I couldn't agree more with the above poster.

If you DD a FD you better invest in a good set of tools and be johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to fixing things.

I just left my tools in my car.

Manny is also correct. You gotta check those fluids every day. I know I did.

 

When I'm not working on the car I try and drive as much as possible. DD would be rough though, quite a few things and places I would not want to involve my FD with. Not to mention winter. If I could take a nice relaxing drive in it everyday though I would

 

used to but once i modded it for high hp it isn't worth it. it did fine when it was stock with mild mods

 

All stock and I am getting 14.5 mpg...

 

i DD'd my FD for a while. i got averaged around 17-19 mpg.
I wouldn't recommend it. I was always afraid of door dings, many people wanted to race me, and random guys came up to me because we all know the car is a **** magnet

 

Also DD here. Although it's pricey as hell, I still do it. Beats the bus.

 

DD my car when it runs (i usually take it apart from novemeber to march to clean up, make pretty, and of course, car modding season) otherwise, i dd it 98% of the time and my car is by all means no practical.

HPB
no ac
no powersteering
loud
loud
going 4" so even louder
car is low so VERY obnoxious to take to do quick errands
TERRIBLE gas mileage, been getting 10mpg

butttt still daily drive it lol

 

haha i like how all of us can relay to one another on this topic. for myself, i DD'd my FD for about a year and a half and now that i drive a stock POS honda civic its funny when other drivers toy with me on the road and i just shake my head and say in my mind "you have no idea what i really have at home" and just laugh. But yes like mentioned earlier, theres no greater feeling waking up knowing you own an FD

 

i daily drove mine for 2 years and my suspension was great and now have to replace accouple bushings, i wouldnt do it again.

 

I drive mine 2-3 days a week with no major issues......Except fuel costs.

 

Like others on this forum, I use to daily drive it the first 2 years I've owned it. I had no other choice. It did hide from the winter. These guys use way too much salt everywhere in the winter. Not to mention the car is low to begin with. A good snow fall and there's no way I'd be able to drive anywhere. But maily protection from the salt!

Back when I use to drive it daily, she was reliable. Be prepared to fix things sooner rather than later. And get your fluids changed frequently. But otherwise, it does make for a reliable daily driver.
The only thing that worried me were the other people on the road. Not to mention parking lots. Even when I use to park as far away from other people, there would still be that 1 person who wants to park beside you and give you a ding.
I'm more reluctant to drive her into parking lots now that I've fixed all the dings. She looks absolutely mint, and that's the way I want to keep it.

I have a 08 Miata PRHT for my daily driver now. She takes all the abuse. The FD is left for sunny days only. Which is a shame we don't have more of them up here. Last year I drove her a total of 20 days. Sad really. But I want to keep her forever. No better protection than keeping it away from all the semi's and crazy Corolla drivers we have up here!

 

I dont dd my car because work is only 2 miles away from me I get killed on gas just letting it warm up before and after i Get out of work.

Have you been around any FD's? Im from the fresno area as well if you want a first had look at one i'd be more than happy to show you.

 

I daily drove mine for about a week. I pretty much found out my diesel pickup is much cheaper to drive..and I can justify writing off diesel because of work...

Cheaper maintence and the car just feels better and is more fun to drive when you don't drive it all the time.

 

Same here,
its been 2 yrs.
I just keep the boost down. Its actually fun Daily driving it.... i dont mind it abit...
And mine is Lowered with 18inch rims

 

DD all the way.
To the OP I have a friend that used to live in Fresno and I live in SF. Went there multiple times. Even drove to DGRR in NC back and forth 3000+ miles both ways. Never had a problem.
Definitely upgrade the cooling system and be aware of your surroundings (noise, lights, oil/water level ect.). I want to get a cheap beater but I would hate seeing "better" cars around me. In the FD I feel no need to "look" around.


~Shar

 

I used to.

+1 on fluids, at a minimum check them every time you fuel up (but that's just best practices)

 

i DD mine mpg 16-20 2hours a day min....i have another car but its my toy and gets worse mpg lol...just turned 121k dunno if been rebuilt and rear turbo shot

 

Thanks for all your input guys!

So reliability mods are definitely the way to go but it seems the majority of you guys insist on a daily. I thought it was funny when someone said in the owners manual they said have a second car to get to the parts store =P. I definitely don't think buying an FD would be a mistake but from what it sounds like it wouldn't be practical for me at the moment. Since I would be living on base my drive around would be maybe 4 miles to and from at the most. Not to mention I would want adequate cover for my vehicle in the winter season in the event I get stationed in a state with a harsh winter. I would love to own one but I think I'll save it untill I could afford one and mod it for reliabilty and care for it as much as it would need to.

Once again thanks for your help guys!

 

I DD mine, always have with every RX-7 I've had. Usually to work and home (which is nothing; I work only a few miles from the house)... occasional trip to the store here and there. I just don't drive around that much (not many miles accumulate); so it's never really been an issue for me. I love driving it everyday!

 

I DD'd mine to work & back for almost 2 years before I stopped. Not because of gas mileage, not because of reliability issues.

I stopped because driving an FD in rush-hour stop-n-go traffic in a big city is like swatting flies with a shotgun, like wearing a tuxedo to dine at McDonalds, like dating a supermodel who wears a chastity belt. In other words, it was a complete waste of the car. I simply couldn't enjoy all it had to offer while sitting in traffic.

I still drive it every chance I get, but only when the trip entails roads that are fun to drive.

 

I DD mine for a couple of years. Never had any issues but bumper to bumper traffic SUCKED! Only drive it once every couple of weeks now.

 

The real question(s) should be, "can you?"

And then, "would you?"

The answer to the first question is yes obviously.

The answer to the second question is why would you??

THe FD is not practical, its uncomfortable and is not an ideal DD. I dont care where you live, its not a good DD.

And i wont believe anyone who says they DD their car until i see TRUE daily driving.

Someone on this forum said they dd'ed their FD and then later on said his job was 2 miles away.

Ok so 4 miles total a day? Thats NOT daily driving. If so, then every FD, in **** condition or not, can be daily driven, according to that theory.

I do agree with FD's are meant to be driven and not be a garage queen but when you start driving the FD ALOT, will you notice how its meant to be a weekend car.

When it rains, when it snows, when you have to get in and out, finding parking spots, parking in malls where it can get dinged, scratched, keyed etc. Worrying about water temp in the summer, worrying about spinning out on black ice in the winter etc. Those little things will make you get a cheap DD soon after.

The pleasure i get from my car IMO wont be as great as if i dd'ed the car. Because the anticipation of the days going by where i dont drive the car, just makes it even better for the days when i do get to drive it.

Thats why REAL DD's are made. So you can just get in, and get out. Treating it like a regular car.

 

DD? Not a chance.

I don't like "the wife" to see even dirty roads. Rain, snow, & regular parking? Out of the question...

 

Hell no, for a few reasons. It gets under 10 miles a gallon, idiots open thier doors into my car and even hit it once, no A/C, radical clutch.

However, I do drive it to work once in a while. I also drive it on the weekends and to the mall and store.

 

I've been daily driving mine for over 7 years. It's not a very good "only" car though as people have pointed out for a lot of reasons.

That said a lot depends on what the weather is like where you live, and how heavily modded your car is. Even without porting the gas mileage does suck as people have said, and it has zero storage space.

I'd also have a read on Howard Colemans most recent post regarding the benefits of 1. get your car running right 2. get an aftermarket EMS 3. disable/remove your OMP and premix Stock cars build up sick amounts of carbon, especially stock ones on the stock CPU on short daily driving type situations. I've taken apart a number of stockish engines lately and the carbon buildup is so bad it begins locking up your apex seals, getting down into the area where the springs and sideseals are.

I wouldn't classify the FD as unreliable, it's more unforgiving than unreliable in my opinion.