Hey guys,

It has been quite a few years since the good ol' days when the RX7 world was still relatively small, everyone knew each other, and our cars were at the top of the food chain. The days before The Fast And The Furious, back when gasoline was still relatively affordable, and exciting new modifications were being developed on a regular basis.

Since then, most of the original "3rd Gen Badboys" have moved on, some beloved ones have passed on, but a few die-hard rotorheads still thrash around in cars they've owned for 10-15 years.

I miss the old days. I miss driving down to Summit Point, WV for the MADS events, arriving at the hotel in nearby Winchester, VA, its parking lot bustling with a flurry of pre-track maintenance activity. Pulling into the parking lot, seeing old familiar cars and faces, catching up with old friends and making some new ones. Holding a flashlight for a complete stranger as he swaps his street brake pads for track ones. Getting everyone on the same page for dinner at the Texas Steakhouse, having to infest the entire restaurant parking lot since you can only have two people per car. I miss the arguments and fights on the old big list, the trash talking, the reputations put on the line, how fun it was to sit back and enjoy the flames.

Although I still have my black 93 base model sitting in a garage in Philadelphia while I live/work out in the Middle East, I know that it's deteriorating as I type this. I know I won't have the same passion for the car as I once had years ago. It almost comes as a shock when you realize it, almost as if you wake up one morning and realize that you no longer love your spouse. As sad as it will be to let the ol' girl go, I'm pretty sure that the hot, fast, exciting, new girl will take some of the pain away. Once you feel the visceral acceleration of a modified Corvette C6 Z06, you tend to forget about the past while attempting to fish your eyeballs from the back of your head.

Anyone remember Jose Corraliza from Philadelphia with the somewhat modified black 93? If you do, let's hear from you. I miss you old bastards.

 

I've been around since about 99 but started out with the FC crowd. It took a while for the FD crew to come off their high horse before I could associate with them.

Dont think I have ever met you or anyone you describe, though. I do remember going to a couple of MADS events at VIR, but after a couple of years they stopped letting people in that weren't crewing or racing. We went just to meet people and look at setups.

 

I had a modified red 90 Turbo II before my 3rd gen, with the ugliest wheels known to man, chrome Neeper N-7's. They were on the car when I bought it, and I couldn't find anyone who wanted to buy 'em from me!

Has anyone heard from Josh Stanley from PA? He had an 11sec silver 94 touring. We were very good friends back in the day, and a few years back he simply vanished from the face of the earth. I'd like to know how he's doing.

 

Sounds like you are looking for some of the "east coast" old school guys. I'm out in the wild west. Bought an 82 GSL (new), and met a number of other RX7 owners at the time. I owned that car for 20 years. Sold it (tears welling in my eyes) shortly after I bought the FD in 02. I miss that old GSL sometimes, but not when I'm driving the FD

 

Gordon my good man! It's great to hear from you. I'm glad to see you're still having as much fun as possible. From the looks of your sig, you're still as nuts as ever. How's that new triple rotor beast running? Still dealing with Kim and Dave? If so, please send my regards next time you see him.

One of my employees out here has a Ron Fellows edition Z06 back in Texas, and his tuner sent him an email today after toying with the car. He sent him a bunch of dyno sheets that show the car making 600rwhp. I sense extreme amounts of fun in my future when I finally do get out of this godforsaken place.

I've been out of the car game for waaaay too long. I've been driving a company provided Mitsubishi SUV for the past few years, and I just recently got it replaced with a Mazda 6. The one redeeming factor here is the utter lack of traffic/speed control. It's nice to get to drive 130-135mph to/from work every day, slowing down to 90 or so to pass a cop.

Again, it's great to hear from you. I should be reaching my goals in the next year or two, and then it'll be time to come home.

Take care!

 

This is true, I did hang out with mostly east coast guys, but I did know lots of the west coast guys as well, thanks to the big list and IRC. It's good to meet you!

 

I got in just at the tail end of the "good years" you're talking about ('98 or so), and remember going to some of those old MADS events, when the parking lot WAS still mostly RX7's... NICE RX7's... It's not the same now, I'm still tracking and it's rare if I'm not the ONLY RX7 at the events I do. It's not as much fun to join the discussions in here either, since it seems 90% are drag, drift, or show-poser oriented.

Here's what's NOT changed though. This car still kicks major ***. Amazingly, things are still being developed, and with them, it'll still give those Z06's and GT3's a mirror-ful. I promise.

When you're back, bring yourself back out to a MADS (They're called mazdadrivers.com now), and bring the Z. You'll still have a blast.

 

Hey man!

I do remember you from the Big List back in the day, back when I had my FC. I've been around RX-7's since around '96 - ah, the good ol' days .

There's a few old schoolers still around if you look hard enough . I just don't post as much as I used to - sometimes I miss having a sit on my butt in front of a computer job .

Dale

 

Dale! I remember you and your Pensacola 10th Anniv craziness. Please do me a favor and give Mike, Jim, and Dan all noogies for me. The good ol' days indeed. I really miss them. I wish more people would chime in!

ptrhahn, I'm sure I've seen you or talked to you in the past. I haven't done a MADS event since around 99 or 01, it's been a looooooong time. I'm still undecided where I will live when I'm done in the middle east, but I'm sure it will be somewhere with a track nearby.

 

Remember me Jose? Does the rx7 mailing list still exist? Are you still on aim?

 

Hahha....wtf....this is how you treat a guy that got you a job?!?

I see

:P

--Mike

 

Nothing wrong with change, its how you deal wit it that can make you happy or sad tho.....everybody's gotten rid a car they wish they would have never let go, I can say that about a 1969 BB short bed truck of mine that ran 11's, a scion XB blk/blk and the first power ent. supercharger in the U.S., and an 03 evo with the nastiest cam lope out of a 4-banger I have ever heard, but I am proud to be the owner of an FD, a vehicle I have wanted since I was a kid and first went for a ride in one with my uncle, hahaha he always called it the faster cheaper more exotic corvette!!! what a nut, anyway sorry hear your missing out in europe but the wait will make it all worth the while when you get back!!!

 

And my name is Brian and I am from the west coast but however I have lived in New England and miss it soo

 

I've been here since Jesus had a paper route.

 

Been here a long time and still kickin'. I entered the Digest days of 1997 with my first FD ( VR touring auto ). Now it's 11 yrs later and 3 FDs - all manuals.

Later

 

What's up man!! Of course I remember you, you wouldn't leave me alone on AIM, constantly asking me questions and asking for advice. :P I'm glad to see you're still around! I have no idea if the big list is still around, haven't been on it in years. I've since moved on to a smaller, more exclusive list after the big list started becoming inundated with morons. I'm still on AIM, same username, RX7Boricua. Great to hear from you!

And Mike, you'll always be my lil RX7_Less, and you'll always get noogies from me. :P When are you gettin your *** back out here to make some more money? ITT has really gotten their stuff together, it's not the absolute cluster-eff it used to be. Remember it took us like 10-11 months to get our civil ID's and stuff? Now it takes new people a few weeks. If you ever decide to come back out for a quick 130-140K, let me know. We've got a nice $1K referral bonus program in place, perhaps I can return the favor. :P

axnjaksn, I still have my FD, it's just dormant in my parent's garage in Philly right now. When I go back to the states, I'll drop some cash into it, get it back up to its former glory, and sell it. The C6 Z06 will make everything better. *pets his die cast model Z06 gently*

The list was nice too because we all used our real names, none of this forum username stuff. :P It was a lot more personal, but it was much easier when there weren't many of use active on the internet with RX7's at the time. Boy do I feel old.

 

Hey Jose!

I still visit here fairly frequently even though my car hasn't run for ~2 years now (broke an apex seal, and I had two NEW sets of tires -- road and track -- when it died ). It sits in my garage waiting for my attention, but I am not sure when that will be. I went to the April '99 MADS back when I lived in Michigan (my first long drive in my FD). I moved to SoCal later that year and have been here ever since.

The big list is still around, but I've become a forum junkie and don't read the mailing list posts with any regularity even though I am still a subscriber.

-Max

 

This is brining a tear to my eye, i love how close this forum once was, I wish I had owned my FD around then!

 

Nicely put!! I do miss the good ole days... And I'm hoping someone will say similar things about my event.

 

been lurking on the big list since 1995............fd lives in the garage with monthly forays on the street when weather permits.

 

I'm still here Jose and Gordon. I moved back to the Philly area last year after being in Tampa for a couple of years. Still have my red 93 R1 that I bought new in 93. It has 145,000 miles on it but still looks great and thanks to some work on it over the past year, she's running better than ever.

I've had other fun cars, (01 Z06, 02 Z06, 05 Cadillac CTS-V) but still love my FD and am driving it daily again.

I've now got my SCCA National Competition License and race a full T1 class modified C5 Z06 regularly. Qualified on the pole at Watkins Glen in September and finished 2nd after a 100 mph spin in the oil of a blown competitor's engine going into the bus stop chicane. Lots of stories.

I'm also an active instructor with the National Corvette Museum for their HPDE events at VIR, Spring Mtn., Nevada, Road America, etc... and drive GM provided C6 Z06's for these events. Way cool!!! Great cars on the track.

I sure miss hanging out with our old group of RX7 buddies. Let's keep in touch.

Steve Landstra
RXPRESS
(610) 389-1881 (C)

 

I been around since 1983 (FB) with the national clubs with monthly magazines.
Then 1992 FD with the web list to this site with the same 92 FD.

 

I was on the big list when it started I think....can't really remember back that far. I do have a .doc with all the important (to me) posts from the email list that i thought I would need for when I got an FD, because I knew I would eventually get one as I had a 79 at the time. I bought my 93 in 95 for $4500(!), damaged , found out about it from another mailing list from some guy who was going to buy the car to put the motor in a plane. Living in Chicago, I drove to atlanta area and trailered it back to chicago and brought it back to life. Plenty of track days in the midwest later, I've moved to N. GA, and its sitting in my garage right now, nice and shiny and toasty warm, one of the best buys I've ever gotten.

t