lol...agreed......id love to see what they have to say about fc's (note...especially since 95% of them have never even driven an fc!)

 

well congrats on not spending too much
i went the complete opposite way and bought everything and spent way too much
but its looks really good
hope you hit that 350whp mark even though another year is a long wait
i thought i have been waiting long seven months now all i am waitng for is my stage 4 from BNR then i can slap it all together

 

yeah......there is only so much one can do on a budget..........I wanted to go stage 3 but i don't think I want to compromise the reliability of the engine. I don't need more than 350 hp on a street/autocross car anyways

 

because more than 5% of the FC guys have driven FD's? i have a friend who's been building/driving FC's for 10 years. after driving a stock FD R1 around as a daily driver for a good while he says he is sad because the FD is so superior.

 

Hmm, do you think I should? I mean it would seem that the vast majority of the people replying to this thread already is saying FC for the money and reliability, but then again, hearing the viewpoints of FD owners would kind of give me both sides of the story... I'll post it in the 3rd gen section just to get some kind of responses but I appreciate everyone for replying I've gotten a few more things to think about, I may go ahead and get an FC just to get the feel of the car first before I drop a load of money onto a FD, buying a used FC looks like it'll stay around the constant value that I buy it for unless I do something stupid, so if worse comes to worse it'll be easier to sell a FC and move on up to a FD later... But it's still such a hard decision, looks like I won't know untill the day comes and I sign the papers haha

 

this is how i think it works

fc= people that are cheap and/or under 20

fd= people that like spending cash(alot of it) and are over 20

 

as long as its a rotary thats all that matters cause as soon as you buy your 1st one your hooked for life atleast i am .i'm about to get my 3rd fc in about 2 weeks are so for adeal like no other good luck in your quest.

 

well your kinda right........I got my 1st fc as a grad gift from my father(under 20 ha hahahaha) and still own her today,back then (1993) got my *** handed 2 me several times, now she's handing them there *** w/ 650 hp and $$$$$$$$$$
later moral.........cheap then $$$$$$$ now and still a TRU FC owner.

 

Agreed, FDs are superior to FCs in many ways. Power, looks, handling, but it all comes down to what you prefer. I personally would rather have my FC than an FD just because I like it a little more. I like the interior more and the feel a little more (And trust me I have driven an FD) But when it all comes down to it, either way you go should be based on preference because they are both RX-7s and RX-7s are awesome cars. And either way you go you can make one faster or handle better than the other if you got the cash.

Just my 2 cents

 

Well personally I’m all about building a car unique for me.

With a FC I can build the engine, suspension, fully body kit, paint, mag's, sound system, interior etc

Or have a completely stock FD.... Id goes with my Custom car every time.

But hell if your after Drift and you have the money then Id go the FD then Custom that up

 

I got an FC because of the lower price tag.
I'm happy I have an FC because it attracts less attention than an FD.
As people have already said, reliability is better.
Parts in general are cheaper.

One of the biggest differences I notice between FCs & FDs is the type of attention they get.
FDs appeal to EVERYONE.
FCs appeal to a more selective crowd, it seems to be a crowd who is more geared to performance & potential rather than looks (read: racers vs ricers)

Of course the FD is a great racer but it also attracts the ricers.
FCs on the other hand, tend to only attract the racers.


Of course this is just my own observation. Lots of ricey FCs too

 

part of this post is wrong, for the most part upgrade parts for the FC cost more than for the FD.

 

Well I'm exactly 20 so that leaves me right in the middle

I was just curious outside of price though, I know stock performance is better for the FD which with the money I would save buying a FC I could put into mods, the looks of the body all come down to what you personally like, but bringing this topic up has made me realize that the handling and stuff like that is also superior in the FD, so to an extent you are right, but I still think this decision has a lot to do outside of whether or not people can afford the car, its if a FD is truely worth the price tag.

Thanks again for everyone commenting, every post has given me something to consider

 

If price is the factor , bear a few things in mind:

1) Most drivers arent capable of using the FC's handling to its max, let alone an FD's

2) S4's are butt ugly. Get a 89+

3) FD's break. Period.

4) FD's make FC's look like a pinto when it comes to styling and technology.

I probably didn't help much but..

Buy a cheap FC first and once you feel you've outgrown the capabilities of the car then and only then should you considering investing in an FD.

 

I really wanted to buy an FD for the longest time, and still do. But because of lack of money I began to reluctantly look at FC's. After researching and actually riding one I started to fall in love with the FC's. Like Reflux said the FC tends to attract less attention. Most people dont even know what kind of car you are driving most of the time ( i have had people ask if it was a celica?!). If you like that then FC's are nice. I personally have never driven an FD so i cannont comment on handling. FC's handle really well, and corner better than most other cars. This makes it not necessarily great for drifting but it is probably easier to drift than an FD, so in that sense i would suggest FC.
Basically it comes down to what you like and how much money you have. If you cannot afford an FD but really want a rotary then go with an FC and i dont think that you will be disappointed. If you really want an FD and can wait then go with an FD. If you dont really care then I suggest an FC because like others have said it is a good car to learn on as far as rotaries go.

 

Both. They're different enough to justify having one of each. Maybe even a sa22c too. (Thinking about it...)

I'd say the FD gets no more attention than the FC.. no one cares about FDs here, they're everywhere and tend to be beaters. Nice FCs though.. lots of kids love it cuz of initial d.

 

Okay, now you've done it and mentioned my name...

This is one of my big rants that I tend to drag out once a year or so.

I absolutely hate the FD...at least the US-spec versions.
Front styling is "ok"; the rear looks stupid.
Too much plastic breaks - I think the majority of you haven't touched and FD or owned one.
Lean on the headlight cover and it cracks - FD owners have claimed headlight covers flying off on the freeway - at least the FC ones are metal.
Door handles break - well, FC ones do too, doh.
As bad as the FC interior is, the FD interior is worse - I still can't believe how bad a ~10 year old FD is versus my ~20 year old FC! Almost every panel in an FD breaks or rattles.
FD front sway bar brackets crack
FD PPF cracks
FD owners getting away from stock Torsen and actually hunting down FC turbo LSD's
The motor is nice, but the coils on the engine tend to fail - FC coils are better.
No boost gauge on FD - well, FC one is kinda cheesy, but it is a factory boost gauge!
I don't like the stock FD radiator and IC design - later FD models in Japan changed the ducting to improve cooling, so Mazda knew the early FD's were bad.
FD has bigger brakes though.
FD does have a better suspension, but I still have my doubts how much better it is with an "unlimited" budget for suspension upgrades - friend claims no FC can touch the FD double-wishbone
Rear hatch is almost useless in an FD - the FC is usable.
I just prefer the FC interior design and layout - I really don't fit in an FD - I'm 6'1" and 250#. :P
I prefer a more subtle approach to my cars, so the FC really fits the bill versus a more flashier FD.
I wish the FC had bigger fender wells to stuff bigger wheels under them; the FD does have the FC beat pretty easily here, especially the fronts.

For the money, I'd rather go 20B FC than an FD.
While the FD is making 500hp with it's 13B-REW, I'd be making 600.
While the FD is making 600hp with it's 13B-REW, I'd be making 750.
While the FD is making 700hp with it's 13B-REW, I'd be climbing closer to 900.

While the FD might be the chick magnet, I don't build my cars to pick up girls.
I'm too old for that. :P


-Ted

 

If your 20 then insurance is going to be a huge factor. I could have gotten an fd but chose a 91 vette instead because of reliability however i owned the vette for almost 2 years and sold it because the insurance costs made the car not worth it to me. Now im a proud owner of a mint condition vert and even though its slow i love it. Just go with your heart, just make sure your wallet can keep up with your heart!

Edit: id also like to add that ive owned 2 fb's and the transformation from the fb to the fc is astranomical. Its ALOT more secure on the road, more comfortable and just a full out more suited car for daily driving. I like all 3 models. the way i see it is the fb and fd should be toys and the fc n/a is the ideal daily driver. The wife can have an rx8 hehe

 

Aside from everything else, I dont care much about whats wrong with the FD that makes FC's so much better or vice versa. I feel at least in my case, the car is modified enough that stock comparisions have no relevence.

I like my FC. With the amount of time and money poured into it, I've had no problems out handling other FDs, Evos, STis, 350Zs at the track nor outpowering them. My experience is based on my car which weighs under 2600lbs, has over 300whp and suspension aligned/balanced to the pound.

I think it comes down more to how far you want to take the car. Based on this, you can get an idea of how the car will perform/outperform.

On a side note, I drove a stock and modded FD a couple times. Awesome power delivery and good suspension feel. Potential is high.

 

Personally, I need a car with lines. It's how I've always felt. FD's are nice cars, but if money was no object I'd sooner put together an insane FC than FD... like everyone else has said it's a matter of taste. Sure the FD is newer and some people look down on an 80s car with lines, but even today there are new cars with lines, and others that are more rounded. Take the new Cadillacs, I think they look great, much better than previous generations (not that I'd buy one). As far as mass appeal, I've had girl friends mistake an FD for a miata, (at a distance of course) but to me it just points me back to my FC and how different it looks from other Mazdas. Just make sure you buy the car because you want it, not because you think the people at the gas pump will actually care.

 

dude-fc is deff. the way to go, if not for the subtle beauty, the reliability and simplicity of its engine, the rediculous utter functionality of the car, and its diamond in the rough mysteque, then deffinantly because it wont cost **** to do whatever to, and fds are like fcs for the old wanna be young stud.
get an fc, **** that get 2 or 3 and still be under the price of one bitchy fd.


"one day we'll rule the world"
-One fc to another

 

fd v. fc
i say its a toss up i have never owned an fd but from heat i here it just about as expensive to keep it mantained as it is a firarri. where as an fc is just a little higher than a corola or somthing..... about the same work and matinence as a bmw for an fc.

 

I have a FC and my brother has a FD.

My FC is perfect for my size(6'2 about 240), the mirrors are right were you need them. It's sooooo comfortable.

my bro's FD on the other hand is a little snug and just about all the interior parts creak. oh and the E-brake lever is on the right side of the shifter which would probably annoy me if I was to drift in it and with the price tag it had I would be worried about injuring the car were a FC if some thing goes wrong you could always go search a junkyard. or buy a parts car for dirt cheap.

 

FC's rule! and so far none of the people in our tII crew have been beat by an FD.

 

heh