hey guys i am new to the rx7 boards but have been affiliated with club rsx for a while.
i have loved rx7's all my life and saw them as a dream car but not a reality.
finnaly it has become a reality, and i will be buying one within the next 2 months.

i have a few questions after reading up on a bunch of threads.

the most important to me is, how will the rx7 hold up as a daily driver for me in New Jersey? i put 20,000 miles on my rsx this year but probably will put 8-9k on the rx7 before the beggining of next fall. i have read up on the sticky on how to keep you 93-94-95 rx7 happy but i just need a little bit of clarification.

in regards to daily driving how can i keep this car running great and not run into problems? i know not to go crazy with aftermarket parts besides those that will mainly flow more fuel to the engine and keep the engine cool.

also when looking at an rx7 what should i look for when buying one? rebuilt engine? any things i should watch out for?

when i buy one that i would like to be stock, should i immediatly get it tuned?

im sure i'll think of a few more but mainly the daily driving one is my concern.

i really appreciate this guys and i look forward to getting to know you guys over here in the rx7 club!!!

 

If you buy something relativly stock its gonna be fine reliability wise if the previous owner had done regular maintainence. You definetly want a new engine with low miles and maybe an aftermarket radiator, ast, and vacuum hose job.

 

how much would all those run me? not too much right?

cause i went over a list of things i'd possibly do and it involved a upgraded intercooler,radiator, ceramic coated downpipe, Bov, and intake.....

would those drastically lower my reliability? i wouldnt really push the car hard ofter and i dont track the car either...

is there anything else that i need to know or research or buy for better reliability?


i was just reading up on the constant oil change and mixing... how does all that run?

 

bump need some help!

 

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/faq-3rd-gen-other-useful-links-68640/


Above is the link to the thread in this specific forum that will answer ALOT of your questions about FD3'S. After reading that and then using the search feature, if you have any more questions feel free to ask again.

Just to give you a quick overview,

1- no, the 3rd gen FD is not a "good" daily driver.

2- Everybody on this forum LOVES their RX-7 but they have also spent alot of money and time putting up with its temper tantrums.

3- If you are going to put aftermarket parts on it, go for reliability before power, this will save you a blown motor and tons of money.

 

^Under "Buying". Lots of info. Good luck.

 

dont buy an aftermarket bov, if you wanna hear it vent your stock one.

 

The first check that you can do is that you can afford the fuel.

An RX7 will probably use 3 times as much fuel as your RSX, and 20k is a lot of driving. Check your not gonig to be out of pocket from the fuel costs.

 

I have an RSX as my daily driver, I would NEVER rely on my 7 as much as I love her.

As everyone has already said buy one with a relatively new motor and not to many go fast parts but more reliability mods.

 

im without a doubt not going to put many if any performance mods into the car... i wanna just make it more and more reliable..

ive read up daily on the reliability of the rx7 and i know its not good. but also as ive seen posted many times.. the cars reliable not the driver. so if babying the cars what it takes then i will surely do that. i love the rx7 theres not many cars that i would take over it.

 

money for gas isnt really a problem either

 

Check your insurance beforehand. FDs and the state of NJ are known for having crippling insurance rates, and I've heard some wild numbers there.

I hope you don't have to drive when it snows. I know jersey tends to melt off quicker than here, but there are enough snowy days that I wouldn't want to do it.

I don't think you have to baby the car, but you do need to exercise judgment in pushing it hard. The engine has to be warmed up, you have to have clear road free of distractions, you have to have a boost gauge and know that the boost is not going to exceed its practical limit, etc.

Shop very, very carefully. The pain and cost of the wrong FD far exceeds the anxiety of waiting and searching over a broad area for the one. Drive several, and if one of the first couple really catches your eye, don't plunk the money until you've driven several more to be certain. Buy one with a good exterior and interior - while it seems paranoid - looking for attention to detail all around will give you a good indication of how the car was cared for.

Dave

 

thanks guys and dave, i read a few of your posts abot buying an rx7. yea it will be my daily only until the end of next summer. after that it will only aquire close to 500 miles till the next onei wanna find someone near me on rx7 club to come with me to look at the cars with me. think thats a good idea?

 

Yes, that's a very good idea.

But check on those insurance rates and make sure they'll even cover you.

Dave

 

yea insurance is a killer. mines 2800/yr in NJ but then again that might not be alot to you older fellas.. haha gl searching

 

I've known of a few people who daily their FD. A majority of their money goes towards the car in terms of parts/gas/ect. Changing the AST and the Intercooler/Radiator should be enough for reliability on a daily for quite some time.

 

my daily is also an rsx(04 NBP), i know this isnt what you want to hear as it seems your heart is set on the rx7 but i think you would enjoy the rx7 much more if its a pleasure/2nd car. i assume since u drive an 02 its paid off....save for the 7, insure it as a low milage vehicle, and not worry if its in pieces thats what im doing with my 93 anyways. the rsx is a honda so it will run and run and save you gas just my 2 cents

 

Keep the RSX for the dd.

Cause when these cars go down, they go DOWN.

Sometimes major problems like engine/turbos but mostly minor **** like idle, boost problems, cooling problems (in the summer) stalling etc.

Good luck man, if you have the patience and money, this car should be no sweat.

 

theres a lot of good info in the stickies
gl on the find