Hello guys been looking at the forum for a while so I guessed it was time to join up and say Hi.
I need some response to a conversation I had with my agent in Japan (It's quite easy to import cars from Japan for personal use at very good prices) I've been thinking for a while about a Skyline R33 V-spec. So I called my agent in Japan who happens to own both a R33 V-spec and a RX7. To my suprise he demonstrated more enthusiasm for the RX7 and told me that if I really wanted to have some fun I should really think about one of these. I responded I was a little concerned about all the rebuild issues that seem to be the one thing that people bring up when in conversation about the RX7. He went on tosay that he'd owned his for 80K and had no problems thus far with a fair number of mods and that as long as you get the fuel right you should not have any problems. That a rebuild in the future is an option rather than a necessity. I must say he has got me a little intrigued so I've started to do a little research.
So here I am. A little feedback would be appreciated.
Tell me what you think.
Thanks fellas.

 

your contact is mostly right i have 90,000 miles and still
thicking.
i tell u a rx7 is the most enjoyable car to drv i mean no other car
makes u fell like u own the road.
oh yeah im intrested in rebuilding my motor to do a street-port
its more a necessity than a demand.

 

do you plan on keeping the cars right side drive or have them converted. i my self am a big skyline fan but have an undying love for my car. who can really say which car is better we (in america)can't really get skylines or 96+ rx-7's therefore no one really has a good idea of what to expect there is also a much bigger selection of rx-7 parts in Japan and i'm sure more shops better equiped to fix a rotary engine. All in all the choice is 100% entirely up to you(pick the 7). ask DRAGON what he thinks.

 

Why would an ENGLISHMAN do any thing so peverted as convert a car to LHD?


sorry couldn'tresist

Baggypants:
Either car is cool but I am pretty sure everyone on this board will say GET THE 7!
Mine went to 103k miles prior to it's engine rebuild

 

oh he's from london

 

The engineers who designed the 3rd generation RX-7 managed to squeeze a lot or power out of a small engine. This highly tuned power plant won't tolerate a lot of abuse from lack of maintenance or unintelligent modification. At the same time, it will happily rev to 8,000 rpm all day long. In my opinion, the only design flaw in terms of reliability, is the coolant seals. It seems some owners who have followed all the rules still have had their coolant seals blow necessitating eventual engine replacement. At the same time, we have a number of owners who have gone over 100,000 miles with no problems.

Some basic rules for 3rd generation rotary engine operation:

-change the oil every 3,000 miles.

-never let the car overheat. even one instance of overheating is likely to ruin an engine. keep the cooling system in tip top shape. some minor modifications will help, such as replacing the plastic AST with a metal cannister.

-detonation is deadly. run on premium fuel, and replace the fuel filter every 15,000 miles.

-allow the engine to idle for a cool down period of 30 seconds or more
after highway driving or hard running. (most of us do this even for a routine grocery getting trip.)

-bypass the high idle startup that is programmed into new cars by having the car in gear while you push in on the clutch. (the high idle is there to warm up the catalytic converters quickly, but 3,000 rpm on cold oil doesn't do your engine any good.)

There are other tips and recommendations, but those above cover the basics. Go for the RX-7. You won't regret it. I think it was Autocar (maybe it was one of the other British car magazines?) put the 3rd generation RX-7 among the top cars it has ever tested.

 

Thanks for all the replies fellas, friendly board you have here...

 

Also, try and get at least a '99 or newer car. Alot of improvements were done(both reliability and performance) that year in addition to the ones done for '96+ year cars.