Interesting thread, but this community has nothing to do with my ownership. I do have a few local friends who know more about this engine and car than do I and they have been instumental in changing my outlook of how I work on vehicles. Regardless the smile this car provides has nothing to do with the community and everything to do with the gas pedal.

I am almost 31 so I am not a young immature owner, but I am by no means a wise old owner. I personally believe the community is what you make of it. Sometimes it takes a few super experienced guys to bite the bullet and take a few newbs under their wing to change the community for the better. Thats what happened for me.

Now I have a few friends in the Jeep and Subaru community who routinely tell me how lucky I have it to have a wealth of knowledge built into this website. I think to a certain degree FD owners are spoiled to the resources we have available at our fingertips. I also think that is why vocal new owners are looked down upon here, because they have yet to realized that almost all everything a new owner can think of has already been done, a number of times.

Just my $.02.
Gordon - another engineer/programmer here as well

 

I too disagree with comparing them in value to something such as a 60's era camaro in the future. Not too many people in this country would pay such an inflated price for a japanese car. Look at the value of old Z's or other great japanese import cars. As stated above they don't have the sentimental value that american built cars have here. Imo both FC's and FD's are at about as low as they're going to go in value.

Also I wouldn't go to the extent of stating that its the young owners that are giving the car a negative reputation, but more less the idiots that are. Unfortunately those two things usually go hand and hand the majority of the time...

 

I relate to the OP since I am 50 yrs old and just sold my GSL-SE after completely restoring it and selling it to a kid. He was very happy that for $3800 he got a beautiful car that he will never be able to afford to restore it himself. I am looking at an FD now and my 25 yr old daughter said that not to buy one since it will give me a rice rocket owner image. I have been to the NorCal meets and it is true that majority are young and struggling, but after talking and getting to know them more, they really are good kids that wants a fast, good looking car for less money. I am attending the meets because I am in love with this cars and meeting this cool kids is always a bonus. Maybe having an open mind and not judgemental to all kinds of people is why I get along with my twin 21 year old boys and my daughter. I would not want to go on a cruise again with them though because their testosterone level will always make them drive recklessly. So I am now looking for a nice FD cheers Nick

 

I never said "these cars will never appreciate" (interesting how some people like to rephrase comments to come up with their own - different - meaning), although I think we're on the down-slope - unless you have a pristine low mileage stcoker, and even then, holding it for another 10 years isn't going to get you much. What I said was "this car will never command the kind of collector value a 60s muscle car has", and I think that's axiomatic. Not many people want to put up with all the reliability issues of a twin turbo rotary - what's going to change? Hardly ignorant, it's just common sense...

 

My last FD I put a lot of sweat and blood into it. Got it to showroom (or better) conditions then I mod it tastefully. Sold it to a kid that all he kept asking how much faster it was than car X. He traded it for an STi not even a week later. DEaler took it for a joy ride and totaled. I was mad as hell so I made the decision that if I was going to build a car like that I would a) sell it to a more mature person that would appreciate the work done or b) keep it and pass it down to one of my kids as they respect the work WE have put into it. It funny because I think the FB crowd is pretty cool. I drive an FB as a DD.

 

ive noticed in the past a lot of FD owners were well jerks around here atleast. over time people are starting to understand the car more, even though the crowd is getting younger there is still young people that love the car and understand them. id like to think of myself as one of them when i bought my FD at the age of 17 i knew what i was getting into, ive never been that guy because of the car i had and over time the older crowd that has had them has seemed to calm down. id say a big part of it is the whole "street racing" crowd has become less and people are enjoying there cars more and realizing that we own a piece of automotive history.

 

I enjoy owning such a beautiful piece of engineering, and ultimately the car will be respected for that and be valued to reflect such.

 

lol i really laughed at that man.

You cant compare that theory with saying a girls family doesnt affect your relationship. Its 2 totally different scenarios.

While i would agree a girls family CAN affect your relationship, it normally "shouldnt". That just says something about you and the girl.

But aside from that, you're basically saying a certain car crowd has a big enough impact on your decision in buying that brand car or not. Like that is funny to me. No offense but thats just LOL.

Think about it. People buy cars all the time, they probably dont even know what an M3forum.com is nor know about any m3 car club that meets every saturday at so and so place for a cruise. They buy the M3 because THATS THE CAR they wanted, they used their hard earned money for that car. Why should it matter that a certain car group are a bunch of dicks/idiots/whatever you think about a certain car group?

So if the M3 is your favorite car. You have the money to get it. You're not gonna get it because you think you wont fit in the m3 crowd?? wtf? Am i missing something here?

This is not an attack on you, i appreciate all the knowledge you brought on this forum and i have learned lots from you so please dont take this as offense. I would have posted the same exact reply if anyone else said what you said.

I just think its funny. Doesnt change how i thought of you or anything, just something i didnt know about you lol. S'all good though man.

 

I agree, new blood brings with it new love and enthusiasm. It's safe to say that some of the older members that couldn't tolerate the cough cough immaturity moved on for their own pretentious reasons. I recall more rude behavior in the past than I see now however I don't read many post these days so possibly I'm just a crazy old coot who's completely out of touch with the forum lol.

From what I can tell most of the hard core members that I care about are still here but don't have the time to post or participate as much.

 

There are people for whom a car is just a way to get from point A to point B. They don't think about cars too much and they don't spend much time or money on them. Those aren't the people who own any of the cars we are talking about here. Cars are just an appliance to them, and that's partly why they aren't on car forums.

Do you think that your choice in automobiles has no relation to how people perceive you, to the people you socialize with? When you do spend lots of time and/or money on a vehicle, you don't think that that car says something about you?

Yes. An M3 isn't just a car--not like a Camry is just a car. Owning an M3, or an FD, or a Camaro SS, or a Porsche GT3, says something about you and affects your social circles. It's hard when you want to hang out with people who have the same car as you do but you don't feel like you have much in common with them. That's a point that a lot of people here are trying to make.

no offense taken, it's all good. we don't all have to see things the same way

 

this thread is lame.

FD owners haven't shifted in age range for as long as i've been on this forum. it's just a change in perception, FDs have been owned by kids and older people alike for over the last decade. if anything the value has been steady and the cars more uncommon because the kids have been the ones t-boning theirs into trees and getting away from buying another, which realistically increases your cars value.

in my opinion though, most FD owners are snobbish which has always been a detractor to me wanting to buy one. not all mind you, but when i meet FD owners at a meet they usually could care less about my FC because it is simply older and has less blue book value, even though it would win against their FD they don't care to know what it has done. i usually have to talk to FD owners several times before they really open up, and that could also be simply because they didn't know who i was right off and acted more interested after they knew.

 

Not entirely true though. How many times, just on this forum alone, do we post in a "did you see one?" thread and the owner is no where to be seen. So far i have posted about 5-7 FD's that i have seen in the past couple of years with unknown owners. And i didnt see them in car meets (non rx7 meets, the ones i usually attend lol) nor in pics OF local rx7 meets. They arent on the car forums it seems yet they modify and own these types of cars.

There is even a kid that came to my old job one time, hes was 33 at the time with a kid and he passed by my job to ask me who's FD that was in the lot. Then he told me he has one like it, a VR with black wheels. It was the same FD i saw alot back in the day but i never knew who it was, and he wasnt on the forum. He doesnt attend car meets either. He just owns the car. And its single turbo. I havent seen him since btw, this was about 4 years ago.

I understand where you're getting at. When you own a particular car, you wanna socialize with people that have the same car so you can compare experiences, mods, certain problems etc etc. But i feel it SHOULD NOT impact your decision on getting the car or not.

Why should you care though if people perceive you by the car you have?? ITs your car and you bought it because you like it. Who cares what the owners are labeled as to a certain car group.

Hey the general consensus of people who own the older miatas are girls or gay people. Does that mean every single guy i see driving a miata is gay? No.

When you spend lots of time and/or money on a car, says alot about you. But its all in different ways. Different scenarios.

I think most rx7s owners are dicks. Im sure alot of them think im a dick. I even had people on this forum telling me to sell my car because im a dick lol. Like that is the most stupidiest thing ever. Why does it matter if i own the car or not because you dont like me? Do i have an effect on your ownership with your car?? Knowing somewhere in the country a dick like me is owning the same car? Will i get rid of my car because i think rx7 owners are dick, and at the same time knowing they think im a dick?? Of course not. I bought the car because i like it, not because i want to impress or cuddle with them at meets lol. If i wanna e-socialize or get info that i need, i come here. No need to stand around in a car lot with fellow 7 owners once every 3 months to discuss what i can get from this forum in 20 minutes.


Answered partially above. Yes you are right, you would wanna socialize with people who have the same car as you but to a certain extent.

This is not directly towards you but i think the majority of people on this forum have HUGE social problems in general. That they feel like they need the car TO socialize at all. Listen i have an FD but i hang out with almost every other car owner besides my own car group. When we hang out, we dont talk about intake temps and what can i do to make my idle better. We hang out to hang out, like if we werent car people.

If i wanted car info, i come to this forum or use google.


The difference with what you're trying to say with what im trying to say is that while you can categorize owners with certain cars but that is mainly viewed and criticized upon people who are ALSO car people.

Pull up in an M3 to a local club. The guys who dont have one will be jealous, the girls who wish their BF's had one would be jealous. And the single girls will basically be eyeing you for a date.

 

That's never been the issue for me, I just think they're ugly tin boxes. An FC positively screams outdated 80s/early 90s design - and the interior...well, forget it

Look, the FD is kind of a beer can, too, but it's a really sexy beer can

 

I'm 29, and lived in Boston for 3/4 of that. I have seen 2, 3 FD3s at the most, on the streets, ever. Add all the rare/unique/one-off parts I have/plan to have, and that's an extremely unique machine in the US. As was previously implied, the FD attracts intelligent people. So, while the owning decision was based almost purely on suspension layout, beauty, and myriad upgrade paths, if I was concerned with how cool the several thousand other US owners were, well, they mostly are, if a little overtaken with Stockholm Syndrome.

 

Gordon, you are one of the few people i havent met yet that i would love to meet. I am really grateful for veteran owners like you.

Usually the older you get, the more grumpier you become . That doesnt seem the case with you. But i wish some of the other veteran colleagues of yours will follow your steps. Because their mentality is almost like taking a step backwards. I sometimes compare their mentality to my 20 year old brother. Like a bunch of babies. A reason why i dont attend car meets. Why would i go to a car meet if i dont like half of them?

Even the supra crowd, a much younger crowd or about the same age as me (28) are MUCH more mature. They can take jokes better and they are more educated. Im not saying ALL rx7 owners are stupid and ********, just some of the ones i have come across.

Thats why i associate myself with those groups (supra etc), because they seem "normal" to me. I never had a problem. Then people tell me to sell my car because i like the other car groups lol.

So what does that have to do with anything? I didnt buy the FD so i can attend 7 meets. Specific car meets are the BOTTOM of the list of why i bought the car. Its just an added bonus if i do attend. I dont care if i go and i dont care if i didnt go.

 

Interesting responses guys. Also, I never necessarily meant it as an insult to newer owners, but yet just trying to give an overview of where I see the general demographic headed.

The FC was my first love in the Rx7 world. I bought my first one when I was 16, and over the next nearly 10 years I ended up owning literally dozens of them. (Fixing and selling, parting out, whatever). What I see happen to those car honestly is what prompted my thinking about what would happen to the FD in the future. I still have a soft spot for a nice FC, and as of lately have been keeping my eye out for a nice clean one.. which are getting harder and harder to find despite so many being out there (compared to the FD). 5 Years ago the FC subsection of this forum used to be a great place with alot of knowledgeable guys and useful posts. It seems now there are fewer of those left, and a vast majority of what I see are beat FCs being used to "drift" and hackjob builds. There just seems to be fewer true rx7 enthusiasts ,and more people that are just passing through from one car to the next.

 

I agree the FC doesn't do much for me.

Are you SURE you don't think it will be a collectible

I of course think it will because of the timeless design of every aspect of the car along with the limited quanity, unique enigne etc.... BTW the 240Z is already a japanese collectible car and it's value like the FD will only go up further. At some point both the 240 and the FD will be some of the most valuable older japanese cars surpassing the supra and even some of those american muscle cars hehe.

 

There's a tremendous difference between these two cars and you'll never have to worry about a lack of SOME higher educated, higher income, or in general stuck up ******** like myself owning the FD because it's a super car that will always have a strong following. So precede undaunted with your 20b build

 

Haha, thanks for the pep talk And like I said, that in general would never prompt me to not own a car that I loved myself, but at the same time its nice to have a strong community of enthusiasts that share the same passion for the cars as you do, and view them in the same way.

 

The enthusiasm for the this car is timeless like the car itself

DAMN I mispelled procede no more rice is going to think I'm retarded

PS and I misspelled miss............

 

Does the type of crowd assiociated with the FD influence your owning decision?

No - couldn't care less. If it does, I'd be interested in knowing where one would rank this factor when buying a car (any car or anything for that matter).

 

This is my first FD, and I am 31 years old. I have wanted an FD for a very long time, but could never afford one when they were new. Now that I am older and have more discretionary funds available for cars, I have realized my dream of owning a FD. I bought my car for $11,000 and have put another $10-12,000 into it in the last 4 months getting it to where I believe the car should be. I still need to upgrade to big brakes, coilovers, and redo the leather seats, but I am very happy with the car right now. So I am not sure if I fit into the “restoration” group or just the “updating” group. This is a car a drive on the weekends and once in a blue moon to work. I am sure down the road I will track it, but just getting it to where it needs to be in my mind. I have a penchant for rare and different cars, and that is why the FD has always caught my eye.

On the lines of it being a collector car will depend on the financial well-being of the people who grew up in the 80-90s. My parents are baby boomers who grew up in the 60s. My father owned a 67 Chevelle 396 SS in HS, but later sold the car when my parents got married. He bought a 68 Z28 in the mid 80’s and did a simple restoration back then. The last 6-8 years my parents have had all the kids leave the house/marry so they are back to just them with a lot of discretionary income. In that time they have built a 34 Ford Glass Coupe (Boyd Coddington even picked it at Good Guys in Indy as the pro choice pick), complete frame off restoration on the 68 Z28 (every nut and bolt is new), and recently bought a 69 Chevelle 396 SS Convertible. My father is now looking for a 67 Chevelle 396 – 4spd SS like he had in HS. All these cars are vehicles my parents wanted to own as young adults but couldn’t afford or own due to our family. I think they are the epitome of a car enthusiast.

So I think cars of my generation are dependent on the financial security of the people who loved them and couldn’t own them when they were new. I see these cars as collector cars for the 80-90s era: 5.0 Mustangs (mainly nothcbacks & cobras), Shelby Dodges (the numbered ones), Grand Nationals, Vipers, FD, Supra (MKIV 94+), Corvette ZR1 & the later Z06, and other cars along these lines. I have owned some of these cars, and believe in 20 years they will be collectable.
As far as FD owner occupations go, I was a finance guy who became and Army Officer. I wonder how many FD owners are military since we tend to have a lot of extra income to spend on cars…just look around a military base at some of the cars that come off of it!

 

I sure won't be jealous, my GF will break up with me if I ever bought one. Last time an M3 show up at the university meet here it got the least attention, and I don't think he went home with a date

 

i think most of that was prompted after the change of ownership of this forum, where the old school guys were forced to pay fees to even have links for advertising in their signatures, i like to think that those people helped to build this forum into what it is now and they were slapped in the face for their effort. half of the issue is as you said, kids coming in and asking repeated questions that are easily found in the FAQ threads, cluttering up the forum with simple questions like "how do you do the sleepy eye mod?"(which you won't find much of in the 3rd gen section, it's also probably why i have such a negative personality on that section to most of those threads. if i bother at all because those threads are garbage and lower the IQ of this forum in general and community).. overall though most of the old helpful people left when it became mandatory that you pay to do any advertising whatsoever, this forum has always made money from all sorts of advertising and now it's more of a money grab than before, costing $75 a month for even simple priveleges.

 

I fkn LOVE the way a well built FC looks, and always have.

Just figured I'd throw that in.