Looking to buy a 3rd gen RX-7
09-16-01, 04:26 PM
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Looking to buy a 3rd gen RX-7
right now i am looking to buy either a 3rd gen RX-7 or a 98' Eclipse GSX. I have been reading this forum a lot and have noticed ALOT of things that go wrong with RX-7's plus what everyone else has told me about rotary's. "they are a pain in the a** to work on" Although i have also read the stories on the "kills section" and are very impressed. One thing that troubled me is all the mods i see on your cars (forum members) aren't the usual mods, and since i dont know ALOT about cars, im afraid i will ge the rx7 and not know what to do. Can somebody please help me out by giving me advice on why i SHOULD get an RX7. I really like the car and would love to have one. Thanks.
Also,as of right now i have $4,000 to put into mods for the car. How far would that get me? 1/4 mile time?
Also,as of right now i have $4,000 to put into mods for the car. How far would that get me? 1/4 mile time?
09-16-01, 06:05 PM
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This is what Motor Trend had to say about the car:
"With the exceptions of top speed, speed at the end of the quarter mile, and 0-30 and 0-40 mph times, our RX-7 R1 beat the Acura NSX in every objective performance test--and costs about half as much. [...] The RX-7 explodes out of corners. [...] The RX-7's boost builds so rapidly it's easy to find yourself in tire-spinning power oversteer. [...] The new RX-7 is just gawdawful fast. It won the important acceleration contest with a 5.2 second 0-60 mph time, turned in a monumental 0.98g on the skidpad, and blew everything else away in lapping around Willow Springs Raceway. Especially in its R1 package, which we had, this is about the raciest feeling thing you can buy and still screw on a license plate. On the race track, it had ferocious cornering power, but seemed to get the biggest edge with enormous jump off the corners." - Motor Trend 4/92
"The RX-7 can do almost anything the best sports cars can do, but better--it accelerates quicker, stops shorter, corners harder, and is faster around a racetrack than almost anything this side of $50,000, and a whole lot of things on the far side of that. As one tester put it, "It sticks to the road like tar on a rocker panel." - Motor Trend 8/92
"The new RX-7 R1 blitzed the Bang portion of Bang for the Buck III. [...] The RX-7's performance was like having an MIT grad student, as a prank, enroll in Calculus I at a junior college. For instance, in lateral acceleration, its advantage over second place equaled second place's advantage over 15th place. [...] Our editors' notes sound like a movie ad: "Spectacular... the best... fabulous in all areas", said one editor before coming down from an adrenaline high. "By far the best track car here, maybe of all time", said another. [...] The RX-7 didn't just win the numbers game, it humiliated the field [...] Its stats read like a sports car's wish list [...] It was also rated first in Fun Factor, with an almost perfect 99.57 score" - Motor Trend 9/92
"The only cars that get around Sears Point International Raceway hill loop much faster have numbers on their doors. [...] The RX-7 may be a performance high-water mark for years to come. [...] The RX-7's performance is awe-inspiring: It's within 1 foot of being the shortest-stopping street car we've ever tested; [...] and grips the road harder than the best race cars of only a few years ago. [...] This is the best hardcore sports car in its price range, maybe in any price range. [...] The RX-7 redefines road manners for its class; the handling feels nimble and natural [...] No sports car in its price range delivers the same level of sensory gratification for the enthusiast driver." - Motor Trend 2/93 naming the Mazda RX-7 1993 Import Car of the Year
Those reviews would make almost anyone want the car but you have to remeber that an FD is a harsh, not very functional, race car that is meant for going fast and not much else. Plus it takes more care to keep one in good shape than most cars, and yeah, you can blow the engine up.
Get the car if you don't mind spending money on it, have another car to back it up, want something that looks better than just about anything on the road, and enjoy driving a very harsh race car.
Also, if all you care about is 1/4 time then I suggest you get a Z28 or SS Camaro.
"With the exceptions of top speed, speed at the end of the quarter mile, and 0-30 and 0-40 mph times, our RX-7 R1 beat the Acura NSX in every objective performance test--and costs about half as much. [...] The RX-7 explodes out of corners. [...] The RX-7's boost builds so rapidly it's easy to find yourself in tire-spinning power oversteer. [...] The new RX-7 is just gawdawful fast. It won the important acceleration contest with a 5.2 second 0-60 mph time, turned in a monumental 0.98g on the skidpad, and blew everything else away in lapping around Willow Springs Raceway. Especially in its R1 package, which we had, this is about the raciest feeling thing you can buy and still screw on a license plate. On the race track, it had ferocious cornering power, but seemed to get the biggest edge with enormous jump off the corners." - Motor Trend 4/92
"The RX-7 can do almost anything the best sports cars can do, but better--it accelerates quicker, stops shorter, corners harder, and is faster around a racetrack than almost anything this side of $50,000, and a whole lot of things on the far side of that. As one tester put it, "It sticks to the road like tar on a rocker panel." - Motor Trend 8/92
"The new RX-7 R1 blitzed the Bang portion of Bang for the Buck III. [...] The RX-7's performance was like having an MIT grad student, as a prank, enroll in Calculus I at a junior college. For instance, in lateral acceleration, its advantage over second place equaled second place's advantage over 15th place. [...] Our editors' notes sound like a movie ad: "Spectacular... the best... fabulous in all areas", said one editor before coming down from an adrenaline high. "By far the best track car here, maybe of all time", said another. [...] The RX-7 didn't just win the numbers game, it humiliated the field [...] Its stats read like a sports car's wish list [...] It was also rated first in Fun Factor, with an almost perfect 99.57 score" - Motor Trend 9/92
"The only cars that get around Sears Point International Raceway hill loop much faster have numbers on their doors. [...] The RX-7 may be a performance high-water mark for years to come. [...] The RX-7's performance is awe-inspiring: It's within 1 foot of being the shortest-stopping street car we've ever tested; [...] and grips the road harder than the best race cars of only a few years ago. [...] This is the best hardcore sports car in its price range, maybe in any price range. [...] The RX-7 redefines road manners for its class; the handling feels nimble and natural [...] No sports car in its price range delivers the same level of sensory gratification for the enthusiast driver." - Motor Trend 2/93 naming the Mazda RX-7 1993 Import Car of the Year
Those reviews would make almost anyone want the car but you have to remeber that an FD is a harsh, not very functional, race car that is meant for going fast and not much else. Plus it takes more care to keep one in good shape than most cars, and yeah, you can blow the engine up.
Get the car if you don't mind spending money on it, have another car to back it up, want something that looks better than just about anything on the road, and enjoy driving a very harsh race car.
Also, if all you care about is 1/4 time then I suggest you get a Z28 or SS Camaro.
09-16-01, 11:02 PM
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I think you can get into the 12's with 4k for mods,
INCLUDING all the needed reliability mods.
i duno about them being "pain in the *** to work on" or whatever, i'm no mechanic, but from what i've heard they're ez to work on, just there arent many mechanics that know anything about em.
but they DO REQUIRE WORK, and maintenence,
this aint no honda, you cant just weld the hood shut and expect all to be well. but if you do your research, and do things right,
you shouldnt have problems.
'
and as I always say, get a carfax report on whatever car you
buy, there ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE TRYING SELL SALVAGED VEHICLES TO UNKNOWING BUYERS! so beware(it happend 2 me)
but yeah, all that stuff said above is so true,
man it just makes you sooo frickin happy to drive these cars!!
INCLUDING all the needed reliability mods.
i duno about them being "pain in the *** to work on" or whatever, i'm no mechanic, but from what i've heard they're ez to work on, just there arent many mechanics that know anything about em.
but they DO REQUIRE WORK, and maintenence,
this aint no honda, you cant just weld the hood shut and expect all to be well. but if you do your research, and do things right,
you shouldnt have problems.
'
and as I always say, get a carfax report on whatever car you
buy, there ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE TRYING SELL SALVAGED VEHICLES TO UNKNOWING BUYERS! so beware(it happend 2 me)
but yeah, all that stuff said above is so true,
man it just makes you sooo frickin happy to drive these cars!!
09-17-01, 12:24 AM
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thanks
yea im DIEING to pick up an FD, but i think my one problem will be the insurance money. im 17 with clean record (i know some of you guys dont like us younger "punks" lol) and i think the cost of insurance will be around maybe $200-$220 with my dad or mom being primary driver. so if anyone out there has any expierience with a 17 yr old and these types of cars could ya please gimme an estimate of what the cost of insurance would be. By the way i have Triple A (AAA) and both parents records are clean. Thanks
09-17-01, 12:30 AM
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Well, being a current 2g DSM owner selling my car to buy an FD, ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...item=595384949 <-- buy me! 
) I can probably answer that.
If all you want is to look good and to beat up on the local Mustangs with minimal $$ and effort, the DSM is the way to go. I run a low 13 sec ¼ mile (with a wussy launch - a sub 2.0 sec launch gets me a 12), pull on M3's and Vipers at the road course, beat up on C5's on the street, and still manage 23+mpg in the city. Fun cars, and very reliable if you don't totally abuse it (they have their quirks though...).
For all-out performance, the FD is the way to go. I've gained enough knowledge and experience with turbo cars (and cars in general) with DSMs, and have been reading up them for about 6 months now, so I know what I'm getting myself into. They are not easy cars to work on or own, in any sense of the term, but can be some of the most rewarding automobiles out there, IF you have the time and money to put into them.
If you're just starting out, go with the DSM, then, in a year or 2, go with a nice TT car, like the FD.
Either way, good luck!
) I can probably answer that.If all you want is to look good and to beat up on the local Mustangs with minimal $$ and effort, the DSM is the way to go. I run a low 13 sec ¼ mile (with a wussy launch - a sub 2.0 sec launch gets me a 12), pull on M3's and Vipers at the road course, beat up on C5's on the street, and still manage 23+mpg in the city. Fun cars, and very reliable if you don't totally abuse it (they have their quirks though...).
For all-out performance, the FD is the way to go. I've gained enough knowledge and experience with turbo cars (and cars in general) with DSMs, and have been reading up them for about 6 months now, so I know what I'm getting myself into. They are not easy cars to work on or own, in any sense of the term, but can be some of the most rewarding automobiles out there, IF you have the time and money to put into them.
If you're just starting out, go with the DSM, then, in a year or 2, go with a nice TT car, like the FD.
Either way, good luck!
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09-17-01, 05:44 PM
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I doubt your insurance company will be too willing to insure you on an FD since you're so young. I have a spotless record and barely got mine insured by my company and I'm 24. I initially paid around $2200/year, but it has since gone down some. Of the 2 cars you're looking at the FD is far far far superior to the GSX in every way except for all weather capabilities and interior space. Unless you find an FD with a new motor or with low mileage I'd save that $4k for emergencies just in case because you can never predict what's gonna happen.
