TNH

Hey everyone,
I am a complete newb to this forum and RX-7's, but I am considering buying an FD very soon.
I currently have an 02 chevy camaro as my daily driver, but I am looking to get into something that has great handling rather than straight line performance.

I drove my friend's FD a while back and really liked it, although his is bone stock.

Here is my question.....
I want to know how much horsepower I can realistically have in the FD without sacrificing reliability, ie daily driveability.
What is the best street setup to get good hp out of the 13b? I am looking at the 350-450 range, but if more can be done streetably, then I am all game.
How much am I looking to spend to attain this?

FormerPorscheGuy

Welcome to the forum and to the biggest love hate relationship you will ever have.

This topic has been discussed a lot and there is a lot of information for you on here. Please use the search and read everything you can.

You can start here.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...threadid=68640

bus

First of all, as u know not alot of ppl use there fd's as daily drivers. First of all do all the basic reliablity mods dp,boost guage etc... I have a friend who has 365HP FD and drives it everyday but on (low boost). But I think anything above 400 would stress the turbos unless u have a sinle turbo set-up but since u live in cali a single turbo set-up would be a no-no , since smog regulations are so strict. Also u should do more research. By the way where in the bay area are u from. (EAST BAY AREA, 925).

spoolin93r1

honestly, i'd keep the camaro and build the suspension. they can be made to handle really damn good and they respond much better to power mods than a rotary. unless you're willing to deal with more headaches and some costly expenses, an FD prolly won't suit ya. don't get me wrong, i'm not trying to be rude, but most people honestly don't know what they're getting into when they buy one of these cars

talljosh85

iTrader: (3)

Well, there are a lot of debates about streetability and horsepower, among them gas/boost, clutch/torque, control/horsepower. If you search around and check out the stickied links at the top of this forum, you'll be able to find exactly the information you want. Some people think 300rwhp is more then plenty, others want well over 400rwhp and dont' mind running higher octane gasoline (and some can actually get it, unlike here in CA). Really, you should do the so called reliability mods, get to know the car a bit, then, since you're new to them, look into a good shop near you (or perhaps local forum members) that can help you with whatever mods you end up doing. As you know, horsepower is more or less a product of oxygen and gasoline, so the octane gasoline you run will effect the horsepower you can produce. 91 is kinda the minimum to run on the 13brew, so unless you run race gas or can get 93+, that is one of the biggest limiting agents in the power game. Making that much horsepower won't be cheap, after maybe $1,000 in reliabilty and bolt ons, you will need fuel management, charge cooling, boost control, full exhaust, a stronger clutch and possibly flywheel, better rubber, improved cooling (if not already), turbo mods (either aftermarket, parrallel or a great sequential system), so its going to be several thousand dollars in parts, plus whatever labor may be envolved. Also, if your motor goes during this time, porting would be a big plus. Good luck, and as you've probably heard before and will hear again, use the search button, if you get an FD, it will be your new best friend. Josh

diablone

iTrader: (2)

Well according to your other posts, you already own an RX-7. Which is it?

Mazda99Nikon

I'm a relative newb, as well, but here's what I've found after 2 weeks of driving my new FD as a daily driver. Some of my conclusions are based on reading this forum for the past year or more and owning a 1G and 2G car as well with a combined 280,000 miles over the past 21 years, so take it for what's it worth.

Start by finding a car that hasn't been abused and only lightly modded, even if you have to pay $18,000 for it. It's cheaper to buy a car that works than fix one that someone else has broken. You can make a car with 300 hp+ if you want, but if you use that power all the time, the car won't last. Yes, I do gun the engine on ramps but I get 26 miles per gallon by keeping the shifts at 4000 and crusing in 4th or 5th. Saves a lot of money both in tickets and fuel.

Get a downpipe and modify the airbox to suck in only cold air. That will help keep your engine cool. I cannot tell you what a difference a downpipe made in my car. I can't imagine an engine lasting much over 80,000 miles if that hadn't been done. If you feel inclined to make more than two mods (intake, downpipe, free-flow exhaust for example), get a new chip or controller and beef up the fuel system. If you don't go over 300 hp and drive like a maniac you can probably get by without a competition radiator but at least get an aluminum AST.

Watch you boost gauge. If you exceed 10 PSI you are asking for trouble. If you insist on heavy boost every time you accelerate, your engine won't last. Have someone knowledgable install and tune a GReddy Profec B boost controller for 10 PSI. Then keep your hands off it. There are few people outside the pros who know how to make these things run, but when they do, they are incredible and will help make your car last.

Change the darn oil. The last guy who owned my car changed it every 500 miles. That might be a bit conservative, but 1,500 miles if you don't race it, would seem reasonable.

To recap, if you really must burn rubber on a routine basis, keep your GM. Engine replacements or overhauls are a lot cheaper on American iron.

jimlab

With a V8, no less.

Assud

you're poking holes in dreams jim, HOLES IN DREAMS DO YOU HEAR ME!!!

TNH

Something very strange is going on here.
I found this forum yesterday, registered yesterday, and made my first post yesterday (this post you are reading right now). When I checked it for replies, I noticed I had more than one post under my post count, which was strange seeing as how I just registered the account only moments earlier.

After seeing you guys mention that I already had an RX-7, I searched under my username, and found a few posts about "welding something up" and owning a v8 rx-7. I have never welded anything up on an RX-7, and I don't own one.
I do have a v8 camaro and v8 clk though

Bus- I am in the East Bay, dublin.

VividRacing.com

I'll agree that about 50% of FD owners I know don't drive thier car everyday. Though here in Phx the temp get smokin hot and the FDs tend to want to overheat if drived hard.

Section8

iTrader: (6)

It's a glitch in the Matrix!