I have a friend who is really into muscle cars and he is trying really hard to convince me into buying an old muscle car rather than a 7. He is telling me it will be expensive to maintain. More expensive than what its worth. Another downfall is that, where I live, nobody within about an hour drive knows how to really work on a rotary motor so I would be on my own. So to be quite honest with you, I am really torn right now on what to do, I am turning my fate to the board...

Is it really worth the time and effort to fix a 7, customize it and make it your own? Do you get the same satisfaction out of starting your car 3 years later as you did on day one?

 

Old muscle isn't exactly cheap either. And damn do I love my 7.

My .02

 

yea dude i love my rx7 man i mean its a very love hate relationship

 

On day one my car didn't run, 5 months later it's still almost running, but tonight when I put the battery back in for the first time in 5 months and turned on the accessories, I got a great spark of satisfaction.

However, thinking about having to do a rebuild is a major turn off. You need to really think about it. Your friend isn't wrong. You'd have to be shitting golden bricks to afford this car.

Edit: 3 people from Virginia 1 person from wherever the hell MS is.

 

The 7 is a car that you must love if you want to own it. there are alot of people that arent willing to deal with the troubles that might come from this car but its such a great car when its going good.

 

i think whatever way you go u will be spending money, yes a 7 is expensive but so is a muscle car, so i think it comes down to wether you want to look like fonzie & hang out at school yards in a trans am or something, lol, i really think if you buy a 7 u will love it, yes a lot of work & money but so for that 3 weeks a year it runs u will love it lol, buy a 7 u won't regret it

 

the expense isnt super bad.. I bought an rx7 with gutted interior, no rims and a salvage title...
if you can manage money and use ebay and the BST forum, ANY and every car can be cheap.
yes, rx7s are often hard to work on, but its all a learning experience. I paid 25$ for plugs, spent what, 25 minutes putting them in? there isnt a whole lot of difference in mantience between a piston and rotary besides fluid change intervals and monitoring. banzai does rebuilds for like. 2k.

 

If your leaving this in the hands of the people on this forum, then you will be getting an RX7. We own these cars because we love these cars. What car do you love? Or do you just want a fast cool car and don't really know what you want? If so maybe you should wait until there's a car you know you love. Then you decide.

 

You're something special. lol

 

i wasnt sure what MS was either.. ... no wonder I failed 6th grade geography

 

It's really up to you. First off, cars are a DAMN expensive hobby, there's no getting around that. Doesn't matter what kind of car you go with, there's literally no end of what you can spend money on.

That said, you have to find what YOU want. Personally, old muscle cars do nothing for me. I've driven them, been around people that are into them, they just don't get my blood running. I can appreciate them, but it's just not me. RX-7's fit me like a glove - I've been into RX-7's hardcore for 12 years, and I absolutely love the cars. But, they're not for everyone.

Yes, they can be a money pit, just like anything. Old muscle cars can easily be a HUGE money pit, though - and you are also dealing with fixing stuff on a REALLY old car, like rust, ancient wiring and electrical systems, etc.

You have to step back and find what you are looking for. Reliable daily driver? Fun second car? Are you mechanically inclined, or at least willing to get your hands dirty? Do you have a budget for mods and repairs, or are you going to be lucky to make a car payment?

We can't make the decision for you.

That said, I have a sweet totally restored '94 base for sale .

Dale

 

I agree 100% with Dale on this one. No one on here is really going to pull the trigger for you in either direction, and they shouldn't. This is YOUR car, pocketbook, and YOUR DECISION.

Now to help you with that, like Dale said, when you get into either one of these what gets you really excited? Which one are you passionate about? If the answer is niether, and it really could be, then don't buy either.... If one does, then buy that one.

With the muscle car you may not find anyone within a good distance that can reliably work on the car either. The problem there is depending on how the motor is set up and how heavily built and custoomtuned it is. Lots can work on and build V8's, but some have a hard time following another custom builder. Though your chances of finding someone who can work on it ARE far greater, you may not wany just some new mechanic that you just met to work on your investment... SO still it may be better to work on it yourself just like it would be in your case with the RX7.

Now if you will look a little more deeply at the owners on this board, the ones that REALLY love their cars and are long-term owners ALL do a majority of the work themselves. Granted there is a rare richy-McNasty's on here that gets to pay someone else to do everything but that person most likely will not be a long-term owner. Is doing a lot of the maintenance and work on cars something you enjoy or are capable of? Are you capable of learning how to do these things? If not, then I reccommend against the RX7.

Personally I have had the pleasure of owning my 7 for nearly 3 years and it is most definately just as much (more really) fun and exciting to get into and drive since the day I bought it. I love it and I cannot see anytime in the foreseeable future that I will be selling it...

 

Actually, I don't think I've seen that type on this board. That type of person would generally not be caught dead with a Mazda, and will generally own a Porsche or BMW (not that there is anything wrong with that - I've owned both).

However, if you are not really an enthusiast and just want a fast, sexy-looking car then an RX-7 is a terrible choice.

It is not as expensive as owning an old Ferrari, but is not all that much cheaper either.

 

BTW, MS is Mississippi. You know, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico? Sorry for thread jacking yet again. lol.

Continue

 

Don't get an FD. Wait what trigger? lol

You came back just to say that? lol ^

 

i looove my rx-7 and when it breaks i hate it but i fix it then i love it again like i said before its a very love hate relationship but i do all my own work i replaced a clutch in my rx-7 last week i didnt know wat the **** i was doing but it works and nutting it ghetto so if u want a mind boggling car with its problems go to the 7 but if you want an easy cheaper bang for your buck go with the v8 but i dont like pistions so thats my opinion.

 

Yep, came back just for that

 

I thought st louis was in Missouri?

 

It is. But Bay St. Louis is in Mississippi on the coast.

Common hassle when I'm ordering parts too. lol

 

I love my rx7. I dont know squat about repairing cars so I have some very good people do it for me (IRP). Its cost me a bundle. Buying an rx7 was the second worst decision I have ever made but I dont regret it for a second, well at least not now. One day I will rue the day I ever brought the 7 into my life but that day is not TODAY! I typically make bad decisions anyway so its no surprise.

I think the big issue for you is that you don't have a good rotary mechanic around. Its great that your gonna work on your car but IMO you should really have a go to guy when you get stuck and need help. Having said that, having someone an hour or so away isnt bad at all. IRP is around 45 mins away from me and that hasnt really been an issue. I have JPR an hour and a half away from me and that would still be doable.

Either way if your gonna go 7 save at least 5 - 10k in case something really bad happens. Maybe you should think about buying a shell and going LS1 as well since you probably will have more people around that will be able to work on it.

 

Let your buddy buy the muscle car, you can by the 7, and then whip his *** around the track all day, the seven is worth every penny.

 

my advice:


LISTEN TO YOUR FRIEND

 

Where in Virginia do you live?

Super77

 

Thanks guys. I believe I have made a decision. Although I don't have a mechanic around, I suppose that is why I have you guys. Maybe if I get into something big, one of you guys can come up and help. I'd supply the food...and beer.

Southwest Virginia...Fort Chiswell. Near Wytheville.

 

they dont have to be as expensive as everyone makes out. Make sure you do your resarch and buy the right car and you should be fine ish.