woode87

How many of you guys use your RX-7 as a daily driver? I have been saving up for about a year now to buy a car that I really want, and a S5 RX7 is more or less my dream car. However, it would also have to be my daily driver (college, work) .. I have heard horror stories about rotaries but I am convinced they are not as unreliable as people make them seem? I almost bought a 1st gen RX-7 about a year ago, however it blew on the test drive and since then I decided to save up.

SpAm@FC

iTrader: (4)

i have my FC now for 2 1/2 years... driving it every schoolday and every weekend...
now i driving it every day for work...

i've had NEVER a problem that my car is NOT running and taking me from A to B...

ok, there were/are problems like IDLE, high boost hesitations and so on...

but the car was driving every day i needed it...!!!!

i love my fc *kiss baby*

RboYi

this question has been covered many times, but anyways to sum it up. If you keep up with it's maintaince u should be ok. just make sure u do a compression test on the car before u buy it.

-TAL-

also. An n/a will be much easier and cheaper to keep up than a TII.

BDoty311

I drive mine everyday.

nickn505

I've noticed that when my RX-7 has a problem and you're a hypochondriac like me, I tend to think it's something big and so I start collecting parts on ebay to try to overhaul the entire fuel system when it's actually just a bad fuel pump. As long as you check the forums frequently and become familiar with the problems other owners experienced, you'll be able to solve them with ease. I have to admit that my car has left me stranded on more than one occasion, but then again, when I bought my S4 it had been in storage for a few years and after all those old parts go from collecting dust to daily driver status, you get problems. You're planning on an S5, I've heard they're a little more reliable, but the parts are a little more expensive.
I love RX7's, but I hate mine every now and then.
Even if you do have problems, there's pleanty of people on the forum to help you. Just remember two things: 1) Search before asking 2) There are no stupid questions, unless you are trying to find out how to replace a timing chain on an RX7... that really is a stupid question

arghx

iTrader: (3)

I daily drive my 88 GTU. Every significant problem I've ever had with it has been due to me pushing the car too hard (drag racing etc.) or botching my own repairs and installations.

You really need to be willing to educate yourself if you want to daily drive these cars. I'd recommend that you always keep a Haynes manual and some tools in the car.

Stanello

iTrader: (1)

My RX-7 has been the most reiable car I've ever owned.

Kinda odd, but true.

Bukwild

you would have to be a complete idiot to use your rx7 as a daily or a broke kid who can only afford one car. You will have another car payment in gas trying to daily drive a 2nd. Plus you are in the Northwest and you want to drive a 7 in the winter snow and ice months. Yeah thats real safe. Get a front wheel drive sedan for a daily and drive the 7 on the weeknights/weekends.

woode87

iv seen 1 day of ice or snow in the past 3 years here in the northwest, so im not concerned about weather -- only reliability.

i have a 4 door honda right now, and was considering keeping it around however its the insurance rates that keeps me from having 2 cars.

BDoty311

Wow, good to see the forum is still friendly...

Nothing wrong with daily driving an RX-7, so people actually want to enjoy their ride to school or work. N/a Rx-7s are pretty damn reliable, and with snow/all season tires, they actually get around just fine in the snow.

So, how about you stop being an *******, the guys just asking a simple question. No need to get rude with him.

MattB

So has mine...I had a 1988 Pontiac Gran Prix LE....thing sucked ***...leaked all its oil out on the highway and seized...randomly too cause it didnt have any oil leak before that...


and then a 1992 Honda Accord DX...so it had 277,000 miles on it...but it wasnt reliable...at times it just stopped...i had to wait about 2 hours usually then it would start again. FOR NO REASON AT ALL...later found out it was the fuel pump...after i sold it to my friend for 55 bucks...he still has it with over 280,000 miles

now its my 87 TII...ive put almost 20,000 miles on it since May 2005 and its left me stranded maybe 3 times since them...all 3 right after i bought it and didnt know anything...all i needed to do was replaced my thermostat...ive gone over 10,000 miles without a breakdown.

-Matt

Valkyrie

I bought my FC to be a daily driver... I still haven't driven it yet

But it should be running...eventually

rotary revolution 7

i have a s5 n/a and i have been daily driving it for 2 years during that time i have seen everyone of my friends bitch about their cars where mine is going strong. the car is find for daily driving even though gas will be annoying.

dirtdox

The only daily driver rx7 I have had was several years ago. It was an 84 Gsl-SE. It did pretty good. I thought it did really good in the snow. Better than a couple of the small front wheel drive cars that I have had. I think its easier in a rear drive car to use the throttle to help with directional control. Read up on the un-flooding procedures. It flooded 2 or 3 times on me and one time left me stranded. Currently have an 88 vert. It has flooded once. I usually drive it a couple of times a week.

MattB

and no matter how reliable your 7 is...your friends are always gonna tell you its gonna blow up or break down...even if theirs just died or they just crashed...because they dont know how it works...they think it is unreliable and shitty.

SureShot

In the last 9 years I have had 3 7's, one at a time, all daily drivers.

It is a medium high performance, medium high maintenance car.
It's best if you're a DIY person.

Bukwild

Not being a Ahole I am just stating it how it is. You are talking about daily driver reliability out of a 20 year old sports car with worn out shocks/struts, springs, and suspension bushings. And my other point was people on this forum daily drive there 7 because they do not own another car. Not because the 7 is good on gas or comfortable to drive in traffic.

DragonRx7

I drive mine daily and about once a month I take a trip to San Antonio and back (~400mi roundtrip) This is in an 89 TII, comfortable (for me even though I have a racing seat) and I still get ~24mpg @80mph.

Sideways7

iTrader: (7)

First of all, who says it has to have worn out shocks? If you go through and replace all the things that need to be replaced and keep up with maintenance, they kan be quite reliable. Other than when it was down for a rebuild for 4 months because the shop fucked me over, in the over 2 years and 30k+ miles I have owned the car the only problem I have had was an exhaust leak due to a cheap part installed by the previous owner. I daily drove mine for over 2 years until I got another car that was better on gas milage. That said, a properly running NA that isn't driven with a lead foot will still just as good or better gas milage as the damn SUVs everyone drives around. So basically, if you have the time and money to keep it running properly, it can be a perfectly reliable car. Just make sure you have a friend to pick you up if it decides to not work one day. Luckily, most everything that happens to them can be easily fixed by searching for the problem on these forums.

synesthete

I have daily driven my s4 na for 5 years and just recently got a cj5 still drive the rx7 more.
I think its very driveable if your not expecting 30mpg or a smooth (un-sporty) ride. My cj rides worse actually, it has new suspension tho and my 7 is worn.

BDoty311

You are being an Ahole to the guy who started this thread. You called him cheap and stupid for considering buying an FC for a daily driver.

T FC3 H

iTrader: (5)

thanks for the wonderful info....

i recently bought an 86 gs.... it will be my daily/canyon car. i have no doubt that this car can handle what i will put it through.

obviously tho, a 20 year old car will have its issues, but what old car doesnt.... im sure its just as easy to tinkle with as my 73 datsun 240z.

best wishes, dont let others persuade you into NOT getting a 7. ALL my friends told me i was making a big mistake buying this car, ill prove them wrong.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CAR... have patience.

synesthete

I think thats just rotary envy, but yeah true.. every word. Everyones a skeptic until they own one. They especially talk **** after you show them how fast it is with a little 3rd gear demonstration.

Its like rotary is too good to be true.

Dinnercoat

I drive mine daily as well and its just fine mechanically (its an NA), the mileage is the only thing to complain of.