ecoli

ok so ive loved the FD since i saw one new in 93....im 38 now and with next yrs taxes im going to be picking one up (finally).

ive learned tons about them since like 4 yrs ago and have been reading here for like 2 days straight....

im not rich and i have 4 kids so i will probably only get one shot at this, which is why im deciding to buy a car thats super close to what i want so i can just drive it and not have to do a bunch of work (throw money at it)

the one thing i want to know is this:

how hard is it to get a 4 - 5 hundred HP single turbo FD that will be 85 or more % reliable that i can take on a 400 mile trip to the beach with the wife and still beat up other cars on the freeway AND still make it a DD that will awe the co-workers?
(not that the last one matters but you get the point)

any help appreciated and cant wait to be among the owner crowd....

Gringo Grande

iTrader: (97)

I'd prepare your flamesuit.

Someone has a great sig here about fast/reliable/cheap you only get 2 out of the 3. That is pretty much it.

I would hate to dissuade ANYONE from their dream but to find that type of car you are looking at $12,000 - $20,000 and then I would have 3k-5k available at all times for maintenance.

If the above is not a reality I would strongly suggest you find a nice stock or lightly modded FD (or find another car) and enjoy the car for what it is. You are already talking about "beating up other cars" which generally leads to expensive bills if not in the near future, the long term future.

The questions you are asking have been repeatedly asked over the years.

Hotwheelz

iTrader: (18)

A 400 mile trip to the beach on a 4-500hp car will be two tanks of fuel.....These cars are very thirsty

1QWIK7

iTrader: (33)

Wrong car to suit your needs man. A 400hp fd is FAST dude. These cars are insanely light. This almost equates to about a 600hp mustang or something along that weight.

Get the car for you. Don't get it just to try to break 500hp to impress your job and trying to beat cars on the highway. There's always someone faster than you. You sure don't sound like a 38 year old man lol. I'd expect to see this thread posted by a 25 year old or something.

That said, I think you should re-prioritize then get the car right for you.

Cause you want almost all of the things the fd can NOT give you.

96fd3s

400hp can be reliable if done properly and no corners cut.
No reason you cant drive it 400 miles to the beach and beat up all the cars you want with it assuming its a well sorted FD.
Thing is, it will be expensive, time consuming, drink loads of gas, be no good for the kids and a very unpractical DD.

Carpenter

Are you going to buy a car that is already built? Or buy a project car?

Mine is reliable, and have no problem driving it on 400 mile trips.

Carpenter

17.97 gallons of gas, for a 400 mile trip on my car. Just don't put your foot into it, lol !!
Driving 70-75 mph on the hwy, the car gets 22.25 mpg.

limepro

iTrader: (2)

Your wife will most likely nite want to be it for 4+ hours, i can barely get mine in it for 30 minutes. When i do get her in it i have to hear her bitch about smelling like gas.

96fd3s

lol since we are on the topic of wives / girlfriends.
My girlfriend dosent like going in my car, it scares the crap out of her. Its noisey, rough and hot and uncomfortable.
It is good for picking up new chicks though lol.

limepro

iTrader: (2)

Her shoe broke at work the other day so I went and bought her a new pair of the ones she likes, I go to her work to drop them off. She was very grateful but I didn't hear the end of it how she felt like she smelled of gas when she went back to work. She was only at my car for like 5 minutes and still complained. This is definitely a guy car, girls love the look but once they actually get in if they aren't car people they don't like it.

My wife loves the car and points them out and is learning as much as she can but get in it and ride around she doesn't do.

twinsinside

iTrader: (34)

My advice, spend a year on these forums and research all these questions. Everything you are asking comes up everytime someone just bought or is thinking about buying an RX7.

Even if you buy a well-sorted car, at some point you will have problems. When the time comes you either learn to do it yourself or pay someone else.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

I think a nice used Corvette would suit your purpose a little better.

ecoli

well i can deal with the "not a 500hp car" i can deal with the "thirsty girl" (fuel wise) i have a minivan for the kids... and i have nyquil for the "bitchy wife" at the end of the day im a man who still hopin i dont have to grow up yet....

now i realize this has been talked about ive been reading this site for 3 days now....but the newest info is the info recently asked about....

now that being said......i like to "goof around" with other willing cars on the hwy...(in the right circumstances for the safety advocates here) and i know with a single, i "should" be able to get to 400...i only said 5 cuz i read that a single can get there....4 would make me tickled pink....

and yes my thoughts were to buy a car already done (close to what i want) my questions were to gain a working knowledge of how close i will get to fast and reliable and know what to look for when i do get there.....and not be takin adv of....

@ twinsinside i can handle the infrequent hiccup with a car....but like in @nik da greek's thread....i would end up having to sell my car...not rich nuff for that...so asking questions is smart to do before i commit (think i already have tho lol)

and lastly......is fast and reliable really negate me from using it for a DD?

limepro

iTrader: (2)

You can use it as a DD but it wouldn't be the best choice, and I would never have one as my only means of transportation. Just because people say the car is not for you doesn't mean you should not get one, if you want it and can afford to drop the 12-15k on it then do it.

96fd3s

Sounds like you may be willing to put up with what comes with owning an FD.

But i dont think you should just blindly aim at some horsepower number because it sounds cool.
What experience do you have with fast cars, very fast cars?
Remember the FD is very light weight and it dosent take much power to reach a very healthy power to weight ratio.

Focus on a reliable fun car and go from there, leave the "you want xxx horsepower" untill you know what your getting yourself into.

ecoli

not my "only" have a 250 hp minivan with a nice a/v pkg......and the wife has her minivan......and ive wanted one for 18yrs.....but had kids early so its not till now i can even THINK about it.....but the wife gave the go ahead so......

ecoli

fair enough on the hp statement.....i only quoted a number cuz i want a single and i read what they put out.....

secondly as for fast cars i have owned a srt10 ram p/u and my father owns and i drive rather often a 77 trans am with a hopped up 6.6L(for sale btw)....and also a 69 rt/se charger....all three cars over 400 hp.....

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Keep in mind that you are referring to vehicles which are a lot heavier.. Heck, the Ram weights in around 5000 lbs. Power is a lot different in a 2700 lb 2-seater. In most cases, 330rwhp is more than enough for most people with this car. I honestly think a Corvette would be closer to what you are looking for at this stage, but do keep reading this forum to make up your own decision. Typically when individuals are looking to by one of these cars, reliability is not a word they are concerned with....

IWINULUZ

iTrader: (10)

2789lbs @ 255bhp still = fast. Test drive a stock one, then decide where you want to go from there. You just jump into something with 400-500whp and you havent learned to control it you wont be driving it for long. (Cant believe im saying this) Think of your children before you go acting a fool even in a factory FD3S.

my $0.02

twinsinside

iTrader: (34)

A well sorted smaller single turbo would probably be your best bet. The sequential system is pretty complicated and not very reliable. There are a lot of advantages to going single, and buying one already set up with a single and tuned would eliminate a lot of potential head aches.

The reason I mentioned learning to do it yourself is because there aren't many people out there that will even touch a rotary, you might as well ride up on a unicorn as far as they're concerned. I see you're in WA though so at least you have Pineapple Racing

Make sure a compression test is part of the sale deal.

limepro

iTrader: (2)

+1, When I first got mine it was only at 7 psi, drove it like that for a few months and now it is at 10psi, can be downright scary even at just barely over stock levels. I will be making it faster but not all at once, want to get the feel of it slowly before I kill myself. I have driven everything from the Z06 a lightning to my old 65 mustang with a 351 but nothing really prepares you for such a light car when that turbo kicks in. I am running stock sequential and it still tickles me when the secondary comes on and keeps up with a lot of cars on the road.

RotoryDreamer

While I'm no expert in the rotory department(don't even own one yet) I do have a fair amount of automotive know how. I don't care what any one says there is no such thing as a "reliable" 500whp car unless your talking massive cubes in witch case it will be as heavy as a tank.

IMO you'll want to look for something in the low 300ish whp range though I think you'll be looking at more like 25-30k for something that's already moded up proper and isn't in need of a rebuild anytime soon. A single turbo setup with proper supporting mods and tuning gets very pricey.


Other than that before you go to buy read up on how to do a compression test and, if you decide to get one with stock twins, a boost test and you should be doing good.

ecoli

ty all so much i have learned alot today in just this thread.......i WILL NOT trade my dream car for a vette..(hate vettes anyways) i i once drove a 800hp nova that was WAY squirrelly...so i think i can learn on a curve.....dont floor it...you want to live...lol

ty all vm for your help and now if i could just learn what all the dam letters stand for....lol

Carpenter

Sorry, but I think there is alot of people on this forum who will disagree with you,
and I'm one.

96fd3s

Thats the spirit! maby just maby the FD is the car for you