Gamezilla

My sister has succeeded in proving to my parents that she deserves to be driving the slow-as-hell 89 pathfinder that I was giving from my dad. This leaves me without a car. My parents are willing to give me $12k-$14k to purchase as good a car as possible. I have about $5k in my bank account that I don’t need for college to help boost my price limit. The one car that I've always wanted and done more research on than any other car out there is the RX7. I'm not looking to race it at all. I have fairly good mechanic skills (probably a 7 on a scale of 1-10) and can do pretty much anything myself aside from an engine rebuild or something as time consuming as that. Basically, I'd know how to take care of one. The only thing I'm worried about is affording it. I can buy it, sure, but can I afford it? Forget insurance. I'm talking strictly maintenance and reliability. What would you do in a situation like this?

mjw

iTrader: (1)

Are you just starting college now.. as in you will be a freshman? Will you be living on campus or at home?

If you want my advice I would say go buy something more reliable, and most importantly less expensive to repair/maintain. You don't have to buy a Civic, but I know when I was in college I had a lot of other things on my mind aside from fixing whatever car I had. That and I never had the $$$ to do it. Go to college, save your money, finish college (most important), and then have some fun and get an FD or whatever you want. You could get an really clean N/A FC for way less than 12-14k and get your feet wet working on a rotary, I hear they are quite reliable and last a long time. I had an '80 RX-7 when I was in college and it was great, not fast but definitely fun to drive and reliable. HTH.. and if it helps any I did graduate.

Matt

neoamd

iTrader: (2)

Id buy the 7. Im 16 and can afford one. As soon as you get one by all hte reliability mods!!!

SnowmanSteiner

First working on a rotary is quite different than working on a piston engine. And it is going to cost a little more than pocket change to keep up. If you do decide to purchase one make sure you have enough money to do all the reliability mods. As far as everything else make sure that you can change fluids on a regular basis. And never over look replacing the spark plugs when you first buy it.

- Steiner

RollnDrty

I am in college, and have an FD. It was reliable till I blew an apex seal on the rear rotor, and now I'm in the process of a Pineapple rebuild. Try to save as much of that 5 grand you got "just in case". Do only reliablity mods, such as the AST, turbo timer, etc. Don't start modding until you can really afford it. If you take care of it, then it should take care of you.

Gamezilla

It would be my freshman year in college. I've tried to save my parents as much money as possible by going to an in-state college and cheaper one at that. I'm going to UT at San Antonio, so even if I cant do the work there's a rotary shop in town that I have to fall back on. Money is not so big a concern, but reliability is. I'll more than likely have some left over from buying the car, but I don’t want to be constantly stuck with one problem or another (although I do know how to deal with quirky problems). I'll be living off-campus in a student apartment complex (paid for by my parents since I managed to save a lot of money on other stuff ). My only real expenses will be on food, electricity, and entertainment (internet, cable, electronics, etc). I'm not one to blow all my money on wasteful things such as big screen TVs and fancy computers. I've lived my life doing with only what I needed. That’s how I've saved so much of my money. The only passion I have in life is cars, and the RX7 is the one car I've wanted ever since I laid eyes on it. Its not like I've dealt with unreliable cars in the past (hell, my old maxima had a million different leaks and squeaks and it never gave me problems. Cant say the same for my sis since it decided to crap out once she got it). What I'm trying to say is, I WANT this car, but I'm trying to realistically look at the situation and what better place to get honest options about the car than a forum dedicated to just that.

Gamezilla

Oh, I know rotary engines are great if you know how to take care of them. I know their special needs. Constant maintanence and everything. Basically, you run it into the ground and it'll run you into the ground with it. I wont be doing that. I'm buying the car strictly for the love of it - not to make it some street racing machine.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

IMO, I wouldn't do it.

You might be able to afford it, but like I said, I wouldn't do it. Thinking about all the crap that I did in college, I'm glad I had a beater back then.

You'll have enough to worry about in college then adding in keeping a car running. Pick up a decent Accord or somthing similar and save the rest of the money for when you graduate. When you do graduate, pick yourself out a nice sports for a present to yourself for completing.

Good luck.

Kiflin

Ill be leaving for Vermont in a year and a half for a second major, taking the fd up there all alone.... My worst fear is I blow the engine while up there and I wont know any shops or anyone who can rebuild. But overall, I will most likely just not drive it alot and store it in a private 1 car garage near campus.

moehler

iTrader: (12)

Don't do it. Even reliable FD's cost a lot of money to maintain. Plus if you have the mods disease, which if you don't have now you'll have soon enough, you'll go crazy trying to afford every little thing for this car. You'll blow tht five grand before ou know it, then you'll you'll blow your engine...Get something reliable and cheap and spend the money and time on an FD after school.

dclin

iTrader: (4)

Honestly - if you are going to school, I would find a less needy vehicle. The FD demands alot of your resources - both money and time.

Not to say there are not people that don't daily drive them - but from what I've seen, they fall into two camps: one group that can't afford to p/u a 2nd vehicle at the moment, and the second group whos situation/financial means allows them to drive their FDs w/o worry (definitley a small minority) By all means, find a 'fun' car though, but one that requires less care. I would get a nice Integra GS-R or Civic Si (seriously - despite how people like to bash Hondas, they do have some fun cars)

What school are you going to? I just went back, and there is no way I would drive my FD to UH - just asking to have it broken into. My Civic takes care of the everyday drive grind, and is one less thing I have to worry about (140K on my current one, and 70K on the previous one before it got totaled - both have required nothing except regular maintenance) - important when you are taking a full load and working full time.

Besides, there will likely be a 4th gen waiting for you by the time you graduate.

mjw

iTrader: (1)

Exactly, you know how many times I had sleepless nights working on a project for class.. stumbling out to my car at 3AM to get copies made.. crawling out at 8AM to go to class and present on no sleep. Damn it, I need that f'n car to start every time without flinching and get me there.. at that moment in time nothing is more important than getting my obligations over with and get home to sleep. And then there are all the 'extracurricular' activites that you will need a car for that will work every single time without coughing. Trust me.. I have been there, 5 years of 18-20units changes your priorities a whole lot.

Gamezilla

By the time I get out of college the FD would be lost as a dream. I wouldnt want something that old. And I really must stress this, I may be young, but I'm not ricer. I want to do just the reliability stuff and leave it at that. I'm not interested in racing it. It rides great the way it is, catches a lot of peoples eyes, and has all the power stock that I'd ever want.

Here's the odd dilema. If I dont get the RX7 I'm gonna hunt myself down a Prelude. And rice it out just cause it has no other purpose. I say this like a joke, but I seriously would do it. Not because I liked it so much as I had nothing better to do.

dclin

iTrader: (4)

..or a Prelude is nice too. Keep in mind that there will ALWAYS be new cars that come out and catch your fancy.

Set for yourself a goal of a M3 (or whatever) after you graduate and land a well-paying job - save your effort for school, for now.

mazdaspeed00

iTrader: (6)

u can pick up s2000's for around 19-22k

Acer10x

" I'm not rich I'm on a college budget" dude you say you have 19,000 for a car damn my college car cost me 4k and I'm paying out the wazzo for it get yourself a new car don't think about messing with fixing a 10 year old car when you can afford a new one not to mention I dont' know if you've ever owned just a small rear wheel drive sports car I have my dad had a corvette while I was in highschool and ya it's useless in the snow and moving anythign around get real and think about this car lasting you 4years and have the ability to move you around. Buy a new car and get rid of your worries

mazdaspeed00

iTrader: (6)

more more reliable then a FD, similar performance numbers, and better gas mileage. or buy a reliable car for under 3k and save the rest of the money for a FD and have 2 cars.

silver93

go to college, spend a month there, then you will really know if it's worth the hassle of owning the car. believe me, there is quite a bit there to occupy your time. take the $12K from your parents and but a car that requires only changing the oil. Take the $5K and start an IRA. If you really want an FD, you'll still want it in 6 months. Then you can evaluate if you really have the time and desire to mess with one. You can always sell the car you do get, and go out and by an FD.

You know this is the right thing to do, or you wouldn't be here trying to find excuses why you should get an FD. do the what you know is right.

911GT2

I'm 18, a freshman in college. I go to shcool full time (WPI, demanding tech school), and work full time to afford the FD. Is it hard? Yes, very, I have absolutely NO free time. Well, I shouldn't say no free time, I usually have wednesday afternoon from about 3-midnight off. I haven't had a day off from school and work in 3 weeks, and at times I wanna sell the car, pay off the $10k loan, and get a beater. But then I think about the FD, and I keep it.

But on the other end of the spectrum, is it worth it? Yes. The car is, as many have said, a legend. I say screw practicality and your sense of good financing and your want to have a social life, and get it while you're young and it will mean that much more to you. Why pass up the opportunity to get something you realy want, especially if you can work hard to have it? Think of it this way, after full time school and trying to pay for the FD, the "real world" will seem like a joke. My summers, when I only have to work 40 hrs a week, are vacations for me, ahh to be old and have an easy life...

grinn253

This is good advice! As for me, i'm in college too, and find that i'm too busy to give proper time to the FD (heh last time i washed it was in July/and i park outside--free).

nevertheless its fun, and maybe you won't be as busy as i. however i agree with what silver93 said.

Laters!
Edgardo

poss

iTrader: (5)

I'm a senior in college and have had my FD for a couple of years. I say, if you want it and you can afford it, go for it. I work my *** off and save a lot during the summer so i reduce the amount I have to make during the school year. I love it, wouldn't change it for anything this side of a Z06 (even that would take some convincing). one downside, when it's an exceptionally nice day out, it's much more tempting to go for a cruise than go to class

GarageBoy

Hunt down the Prelude and turbo it for now. Then sell the thing to a ricer later on when you have the cash to upkeep the Seven

RX7Elmo

Remember that it's not just the car, it's also the insurance, and the gas you have to pay for. but know what? go for it. If that's the car you really want, you wont' be happy with anything else.

I'm 21 and a senior in college, i own two cars (including an FD) and two bikes, YZF600 and an R6. But in all honesty, i'm going to have to sell some of my toys as paying for insurance on all those things is way over my head. Just plan ahead and you should be fine.

Danny

Talek

I'm 21 and a junior in college and own an FD. I paid for it myself, as well as pay for the maintenance. I make about $15k a year working part time. My parents pay the insurance (which it sounds like yours would also). I daily drive it, but not outrageously... I've owned it for a year now and have only put about 3k miles on it driving to school and work. In this time the only work I've had to have done to it is regular maintenance, oil changes etc and my 60k checkup. I have most of the reliability mods, which even if you don't plan on modding for speed are a MUST. My car has just hit the 60k mark, on original engine and turbos. I may have just been lucky so far, but I wouldn't say that my car has been unreliable at all...

I'd say go for it, but try and find one for 14k or so with as many reliability mods as possible already on there with low miles on chassis or engine, or find a blown one for around 6-7k and start from scratch. Keep around 3k in the bank for a rebuild if necessary. I would also recommend picking up a cheap winter beater, like a first gen awd dsm or 4wd pickup/jeep for under 2k.

Gamezilla

The only problem with waiting is, I cant. My sister is without a car and I need to find one. It now or never. If I dont use up the money for my own car, she gets it (no way in hell i'm having that). I dunno. I've got a lot of money saved up because I pretty much never buy anything, but I dont want to destroy my social life just to keep a car, no matter how badass it may be. I may just stick to finding a non-turbo MKIV supra, as gay as that may sound. The more I look at it the more I see. When I'm out of college and secure in a job THEN I'll get a badass ride. Until then I'm just going for something fun to drive that picks up the ladies (after all, not much else to do in college).

Plus I kinda forsee myself getting one speeding ticket after another in the 7.



And thanks for everyones input.