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I was browsing the old picture thread dating back to 2010. Despite a lot of the picture links being broken (thanks Photobucket), there have been a lot of really cool builds and different iterations over the years. Changes in taste, trends and ownership. Pictures provide a static snapshot in history at the time, and I find it interesting to reflect on where things were, and where they are now.
I started wondering how many LHD FDs are left on the road? How many folks have hung onto them for all these years, or sold them off and still know the fate? Do you know the whole history of your car, or is that of any interest to you?
I know there's quite a few old-time owners still logging in regularly on this forum, and some of the REALLY old memberships occasionally dip in from time to time.
Internet machines say the original US figures were ~13,800 units.
Obviously, it would be really difficult to know exactly how many cars are still out there, but maybe just anecdotally I'm sparking a conversation about what other posters thoughts are. Wager any guesses, or share a story about your ownership.
Well... I can personally attest there are two less Montego blue FD's on the road today. So 13798. But in a way I have resurrected one of those Montego blue cars so, 13799??
I know locally there are two "lifers" that have FD's. They'll keep them up and running till the reaper takes their souls.
I do like the influx of RHD cars to America. Just because America has less stringent authoritarian disgusting emissions laws. And typically American's have more disposable income and time to fix these cars. Meaning more FD's will be saved from oppressive overreaching governments. That being said RHD RX7's in my personal opinion are awful just cause of the steering gear going through the turbos.
I was wondering about this for all generations RX7s. I think it's been awhile since I've seen ANY RX7 around - however I don't frequent car shows these days...How many have been claimed by accidents, rust, racing mishaps. How many are sitting in garages just rotting? That's how I got my FC and that's how my brother got his FC...
I agree though, I really enjoy looking through old magazines of my original car hay days (early to mid 00s) big body kits, sound systems, under glow, big wheels...I also spend a lot of time scrolling through build threads, I find it really interesting to follow along. Sometimes the threads are 10-20 years old.
Thank you scotty, I should have just bumped those old threads to keep that topic alive. I've stumbled on those threads before, and if the numbers are to be trusted to some degree, we're at less than the reported number of slightly fewer than 5000 LHD FD's in the US (at least registered and on the road). That number has likely dwindled even more since then.
I have two right now, my project, and a salvage title car that I'm fixing up to put back on the road. I think we're past the point in the ownership curve of substantial losses due to failed projects and part outs.
i don't know, but i was down in Monterey a couple weekends ago, and i saw about 10,000 Lamborghinis, but only 2 Rx7's
you park an FD on the street next to a Countach, people ignored the Countach
This is a funny observation, because my friend group talks about this phenomenon all the time. I walk right past the 911/lambo/ferrari groups and head straight to the clean 3000gt, or 300zx that tends to come to the local cars and coffee events. Ironic how exotics are now like common traffic, and the more exciting cars, at least to me, are the 90s Japanese cars I always adored.
Table of left: Total monthly production of FD. On right, production for Japanese market only. I will post better pictures, if i can find the source again.
BAT list 279 Fd auctioned (some repeats) over the last ten years data.
ICBC, the insurance corporation for British Columbia, listed about 250 RX-7, of all generations and types, as registered in the Province, but the population of FD (RHD & LHD) likely exceeds that, if non-registered cars are included.
This is a funny observation, because my friend group talks about this phenomenon all the time. I walk right past the 911/lambo/ferrari groups and head straight to the clean 3000gt, or 300zx that tends to come to the local cars and coffee events. Ironic how exotics are now like common traffic, and the more exciting cars, at least to me, are the 90s Japanese cars I always adored.
Car week in Monterey is really pretty crazy, the whole Monterey Bay turns into a car show, so there are tons of anything you can imagine (and some stuff you can't)
and it seems like every other car in traffic is a Lamborghini, which is enough to actually make them annoying (people put loud exhausts on them)
but Japanese cars are kind of scarce, and only 2 Rx7's....
i'd rock this one though. or those Austin Healy's. that VW bus had a rear mounted V8, and widebody
Car week in Monterey is really pretty crazy, the whole Monterey Bay turns into a car show, so there are tons of anything you can imagine (and some stuff you can't)
and it seems like every other car in traffic is a Lamborghini, which is enough to actually make them annoying (people put loud exhausts on them)
but Japanese cars are kind of scarce, and only 2 Rx7's....
i'd rock this one though. or those Austin Healy's. that VW bus had a rear mounted V8, and widebody
I guess Charleston, SC ain't so bad. Pretty much every weekend at the local Ale and Octane the local RX7 community gather's up. A few first gens and a few FD's.... The local FC's are almost finished for the past 6 years. LOL
The last registration numbers 5 years ago showed ~5k still registered. I'd guess less than 1/10 of those is in any sort of decent condition. There are probably only a few hundred stock body unmolested sequential twins cars left.
This is not a good thing for values either. If numbers get low enough, demand flips, the cars actually become less valuable because people don't see them, they're no longer part of the culture, and prices plummet even further. With low prices, people don't do restoration work, parts supplies dry up even more than they already are, shops close, and prices get even lower.
If you look at my monthly production data table above, there now are only 6000 cars of original production that are not yet eligible for US import. Once those cars reach 25 years old over the next 22 months or so, all the FD that ever were will have a chance at the US market.
My gut is that pool of cars will barely cover the attrition rate of the existing North American vehicle population.
But I don't see a quick decline of the existing population.
I think since 2016, at least, the trend has been for owners to preserve the cars, where before then, there was a steady flow of write-offs.
I recently bought an Initial D 30th anniversary vintage t-shirt. And I think the F&F franchise has been around nearly as long. So how many long term fans of the FD are getting into their thirties and forties?
Further, the toy makers continue to pump out toys based on the FD.
Hotwheels certainly is in that category.
Whatever feedback they are gleaning from social media, they must be seeing wide demand.
The last registration numbers 5 years ago showed ~5k still registered. I'd guess less than 1/10 of those is in any sort of decent condition. There are probably only a few hundred stock body unmolested sequential twins cars left.
This is not a good thing for values either. If numbers get low enough, demand flips, the cars actually become less valuable because people don't see them, they're no longer part of the culture, and prices plummet even further. With low prices, people don't do restoration work, parts supplies dry up even more than they already are, shops close, and prices get even lower.
Numbers like as in a matching numbers car. All original equipped parts. That would be a rare sight on an RX7.
Motors do have serial numbers, but i have not heard if the list of which motors went into which cars exists or has been made public.
But I would suppose there would be some value if you have a super low mileage car, that very likely has the original motor, to keep track of the S/N of the motor and make efforts to keep its components with the car.
Car week in Monterey is really pretty crazy, the whole Monterey Bay turns into a car show, so there are tons of anything you can imagine (and some stuff you can't)
and it seems like every other car in traffic is a Lamborghini, which is enough to actually make them annoying (people put loud exhausts on them)
but Japanese cars are kind of scarce, and only 2 Rx7's....
Inside scoop: Next year there will be Japanese cars included at the Monterey Historics. Our time is finally at hand!
Motors do have serial numbers, but i have not heard if the list of which motors went into which cars exists or has been made public.
But I would suppose there would be some value if you have a super low mileage car, that very likely has the original motor, to keep track of the S/N of the motor and make efforts to keep its components with the car.
there is a list, but its not public. Mazdas process is still pretty much the same as its always been, engines get a number in the sequence that they were built. then that batch goes to the factory and gets put in cars at random. Mazda kept track of which engine went into which car
