pegs and water starts pissing from the overflow bottle.

i maintain that these aren't good cars for the inexperienced, as sole transportation or otherwise. most cars have dealt with at least 1 abusive owner in their life, otherwise expect to pay a premium and even price/cleanliness doesn't guarantee that the maintenance schedule wasn't abused at one time.

Very funny you should ask. I just spent a week talking a very well intending and enthusiastic 16 year old with cash in hand, out of buying my car for his summertime toy. He already had a reliable and boring daily driver. I tried to very nicely and fatherly point him toward what I (and his Dad also happen) to considered to be a better choice, which would be a Miata. But he just didn't want a roadster. He and his father ended up finding a very nice Gen II MR2 that they bought instead of my car. I felt better about not selling my car to him for so many reasons on so many levels - none of which reflected badly on my particular car. I just think something like a SA/FB or FC RX7 requires a bit more automotive hands on expertise than a typical daily driver.

A couple weeks after I started my sophomore year of highschool in August of 2006, I bought my first car, an 88 GXL for $350. It had 165k miles on it, original drivetrain, and no engine related problems. It needed a general tune up, new clutch hydraulics, and a battery right from the beginning but it was otherwise good to go.

I regret nothing. Was it expensive to repair/maintain? At times, yes; but the knowledge I gained in the process made it all worth it. I recommend taking an automotive repair class if your school offers it, regardless of what first car you get.

An n/a FC is a great first car for someone who doesn't mind a little tinkering. I daily drove an n/a rotary for the majority of my first 6 years of driving, between 2 FCs and an FB. As long as you stay on top of maintenance and fix things right the first time around, it will be a fine car and will teach you a lot!

Its really hard for me to daily my vert (even though i used to and still somewhat do). i cant control myself with the go fast pedal :lol: and always end up with poor mileage.

personally i can not, not drive it like it was supposed to be driven. its just so exciting to drive that i have to drive a cube as a daily to calm my foot.

If you absolutely need it for work / school / whatever else, and you need a car that will always start and run every day then I'd say any 30 year old car is probably not the right one, especially as rotaries are a little bit more sensitive to proper maintenance and less likely to tolerate abuse than the average piston powered engine.
Of course if you rip it apart and replace all hoses, belts, vacuum lines, alternator, replace worn suspension than it would be a reliable daily, but most people won't go to those lengths.

If your car is just for fun and not needed daily then I'd say go for it.

Very true. My brick to the wind Wrangler gets similar mileage to what my FC used to.

On the plus side of being throttle happy - the good thing about a mostly stock NA is that you can plow through a few gears and still be reasonably close to the speed limit! lol

*mashes pedal*

*looks down at speedo*

*doing under the limit and Prius's passing you throwing Starbucks at you because you're polluting the air*