CanadianRX7

i paid $5000 canadian for my rx7 with full exhaust and filter and with 123 000km's on it. the reason i bought the n/a was becuase i wanted a 4 seater but i hear its easy to put in back seats in place of the cubbies. another reason i want to turbo is because i can get a low km one bout the same as my car now for about $1000 less. which i could then pay towards by load from my grandpa.

what do u guys think i should do??im 17 and dont have a lot of cash to be spending on fixing things but maintaining the car wont be a problem/ oil changes and tunes etc...also i dont plan on owning this next rx7 for anymore then 2 years.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

If you don't have a lot of money to maintain the car, then don't buy the turbo.

CanadianRX7

well i can handle max $200 a month on the car but this turbo is $1000 less then i paid for my n/a. Like how unreliable is the turbo?? im not going to have the boost up too high. what kinda things do u have to do to maintain the car?? oil change and changing the fluids like everyother car but is there nething the turbo needs a regular car doesnt??

No7Yet

Forget about modding the car. Sorry, but "free" mods are the only ones you'll be able to do.

First, figure out your car payments.

Then figure your insurance costs on a monthly basis.

Remember that your TII will get ~14 MPG in the city, and ~18 MPG on the highway (yeah, I know these figures are low, but let's consider the worst case - plus, he's 17 and will LOVE the boost). Figure your gas costs accordingly, remembering that you CAN NOT run 87 octane - 91+ is a MUST. Figure costs per month.

Then figure out if you have backup transport and extra money for when (not if) something breaks (something BIG, like your clutch or brakes, or, uh, *knock on wood* your engine). How much can you put away per month? Add that to your costs.

Add registration and purchase tax (whatever that may be in Canada) to your purchase cost. How will that effect your payments?

Then add a "getting it running right" amount ($400 is a good start) to your purchase cost. Remember that parts cost more up north. Try to include tires in this cost.

What's your per-month total? If you don't have a second car, and you'd have to stretch at ALL to afford the car, pass on it. If you can afford it without it crimping your style...

BUY IT NOW!!! You'll never regret it. A turbo rotary is the most fun you can possibly have in a car (well, the second most fun). Chicks dig it, guys want it, and you will suddenly be sexy. You'll dust ricers left a right, and life will be good.

If you can't afford it...

DON'T BUY IT!!! You will be perpetually broke and begging your friends/parents/g'parents for a ride. You'll have to skip lunches to pay for regular maintenance. Sure, you'll have a fast, super-cool car, but chicks won't dig it if they never see you driving it (because you can't afford gas this week). You'll curse the car and your debt. Life will suck.

Brandon
(luck enough to have a daily driver - so I don't have to worry about my TII's brakes being shot)

CanadianRX7

alright cool
my car payment is $200 a month and gas is $100 or so with lots of driving. my dad pays for the insurence so i dont have to worry about that. Also my brother is law is a mechanics so he fixes my stufff up for cheap but cant touch the engine cause he is a american car lover.
i will have about $1000 left to put into the TII if it needs anything new in the first month or so.

the only thing is that i dont wanna blow the engine with my na i have nothing to worry about.

Erik

i've run 87 in my T2 before with no problems at all. if you begin modding it then the extra octane would steer away from detonation. i KNOW the owners manual only requires 87 for the n/a. i forget if they have a separate octane rating for the T2.

if you wanna get it man, just make sure everyrthing checks out. engine, trans, body, suspension. if you have $200 a month to spend i'd think that would keep you safe as long as you get a decent car. i've owned my T2 since september and only spent $12 on it (thanks GREG!).....

you might not necassarily always spend money to fix something...the hardest part is just trying to figure out whats wrong! LOL

good luck man...if i were you i'd use the n/a for what its worth and just save and save and one day get a MKIV Supra TT

...let the flames begin

No7Yet

If you can afford it, and I mean really afford it, you won't regret it.

Oh, and don't worry about blowing the engine. TIIs are known (with proper maintainance) to go to 160kmi (200k+ kms). Just treat it well, and it'll treat you well. As far as modded engines go, just remember that increasing boost will never do anything but shorten an engine's life.

Good luck,
Brandon

CanadianRX7

yea well i will see what my dad thinks.
what do u mean by proper maintainence?? i have been asking what do u have to do to maintain a turbo but i havent got a answer yet.
just oil change and fluid changes??

supergoat

He CAN'T tough the engine, or WON'T touch the engine?

Sorry but that confused me.

RETed

I put money you wreck the turbo...stick with the NA.



-Ted

CanadianRX7

well he just doesnt know much about rotories.
i also want a turbo becuase i want to keep if for a will and i wanna mod it and my n/a has exhaust and filter and it wont be getting much faster without putting lots of money into it.

i just want a turbo and have the boost like 8 or so psi where its safe to drive hard.

Ryde _Or_Die

Why do you say that?


And I don't think there is any extra "regular" maintainence, just I think things seem to go wrong more with a turbo than an NA. So there really is no tellin how much money you will need. Just would have to deal with it when it comes i guess.

RarestRX

Yo,



Stick with the NA until you have enough money to play around with the Turbo II. If money is any kind of issue, stick with the NA. I've had mine for 2+ years and all I stick into it is gas, oil, and tires. That's it.

Wait until you're comfortable enough financially to play around with a boosted rotary. That's my 2 cents.

KS
1989 GTUs "Worry free."

No7Yet

Actually, Ted, I take exception to that comment. I'm 18, and can drive quite well, thank you very much. Just because he's young doesn't mean he'll wreck it.

As for maintenance issues, TurboIIs don't take more maintainance, particularly, just more vigilance. Change everything on time!!! Also be sure to get some good gauges (all of Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, Water Temp, Boost) and watch them religiously. Do all the "reliablility" mods (TB mod, fuel pump rewire, downpipe) and keep the boost down!

Have money put away for a "rainy day". You'll need it.

Brandon

RETed

I'm sorry, but I find someone under 21 (hell, push it up to 25) who has the maturity to drive and control a ~200hp car a bit rare.&nbsp Sure, you might be an exception...

I had my first car when I was 19.&nbsp It was a 1987 Honda CRX DX automatic.&nbsp I totally the car within 6 months chasing a "new" Integra back in 1992 by hydroplaning across 4 lanes on the freeway at around 125mph - I'm lucky I'm still alive.

Only recently I've gotten it through my thick skull to stop doing stupid things with the car (I'm 33 now).&nbsp Sure, I've got my bag of stories or really stupid things I've done on public roads.

You think you can drive well?&nbsp I highly doubt it.&nbsp Unless you're a certified race car driver, I find that hard to believe.&nbsp You don't know how CRAPPY you drive until you got the car on a closed-course, high-speed race track; you'd be surprised what you can and cannot do.

I find a Turbo II in the hands of a 18-year old pretty scary...

Sorry for the lecture - I'm just posting what I've experienced.




-Ted

No7Yet

Well, while I've not (yet) been on a road course, I've learned to control my 196 hp Camry pretty well on an autocross course. Granted, it's FWD, but it's also got torque and a tendency to torque steer. And there's nothing like GROSS body lean to teach you to anticipate the next few turns. And all bicycle-riding analogies aside, I've read every text on driving that I've been able to get my hands on thus far, and feel I have a pretty good grasp on the physics involved.

No offense taken But you can't judge a book by its cover. Both my friend and I own TIIs, and we're both very responsible drivers (he's 17, I'm 18) who regularly chide our friends for stupid driving and attend every AutoX we're able to. Heck, I'm not yet driving my TII much because I've not autocrossed it

Perhaps it's a function of age, but I feel it's more a function of seat time (I deliver pizzas, and therefore have LOTS of that) and innate maturity. Well, that both my friend and I were taught to drive in RWD cars (me in a 200SX and he in a Celica) may have something to do with us knowing how to control ourselves when we get into trouble more than the average SUV- or Corolla-taught teen driver - but that kind of goes back to seat time, I guess...

My $0.02.

Brandon

Scott 89t2

well, a turbo II in the hands of a 20 year old is better then an FD
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...threadid=43815

but what ted is saying is true to a point. I know 2 under 20 year olds in my citry in the last 2 years who crashed there turbo II's within a week or 2 of owning them. (one was only 2 days...) but then again, myself and another friend have had them since we were 19, and have had no problems. it just depends on the person. you just need to have "some" smarts, and since you already drive a RWD car the change won't be nearly as bad as comming from a FWD. I started off driving a low powerd RWD car (85 celica) and I'm glad I did, cause I couldn't get myself into to much trouble moving up from another RWD car shouldn't be too bad. I would just keep the cars away the 16-17 year olds who have done nothing but driven momys mini van or SUV once a week. but of course either way, you need some brains. and have to take it easy at first.

what I hate more is when kids get there cars and the next day they already want to mod it. "I gota make it beat john's car, what can I beat with these mods" when they probably can't drive it for half of what it's worth yet. I drove mine stock for 6 months before I even added a k&n. enjoy the car for what it is..... untill it starts to get boring. then add mods

also that time gives you time to research. otherwise you end up sticking aa exhaust and intake on and blow the engine a month later like lots do.... (assuming you don't crash first )

Ryde _Or_Die

Ya younger people tend to not drive as uhh, how could i say this-conventionally(which does lead to not being safe in alot of cases)? But I personally have the most trouble with safe
driving from older drivers(not elderly either). Its like they don't see anyone else on the road. And I know me and 2 other friends that can outdrive most anyone out there besides semi-professionals or professionals. 2 of them are 20 & I am 19. I also have many many many friends that can't drive & I know alot of people that have gotten in alot of accidents. But, driving conservative does not mean you are a good driver by any means either. That just means when something that you can not control happens you won't have the slightest clue what to do.


Ok, thats my 2.

FCRyosuke07

iTrader: (1)

AHH...i am 18 and considering buying a TII, i havent gotten any tickets or accidents yet and i would like to think i can keep it that way, but is it really that difficult to maintain? i will have the money left over to get a proper turbo setup (intercooler, wastegate, BOV, etc) but i dont know a whole lot about rotaries (yet) but i am learning.

CanadianRX7

okay thanx for all the help. i think im going to buy one but there is no rush on it. Well my n/a is fairly quick 5L's dont be me by much at all and i have filter charger and full exhaust. I was thinking of buying the turbo and changing the exhaust from my n/a to the turbo and then the turbo onto the n/a.

but that might be too much trouble instead i might just take on the stainless steel mufflers cause they cost me lots.

yea rwd is way harder to drive then fwd for me because like accelerating fast infron of oncoming traffic causes u to get bent if u stomp it. im a pretty good driver i feel i have owned my n/a for 4 months now and its fast and fun to drive.im not buying the turbo for only speed im going to keep the boost low for a long time.

Evil Aviator

Hehehe, well I think that proves Ted's point. Also, insurance statistics will support Ted's assessment. I used to think that I could drive well, too, until I entered my first autocross. I highly recommend that you youngsters try out an autocross, as it will show you the light (besides, it's a lot of fun and it's the only "real" racing that you can do on a college student's budget. ).

As much as I agree with Ted, I am a right-wing conservative who strongly believes that it's your car to wreck, and your money to fix it with. Given my experience with other young people on this forum, whatever sportscar you have will most likely be under-maintained and on blocks for the next few years, so I'm not sure if your lack of driving skill matters as much as your lack of mechanical experience and responsibility. Besides, as pointed out earlier, lots of cars nowadays have 200 hp, so it's not the big deal that it used to be.

Does the TII cost more to maintain? Not really. At least not until the turbo and/or engine blows. Then you will see that you can't afford to fix it, and your car will be on blocks for 2 years while you try to perform the infamous "budget" J-Spec swap. The drivetrain components are also more expensive on the TII.

Why are you planning on owning the car for 2 years? Are you going to college to major in business, and then figure out that it is not a good idea for a college student to finance a 15-year old sportscar?

BTW, the 87-88 TII's were all rated for 87 octane.

SirRX7

A couple weeks ago I went back to Jersey for Christmas and Times square New Years. My 21 year old neighbor in Jersey had gotten a T2 and wanted to show it off to me but he didn't make it around a couple corners. The idiot lost control, hopped the curb and took out a telephone pole. The entire drivers side is demolished. I parked the rental, called 911 and went to see if he was ok (which he was). After all the hoopla subsided the police officer looked at my neighbor with one of the most disgusted looks on his face and says "You shouldn't have been driving that car. It was too much car for you". I laughed my *** off, and took my neighbor home to his wife to explain what happenned. I'm sure he got more injuries from his wife that night than from the accident.

RETed is absolutely correct. The T2 is very dangerous in the hands of a careless person regardless of age but the numbers prove that more times than not it will be the 17 to 25 year old male who will try to impress their friends and end up either killing themselves or someone else. Their are exceptions but for the most part the numbers don't lie.

*EDIT*
After reading my post I want to clear up that he didn't literally "take out" the telephone pole. It remained standing. He just slammed into it damned hard with the driver's side of his poor rex.