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Regarding coolant strips etc..... At this point anyone who is sweating a 5k engine shouldn't buy this car. The value is in the condition of everything else. I suspect most of the original engines at this point are on their way out from rusty irons etc...
Anyone who cannot afford to buy a nice one shouldn't buy one at all because you'll spend way more trying to make a bad one nice.
Bottomline: this is a car for collectors who have resources because even a decent FD is 30k or about the price of a new miata and if you drive it you'll probably spend another 10k over the next 3 years keeping it going, UNLESS you spend 50k plus and buy a low mileage well kept variety and even then the motor could die etc.... 50k buys some cool newer cars even in today's crazy market. Basically if you don't have 50k that you can set on fire and not think twice about you probably shouldn't buy an FD LOL.
PS: Prices are going MUCH HIGHER!!!!
Last edited by Fritz Flynn; Aug 15, 2021 at 11:51 AM.
I feel like the JDM import market carry a huge influence on the 90's JDM icons especially any of the Skyline models which dictates all the JDM car pricing. Great points made above stepping into a higher dollar FD in regards to maintenance/upkeep, mods etc. Might not be for everyone at that price point and when other toys out there to own (with less hassle). Prices have hiked up for sure easily and non molested will always carry that special added value. Add in the NLA stuff for all of the 90's icons and you can see why that lends to the increased pricing.
I feel like the JDM import market carry a huge influence on the 90's JDM icons especially any of the Skyline models which dictates all the JDM car pricing. Great points made above stepping into a higher dollar FD in regards to maintenance/upkeep, mods etc. Might not be for everyone at that price point and when other toys out there to own (with less hassle). Prices have hiked up for sure easily and non molested will always carry that special added value. Add in the NLA stuff for all of the 90's icons and you can see why that lends to the increased pricing.
Well yeah. For now, I'm gonna move with the flow and see what I can do. I'm gonna take classes on parts making soon, so this might be convenient for me if I wanna get a FD. But, the thing is, I don't wanna get a FD in a auction house for a overpriced price. I might as well find another car I like to buy. When the time will come to buy the car of my dreams, I'll make the decision if I'm ready for a FD or not.
Once again, thanks again for the people posting in this thread!
Let me offer my perspective on this... I bought a non-running auto FD back in 2015 for just under $8k at the time (seems like such a massive deal now, but wasn't all that great back then). It had sat for apparently 8 years and needed a ton of work to get it sorted. Things add up quickly... New interior panels cost thousands, a new engine harness is another thousand, an Apexi PFC is practically a requirement at this point (or any other competent standalone), vacuum hoses need to be replaced with silicone, etc. etc. Oh, and then there is also the VERY real issue of almost certainly needing to replace the engine either immediately or at some point soon.
Do I sound pessimistic? Maybe, maybe not. My point is I have owned my FD since 2015... purchased for 8k back then, and dumped at least another 15k into it. Sure, I had to do a 5 speed swap with some of that money, but whatever. The only thing that has changed at this point is the initial entry point and cost of parts have significantly increased. Do I regret my decision? Every time I open the garage door I sure don't. Every time I take the thing out for more than 5 minutes and get 10 thumbs up from passerby's I sure don't. Will I ever sell it? Probably, but not for reasons related to reliability, the ownership experience, or any of those types of issues.
Listen to what the old school members are saying Airman, they won't lead you in the wrong direction. We don't want to turn folks away from these cars, but Fritz summed up what it takes to own one of these pretty well. Let's put it this way, I own a 93 FD that is heavily modded with most of the reliability mods and basic bolt-ons you can do. I've put MAYBE 1k miles on it in 7 years of ownership.... Meanwhile, I bought a 99 Miata with 330k miles on the clock and a few weeks later me and a friend drove it to an autocross, BOTH raced it all day long, and drove it back afterwards. The next day I drove it to work. ZERO problems. I've since swapped an 05 Mazdaspeed Miata engine/turbo system into that car and it makes the best turbo sounds ever for some reason even though the turbo is tiny. I drive that car all the time and still only have about 8k total invested in EVERYTHING. If I was recommending a first sporty car experience with a lot of potential for relatively little money... well you know... "Miata Is Always The Answer". Once you've got a lot of disposable income in your career, that's when an FD makes sense.
One last thing regarding the coolant changing advice... Here's what coolant does to a 13B after sitting for 8 years (yeah yeah, it'd do similar things to a "regular" engine, but I've never seen anything this bad):
Take the advice as given... check/change the coolant.
One last thing regarding the coolant changing advice... Here's what coolant does to a 13B after sitting for 8 years (yeah yeah, it'd do similar things to a "regular" engine, but I've never seen anything this bad):
Take the advice as given... check/change the coolant.
Were you able to save or re-use any of the engine parts?
Sorry. could not resist the part where he says he will get back to us after he learns to drive manual.
all good. In all honesty you gotta give the kid credit for even wanting to learn a manual. It's quickly going to become a dying skill.
Instead of ridiculing him, why not offer pointers? The dude is obviously young and we all started somewhere. Encourage the fact that he's willing to learn as opposed to discouraging him because he hasn't gotten the chance yet.
Maybe I'm just being (an) extra-crunchy tree hugger today... 🤣
Does this condescending shitpost make you feel better about yourself?
Oh God what happened here?! I'm pretty learning to drive a manuel shouldn't be that big of a deal. Anyways, I'm surprised that people still come in this thread, even if it's shitposting.
Anyways, thanks a lot for the people helping!
Let me offer my perspective on this... I bought a non-running auto FD back in 2015 for just under $8k at the time (seems like such a massive deal now, but wasn't all that great back then). It had sat for apparently 8 years and needed a ton of work to get it sorted. Things add up quickly... New interior panels cost thousands, a new engine harness is another thousand, an Apexi PFC is practically a requirement at this point (or any other competent standalone), vacuum hoses need to be replaced with silicone, etc. etc. Oh, and then there is also the VERY real issue of almost certainly needing to replace the engine either immediately or at some point soon.
Do I sound pessimistic? Maybe, maybe not. My point is I have owned my FD since 2015... purchased for 8k back then, and dumped at least another 15k into it. Sure, I had to do a 5 speed swap with some of that money, but whatever. The only thing that has changed at this point is the initial entry point and cost of parts have significantly increased. Do I regret my decision? Every time I open the garage door I sure don't. Every time I take the thing out for more than 5 minutes and get 10 thumbs up from passerby's I sure don't. Will I ever sell it? Probably, but not for reasons related to reliability, the ownership experience, or any of those types of issues.
Listen to what the old school members are saying Airman, they won't lead you in the wrong direction. We don't want to turn folks away from these cars, but Fritz summed up what it takes to own one of these pretty well. Let's put it this way, I own a 93 FD that is heavily modded with most of the reliability mods and basic bolt-ons you can do. I've put MAYBE 1k miles on it in 7 years of ownership.... Meanwhile, I bought a 99 Miata with 330k miles on the clock and a few weeks later me and a friend drove it to an autocross, BOTH raced it all day long, and drove it back afterwards. The next day I drove it to work. ZERO problems. I've since swapped an 05 Mazdaspeed Miata engine/turbo system into that car and it makes the best turbo sounds ever for some reason even though the turbo is tiny. I drive that car all the time and still only have about 8k total invested in EVERYTHING. If I was recommending a first sporty car experience with a lot of potential for relatively little money... well you know... "Miata Is Always The Answer". Once you've got a lot of disposable income in your career, that's when an FD makes sense.
One last thing regarding the coolant changing advice... Here's what coolant does to a 13B after sitting for 8 years (yeah yeah, it'd do similar things to a "regular" engine, but I've never seen anything this bad):
Take the advice as given... check/change the coolant.
Alright! Thanks a lot for the tips and explanations! I'm gonna keep in mind to have enough money to buy it and just as much to repair it.
@NightWalker86 I think that engine example is most certainly had coolant gasket failure. My car sat for 6 yrs and started right up and runs fine but i know it had engine rebuilt not long before it was parked. Coolant was all rusty in color and needed to be flushed few times. Point is its a worst example but doesn't mean all engines will be like that. Also it matters where the car sat, outside or in a garage/storage...
Yeah. That is far from normal. I'm guessing the car lost a coolant seal and then it sat for years because of the blown motor. Either that or it's a flood car haha.
Seeing this thread and being a newbie to the rotary community I feel very fortunate to have picked up my FD for what I did. On the other hand I regret not picking up the second FD that was offered to me at the time of purchase. All great advice in this thread and I would say do not stop searching for a car, great deals are definitely out there. I think a YouTube video covered this same topic not to long ago and made a valid point that people who grew up with these cars now have money to spend. That coupled with the decreasing number of FDs has only inflated the price. Social media also plays a huge role in what some may call FOMO on the FD market. Please read and re-read all the beginner topics so when you do find a deal you are already well versed on what to look for when purchasing. Also I wouldn't rule out just finding a good shell depending on what your goals may be in the future.
Last night at the beach parking lot, an SUV pulled up beside me, and a five year old girl hopped out the side door yelling, ,"Daddy,! Daddy! Racecar!,Racecar!, Racecar.!"
The dad came round, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "Shes been like that lately".
Last night at the beach parking lot, an SUV pulled up beside me, and a five year old girl hopped out the side door yelling, ,"Daddy,! Daddy! Racecar!,Racecar!, Racecar.!"
The dad came round, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "Shes been like that lately".
Cute kid.
Kids love the FD. I’m also surprised by how many young folks (13 and younger) can recognize the FD by name.
Kids love the FD. I’m also surprised by how many young folks (13 and younger) can recognize the FD by name.
Probably because of that show Initial D lol, growing up knew about FD’s because of F&F and my HS best friend almost buying one in 11th grade but his dad deciding against it.
Kids love the FD. I’m also surprised by how many young folks (13 and younger) can recognize the FD by name.
As I was driving down my neighborhood I passed a driveway with a kid playing in it. As he saw me pass he jumped up, pointed at me, and shouted "MIATA!". Haha, close enough I guess.
It's a special shape, cars just aren't made like this anymore. Too many new safety regulations dictating styling. Have you seen the new EVO XII? Crazy ugly
As I was driving down my neighborhood I passed a driveway with a kid playing in it. As he saw me pass he jumped up, pointed at me, and shouted "MIATA!". Haha, close enough I guess.
I know that some people mistook the front end of the miata for a rx7, but I wouldn't have thought that some people would mistook the rx7 for a miata haha.
