rotarybeat1287

iTrader: (16)

Hey everyone,

I haven't been in the 3rd gen section much but wanted to introduce myself. I got into Rx-7's about 5 years ago from close friends. It's all I've had up until this year. Some unfortunate events on my last rebuild w/ my old TurboII led me to bite the bullet and throw in the towel. I have regretted it ever since.

Here was my TII in her prime. I got her bone stock @ 54k original miles and modded it over time. I absolutely loved this car.






Anywho... I just found out that I got approved for the loan on a 1994 Touring model w/ 89k on it and has a rebuild in it. The car is stock besides a downpipe off the top of my head.

I know the idea of newbs asking if FD's are good for daily drivers has been run into the ground but I'm not here asking that. I daily drove my FC for 3 years even modded. It's nowhere near the complexity of an FD but the size, gas prices, etc. don't bother me. I will be daily driving this FD. I just want to know if I do the reliability mods to it and treat her nice if it will be nice and tame enough to daily drive and rely on.

I am posting here to just chime in and take advice. I am curious to premixing .05 oz to 1 gallon on top of the original omp. Would this be okay as a safe precaution?

I am all ears and this will be my first FD/3rd Rx-7. I am stoked and just can't wait to get back into a 7. An FD at that. Sorry for the newbness. I've already marked some websites w/ helpful info.

-Allen G.

96fd3s

iv been daily driving my FD for some time now, since my dearest brother crashed my twin turbo subi into a parked truck.
Its expensive on gas, impractical, loud, rough, stiff and makes clunking noises. Sure is one hell of a DD though if you can put up with it!
Mines been very reliable, you get out what you put in.

93rx74lyfe

iTrader: (1)

I daily drove my last 3rd Gen for a few years and my current one for about two years as well. If you can deal with the up keep and crappy mpgs it makes for a really fun dd.

MR_Rick

iTrader: (7)

I daily drove my last 2 FDs with now issues. My current one I don't daily drive just because the roads here sucks and it makes it a bouncy ride + when I wear my uniforms (I'm in the Navy) they get wrinkled and makes it a bit more uncomfortable to drive. I also hit traffic on my way to work and keeping an eye on the temps makes the car a bit less enjoyable to have. So this one is strictly a cruiser for the weekends.

whiteweazel21

iTrader: (2)

Wow...I guess that makes my white S4 TII with 17k orig. miles king if the hill! Sorry to hear, why on earth did you decide to throw the towel though?Would have been worth it to throw in another engine imo, loved your car.

I recently picked up an FD with 38k miles, local and way too nice deal to pass up. It's a nice car, but I pretty much got it to keep miles off the FC, which overall...I have to say I enjoy driving much more.

Boosted11

iTrader: (11)

Good to see your going over to the fd! I'm as well. Just about in the same boat, and wasted ALOT of money on my s4 t2, until I got to the point where I had so much money into it that it was obvious to upgrade to the fd.

What did you do with the fc? Sell it as a shell, and parted out? Think I remember seeing part out threads.. Sad to see, that fc was one of the cleanest on the forum.

You definitely got rid of everything alot faster than I did. I'm still trying to part out, and sell close to stock.

championadrien

iTrader: (29)

I just did the exact same thing =o. Except I already got my FD and proceeded to blow the turbos.

For the one day I did daily drive it, it rides a lot better than my FC ever did comfort-wise despite both having full coilovers.

Sad to see your FC go man, I was always a fan of it.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

Welcome to the addiction..... the more stock it is, the more money you'll be spending

allrotor93

iTrader: (126)

its a solid car

you will be fine daily driving it especially where you live.

djseven

iTrader: (56)

If it is one of Allrotor's car that Steve built you will be fine. Just enjoy it, I recommend a FC thermoswitch and deleting the AST if it isnt already done. Im sure Jon (allrotor93) will hook you up with some nice mods for a good price also, he seems to have all the goodies these days

silverTRD

iTrader: (37)

quick funny story, I had a 03 toyota tundra for my daily driver with a ton of mods(s.c, ecu, headers, exhaust, intake, etc) super reliable but i had an electrical grimlin somewhere and it stranded me a few times, so i'd have to go get my fd to save the day on a few occasions, hehe. So yes the fd can be daily driven, i dailyed it for a year os so with no probs.

Funkspectrum

iTrader: (5)

I've DD'd both my FDs. It's totally fine.

Supernaut

iTrader: (83)

this is very true. It isn't even debatable anymore. My FDs own me haha.

rotarybeat1287

iTrader: (16)

Read up on the FC thermoswitch mod and God Damn I didn't know FD's got that hot before the fans kick on. Holy ****. lol. Well. I'm going to call Ray up and have one on the way if I can get the car this weekend. That seems like the best $50 to spend right off the bat.

Thanks for the warm welcome guys! I can't wait.

zeroG

iTrader: (28)

I've been daily driving my FD since I bought it at the end of last year. I think it's mostly a matter of how much you drive, and the conditions of the roads that you drive in. I'm currently looking to get a DD because I drive back and forth to work almost 60 miles a day and the highway I have to take is in beyond terrible conditions. If the roads here were nice and smooth and I didn't have to drive so far I'd be fine using it as a daily.

If your roads are bad than yeah it is impractical, it's very bad in gas, uncomfortable, noisy, bumpy, and you're constantly eyeballing the temps and other things to make sure everything's good. But as far as reliability goes, it's just like any other car. If it's been kept up and you keep it maintained properly, there's no reason for it to leave you stranded so you'll be fine.

If you have open smooth roads, you'll be glad you're not in a kia

rotarybeat1287

iTrader: (16)

Got her Saturday! She needs some TLC but nothing overwhelming. I am going to get under the car and just give it a look over everywhere just to get familiar with it and check things. She fires right up so nice and smooth. Rock SOLID idle and driveability. Filled it up @ $68 for the tank and got 395 miles before she was empty again. So yeah. I am completely thrilled over the new car!

I actually just ordered an FC thermoswitch on Friday and about to buy my PowerFC, Commander, and holder for her in a bit.

I didn't know but found out upon picking it up that she has a Koyo in it! FREAK YES! Little quirks here and there tho. Didn't even make it home and the dash lights, rear running lights went out. 15A Tail fuse kept blowing. Found a source of a problem and she holds fuses now. Except my dash lights are dim and would all of the sudden go out. I hit the dash with my hand near the dimmer switch and they came back on bright.

She blew another fuse this morning and I replaced it. It's held it all day and hasn't changed yet. Although, I did notice that the dimmer selector dial has no effect on the brightness of the lights now. No biggy. Just going to read up and see where are some common goof points of it.

Other than that little hickup. The car runs AMAZING and feels so tight. The looks are the best! But I picked up a factory R1 wing and front lip today. Installed both of those and it made a HUGE difference on the appearance. I am so stoked!

rotarybeat1287

iTrader: (16)

Some pics: 1st is on the way home from getting her. 2nd is tonight as she sits!

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

congrats. it looks pretty nice and clean.

whiteweazel21

iTrader: (2)

Off all colors, I would never have imagined you would have gotten red

Jealous you're getting a PFC right off that bat, figured I would wait a while. Make sure that the holder you get fits a 94, from what I understand just about all of them are 93 only. Which one are you planning on?

lt1_rx7

iTrader: (13)

hmm... something about that car and some parts seems very familiar to me...



this should be a good summer...

rotarybeat1287

iTrader: (16)

Well... I have been driving her for almost 2 weeks now or so. Really no problems at all other than the dimmer switch acting up and going out. I picked up a spare and will replace it. Now if I can only figure out a way to pull the current one out. lol.

Changed the oil & filter, picked up some plugs. Also snagged up 6 stock FD wheels for $90. Bought some Falken tires for them and slapped them on. I am very happy with how it looks now. Just stock for the time being.

I started premixing it and have for the past 2 tanks. I use Super-Tech from walmart in the blue jug and put roughly .5 oz/1 gallon of gas. Factory omp is still in and working.

Car feels amazing, drives damn near perfect... and gets a **** ton of looks. I love it! It feels good to be back in a 7 again. Let alone an FD!!!

Next mods:

-Pineapple water pump idler pulley
-Apexi PowerFC
-midpipe
-GReddy titanium catback
-intakes (not sure what yet)
-upgraded stock location IC

Then to get it tuned to the mods and be pretty conservative. I can't get over how great she feels tho. It needs some cosmetic work but that's easy stuff. She drives and runs great. I got my FC thermoswitch in the mail from Malloy and will do that here soon. Lately in traffic I just kick on the the AC button and switch if I come up to some idling time in stand still traffic. Even so... the temp gauge is rock solid and she runs amazing.

Sequentials work great and it is a blast!

allrotor93

iTrader: (126)

Y'all got twins from the same mama lol

I still can't believe he pulled the motor and sold you the shell

rotarybeat1287

iTrader: (16)

Well just thought I would update... been driving it everyday since I picked it up and it is so much fun. It drives so nice and it is a solid car! Installed my PowerFC and just recently some Buddy Club "Racing Spec Damper" coilovers. They have been rebuilt and revalved for the Swift 120 springs on them. They feel GREAT!

Car gets tons of looks and it feels great to be in another 7 again. She runs so good. It gets up to around 100*+ here w/ the humidity and the temps are perfect w/ the PFC and I got the fans coming on right @ 91*C. Fires up and just drives like a dream every time I climb in it.

I hit a deer with it recently tho and that along with the current paint issues... which I knew about; is only more motivation to get her into a paint shop with a fresh paint job. I would really like to go ahead and make the move to a '99 spec front end conversion and factory side skirts before it gets painted.

All in time tho...

Cheers!
-Allen G.

GodSquadMandrake

Who revalves the buddy club coilovers?