Future FD owner
 

Hi all. I'm about to check out an FD this friday from a dealership. i called them in advance and the dealer said he wasn't sure if the engine was rebuilt or not (91,000). he also said he didn't seem to have a problem with it and that he's sold 8 rx-7s in the past. the only problem the car might have was that the spark plugs and wires might need to be replaced. which brings me to 2 questions...
is there a good website i can go to for a pic by pic/step by step guide on swapping spark plugs? my friend told me it's real easy but i'll need a guide with pics...and yes i have searched first...couldn't find anything except the robinette one and a link that didn't work....the robinette one is good but i'd like more pictures....
second, according to mapquest, the dealership is 5 hours away from my house...can i drive it all the way home without worrying about overheating? if not how far/long should i drive before letting it cool down?

all advice is much appreciated.

btw i'm a noob when it comes to working on cars but i'm willing to learn, i'm in training to be a mechanic for the military, and i do have friends with some knowledge...but i would like to be self-dependent

He searched 1st, and the links in the FAQ are dead.


Congrats on the new car! Write down your mechanic friend's phone number, and pay attention in class, 'cause even a great running FD needs lotsa love.

Here's a good how-to (and a good site to bookmark). :)

http://www.fd3s.net/ignition_install.html

the quickest way to learn is to jump on in (just don't go crazy, and make sure you track every single thing you do so you can put things back together!). with something like changing spark plugs, this is extremely easy. if you own a socket set, you've probably already done harder tasks. speaking of sockets, make sure you have the right size spark plug socket. when you get the spark plugs, get either the same exact plugs as stock, or go with all 9's (the last digit of the spark plugs will be a 7 or 9, 2 each is stock, but 4 9's is fine, too). when you see the part numbers at the parts store you'll know what i mean. also, get the OEM NGK plug wires. they're not too expensive, and they're generally regarded as the best for FDs.

before you do ANYTHING, you should make sure you fully understand what you're getting into. FDs are the most temperamental bitches around. just show her some love and watch your step and you should (should...) be fine. and congrats on getting one!

It's a frigging car! Why would anyone buy a car they couldn't drive down the freeway for a few hours? :scratch:

Judging by your statements, I would guess you are pretty set on buying the FD at the dealership without having even looked at it yet. Here's my advice:

1. do not go look at the car without taking an experienced car person with you to check it out. Even better, post in your regional forum and see if you can find an FD owner to come help you.

2. have the dealer perform a compression test and give you the results BEFORE you even bother driving there.

3. personally, you sound young and are (by self-admittance) car ignorant. That's a bad combination for buying/owning an FD.....

Good luck with it but I think you should spend a little more time researching things before actually buying one.

Im with Rynberg, thats some good advice for you. And unless you have alot of $ to bring the car somewhere for maintenence, invest some money into alot of tools. Its actually not that difficult of a car to work on compared to a few ive had before(G60 corrado comes to mind)

I would have to agree with the above two posts. I do not mean to offend at all... BUT if you have troubles and need a detailed pics of how to change a spark plug.....Then you REALLY need to consider purchasing an FD. Like stated above FD's can (not all but most) are quite tempermental and require a good amount of mechanical skill and automobile know-how. Mistakes can be VERY costly on these things.

Definately have a compression test done and I would really recommend you taking someone that knows more about FD's with you to look at the car. That was a great suggestion.

Now, should you go ahead and purchase the car and want to drive it home.. I bought my car in North Carolina and drove it straight (stopping for gas of coarse) back to Oklahoma. It was about a 13hr trip and the car did wonderfully. But I knew for a fact before I took off that the car was in great mechanical shape.

Hopefully all this advice from these few posts will help you make the right decision. Good Luck. The FD can be a VERY rewarding car should you decide to embark on this adventure/headache/adrenaline rush...