Would buying a high milage FD be a bad idea?

 

No it isn't, if you want to put some work into it. But, expect something to break soon if nothing is broken allready. I got mine at 93,000 and the 2nd turbo was leaking oil and the water seals were failing.

 

every rx7 needs some work on it. It depends money and time. If you love Rx7, it may not a problem. When I bought @74k. I still need to do engine work such as gasket and turbo leak...etc. You may have fun after it fiexed.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome guys!

 

My FD has over 172k on the odometer!
I have owned 2 low mileage FDs and my 172k FD is in just as good of shape as the 2 low mileage cars. no 5th gear synchro probs, no bushing probs, A/C still works, paint is still slick. the only thing that shows its mileage is the driver side seat. Ive put a little money in it replacing hoses, and belts, and a few sensors(air intake thermoswitch, and bot water temp sensors) I drive the **** out of this car(it isnt my daily driver) and it has been more than willing to take the abuse. Most of the money Ive spent on this car has been for upgrades(pettit ecu, DP,MP,intake, 18" wheels and tires) Oh and did i mention that Ive got less than $8500 in this car. The other low mileage cars went for well over that figure. Dont let a high mileage car get away from you, some of them are real gems!

 

With any car that's higher mileage, problems should be expected. In the case of the FD, if the car is on the original motor you'll be replacing it very soon. Just keep that in mind.

To get an idea on what a new motor would cost, check out these links:

http://www.kdrotary.com
http://www.gothamracing.com
http://www.pineappleracing.com

Be sure to search for the reliability mods, you'll be needing those as well.

Good luck.

 

I would tend to stay away from a low mileage car if it has the original engine, there is a guy I know that bought a low mileage car (48k) . he blew the engine up after about 2 wks. most engines only last less than 100k. I would be more interested in getting one with a low mileage motor. but of course there are advantages to getting a low mileage chassis(good paint, nice interior)

 

I'd rather have the original motor personally. Reason; cause I know what's in there. I know ol' jim bob didnt do the swap in his backyard. I know everything was put there by mazda and done right. Going with original low mileage cars is the best way to go I think.

 

the problem is, you find a low mileage car and pay top price for it, and 2 months later, you have a toasted engine, then you pay top dollar to put a brand new engine in it...that is alot of money spent, as opposed to paying top dollar for one with a new engine, or buying one really cheap(high mileage, or blown engine).

 

I prefer a high mileage car with good body and interior. My car has 113k on it with about 20k on the motor replaced just before I purchased it.

I knew I was going to end up replacing alot of the suspension pieces (and have done so) and just have the bushings left to replace. I did, however, already replace alot of the rear bushing to eliminate the clunking.

I also think the base or R1 models are the way to go particularly on the higher mileage cars. The interior materials seem to hold up better and longer than the leather seats. I replaced my carpet on my base model and the interior looks awesome.

Do your homework, completely check the car out and mileage isn't as much concern to me on a 10 year old sports car that I am going to mod anyway. I haven't had near as many problems as others I know that purchased cars with half as many miles as mine.

 

well everyone complains about reliabilty.....
i bought a mint fd with 15k miles over three yrs ago....i havent had one problem...i mean that..i havent even replaced the brakes. The car has been better then my honda accord!!!
buy a low mile car that has been taken care of!!!

 

Dragon, if you can take the car to a shop that works specifically with the FD to have them check it out, I would do that. You want them to check boost, vacuum, compression, and overall condition. Then you can make an educated decision and even a lower counter offer. See if you can take it to Petit, that is if you are not to far away.

Where are you in Florida?

 

oh yeah...the car has 340rwhp and sees track and strip quite often. I had when people call say there are reliability issues. i blame the owner.

 

I think IF you buy one from the original owner, and IF it is a daily driver, and IF it has only reliability mods, and IF it isn't burning oil or coolant you are probably OK with a high mileage vehicle. You are still going to have to put a LOT of money in it eventually. FD3S's are VERY expensive to maintain and operate - but worth every nickle if you enjoy high performance driving.

The big problem is the cost of new parts - it is insane, and you need to be able to work on it yourself and not rely on a mechanic at up to $100 an hour........

 

Expect to have to replace a lot of little things. Nobody makes a big deal out of it ... but these little things can add up to a lot in a hurry! Control arm bushings, pillow ball bushings, ball joints, hoses, solenoids ..... be prepared to spend a couple grand on replacing these parts as they wear out. You can reduce that expense significantly with a Mazdaspeed membership.

 

Im in Sarasota, but I might be moving to Utah within the next year, so I might buy one out there.

 

hey its simple..
1) Take that car to your local tuning shop and ask them to check it out
2) If the car has problems or will encounter some soon, ask the owner to take 1 grand off the price.
3) Using the money you saved and a little extra money, replace all the parts that need replacement.

.. plus it's 350hp

Good luck, I hope you get the car !

 

If the car has problems like a blown coolant seal $1k aint gonna cover it. I agree the car should be checked out by a shop that is knowledgable with these cars tho.

Oh, and I don't know where you got this figure but rotaries dont make 350hp in stock form, you're about 100hp off.

 

What had for that mean does?

-Max

 

yea kidding no max

 

Off to get topic, but not.

I purchased my 7 with 89K on it (second motor), but the car looked great, and drove excellent. I went through some growing pains with the sequential turbos, but all's good now and I am pretty happy with her aging. I keep talking that I will repaint her, but after a good wash and wax I quickly forget about the litte rock chips on the hood, and the bastard that left his calling card on the fender (very small but I can still see it).
I would not be afraid of buying a high mile car as long as it meets what you want for the price you are willing to pay (or keep paying).

 

Blah.. I bought an 83k car, and the rear seal blew in a week. Now I'm stuck trying to pull $3000 out my *** to rebuild, drove the car like 4 days, and now it's sitting in a garage. But I still love it =) Oh yeah, the engine was rebuilt at 50k too.

 

I think that you can't be 100% sure about any 3rd gen (speaking for the engine), unless the engine is freshly rebuilt.
I would buy a high mileage FD, because of its low price and because you know that the engine is going to go and after that happens and you rebuild it, you will have a fresh engine with your specs on it (porting, seals, etc), all from the money you saved by buying it.
You could have other problems with a high mileage car like worn bushings, burned wiring tree, clogged cats, etc. But it all depends on the car's usage and there is no guarantee that those will be better in a low mileage car.
By all the above I am saying go for it, if you are going to put all the money you saved on the car again to make it "brand new"-like.
If the car is not going to be a project for you (which it should!), then buy the lowest mileage, better handled car you can find and pamper it like a baby.
Just my 2 cents...

 

shall i hide in shame?

 

as long as you are willing to pick-up a wrench once in awhile the low price, high mileage is the way to go.