Scrapiron7

Ramy is one of the old school FD guys from way back, he's a good guy (w/a park bench wing )

SLOASFK

iTrader: (5)

not yet, but I'm always pushing for the good vendors/builders on this site, especially the ones who are still real people The guys who will take 15 minutes to discuss parts you may or may not want to buy or engines you may or may not want built. you're a rare breed, Ramy. Keep up the good work man!

no sense in posting your sig when your ad is at the top of the page!


[/thread jack] sorry Danvh

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

LOL. Oh geez. That pic is like 3 years old. The wing's long gone. I'll post up updated pics when my car's done in a year or so hehe (you know how it is).

SLOASFK, thanks for the kind words man Now I'm under pressure to keep the standards so high...darn haha

mazdarodie

wow! there is some great information here! i picked up my rx7 a year ago and i just had an engine fire... they say it was a leaky fuel rail or lines that caused it...
i'm looking for a new engine at the moment with all of it's components if anyone knows of where i can find one it would be a lot of help!

Danvh

Undoubtedly the information is great! I've been studying the thread by "jimlab" and others, but am finding a discrepancy in the very thorough post he provides. If you aren't interested in increasing HP and just want to ensure you have a reliable car, where do you stop? The dollars are racking up and I'm unsure where the differentiation is between ensuring the car is safe at stock levels and what is required for boosted levels of HP.

I have to admit that after seeing all the recommended upgrades and fixing all the factory flaws, I'm feeling overwhelmed and counting all the dollars! Also feeling like the Supra is really the ultimate '90's era turbo car and these cars may just be too much trouble/hassle for what you get.

I don't want to create enemies here, but if you guys spend $25 - $30k on a Supra TT, yes, you'd be in the car for at least $10k more, but for $1500 dollars you can make a very, very reliable 500 hp car that is just getting started!

I don't know if I can handle the constant worry about blowing the engine and/or turbos in these cars. I've owned supras with over 1,000 flywheel hp on the stock block, tranny, rearend, without a single concern!!

SLOASFK

iTrader: (5)

A lot of reliability concerns can be handled with auxiliary injection. There's a whole subforum dedicated to that here https://www.rx7club.com/auxiliary-injection-173/

Water injection can be had for relatively cheap, and from what I hear it's a fairly easy install. Especially for a seasoned mechanic.

And maybe you should have seen this picture before you dove in...

I'm not saying that you can't afford it, more like is it worth it to you?

Honestly, the parts that are worn out on a lot of these cars are worn out on a lot of old cars. things like the wiring harness, motor mounts, pretty much anything under the hood made of rubber or plastic is going to be brittle and tired after 14 years.

Another thing to take into account is that the FD will be faster with less power than the Supra, simply because it's 800lbs lighter.

There's a lot to take in to account, but no matter how you slice it, the FD is going to be more expencive...I can't think of any way to come up with an FD being cheaper to run than a Supra.

Try and find someone local who has stock twins and a well built car. Find someone making over 300-320rwhp and see if they'd let you ride around with them. Feel the power of the car. At 320whp, the car will definately not feel like anything you've been inbefore(unless you've driven a high hp exige?).

Northwest regional forum: https://www.rx7club.com/nw-rx-7-forum-33/

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Sounds like the factory fuel recall...didja ever find out if your FD had all the appropriate recalls performed? (Before you ask what they are and how to find out, they're outlined in the "Buyer's Guide" listed in the 3rd Gen FAQs )

Well for starters, take some of what you're reading w/ a grain of salt. Not cuz Jimlab doesn't know what he's talking about - he does, and is definitely one of the most knowledgeable ppl on the forum by a far stretch... but rather b/c if you look at the date/timestap on some of the stuff in the FAQs, it's really really old. We've come a LONG way since those days. Ppl used to be running like 5 piggybacks at once, one for each system/aspect, because there was no stand-alone ECU (the HKS F-Con while available and popular and Japan can only be programmed by HKS Power Sellers, and none of them are rotary specialists...so it's a guaranteed way to blow your motor). But ever since the Apexi Power FC came onto the scene, all those mini piggybacks got throw into the garbage. Now we have one thing that does *everything* we need very accurately and efficiently. The only flaw is it isn't the best boost controller. It SETS boost nicely, but doesn't LIMIT it well. Hence the continued necessity for an EBC.

Having said that, plz read this post for a breakdown/listing of mods by power and reliability. https://www.rx7club.com/showpost.php...81&postcount=2. Please read it but STILL keeping in mind the following:

- For the ECU, STILL the best way to go is the Power FC (if your fuel and boost levels require it)

- For radiators, we now have multi-pass radiators, not just single pass

- For ICs, we now also have V-mounts. In general, for drag, a FMIC is best. For auto-x/regular use, a SMIC is best. For serious roadracing or best of both worlds, a V-mount is the way to go (comes w/ a radiator). FDNewbie Imports is wrapping up it's current V-mount project as we speak, so ours will be on the market soon!

- Turbo timer: the long and short is DON'T waste your time or money. Extra gadget to worry about when all you have to do is keep off the boost for a min or two as you coast into your destination. That's more than adequate.

- Fan mod now uses the FC3S thermoswitch. OEM part, plug and play... perfect.

- Clutch depends on your power levels...for anything up to the 400 hp range, ACT is the way to go. After that you need a twin plate, and the question becomes how deep are your pockets? haha

Everything else on the list in the above mentioned post should be spot on. One day I'm gonna hafta write up an amended version of it and have the mods sticky it...

No worries; we have tough skin haha. There's no doubt about it that Toyota builds the best cars. That's a fact Jack. But that's moreso in quality than anything else. If you want a dyno queen, a Supra is the way to go. But if you wanna own the road and/or the twisties, the FD Can't Lose! (haha). You know what they say... what's the difference between a 600 and 900 hp Supra? Nothing...they're both still 11 sec cars (lol). Power to weight ratio on the FD is *amazing* (given how lightweight it is), as are the aerodynamics. Handling, responsiveness, and FEEDBACK FEEDBACK AND MORE FEEDBACK is like NOTHING else I've EVER driven, but most importantly it's just the overall feel and uniqueness of the car that simply draws you in. Of course I'm a bit biased, but eh, that's why we have no problem w/ the cost, b/c it's worth it to us.

As for this constant worry, I won't lie; I don't drive my car thinking she's rock solid and won't ever leave me stranded (as she has done MANY a time). But I personally don't ever feel like she's a POS that's gonna blow anytime. Why? Because as I mentioned before, I spent the money to have all the wrench work and tuning done by PROFESSIONALS. Sure I can do some small stuff here and there, but when it comes to critical components, I don't take chances. And Daniel, I kid you not, I was running *every single bolt-on upgrade under the sun,* tuned for 13 psi on a bone-stock 12+ year old fuel system, creeping up to 15+ psi (thanks midpipe! lol), and I simply COULD NOT blow my motor. She was SOLID son. And MAN was she fast. Do a search in the Kills section. I have some *very* respectable kills, including a few bikes And all that was with less than 400hp!

Bottom line is, the FD is all about passion. If you treat her right, she'll treat you right back. You cut corners, and she'll make ya bleed lol. But when well sorted out, man oh man...there's nothing like a well sorted out FD. Everything's just perfect. Ask Howard Coleman (on this forum), who's been racing for what...probably 20 years now if I'm not mistaken? And he has NEVER lost a race in his FD YET (and we're talking sanctioned races). Now THAT'S somethin to brag about hehe

~Ramy

Danvh

Yeah, I'm having a really hard time deciding. Random Tech products are some of the highest quality stuff out there for "staying legal" but unsure of the benefit of a high flow cat before the mid pipe... Would love to hear from someone that knows about this. I'm almost certain that "clogging" would never be an issue. Seems like it would be best for a highly modified FD that had removed the mid cat?? I don't see any way it could be a bad thing, just unnecessary... I offered him $100 bucks delivered.


Again, thanks for the in depth reply.

The strange thing to me about the RX7's is it is so easy to spend $$ on them that matches the value of the car--LOL! Especially when you do the things I'm used to with the Supras - such as FIKSE's, HKS Coilovers and other suspension mods, titanium exhaust, downpipe, $3k stereo systems, and all of a sudden you've spent what you paid for the car!

I've decided that I'm going to pass on the upgraded intercooler and radiator. I'll replace the downpipe, change all the fluids, and do some of the more basic items. I got the coilovers on last night and it only took two hours! Very easy install in these cars!

I also want to ensure all the Service Bulletins have been done. Will also install a boost gauge - where is the best spot in this car to do so? In the Supra we put it where the factory clock was and it works great! Looks factory....

I've always thought the difference between a 600 and 900 HP Supra was a turn of the boost controller ****

SLOASFK: Well I appreciate that kind of humor, the least they could have done is selected a photo of a decent looking Supra.

On SF, here is the one I've always seen floating around for the
FD's:

SLOASFK

iTrader: (5)

That's a good one, but I like this one better...

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

While going against the grain can oft be praiseworthy, in something like this, I'd pass if I were you. That DP is essentially the same design as the OEM DP. Whether you call that a cat or a precat is semantics IMO. I mean hey, I could be wrong, but is it something I'd be willing to bet my motor on (cuz that's what the stakes really are)? And to save a few dollars? Heck no. I'd pass, and gladly.

NP I'm startin to wonder why you're gettin such preferential treatment...don't want you (or other noobs) thinkin this is commonplace

Please make a distinction between the cost and value of a car. If you search, you'll find quite a few of the "how much have you guys spent on your FDs?" threads. The average tends to be about $10K - 15K for modded FDs, with the highly modified ones easily pushing $30K+. So indeed, it is commonplace to spend more than the car's COST in reliability and performance mods. But I HIGHLY doubt anyone would be dumb enough to spend more than the car's VALUE to them; the few times that happens, it tends to be from noobs who spent every nickle and dime to buy the car, rode it like they stole it, did dumb mods without first researching, then come back on the forum to try and salvage their now non-running-with-a-blown-motor FD. That's if they didn't manage to wreck it first (we average a car every week or two wrecked during the summer season, primarily at the hands of noobs).

So yea, in short, none of us think the car isn't WORTH it. Heck, it's worth every penny IMO. It's VALUE is very high in our opinion - especially those of us who have owned one for quite some time - and many of us have owned other high end cars too (Supras, Porsches, Vipers, Skylines, to name a few). Resale value of the Supra is simply higher due to the car's reliability. I guarantee you if Mazda had adequately trained it's mechanics on the FD when it first was produced, and we had more adequate tuning hardware and software earlier on, our cars wouldn't have had such a horrible reputation for being unreliable. Errr...well that and that Mazda had to skimp in quality to produce one of the best pure sports cars in history on a *serious* budget.

Glad it went easy. A little factoid for you. One of the primarily reasons Mazda pulled the car from US markets in '95 was the DP with the precat. It was necessary to pass US emissions standards, but with it on, it would clog and result in blown engines - giving the car a bad rep and thus hurting sales figures (badly...'95s didn't sell very well). But if they got rid of the precat, they had trouble passing emissions...so they said screw it and pulled outta the US market altogether.

Well TSBs are different than recalls (I'm sure you know that, but just being thorough). In the FAQs (specifically the Buyer's Guide), there's the listing of the recalls and the # to Mazda. Call 'em up, give 'em your VIN, and make sure all the recalls have been addressed. The TSBs won't be addressed by dealerships unless your vehicle is under warranty - and even then it's like pulling teeth.

If you're only installing a boost gauge, then the only single pods are the A-pillar or the steering column mount (so it sits right below the tach). Pic:



Can't do that w/ the FD, UNLESS you happen to purchase a later (96+) OEM/aftermarket cluster, where they had replaced the stock pressure gauge w/ a boost gauge... And guess who sells those clusters (like the one pictured above)??? hehehe (Psst! Pics can be found on my website! Just click on my banner in my sig!)

LOL nice one.

Dude you had me laughin SO HARD that my stomach hurt lol. I've never seen that one before (and I'm on Supraforums too btw). Jeez...that one's great lol. Nice one Daniel

~Ramy

SLOASFK

iTrader: (5)

Hey Daniel,

If you want to get into a funny picture war, I've got plenty for Supras...and RX-7s as well

My question, however, what happened to your CYM?

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

If you aren't interested in increasing HP, don't. Replace the downpipe, check on the AST, radiator, change all coolant hoses, FPD, fuel filter, and install a boost gauge and maybe water temp gauge. That's probably the most reliable setup there is.

FD engines get less reliable as you go up in HP. If you have any question about the nature of a mod do a little research and you'll find plenty of info about it.

In terms of out-of-the-box enjoyability and use as a daily driver, I'd go supra all the way. In the beginning, the FD was praised for performing about equally but being lighter, more enjoyable handling. Now that warranty periods have expired, the reliability/maintenance is becoming a major consideration.

Saying that won't create enemies. I basically agree all around with it.

Now if you're going for HP/buck, keep in mind there are mildly modded FDs out there for sale that don't need much if any work aside from regular maintenance.

Yeah, it doesn't work like that in an FD.

Dave

Danvh

The guy that bought it from me has been trying to sell it recently. Here is the ebay auction, which I understand fell through... I've contacted him and been trying to buy it back, but he hasn't responded so I don't know the status...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=330129079381

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Geeez... I sometimes wonder what you guys do with cars, cuz ya sure aren't drivin 'em! LOL.

The only situation I MIGHT consider barely driving an FD if I had 2 or 3 of them...and was keeping the 3rd just as a collector's item...

Danvh

Maybe I can help you relate to this... First off, the search or "quest" is part of the fun... To find the rarest, nicest, lowest mileage cars for its make, model, year and then put your personal touches on it to make it as nice as possible (to your liking). Then instead of racking up miles, just drive it occasionally when the weather is nice and you get the desire... Plus it is easy to maintain and keep in "pristine" condition this way.

Your last sentence pretty much hits the nail on the head. Personally, I wouldn't want any sports car if I had to drive it as a daily driver, especially here in Seattle. I would also never buy any sports car if I had to take a loan out to get it--seems like your priorities are wrong to do so, especially when the purpose is not primary means of transportation.

If you buy or collect the right types of cars and keep the miles down, not only do they maintain their value, but some actually increase in value. The '90's era turbo cars are all good example of imports doing this... So if you own a collection of the right cars, it can be some version of a 401k, with the benefit of an occasional ride on sunny days!

fdeeznutz

Isn't low 800's rwhp the max on the stock block? There are lots of fast Supra's down here and I've only seen one that was making over 800rwhp on the stock block. He made 808 rwhp and has the stock long block record for hp. What did your 1000 flywheel hp Supra's make for rwhp on the dyno? Any engine bay pics or setup descriptions (turbo size, ecu, fuel system specs, clutch, ect) Thanks!

Danvh

LOL--wow sounds like I'm being called out! You need to get your facts straight as many have made more than 800hp. Peter blach made 980 wheel hp and 1127crank, which was the record back then when sport compact did the article on his car in '03 or '04. I sold him the car before he built it and afterwards to some guy in Dallas that owned banzai racing.... Picture of it is below.

If you go view the '93 hardtop in my sig and go into the directory to view the rest of the photos, you can view the dyno graph and see it is making over 600 at the wheels with only a 61mm turbo. All you have to do is go to a 74mm or larger and you are easily at 1000 at the flywheel. I've stepped down in my HP desires in these cars. I sold my 8k mile '98 1000HP Supra last year and am now happy with less hp and less lag.

fdeeznutz

Naw man, not calling you out. I just wanted to get some specs on your rides. I know of Peter Blach, he has some sick rides from what I've heard. The car I was talking about was stock long block. Stock block was never really defined by short block/long block. I'm sorry for the confusion and yes, 1000 crank hp on the stock short block is no problem.