Well ill start off by giving some background info. My name is Jeff and im 19 attending college in Dallas Texas. I currently drive a 05 Nissan SE-R Spec V which i have turbocharged and dyno's 315 to the Front Wheels at 8psi.... Well im in college and the car payments are kicking my *** so im looking to sell the car and my dream car has always been a RX7 (3rd gen being my fav).... I was just curious about how well the cars hold up and just various stuff about the car that a newb like me would need to know before buying one and eventually boosting it... I believe there are two models? like a touring edition thats already twin turbo and a reg one... I will most likely be flat out buying one with cash so its not going to be fancy, however without car payments i will have cash to go into it...


Anyways thanks in advance for the info and i look forward to being a RX7 owner.

 

Welcome aboard!


Start here;
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68640

 

you'll probably spend as much in maintenance as your car payments.

finish college, get a real job, then think about an FD (or other toy)

 

I'm not sure you will save any money selling your modified car at a loss and buying a 3rd gen. Coupled with the upkeep and the incessant need we all have to modify the cars, you'll likely end up even worse off financially. Perhaps consider a 2nd gen turbo or conversion if you're on a tighter budget and get the FD when you're out of school. It really depends on how much you're looking to spend really. Oh ya, if you missed it in the stickies, all 3rd gens are twin turbo unless they were modified/converted to single turbo.

 

thanks for the honest replies.... basically i was going to part out and sell my car, and im looking into either a rx7, 3000GT, or 300zx.... I know 3000GT's are pretty problematic so im leaning towards a 300zx, especially since they can be found for pretty good prices.

 

I vote Z

 

What are you looking for out of the car (besides being less expensive) that you weren't getting from the turbo SE-R? Both the 3kgt and Z are heavy cars. I had a '95 SL for a couple years and it was great for daily driving but it wasn't fast. I came close to buying a VR-4, but they carry an additional 500lb weight penalty and are known to need rebuilds/transmissions and are impossible to work on as well. So I guess what I'm asking is what is most important to you? Big power, weight, handling, practicality, initial cost, upkeep, styling...?

 

trust me you dont want one of these in college.

im in the middle of trying to deal with my own ignorance.

i still won't admit that i regret having one though.

 

Naw ......I say get one, mine is low maintenence so far, and all 3rd gens come stock twin turbo!!!!! perks of the 3rd gen, all cars eventually have problems depends on how the owner takes care of them.....so check out how the car has been taken care of

 

i know as long as you keep up with the maintenance the car will treat you right, but sometimes there's just too big of a risk. especially when the OP is trying to get rid of his car right now to get something that is less expensive... this car doesn't generally fit into that criteria.

 

well i want a car that i can style good. my current car is a complete sleeper... i would love a fast car, but i want something thats sportier.. I would like something that has potential and handles good. I guess im looking for a little bit of everything. i know 300zx stock is about as fast as a stock spec v. Its just if i can get rid of my payments any older car would be great for a DD/project car. My insurane would also be cheaper considering they put SE-R Spec V's in the sports sedan class with STI's and EVO's so....

I can get a decent 3000gt with 38000 miles for pretty cheap.

 

That's nice and low in terms of mileage.. Just consider that you're looking at $1500 in parts/labor when you hit 60k for the timing belt and that's not a job you should take lightly if you've ever looked under the hood there. You have to remove the whole intake plenum just to get to the rear 3 plugs and check out the clearance between the belts and the chassis! Transversely mounted twin turbo v6 FTL!

Now don't nail me to a cross for saying this, but have you considered a 1.8l Miata with a supercharger? They are an absolute blast to drive, handle like nothing else, are inexpensive to buy and maintain, top down in the good weather, autox decimating, and have enough power to keep it fun even if you won't be winning any drag races with one. Keep it in mind, there's a reason they are so popular in racing.

 

You gotta pay to play my friend.

Personally, I will never own an FD as my primary transportation. You HAVE to get to work and to school. If you don't then you fail and get fired. You would be surprised how much you take a reliable car for granted until you don't have one. It will drive you crazy. If you are struggling for money then I would sell your current vehicle and buy something cheaper but reliable. There are many sub 100k mile Civics and Integra's out there for under $8k. Then when the time comes, you can have the best of both worlds.
GL

 

First off all 3rd gens are factory twinturbo. I have had mine for a year now and it hs gone through a season of auto-x. I also drive the car as a daily. I have had no problems or any of the issues I hear so much about. I can say it all depends on the how the previous owners took care of the car. I have also put a stand alone ecu, straight downpipe exhaust, and a v-mount. Im tuned a 334whp with stock twins a 13psi, and stock porting on a 40,000mi re-man. Just look for a solid starting spot( look for a bone stock FD!). It's tempting to buy an FD with the goodies allready on it, avoid these cars. I say go 3rd gen rx7 and just be smart about it and you wont have a problem.

 

If you can't keep up with your Sentra, this is not the car for you. Problems always occur even if its in tip top shape, keep a extra grand or two at all times in the bank if you want one of these cars.

 

The Z's maintenance is gonna kill you, as well as the 3000gt's AWD system, id go cheaper since youre in college. Buy a nice S15 or maybe a first gen supra

 

i daily drive my fd. not the best choice for dd but still ok. just have to take care of reliability mods and keep up w/ the oil changes/ oil coolent refill, always keep an eye out for leaks. Be picky though on your purchase. the better condition you get, the less hassle you have down the road..

welcome to the forum

 

its not that im poor its just i would have so much more money if i didnt have the payments every month. I mean i spent about 3k turbo'in it myself. Honestly im looking for a car in the 5-6k price range with decent miles that i can put some money into without worry about making payments on. The 3000GT is unfortunatly a SL so i dont think its boosted and its FWD which i really dont want. Ill look into a older supra. any other vehicles that you guys recommend?

 

You won't find an FD anywhere close to 315 hp at the wheels for 5-6k. An FD at that price would probably need a new motor along with lots of other stuff costing perhaps another 5k just to get it to run stock. Perhaps another 5k to get it run at 315 hp at the wheels.

 

If you're having trouble with the steady, predictable payments, then the minor rollercoaster called an FD is certainly no better.

Dave

 

If you want to stick with a turbo 7, you could consider an FC TII (a 2nd gen RX-7 turbo). That's more appropriate for your price range. The styling may not be up to par with the FD (definitely not in my eyes), but it still can be a blast to make a project out of. Honestly, an FD would not be a smart decision based off of what your financial situation sounds like.

 

thanks for all the info. I thank you guys for the painful truth
I have money, its really just im sick of paying every month towards insurance and the car when i could put it towards other stuff. I really will miss my current car but when it sells i will most likely be making about 7k off the car being turbo'd and what not.

 

Oh, yeah, your insurance will probably be worse too.

Definitely check everything (insurance, etc) before writing the check for an FD. Sometimes it's not too bad, but sometimes its awful. You don't want to learn that too late.