KoiHoshi

First of all this is as much a rant as it is a questioning of opinions, facts and what not. I've gone and read the stickies at the top so by no means am I questioning the performance of a 3rd Gen at all.... First of all let me start by saying that I'm wanting opinions, suggestions, and facts. I do not want any flames, crap or BS to follow. If you do then I'll simply ignore it, I'm starting this thread off to be serious. I'll begin with my situation.

I've been lingering and watching this forum for quite a while now (before I had my screen name and started posting) I've started modding both of my cars which are a 1999 Ford ZX2 and a 1978 Ford Mustang II Ghia. The ghia isn't going anywhere (laugh all you want at the car, it was my first car ever and some of us enjoy keeping those as sentimental value and I am modifying mine out of the ordinary) and the ZX2 began as an excuse for a "great handling winter car" but i've been modifying the suspension and what not, sure it'll do just fine but honestly it lacks the performance i crave for autocross and what not. As of late I have been working on the suspension and what not, it now has KYB GR-2 gas struts and Suspension Techniques lowering springs in it, of course a K&N filter for mileage and somewhat better throttle response with an extra 2 whole horsepower. The sound system and exterior are a little modified.

Here is the problem: Lately i've been having more and more of those late mile problems (needing to replace belts, the throwout bearing is now giving me crap and the clutch isn't slipping yet but it has plenty of miles on it) and every time something goes wrong I simply do the obvious and go with a better part that is stronger or replace it with a performance part which is great, nothing wrong with that. But I'm now looking at the car and wondering why in the world I'm spending all of this money on a car that has 130hp with 130ft lbs torque and even CONSIDERING spending enough money to get it up to 200-250hp. For the money I could be spending to get the car up to that point I could easily sell the car, get another loan, get a 3rd Gen FD and start working on that and come out on top EASILY and smoke the hell out of my ZX2.

My friends are bent on and used to my ZX2, they love it to death, and so do I. The ghia isn't going anywhere as I said before, and this car and I have had a lot of miles together. Don't get me wrong, I like the car and I'm afraid to sell it and watch someone beat the **** out of it when I've spend 2 years with the car keeping it IMMACULATE, and I do mean immaculate. The paint looks brand new, the exterior striping job is flawless, the mesh is great. The interior has NOTHING wrong with it other than a tiny scratch on the passenger side, etc. I mean you would think this car was off the lot if you didn't know what a new ZX2 looked like. The other problem I have is that I'm afraid to jump to another car and have the same crap going wrong. I realize that the 3rd gen RX7 is older than my car so by default those cars not only due to performance would probably be driven somewhat hard, have more miles and I'm looking at replacing things STILL. But long term I'm trying to figure out if I am better off just jumping up to the next level and enjoying it all or do I really want to throw money into this car to see how it goes and THEN find out if I'm satisfied? I've already spend over $1500 in accessories, suspension, tires, and everything just to make it better and now I'm starting to spend money on maintenance and it's starting to add up.

To the point: By the time I get this thing paid off early (if I work now I could easily do it in about 3 months or so but that means double payments and everything) I will have spent roughly $7500 in buying the car, maintenance, accessories and performance only to come out with keeping the car maintained, gaining a whole 2hp, a better speaker system much much better suspension of course but overall not really coming out with enough satisfaction.

If you were in my shoes what would you do, where would you go and what would be your next step?

Should I just replace what I need to replace with stock, pay it off, sell it and get the 3rd gen? Or should I keep going, try it and see.... I honestly am stuck in the middle.

Any input from 3rd gen owners on what your experience has been with going from a car like this to an FD would be like? Please, opinions, facts and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Sorry for such a long post but I'm really needing some sort of input.

d0 Luck

question is: how deep are your pockets? and how much time do you always have to spare... if u answered not much or nay in both... sell the FD

KoiHoshi

I don't have an FD, I'm saying I'm considering selling to ZX2 to get one. I have plenty of time, my cars consume me. Trust me, don't make me get into the life chrisis part of this.

TurboLumpy

this is a ford escort you're talking about...

RotaryResurrection

iTrader: (8)

There is an upside and a downside to these cars. You'll get looks like no other driving around, and you'll own the road 98% of the time. Every little trip to the store can and will be an excersize in restraint while you try to convince yourself to keep your foot off the gas. And every trip you will enjoy and look forward to. FOr just a couple thousand bucks in well placed mods you can get well over 300hp and trackworthy handling.

BUT...

part of the joys of owning an rx-7 is not knowing for sure that when you leave you'll make it back under your own power. You sometimes wonder if the car will start in the mornings. You get tired of the constant challenges and race attempts by every fool in a honda every time you go out, too. These cars drink gas, they have lots of little electrical problems, hesitations, they backfire and shoot flames, run rich, and carbon up the rear bumper badly. They idle rough and they don't like the a/c in the city. They have very little low end torque until the first turbo comes online at about 2000-2500. They require constant maintenance just to remain streetable and semi-reliable. They require engines every 2-4 years or 25-70k miles on average. Same for turbos. IF you buy a car that hasn't had both replaced already, plan on doing so, at a cost of about $2000 each plus installation. Parts are hard to come by locally and aren't cheap when you do find them anywhere.

IF you have a daily driver, then by all means sell the escort and get an FD. IF you need to rely on the car for important transportation, I wouldnt suggest you do the swap. Unless you can buy a car that's already been gone through from the ground up by a professional.

Just my opinions from 6 years of ownership and repair on hundreds of 7s.

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

The FD and a ZX2 are about as far apart in every aspect as two cars can get.

The FD is expensive to drive and maintain and it is so fast and handles so well you won't have a clue how to handle it at first.

Snook

iTrader: (12)

ahh....I wish I was a moderator lol

KoiHoshi

Hey Surge I simply asked for help, not insults... yes we're comparing 2 very different cars but I'm trying to weight the effects. Don't you do the same? I never tried to be an *** about anything, I'm here for the experience and is another reason I was hesitant to even post this because I kind of figured that someone would come out on top with their huge ego and start crap. All I want is some feedback....

diablone

iTrader: (2)

Stick with your current car.

1234rotor

iTrader: (1)

Be ready to give your life to this car. All hail the mighty FD!!!

It will reward you in return with little pats on the back and grins from ear to ear, but like I said, you will have to hail to it first.



Read, Read, Read....and have tools, lots of tools to get into small places...exspensive Snap-On tools or the like. That is how you can stand next to the allmighty FD and sex her every other night like she was made to be sexxed. hehe


FD is addicting just like *****. If you want to keep it around you have to put up with it and feed to it's needs, and spending habits.

I just need to stop now....yeah =)

rhscare

Dude calm down a little bit. You were so defensive right off the start. The people on the board are full of good info and are usually more than happy to share it, but they are gonna deal it with a little side of sarcasm. Its just part of the community.

Nghtstlkr7

RotaryRessurection's reply pretty much sums it up. the car is definately a poor man's supercar... in a sense....
i say poor man's b/c it'll nearly break your bank, but on the other hand after youve spent the money on it it'll reward you with spectacular confidence inspiring performance and exclusivity. the car turns heads all the time and smokes nearly everything on the road, save for the big supercars and the super-tuned.
its a love-hate relationship if you commit to the car... just make sure youre ready. good luck

KoiHoshi

LOL that's an interesting way to put it. I'm already stocking up on as many tools as I can due to the fact that all I do is replace anything I can to make any of my cars better. I just work 40 hours a week to make the money to work on my cars, I pretty much either spend too much money blabbling on the computer too much time under the hood of my cars or under them. I'd have no problem working on the car, any high performance car is high maintenance, a given. Good to hear everyone so far that has posted a large reply seems to think that's it worth it. Just makes me think about it more and more.... I think I'm going to make a few more modifications to the current car... save up and maybe go that direction. Perhaps it would be a bad idea to sell a low maintenance car to rely on a high maintenance car.... but either way.... if I do end up getting one and keep my current, where the hell will I park 3 cars in a 1 car garage lol (the MII is already stored up for the winter). Guess I'll figure that one out later, ugh.... I dunno.

Thanks for the continued input by the way for those that didn't dis on me and all.

Max13BREW

I faced a similar conundrum only a month or so ago!

the FD won!

I had a moderately modified Mitsubishi RVR wagon (A mini 4wd with the lancer EVOIII engine...14.4s 1/4, 0-60mph <6s, lots of room..very practical)

I am EXTREMELY happy with the FD..in fact I think i am totally in love. I was able to buy the later model 98 S7 version (Being in Australia sometimes has benefits) and the car is a dream, very responsive, very easy to drive. My only grip is the position of the steering wheel which is far too low.
Get a low mile, good condition example of an FD , and you should have many many miles of trouble free operation, there are examples in Australia that have had a hard life and still reached 250,000kms on the standard engine (about 150miles)

I based my decision to change on the fact that after spending another $10k on the old RVR I would have a 12 second car incapable of going around corners in safety, (Although it would have been fun off the lights) with no sex appeal, with no opening the garage door and going WOW, with no comments from people in the street like "Thats a nice car, what is it?" and importantly with no return on investment (Modify a car, and watch your money dissapear...you NEVER get it back..)
All i can say is DO IT

skunks

OMG, this is so true!

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

You're asking RX-7 fans if they like RX-7's better than Escorts, what exactly are you expecting to hear? We like RX-7's. We think they're good cars.

Unfortunately , they cost at least twice what an Escort costs, both in terms of initial purchase price (retail was $35K new) and in terms of maintenance. Expect to get about 15mpg, burning premium fuel. Oil changes every 2K miles, and spark plugs every 5-10K. Coolant change once per year, etc etc etc... And if you slack on maintenance, you're possibly looking at $5K towards an engine rebuild, that's assuming your turbo's stay healthy.

If you live in a climate that sees snow, the FD3S is a crappy winter car.

If pure autocrossing is what you're looking for, I would advise you also look into a Miata, they are a good amount lighter, also RWD, and much cheaper to race. If you're in love with the rotary engine, then keep looking into the RX-7's. If you get an opportunity, test drive both cars, it's the only way to decide for yourself.

I just noticed you're located in Oregon. Have you looked into the Subaru Impreza 2.5RS? Those are great all-weather, daily-driver cars, and pretty respectable handling on an autocross also. 165hp stock, 166 torque @ 3.5K rpm's. The only reason I traded my Subaru for my Mazda is because I know I'll be able to find another Subaru in 10 years, but might not be able to say that about the Mazda.

-s-

speedx7

What!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DjRannyKan

buy a fc or a 240

speedx7

I mean just buy whatever you want. Because when I bought my FD I was debating between the FD and several other sports cars out there. I went for the FD knowing what I was getting into. So if you ask me if I regret getting the FD I'll have to say NO.

BOTTLEFED

iTrader: (1)

In order to own an FD you must be in love with it. Meaning, you must be willing to do almost anything for it, because, it seems that something is always needing to be fixed or upgraded.
It sounds like you have already made up your mind, whether you know it or not. If you are on this forum and posting, then you have been bitten by the "bug." All you can do now is do some research and find a nice FD in your price range. If you are autoXing, then make sure you get an R1/2.
You will never know if an RX-7 is right for you until you try one. You WILL fall in love with it (there's no doubt). However, that love will have to endure many frustrating and expensive times. Owning an FD is a love/hate relationship, but you must love it more than you hate it or it will drive you mad.

Also take this quote into consideration:
"Owning an RX-7 is somewhere between paranoid schizophrenia and obsessive compulsive disorder."

pianoprodigy

You started to go wrong when you began to modify a Ford Escort (ZX2 or not).

My first car was a Toyota Camry with over 200k miles. It was slow, but in good condition. When I learned of the 2nd gen Rx-7 through my friend, I began to look for one. I found a seemingly very nice 90 FC convertible that needed a rebuild within 2 weeks. After the car was fixed, I considered modifying it to make it "fast," but the more that I considered it I realized that it would require a lot of money and hassle to make it fast, and it certainly would never be as fast (or look as good) as an FD. I began my search for an FD, and found one after 2 previous deals had fallen through. I have spent THOUSANDS on my FD since I purchased it. Many think I'm crazy, but I love the car. I'm sure you would love the performance and the looks, but you have to be willing to put up with all the random things that needed fixing. If you want a great-looking car that will perform with some of the best sports cars and have deep pockets (and a daily driver), go ahead and look for an FD. Don't make the mistake of spending another penny on the Escort.

suprfast93

Well first off this was me in feb. of 2003. I had a zx2 with almost every bolt on you could imagine. I spent lots of money and time. I got it down to a low 14 high 13 sec car with nos. I even bought a spare engine to take apart and turbo it. Then i thought abought it alot, Do i really want to spend more money on it and would probly not be able to tune it to it's full potential. So i decided to sell it and get a 93-97 supra. I could not find anyone that would buy my zx2 for what i was asking. It was hard to find the supra i wanted, when i finally did i found out it had been totaled in cali. My other dream car to have was a 93-95 rx7. I didn't know alot about the rotary. After the deal fell through on the supra i found a nice fd in oregon, on autotrader. I called about it and went to look at it. I decided to get it that nite, however i had to wait till the weekday for my financing to get approved. The place i bought my car asked if i was willing to trade in my zx2 for the price i was asking for it. Well i really like my fd and am glad i did it. But be preparred i have spent about or close to $7000 on my car since then.

salamander

FD ownership is a cult because the car gives supercar performance for econobox price. If you expect a fast ride with a few compromises (like fuel milage and trunk space) you should be OK.

You can bet that forum members have babied their car and have addressed/documented most of the common problem areas. But motors don't normally last beyond 100K ($2K - $3K).

However, expect to be out more than $7500. I would say you need to think about $15K.

TwinTurbo93

Buying an FD is like getting married to a women, high maintenence woman, she'll treat you rite as long as you treat her rite, she'll give you some of the biggest pleasures but she'll aslo make you so mad that you gonna want to divorce her sometimes,
She'll make you proud almoast every time you take her out, ppl wel be drooling over your baby all the time, you gonna be with huge grin and enjoy your pimp mobile coz that's what an FD is, pretty, fast and she can handle it all well.

Be ready to smile, laugh, cry and sream...
Good luck with the choice you make.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Keep in mind this is referring to modified 7s. A mostly stock 7 tends to be much more reliable (assuming you're proactive about hoses, belts, fuel filters, oil changes, and the like). I've (knock, knock) never had my FD fail me in the 10k I've put on it. But to use it as a daily driver - it's like there's a hole in the gas tank, and you can't move anything larger than a golf bag without making a big deal of it.

Dave