RX7 tourism ftw!

 

Yes, please make a thread when ready! That sounds awesome!

 

Definitely do not want to wade into the R1/Base/Touring value debate, but what does seem clear is that automatics sell for far less than manuals.

A clean 34k-mile silver FD sold for $26k recently on BAT (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-mazda-rx-7-141/) and a 27k-mile silver FD just failed to meet its reserve at $33k (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-mazda-rx-7-156/).

It's pretty standard for automatics to be worth less than manuals in the car enthusiast world, but a ~40% penalty is surprising.

 

Yeah. I think that will change over time. Either the gap will narrow, or the values of both will go up further, or both. Look at the Supra's. They have 4 options - TT manual, TT auto, NA manual, NA auto. I don't think there is a fixed penalty for TT vs Auto, it varies depending on the auction. There is a decent gap for NA vs TT, but even an NA auto goes for over $50k at this point. FD won't catch that any time soon, but I expect an Auto to be worth in the 40's. It was crazy this one was in the low $20's until the last 24 hours of the auction. I almost had to buy another one haha

 

[QUOTE It's pretty standard for automatics to be worth less than manuals in the car enthusiast world, but a ~40% penalty is surprising.[/QUOTE]

In Southern California traffic, a manual transmission is the source of literal pain. Stop/go traffic is very hard on the left leg and the right hand. Our FD has become pretty much a garage queen mostly because of this. Of course this comment is highly age-related (driver, not car).

 

More of us might be happy to cruise to cars & coffee in an automatic.

My concern is the long term maintenance and replacement parts as the automatic transmissions age.

 

There isn't much too it. Clean fluid and new filter occasionally. Don't abuse it. Less temperamental than the manual and 5th gear synchro.

 

Drive an auto fd back to back with a manual FD. You would never consider the auto again. Outside of a disability I can’t see anyone choosing the auto fd. The performance drop off down low is hard to look past. The Supra auto trans is a better experience but clearly nothing compare to all the newer twin clutch autos. There is also about a $20k difference in price from two comparable TT Supras if one is original 6 speed vs original auto.

 

I don't disagree. I just think the penalty for being auto will decrease over time on the collector status cars. The buyers will rarely drive them so being auto ends up not being an issue. Just like old muscle cars with autos.

The price gap will only be there for enthusiasts buying "drivers" cars. But eventually we will reach a point where the price point of an FD regardless of auto vs stick will be high enough that buyers seeking a driver car will buy an auto and convert it. A collector will leave whatever they get stock.

 

The FSM section on the auto transmission is 100 pages (or more).

 

And? Auto transmissions from that era are not overly complex. Any transmission rebuild shop can do a rebuild. I would not say that it materially adds complexity to the car. It's just an auto transmission.

 

It's the type of people looking for an FD. We want a manual. It really is a fundamental difference in the driving experience, and everyone buying an FD is getting one for the experience.

With DCT swaps becoming more available, and needing an auto rear iron, perhaps auto cars will be the better starting point for an all-out monster. The purchase price difference pays for the DCT conversion and finding a clean auto is much easier

 

With later model RX-7s, autos are also not as well equipped. They are 255ps vs 265ps for mid spec manual and 280ps for top spec manual, come with only one oil cooler. and no rear spoiler. There's no bigger brake option on the autos either like the Type RS / RZ / Spirit R. These differences alone increase the price differential. For example, Spirit R Type C is the 2nd rarest model variant (behind Australian RX-7 SP) and the last run - they only 40 of them - and yet they sell for less than Type R Bathurst and Type RS. Type A Spirit R generally costs 200% or more than a Type C whereas they were only 60,000JPY apart when brand new - yet they made 1,044 of the "rare" Type A and only 40 of the Type C.

Then if you're looking to modify, rather than keep it stock, it's a pain to do so while retaining the auto.

The penalty for auto will only INCREASE over time, not decrease. Autos will increase over time, to be sure, but if they become rare enough, manual equivalents will cost exponentially more.

 

I would say the percentage of auto FD's in the US is pretty low at this point, either through attrition or conversion. It's VERY rare to see one or see people talking about them.

I drove an auto FD once and BOY was that disappointing. But there are use cases, like people that have a handicap where they can't drive a stick.

FD auto transmissions are CRAZY heavy too, had to move one once

Dale

 

I agree completely. As I look for a 993 911 I will not consider an auto no matter how clean. If I am paying $60K plus for a car I will not consider swapping even though its about a $15k savings over purchasing a manual. You make a great point with the DCT swaps as well. I'd love to drive one on a smallish turbo running 20+ lbs of boost. I bet its a riot.

 

That's a really good price comparison if someone wants to do the DCT thing. For racing, I suspect that's the way to go. Had a Maserati with the early Ferrari F1 DCT.

 

New record for an RX7 at Japanese auctions today. White Spirit R Type A with 14,000km went for 23,185,000 JPY car cost (ex local taxes and free on board costs, usually 5%, ex shipping and local taxes etc). You can plug that into your local currency converter 😳

 

Low mileage US delivered models are a bargain by comparison

 

Is anyone gong to drive that $230,000 Spirit R around or just display it?


If just for display, why not get a bargain LHD?

I wonder what that LHD Replica Spirit R would sell for these days?

 

Auction sheet for $230,000 RX7

I have never seen a Grade 5 auction car before. Thought the scale stopped at 4.

 

I wonder if any of this price has something to do with hyper-inflation? Seems like hyper-inflation might make everything quickly become out of reach for certain groups of people who can't make whatever the new money costs/has lost... Which is why the USA needs to have its own Production facilities for every major industry... So outside forces cannot manipulate the function of certain parts of Governmental Operations. Simple.

 

That car, quite a lot due to the history of it and it's connection to Mazda. A normal clone? Value of a normal FD plus 1/2ish of the cost of the parts most likely

 

idk man, sounds like something for a political forum

 

Grade 5 is unusual but not unheard of. It actually goes up to 6 (brand new). Several 5s have gone through this year and heaps of 4.5s. But forget auction grades. Anyone who trusts auction grades is a sucker. You can pay an assessor to guve it whatever grade you want. Vehicles have to be seen in person to ascertain true condition.

That said, i saw detailed photos of this one and it was immaculate.

a blue 5A rated Spirit R Type A with same km went through a month ago and sold for around 15M. So this is still a huge increase on that.

This car won't be driven. It will go into a collection for sure.

Just like this type B in Australia with 1,600km (A$225K): https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/det...SSE-AD-6546575

 

14,000 km is halfway to needing a new motor, no?