He also said that it would help him make a nice down payment on a house. If it means having a new house but still having an RX7 in the drive I say go for it! He may not be all about speed ya know.

 

That's why I asked about the cost of TII conversion in a vert. But I got a very lame answer.

I still think you are CRAZY to trade in your FD for a FC vert.

 

The cost of a conversion can be under $1000 if using a used (read Jspec) motor and selling all the NA parts that are no longer needed. I think there have been a couple of people who have done it for under $500 after selling their NA parts.

More head room in a vert as well...


well maybe the same head room with the top up.

And I actually much prefer the FC3C over the Miata... The 2G Miata feels almost cheap in comparison and has much more body flex that the FC3C. The Miata is also much smaller both in feel and size.

 

Well I kind of wanted to know how much he was going to do himslef as it does make a big difference so it really wasn't that lame an answer.

If you can do your own work and find a cheap donor car then yes it can be very inexpensive indeed. easily under a grand if you have a good running NA engine you can resell. I thought it germaine to mention I own a vert, since I have a good idea what the car is like. Much more room than a miata, and still able to run close to one on an autocross track.

 

What is the performance potential of a vert with a TII engine transplant? I am mainly asking about straight line speed here, like 0-60 and 1/4 mile times.

I am asking because it may indeed be a good low budget project. Does any body have a vert with a TII on the forum?

 

My 88 vert has a Jspec S4 13BT in it, but I have not raced for times.

I estimate it does just under 7 second 0-60 and around a 15 sec quarter mile. I have seen an indicated 130 MPH. But I do have a downpipe, FMIC, and slightly more boost than a stock series 4 T2. It is without any doubt slightly "seat of the pants" faster than my basicly stock SC400 which has simular times. I imagine once the motor gets a few more miles on it (only about 4000 since the rebuild) it will get a little faster.

 

how about i go buy a vert and you trade me your FD?

 

$1000 is not bad at all for a TII swap! How reliable is a TII, though? I've heard they're almost as bad as an FD.

I'm also going to consider getting a '96 ish Miata with low miles, selling my daily beater, and putting in a Jackson Racing supercharger.

 

i have a s4 TII with 121K miles and it still pulls strong BUT it is stock and only running around 5-6 PSI of boost most ppl say that they will last to 150K miles easy but thats obviously with good maintance.

 

Miata's are very small inside. They also feel like a tin can. FC verts are much more comfortable inside. A little cramped with the top up. I'm 6'3" and fit fine in my vert.
Power, well they are limited. Do some simple mods like intake and exhaust and you'll be able to live with it. If you feel the need for speed. Hop on your cycle and roll the throttle back. The vert won't satisfy you desire for power, but will satisfy in other ways no car with a top can.

 

having never owned an fd, i dont know how to compare reliability, but the TII isnt bad. a used jspec (if it really only has 30k miles) should make it another 100k if you take care of it (ie always make sure it has enought fuel getting to it). Compared to a newer miata though, its proably very unreliable, any fc you get is going to be 10-15 years old and theres all sorts of little things that like to wear out.
1/4 mile time for a stock TII (a little bit lighter than a vert) is 15 flat. but theres plenty of easy and cheap mods to get it down. If you like working on cars, i say go for it. if you put the effort into it, it could be fast and reliable, you just probably wont be able to buy one that way.

 

Do TII's run 6 psi stock, or is yours not working correctly? Just wondering, because FD's run 10 psi stock. The lower boost probably helps out on engine life.

 

Man, this isn't an apples to oranges deal....you guys are comparing apples to horseshoes. The FC vert, FD, and Miata are three totally different animals.

OK, I've owned an '88 vert for ten years. When I bought it used in '92, I also checked out the new Miatas. They were cute, but cramped and somewhat spartan by comparison. They reminded me a lot of my '68 Triumph Spitfire. The FC seems much more comfortable. Also, I suspect (I could be wrong here) that once you get the revs up, even the NA vert may be faster.

But the stock vert is not a race car like the FD is. When Mazda chopped the top off, then actually did a great job. They made some other changes to make the body a little more rigid than the coupes -- but again, it's no FD.

In my estimation, the FC vert may be the best designed roadster daily driver I've ever seen. That's one of the reasons I kept it so long. The FD is a totally different vehicle.

Regards,
--Steve

 

yeah 5.5-6 PSI is stock on a s4 not sure about a S5 though and fuel cut happens at 8.6 PSI

 

How about a Sunday drive in the country?

 

how about a little perspective from the FC side:

 

 

I actually was put in a similar position, except for the fact that I planned on keeping the Vert. I have an 88 TII Convertible that has way too many mods to pass the new smog laws in Texas, so I started looking for a stock FD daily driver. After about a month of looking around for the car that I'd wanted since I was 16, I decided that I didn't want one any more. My vert is faster and a whole lot more fun to cruise in with the top down than a STOCK 3rd gen... I said stock, so I'm not trying to start a flame war. The vert is also a ton more reliable than any 3rd gen that my friends have owned, even after my mods. I couldn't justify spending that much on a car that I couldn't just drive or let someone else drive without worrying that they're going to blow it up. I ended up buying a 6-speed '95 Vette, keeping the TII Vert, and not regretting it for a moment. The vette is an awesome daily driver, and I can mod it without any worries about emmissions or reliability. If I don't have time to turn a wrench on it, nearly any reputable shop can help me out with it.

The vert is an awesome toy, that was a wonderful daily driver until they passed the new emmissions laws on me. I could have brought it back to "legal" pretty easily, but I have also driven an rx-7 vert since I was 16, so I was ready to have another car and more time to play with the vert. Good luck!!!

If you need any info about a tii conversion or owning a vert at some point, pm me.

 

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I'm still not sure exactly what I want to do, but I have a lot to think about now.

 

what kit is that on the white vert? looks pretty decent. I'll be looking for some info on t2 conversion hopefully sometime by next year. Gotta save up money first. And still undecided if i want to go that route or just get a T2... decisions...

 

I this it's an OSA kit. I think one of the FC3S websites sells it.

On the "no pass emissions" vert - bolt the air pump back onto the catalytic converter - ez enough.

 

As an owner of a vert...I would say go for it. Yeah, they're not as fast as an FD (duh), not anywhere near as fast. There's just a different feel to having the open air. It's a blast. You can always do lots of stuff to make them a little bit faster, and about the Miata thing...I don't like them. Miatas are way too small...an RX7 convertible is MUCH more comfortable and roomy. I have no regrets...just stay away from the automatics (like mine). They're WAY slow. But, I've done about 115 with the top down (probably could have gone faster, but I got scared), and it felt awesome. It's up to you...performancewise, it's DEFINITELY no FD, but aside from that...it all depends on what you're looking for. If you want a convertible, I'd go with the FC vert over a miata ANY day. Drive one, and see what you think. I like mine!

God Bless,
Matt

 

I own a 90 RX7 convertible and a Porsche the does 0-60 in 6.6 seconds stock.

The RX7 feels zippier, is more fun to drive, is easier to drive in normal situations, is more comfortable, has a better stock stereo, etc. The porsche is a better autocrosser because the RX7 has no low end power, and plowing over the cones in first sucks as does left foot braking for a minute straight.

What are the times for a stock third gen 0-60?

The problem with the convertible is crappy and i mean crappy visibility with the top up. thats why i take it off the road in october and put it back on in april.

As for chassis flex, I traded in an 86 GXL for the convertible. With the top up and looking forward you can't tell the difference. In fact contemporary road tests said the chasis was a work of art because it didnt have any flex associated with convertibles. I can attest to the lack of flex compared to my old firebird convertible and my GXL.

But what do i know Im just an idiot that owns one of the crappy convertibles.

If you decide you want a convertible contact me. I will probably be selling mine (38k, no bondo ever etc. about as good as it gets) as soon as I sell the 68 Bird, and buy a used 325/328 convertible.