Hi, this is my first post. I've viewed the forum for a while, but since I'm really now considering buying an FD, I thought I should make a name and ask a few questions. I'm sure this question has been answered many times, so I apologize in advance for my ignorance...

First, a little background:

I'm obviously interested in an FD. I know it isn't practical, I know it's not particularly reliable, and I know it drinks a lot of gas. But I just can't shake them from my mind. I'm currently driving an 01 Eclipse, and although I love my car, I realize the limits of an FF, 147hp vehicle in terms of competetive driving. I know an FD is what I want, and I've tried to convince myself to get many other vehicles. But everytime I do this, I realize the flaw in the car. A few examples of what I've considered:

WRX: Good car, practical and rated high in reliability. But I can get an FD cheaper.
MKIV Supra: Fast, but too heavy for my tastes.
MR2 SW20: Reliable, and I love them. But their daily-driveable power limits are
low (300hp+...)
MR2 Spyder: Looks great, well built, but very little aftermarket support.
300ZX: Looks good, lots of parts available, but they have skyline-like weight

So like I say, it always just comes back to the FD. So my question is, if I were to buy one, and I bought the reliability mods, everything I could to keep the engine cool, and rarely shifted above 3k (I only would when I was practicing. Which would be around 5 days per week, but I thought maybe if I drove really really easy while casually driving it would be ok...), is there anything else I could do to keep the engine healthy? It would be my daily driver. I'm not the best mechnaic, but I know many people who could help me and I'm not afraid to work on my car. I'm willing to sacrifice my spare time and outside of racing would treat this car with tlc, which seems to be a big factor as far as keeping them in good condition. Are there any daily practices, methods, or tips as far as keeping these things on the road?

Sorry for the essay, and thanks in advance for any input.

 

reliability mods:
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-gen-archives-73/mod-list-keep-your-fd-running-happy-28002/

Make sure you have lots of $$$ to spend!
If you want a daily driver you better have a back up car. The FD price might sound good at a base
price but by the end of it most people could buy a WRX/Supra/insert ANY car here for the price they
paid for the car + replacement parts/upgrades/etc...

What kind of racing will you be doing? A 2nd gen might be better for you.
If you have friends who are mechnaics they better be rotary mechnaics :-D

Honestly I was in the same boat you are in. But I had 14k due to a wrecked tacoma.
I planned to put 10k on a wrx or get another loan for a supra but I couldn't pass up the
deal I got on my 7. Also I wouldn't of got it but my buddy has 1 also and knows A LOT about them!

Just do lots of research and make a educated choice!

 

Just so you know MR2's can make over 300 whp and is a reliable car. They actually used to use 3SGTE in Supras for JGTC cars but that was way back in time. So before you jump on a FD (or money pits like we like to call them) make sure you have done all the reaserch on the cars above.

 

Actually you are incorrect in thinking that you would be staying under 3000 rpms most of the time, you don't even stay that low usually when breaking in a new engine. These engines are made to rev and made to rev high so take advantage of it.

-Rob

 

Right, the only time it makes sense to stay under 3k is when the car is not fully warmed up.

The thing I have to wonder is an STi is actually a 4 passenger car with a trunk. The FD is a 2 passenger car with a 'drawer' for a trunk and a couple of bins. It's not very useful on a daily basis. I like what the others said - get a daily driver if you can.

Dave

 

I will bet you ANYTHING that whatever you save on getting an FD over a WRX, you will spend at least DOUBLE in upkeep of the FD, and prob within the first year or two of ownership. I understand your thinking, but it's short-sighted. Also, FD's are NOT the best cars to drive performance-wise - unless you have lots of experience w/ a high powered very responsive rwd car. The vast majority of ppl on this forum who auto-x and track their car admit they never push their FD's past 7 or 8 tenths of what she can do. It's a VERY difficult to handle at and/or near the limit. The WRX, w/ AWD, is a lot more forgiving, more reliable, and you can prob find one still under (a long) factory warranty. Aftermarket support for them is booming, and keep in mind, even if everythign in the FD is all good, it's still a 12 year old car. The WRX would be 2 years old or so. Again, think long-term.

I don't like disuading someone from getting an FD, but I think they should have all the facts before doing so, and make the choice for the right reasons. Too many half-way working FDs being sold because owners can't afford to maintain them, and too many are being wrecked by falling into unexperienced hands.

W/ that...good luck in your search!