hi y'all
like the title says im looking to get a rotary ideally an fd i currently have an 02 mustang gt with the following:
-1 of about 2200 sonic blues made that year
-premium package (leather, mach 460 audio system)
kicker subs, kenwood amp and head unit
-113xxx on the odo
-pro 5.0 short shifter
-rear has 3.73s with 31 spline axles
-has longtube bbk headers, bbk o/r x-pipe, flowmaster 40s
-CAI
-7 qt oil pan
-coil overs and tubular a arms up front
-sct chip and tuner
-cobra front brakes
-cobra steering rack

think i would have a chance at doing a trade or should i try and sell it first?
any opinions would be appreciated thanks in advance

 

I would recomend selling the mustang first. Around here you can pick up a used Cobra for what a decent Fd costs.

It really depends on what condition FD you wish to buy on how much extra cash you are going to have to pony up (no pun intended). If you want one that needs some work and maybe a rebiuld in the near future you may not have to come up with much. If you want a nice FD in good condition, documentation of anything done to the car, etc. you are going to have to come up with some cash.

 

I SERIOUSLY recommend you buy a newer more reliable car
unless you have 5,ooo$ on top of the car price to play with

keep in mind, roughly new turbos will run 3000$+ and an engine will be 5000$
and these can go bad at anytime

 

A trade is very unlikely.

If your heart is set on an FD then my best advice is to learn and realize what your getting in to. Knowledge is your best friend. These cars are old, finicky, needy, and complex. But once you learn about them, and get one up to par, they are very enjoyable to own. In fact, there is nothing like it.

Take your time to find the right car. Well cared for with low mileage. Buying from an enthusiast is definitely the most desirable.

 

What is it about the FD that interests you the most? The looks? The rarity? The performance? If you're just trying to turn heads, you might want to look for something that is more dependable.

 

OK first off, thanks for not being a typical rotary noob and posting a thread asking about how to import a RHD model...lol

Anyway, my first car was a '94 5.0. Well, only had it for about 6 months before I sold it and financed an FD.

Truthfully, you could try to find a trade, but I have a feeling there aren't many FD owners who would be willing to trade for what you currently own.

Your best bet is to just sell it. If you do decided to go the FD route, make sure you spend a lot of time researching using this forum - read everything in the sticky's at the top of this forum.

Also, don't let potatochobit's dollar figures scare you off. If you can turn a wrench you can afford an FD.

I spent under $2k total on my first rebuild because I did most of the labor myself. Recently replaced the stock twins (again) for an estimated $400 out of pocket (again, doing all the labor).

There is, however, a steep learning curve with these cars. If you don't take your time to RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH, you easily make a very costly mistake.

 

$5k for an engine is rediculous, unless it is 100% new parts.

 

I'll second that there is a steep learning curve and considerable patience (research) is required. The reward is that the cars are like nothing else ... they are quite a package.

What are you planning on driving on a daily basis? I'll add a daily driver to the list of recommendations. I didn't have one when I owned my first FD and consider it a mistake.

 

thanks for the input guys despite my new profile i'm not new to rotaries, my uncle had an 88 vert with a t2 swap that i helped him build and i'm more than willing to turn a wrench ( i do it for a living after all :p) so labor costs aren't an issue. and yea idk where potato buys his parts but it seems like he is getting ripped off if thats the prices he pays. so i guess it looks like i'll be selling the 'stang anyone want to buy it? lol

 

you will need a daily driver. sell the Mustang and get a Civic or something else fuel efficient, then see how much money you have left over after that.

 

i have a truck i can daily and fuel efficient whats that? I haven't owned a car that gets good mpgs yet.

 

you'll need an efficient daily so that you can save money to dump into the sinkhole of an FD that you buy.

 

Or put a v8 in the FD and get 30+ mpg haaa.

 

 

^ lol, v8's in rx7's is cheating!

 

BAD Supernaut!!

OP, you just need to realize that your FD will be a big badass expensive toy. Which I think you are understanding.

First mods for any FD owner should be a garage and a daily driver.

 

5,000$ to have an engine installed is a very reasonable estimate

Sure, you can buy a block for half that but let's be honest here
if any shop were to install and engine for him we are looking at 1000$ labor, easy
you know a motor mount will be bad once that engine is pulled
without a doubt there is going to be cracked broken plastic pipes everywhere
the rats nest will have to be rebuilt
two solenoids will need to be replaced
etc.
etc.
etc.

the odds of finding a car in good shape for under blue book price are very very low
- and he sounds like he will be needing a bank loan if he plans to trade in his car.
a bank will not give you a car loan in excess of its value, just under 10,000 and they may require some money down as well.

now if he had say 16,000$ cash to go buy someone's cared for single turbo, that would be a different issue. I am all for that.

if he wants to give the home mechanic life a shot like the rest of us, sure, that's his call.
an FC might make a better budget choice.
but it is a hard and painful road, and I seriously think that buying a newer miata and throwing on a supercharger is the best bet considering how old the FD3S is now.

seriously, no mazda dealership in my city even carries a thermostat. how the hell does a dealership not have a thermostat, that is like going to mcdonalds and they are out of hamburgers. Now I have to wait a week for a new thermostat to get here from mazdatrix.

if you treat owning an Rx7 as a fun hobby, it's great, but if you need the car to get to work, it is not a good choice.

btw, my car is for sale but I only accept cashier's checks.

 

Don't do it.

 

 

^ Who invited bridgeported12a to the party?

 

Warrington are my stomping grounds, lol!

 

Next time I would suggest reading what the OP posts up as a reply...

He has lots of tools and general vehicle knowledge, being as that's his day job, and has a place to work on it, so for him, as long as he's ballsy enough, a rebuild is the cost of new seal kit, plus any parts that need replacement/or were damaged...*


I say go for it, just before you do, get lots of research done, you can learn a lot of info from these boards about these cars, most things you will encounter someone else already has, and they've posted about it, so just do some reading, some learning and go get yourself an FD.*

I would, if i was you get yourself knowledgeable with the differences between the different years, models, single or twins, then when you go looking you have an idea in your mind what type, and or year of the car you want....


J.

 

hahaahaha

 

Absolutely...been into 7's for about 5 years now and I cant even fathom all the things I dont know about that this forum has the answer to. Its funny to think about but if the internet/7club didnt exist, I wouldnt even think about owning an RX7. When I think about having my 7's, internet access is on the same tier with insurance(a necessity).

 

So you're aware that FD's are high maintenance and gas hogs. (Not quite so bad with a well tuned ECU, but still).

The things about an FD that nobody can change are that they're very small and can't carry *any* cargo to speak of, and buying one can be risky because FDs for sale tend to have hidden issues. Like an engine with bad coolant seals for example. Shop carefully, try a bunch and take your time. There's one for sale in Lancaster with 76k on the clock - which is a good start, but that kind of mileage does not buy reliability.