I've run searches and read the faq.

I'm looking to pick up a second sports car. I've been considering a 240sx, DSM (Eclipse/Talon), Datsun "Z" car, and of course the RX-7. Each of these cars have their own set of problems and set backs. I'm also trying to keep this under $3,000.

My primary concern with the RX-7 is whether having a turbo is a "requirement". Does the RX-7 have enough performance and potential without the turbo? The 87 I'm looking at is mint with a rebuilt engine and LSD. The seller also mentioned something about electronic adjustable suspension. How would this car compare to a Turbo 1g DSM? or a stock 240sx? Also out of curiosity, why did the RX-7 never pick up the popularity that the 240sx has found in recent years?

Thanks, all comments welcome.

 

probably dident get the popularity because the avrage amarican cant under stand that the car is suposto burn oil and you just cant take it to a normal machanic

 

of course i would recommend the rx7. That sounds like a good deal however i warn you that the adjustable suspension is expensive to replace/maintain, however if you simply rip it out there are no adverse effects to the car besides a useless switch. The rx7 didnt become as popular because its engine is compltely different than 99.9999% of the cars you will ever see in your life. People are scared of change and as a species stick with what they know and understand. This doesnt take away from its amazing (for its size) power, and its incredibly balanced construction. The rotary engine is superior to pistons in absolutely every aspect save reliability. The engine is quite reliable stock but in the world we live in full of uneducated tuners and wannabe fast and furious stars it is often destroyed by badly unbalanced mods. You cant just throw all kinds of shyt under the hood without thinking fo the other side of things. If you are an intelligent and patient person the rx7 will make you very happy in the end. The reason i think the 240 became so popular recently is because drift is becoming mainstream and the "drift king" drives a 240 as well as alot of other drifters. The talon is nice simply because its awd but have seen many lightly modded talons fall behind stock rx7s on the roadways of bklyn and queens so i dont think there is much power moving those 4 wheels. I dont know a damn thing abotu the other mentioned car. I hope i have given you more to think about.

 

A turbo is not 'required' to make a good RX-7. Using different combos of parts and porting jobs, you can pull off up to ~300hp out of two rotors.

Granted, it can get very difficult and expensive to stay N/A, so most go with turbos for easier power. This is true for all vehicles.

The Rotary engine has had a bad reputation since day one. Too many people are afraid of it to make it a 'popular' car today. That's good though, more cheap used parts for me.

 

Is it true what I have been reading, that the RX-7 is only going to get around 10-15 miles per gallon? Thats awful, even for an 80's car.

 

I have two RX-7's

1987 N/A with 198k miles....bone stock gets 18 mpg.... (87 octane)

1993 Twin Turbo w/10k on reman engine & 145k on car....modded as per the sig below gets 17 mpg (93 octane)

 

Wow, I thought Rotary engines were supposed to improve fuel mileage. Oh well, I'm practically sold on the RX-7 though. Great cars.

 

My first one was a 86 GXL. I've had it for 6 yrs. I've loved it everyday I've had it. Always fun to drive, but then the need for boost came.

 

Corbic - I can tell you that I've owned an Eclipse (1st gen). Mine was N/A, but I've driven worked/on enough of the turbos.. Pieces of ****. All of them. Yes, I am bitter. Not only are they pieces of **** quality-of-parts wise, they're pieces of **** design wise. The 2nd gens are even worse, under the hood. Since the last clutch job I did on a DSM (2nd gen 2.0T, FWD), I have made a rule in my garage: NO DSMs! I won't help any of my friends (well, it's down to 1 now, because both of the other two have lost their engines in the past 4 weeks) at all. DSMs simply are not welcome here anymore.

The Rx-7 on the other hand: I rebuilt mine (got it for 200 bucks!), It's simple to work on, perfectly balanced, and has a decent amount of power (mine is an 86 GXL, N/A). It's a fun car all around, and I'm still in for less than $2500 after my recent suspension and tire upgrades. It's so fun to drive and easy to work on that my dad recently bought an 85 GSL for himself, we're about to tear into that one this winter

One last note: When I was driving down last friday to pick up my Miata in Philadelphia, I passed three DSMs on the side of the road.. . I wish I were kidding.

To summerize: Mazda == Good; DSM == Bad; Nissan/Datsun == I dunno, but I've always wanted to drive a Z Car

Good luck with your choice

 

My N/A can get up to 26 highway, and around 17 city. It averages 22-23.

Rotary engines will choke down gas a lot faster then, say, a Honda.

 

i get about the same with my na vert but i romp on teh gas quite a bit and it depends on what mood i am in some times i shift at 3k some times at 4k soem times at 5k some times redline

i've heard that it is good to hit redline at least once a day cant rember what the reason why was but an its fun shifting right before red line

good luck

i'll be rooting for the 7 hehe

 

My Convertable gets 28mpg highway (high) and 24mpg highway (low) w/ a 25.5mpg highway average
City: 22mpg high, 18mpg low (about 7-12 races through the whole tank with very agressive driving) and 20mpg average.

I'm running hardcore rich right now and having major fuel problems. I intend to modify the ignition and fix the fuel issues. Then see how it affects my milage.

I think I am pretty fast, and I dont have a turbo. I like it that way.

DSM = garbage

Z cars are neat cars, (at least the older ones) but the new ones look impossable to work on.

 

Also, people seem to just be buying 240s cuz they are popular 'drift' cars. Not nessisarily because they are good cars. You used to have problems getting rid of them, before drifting became popular in the US. Now all the kids want 'em.

 

I've gotten close to 30 on the highway when i leaned out the SAFC.

 

Damn, that's what I'm getting with my Miata!