Hi all,
I am sure you have all heard this a thousand times before, but I am considering buying an FD. Of course the hold up is reliability, I have heard the good and the bad, and frankly I don't know what to do. I have read all that I have come across, but most of the websites say there are potential problems, but not if it is possible to run an FD problem free with the proper matainence
Please post your experiences with your car, good and bad. If you are totally satisfied, have had problems, havent had any problems. If the owner just takes care of his machine will no problems will arise? If nothing else this thread will let us all read about eachothers cars, and that is always fun

Thanks for the input
-Ben

 

Try searching on this forum to begin with and you will find a lot of info.

My experience is very expensive however $9000 has been spent in upgrades so it is not that bad. All you need is to take care of it, maintain it (oil changes ever 2-2.5k miles), and do a few simple reliability mods. Those mods will not run you more than 1k

 

Most of the sources on the internet say no more than $600 or $700 for the reliability mods.

Welcome by the way

 

If reliability is a concern, look else where...

It's a sports car, not a Civic.

 

Wanted to shoot high for any 'problems' that might occur.

 

I used my 93 as a daily driver for over a year, and put 15K on it. I did the reliability mods as soon as I got it, and the only "problem" I had was a coolant system failure. Luckily, the car was in my garage when the radiator let go, so no motor damage, but since replacing the radiator, AST, and all the coolant hoses, I have had no reliability issues at all.

Like anything, if you take care of it, it will take care of you!

There is a TON of info on this forum, but only you know if you have the discipline to maintain an FD properly. Oil changes every 2K miles, proper warm up and cool down, plugs, wires, and all other fluids must be monitored. It is not easy, but it is definitely a labor of love!

 

I bought my '94 two years ago. I've put 13k miles on it in that time, it was my daily driver for a year. Both myself and the previous owner kept up on the maintenance, and so far it has needed:

ECU
Rear bushings
Oil pressure sender
Airbox
Double throttle solenoid
Radiator fan

The first three are a result of lesser quality parts from the factory. The last three are a result of idiot mechanics. The total for all that, plus some ancillaries comes to right at $3k. I expect it to need turbos before 70k, and hopefully I can blast the engine before the warranty runs out.

That's my story.




Forrest
http://www.***-internet.com/fd3systems

 

Your right just get a CIVIC.

 

I think Mahjik is sick of these types of posts. haha.

I asked this similarly a few months ago, and received a similar resopnse. But I can say I am a previous owner.

I ran a '93 from 32,000 miles to about 72,000 miles with no problems. I did regular oil changes at 2500 miles. I didn't do the 60k service as soon as I should have.

At the end of my owner ship I had a strange coolant problem, couldn't figure it out and I used the car as a daily driver. I should have had it looked at immediately, but I drove it a few weeks, just regularly topping off the radiator. It was a water pump failure, but it led to other costly repairs that I couldn't afford at the time so I traded it in.

I don't think this website was around at the time and is a great resource for information. The reliability mods would probably have made a big difference, but who knows for sure. Either way, this second time around, I'll be a much more educated owner.

Biggest factor is do you have a rotary mechanic near you that you can trust.

 

Hmmm are you sure thats right, I spent way more then that and my car is still unrelible haha

I guess what i think of as relibility mods are actually upgrades. Just a radiator, dp and mp would cost more then 700bucks and that does not even scratch the surface of the relibility mods.

 

Make sure you get an FD in excellent condition if you are concerned about reliability. Lots of FD are messed up due to neglect and lack of understanding of the complex turbo setup. Regardless, these are 7-9 year old cars so don't expect things to be trouble free. You'll need to fix things to get it perfect, and this car needs to be perfect in order for it to last. It's certainly not a Mustang where a little problem can be ignored and driven just fine for years. If you don't fix something when it's small, you can be looking into a new engine. So, setup some money on the side for repairs and get it inspected at a rotary shop (not dealer) before you buy it.

Have fun shopping.

 

I drove my STOCK 93 as a daily driver for five years and did not have a single problem with reliability. I can't vouch for second hand cars with high mileage.

ed

 

Good lord that's a lot of money.

 

only problem I have had in 15 months of ownership is a partially blow belt... and that can happen in any car.