Ef-Dee

Hey hey! I'm 17 right now, driving an auto Impreza 2.5RS, and I'm just itching to get an FR manual, so I'm extremely interested in getting a '93 FD...Now, I just need pointers and advice on what I can do to prep myself for a rotary manual, since I've never driven stick and never in an FD!!! Pointers welcome, but please don't bust me cause I'm too young hehe

maxcooper

My first manual car was an 88 RX-7 T2. I loved that car, and it is the reason I have an FD today.

Just get a good car and you'll learn how to drive it. Don't worry about that part!

The hard part is finding a nice FD. Here a few good resources to aid in your search:
http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobinette/buyaused.htm
http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/buying.html

-Max

Ef-Dee

thanks alot!!!!!

TpCpLaYa

iTrader: (10)

hey man good luck..im will be in your exact situation soon enough, i think the hardest part about having a FD is actually finding one. I mean before your journey (hehe its corny) can start you need to find the right car. you dont want to git a car that has many problems cuz ur love will probably go to **** and it will be over for you, so be careful

skunks

your gonna need to take extra measures to keep a fd healthy like poping your hood to let it cool down and let it turbo time for at least 2 mins if not 5 mins (especially after hard runs). if you have ever seen me or my brother, when ever we come to a stop (like parking) we will instantly jump out of our cars and pop our hoods (rotarys run super hot!). also change the oil about every 300 to 1000 miles and the oil filter about every 1000 miles. the engine life is just about as long if not longer the a piston engine if you dont over boost it and if you take care of it. one other thing is that you cannot just start it and turn it off without letting the engine warm up or your gonna flood it. you also have to realise that you cant do anything else with a fd but race it and with the new cam vans, its gonna be kinda tough on you if you, personnaly i dont really give a damn about them and go my own speed. rotary engines also must be driven hard or carbon build up might occure and then its engine rebuild time! like i said, you gotta treat it a little differently then a piston engine, its kinda like becomming a obsessive compulsive (like turbo timing it). just have enuf money for a new engine (about 3-6 grand) and you should be fine. oh yeah i forgot, one ping or knock and its engine rebuild time. once it over heats its engine rebuild time. i forgot to mention that fd's only get about 9-12 miles per gallon although my brother has once gotten 30 miles per gallon.


P.S. The plus side is even with a new engine, it should cost less then a new civic but go 2X as fast and look 100% better!

Ef-Dee

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW, that's alot of "engine rebuild time" Hehe...But I'm sure it's extremely worth the time!!! Besides, I'm not planning on doing big mods on it anyways, I'd rather keep it relatively stock, since it's pretty much perfect for me

Good luck with your quest also, TpCpLaYa

Nathan Kwok

My best advice when looking at possible FD's is look at the service records, and before you buy, get a compression test. In Canada you shouldn't have to worry about heat as much, but if you're aware of the maintenance and other issues with owning an FD, then I'd concentrate on finding a good car. Two biggies are good compression and good paint, because those are the most expensive problems to fix.

Ef-Dee

I know I sound stupid, but what the heck is a compression test? I know what compression ratios are and stuff, but I dunno how and where to do the test...DOn't I have to go to a garage for that?

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Most people just set up an appointment with a Mazda dealer or shop to do the compression tests so they can make sure the engine is in good shape before they buy it (wish I had known that when I bought mine).

If the seller of the car won't let you take it for a test before purchasing it, then it's not worth it..

mightyslash

Never driven a stick? Dont do it man, not with an FD.

Johnny

why it's cake !... just make sure it's not a 6 puck race from ACT

damn postwhore

Ef-Dee

HUH? Who's the postwhore???

And how much is this compression test? Oh, and please try to help me out here, I really want an FD, even though it'll be my first manual

mightyslash

brembo

i'm 17 and looking for a fd too...first you should just look around and read stuff around the forum (i learned a lot the last couple monthes) before you get a fd...and uhh go to a car dealership with your parents and pretend you're interested in buying a car...act like your parents are cheap and want to buy you a cheap stick civic or corolla and take it for a test drive haha...or find a place to rent a stick car...or have a friend teach you

DeNguyen

talk about going to the extreme measures...
-if you change your oil every 300 miles, your wasting oil...
-ive daily driven my FD for 90k original miles without major problems. you dont need to "race" everywhere you go.
-you dont need to POP your hood everywhere you go. if youhave a temp gauge, you would know that you probably wont over heat under normal driving conditions.


truthfully, IMO FD's arethe same as most other sports cars when it comes to maintaining them. just be on time with the maintenance and keep the car properly tuned. i think a lot of people make it a lot harder than it really is...

skunks

nah, as long as the car does not have a 5th gear grind, it should be fine, just watch out for that gas pedal, it comes on pretty strong for a first maual car.

Ef-Dee

Thanks so much guys!!! Your info is very helpful! And good luck to brembo with your FD acquisition!

Ef-Dee

Okay guys...So basically, a compression test looks for how much power the turbos put out right? And how does the process work?

Gir

No, a compression test is where they (with a compression testing device) test too see how good the compression on the motor is. Meaning how well the seals are sealing in the motor, it gives you an idea of how long you have left before you need to replace

Ef-Dee

So what are good numbers to get in a compression test?

brembo

6-8 kgf/cm2

sherwin

I suggest renting a pos manual car for a day and beat up on that to learn manual.

Ef-Dee

It is kinda hard looking for manual cars to rent nowadays though...