GUess i shoulda phrased it more like "IS it worth all the sh*t you have to go through?" or "If you could go back in time..."

"Treat the FD with the respect it deserves and it will reward you in ways only an FD owner will ever understand. Mis-treat it just once and it will put you through hell".

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i say go for it if you really want one and you're willing (and know how) to work on your own car. If you're gonna rely on a mechanic for every little thing, then I say forget it unless you got an extra 10 gs in your bank account. Also if you're under 25, be ready to pay over $3k for insurance/year.

screw insurance. get minimum coverage.

Well my next car is gonan be my "break sh*t" car. I know alot about mechanics throries but i don't have alot of experience with gettin dirty in engines (no one to do it with, and my current car isn't worth it). Within the time is spend saving for my next car (whichever i choose) i'll have ample time to teach myself whatever i want. I pretty good at learning things quickly.

insurance...pah, heh. I was thinkin about that today too, i dunno, i love rx7's but i'm begging to think it may not be worth the financial burden

Practical, no. Had a second gen in college and got the FD later after I bought a house and starting making some dough...

I waited until I had the funds to feed my FD before I decided to get it. When I was out looking for the car, I had the expectation that I might have to buy the FD and its engine separately. Luckily, I found one in good condition (I have suspicions about some parts in it, but they are not expensive).

I love the car, and its worth the money, but you can't bankrupt yourself just to have it. Personally, I plan to do much of the repairs/mods myself, since I have a second car as a backup (I can afford a 3-month long project). I strongly recommend a reliable second car, it will help you spread allot of the maintenance cost over a period of time while you get your money together.

Insurance-wise, yeah, being under 25 will get you a heavy premium. When I bought my firebird, it doubled my insurance, and that was just the v6. I skipped the v8, because I didn't like the idea of paying more for insurance than the actual vehicle.

Getting minimal coverage isn't a good idea either, you should get as much protection on your car as possible. Chances are, a moron will crash into you, or some punk will want to take it for a spin. Unless, of course, you don't mind paying out of pocket.

So... my answer is NO. The rx-7 (like many high end cars) isn't as practical as say... an Integra. I would assume the cost of new engine parts and repair come with the package.

how about a 7 with a 1yr drivetrain warranty? I only ask cuz i think i'm going to buy a touring with that. then maybe in the fall pickup a little Civic hatch just in case.

*MOST* engine warranties you will get including from MAZDA itself on reman engines, do *NOT* cover o-ring damage or APEX seal failure.

The only 2 things that will likely go wrong. So make sure you get it in writing if they say is covered.

hmmm, interesting and very good to know. That will be the deciding factor on the seven. I really want it, however, if i am going to need 10,000US just for maintanence i'm really going to be just adding unneccesary stress.

I just talked with the dealership, and they told me the warranty covers the Apex Seal, O-Rings, Turbo's ETC... now, i am aware that used car dealers will say anything to get your money, but he did seem quite certain. So when i go to the dealership I should read the warranty documents carefully and if it doesn't mention anything about O-Ring damage or Apex Seal Failure, I should get that in writing?

If all goes well and i purchase the car, should i then try to get the apex seal to fail to help prevent future difficulties. what would you do zerobanger? or anyone else for that matter.

Get it in writing, often they have a delarations section where they'll admit "apex seals are functionally equivalent to piston rings and covered where piston rings would be" and "rotary o rings are functionally equivalent to head gaskets and covered where they would be" or something to that effect.

I know this question is out of placd in the FD forum, but i figured since i already had this thread started i'd just continue it. How "pracical" are FCs. I dont' know much about em, all my research/reading thus far has been FDs, and sinc ei'm still learnign i'd get confused if i tried to learn both at the same time. What is the usually life expectancy for a n/a FC? how about a turbo2?

sory for the stupid questions, i woudl do a search cept i'm about to pass out, i hate bein sick

You're not asking stupid questions man!! Everyone starts somewhere... FC TIIs' have a little bit longer life expectancy than FDs. They generally seem to become more problem prone a LITTLE later than FDs'. My FC had 73k on it (last year) and it didn't run as well as you think it would. It just really depends on the car. Find one you like and have it inspected. IT could have 100K + on it and still boost/run like a champ... an FC TII is a good choice man, you will not regret it. 2nd gen Rexs' were a great platform and they are a BLAST to drive. If the forum was titled "FC a practical choice" the answer would be a "hell yeah" from most owners.. I hope. Hey FDS' are sick as hell and mine has been VERY good to me because I've been good to it but thats besides the point... You should enter the rotary world with some money in your account and no loans hovering over your head... a second gen is budget easing and boost pleasing, just do yourself a favor and go test drive one to see what you think... you'll spend 10 thousand less (at least) and get the same kind of love that all us 3rd gen owning rotor heads live for.