RX7_Fast_Lane

Everyone's a critic... only you know if you can handle this car, and take care of it. Certainly I wouldnt say "hey go buy a FD the day after your license, and max it out". No no, I agree with all of you in that point. But, you all cannot honestly say, that when you were 16.5, and your parents said (yea sure we'll sponser this), you would turn it down! Thats madness. Now, I can't speak for any other 16 year olds, but its not like I have been driving a civic here. I drive a TT supra regularly, and even a Cobra R every now and then. I know how a high HP RWD car drives. And even I am still scared to drive it. Hence why im getting it now, in the summer, and im practicing every morning with my friends dad, who drives a supra TT also.

I do know how powerful this car is... I know how easily a life can be taken in a car (ive been the passenger in 2 accidents already). But, as long as you drive sanely, keep the car in good shape, whats the problem? You only live once, live it up. Life's a sandwich, and im starvin.

Goober

Geez I was in your shoes about 4 years ago... Had my license and was looking for a new car. However, I have a Honda Prelude right now. What stopped me from getting a FD? It wasnt any of the stuff about it being unreliable or too expensive to maintain. But it was that I wanted to get a few years experience behind the wheel and be capable to handle such a car.

But anyway, I'm currently about to buy my own FD. I say wait and get something else like a n/a FC or something else along those lines before you go out and get yourself a FD. However, if you have your heart set on a FD... Then well there isnt anything anyone can say to stop you. But its great to see that you are looking into all this before you go out and get one.

RX7_Fast_Lane

see, goober knows whats up! props to goober

oneflytrini

iTrader: (1)

hey............im 16 and i had my FD for about 5 months.......all i can tell you the damn thing is powerful

you can really feel the back to slipout in the rain......thank god i havent even scratched her

this was also myfirst car.......but i learned to drive on my moms explorer......RWD and 205Hp.........so i kinda got used to a RWD vehicle........(i know the Rx7 is totally different)

an FD will always show you new tricks............buti never go over 80 in the car........plus if some ricer pulls up i usually take him by the time i hit 40........so dirve responsible and dont go fast and take care of the car.........then you should be able to own the LEGENDARY MAZDA RX7 TT:


plus this car pulls mad mad ***** at school

itrdanny2001

i think all these people who think they are high and mighty, talking down to the "little ones", should be taken out to pasture and shot.

If you're 16, you have the cash, and you want the car, get it. Don't buy a shitty car to practice driving. Driving is like breathing, everyone knows the basics. The problem is wet driving, reacting to unpredictable situations, and avoiding hazardous women.

That being said, go out and learn to drive. Go to Skip Barber. Learn from people who know how to drive and push cars to the limit for a living. That's where you're gonna learn to control an RX-7. You're sure as hell not gonna learn about it driving a Honda, or even a n/a car. My first car was a 1999 Mustang GT. I never crashed it, spun it, put it in a ditch, or so much as put a scratch on it. Because I learned how to drive it. I didn't shy away because I didn't have experience with a high power RWD car.

Get your RX-7 and go learn how to drive it before you drop the hammer.

jimlab

I'm not going to tell you not to buy an FD for your first car. Nothing I could say would change your mind if it's already made up, and at this point, "pulling mad ***** at school" is probably more important to you than staying alive.

But I will tell you that my friend Trev who had been driving for 10+ years, who had owned an FD for four years, competed in multiple high speed track events at Willow Springs and Buttonwillow and autocrosses in an FD, and attended Skip Barber's driving school missed his 27th birthday by about 6 hours because he died behind the wheel of an FD.

To be more accurate, he was thrown free of the car, despite having his belt on, and died on impact. It was a closed casket funeral, boys and girls. His friend Jon died in the passenger's seat, seatbelt still on, head where his feet should have been, and feet on the ceiling. Massive head trauma, he died instantly.

I know that people laugh at the "Blood on the Highway" films they used to show in driver's education "back in the day", but I think that new drivers should have to take a walk-through of the back lot of any towing company that cleans up for the State Patrol and see what happens when wrecks occur. If you'd seen matted hair and blood spatters on cracked windshields, cars folded nearly flat, cars torn in half, and seen seats covered in blood, you might think twice before the next time you let your FD loose. Maybe.

You're young, you're invincible (as far as you know), and you just want to have fun. Well, I won't tell you not to have fun, but I will advise you to respect the machine that is capable of ending your (and other's) life.

When people start telling me that they know what they're doing, that they're always in control of the car, and that they're a "good" driver, that's when I know that they're probably dangerous behind the wheel. It's exactly that type of complacency that can get people killed. Most people's definition of "good driving" seems to be that they often drive at high speeds without getting tickets or getting in wrecks. That's not good driving, that's just beating the odds.

I've been driving for almost 17 years now. My daily driver is a 425+ horsepower Z06 Corvette. My FD is in the middle of having a 650+ horsepower V8 swapped into it. But there isn't one day when I think I'm a "good" driver, or that I'm in complete control of my car, and I've seen enough to know that I'm not invincible and never was. I treat my cars with respect, and I'm not talking about using Zaino or changing the oil regularly, which seems to be all anyone mentions when talking about maintaining an FD "properly". I'm talking about checking the tire pressure regularly, I'm talking about replacing rather than repairing a Z-rated tire with a nail hole in it. I'm talking about replacing the tires when the tread starts to get low. I'm talking about replacing shocks when they get worn, checking the bolts on your sway bars to make sure they aren't loose. Checking suspension bolts and bushings and wheel bearings every once in awhile when you've got a wheel off. REAL maintenance, not "is my gas tank full" maintenance.
Those are a few things that I rarely see anyone talking about, yet I often see younger drivers post about crashing their cars on rainy streets, oblivious to the fact that it may have been caused by the bald tires they were running on a car which has no business being driven with bald tires. That's not respecting the car and what it can do to you. And those are the types of things that people neglect when they believe they can "afford" the car and then find out that they can't. It's got four tires holding it up, right? Must be safe, right? Are you willing to bet your life on someone else's maintenance history or on tires which you don't know the condition of, and take that car to 100+ mph? If so, then you're braver (and stupider) than I am. Mechanical failures happen, and even brand new equipment can fail, but you can at least cover your bases and reduce the risk where possible.

So no, I won't tell you not to get an FD as your first car. Hell, I wish I'd had an FD for my first car, and my first car was a 1967 Camaro which everyone envied anyway, and was one of the fastest cars at my school. Did I respect it? No. Did it every come back to bite me? Luckily, no. But I did some insane **** in that car, and probably only missed seeing my 18th birthday by a few inches or seconds on some occasions, more than likely. Kids will be kids, but since the leading cause of death of teenagers at the moment happens to be the automobile, if you do get an FD for your first car, all I hope is that you'll give it the respect it deserves. Not as an FD, not as a powerful rear wheel drive sports car, but as a machine that can and will kill you if you don't show it proper respect.

OK, enough "lessons on life". Have fun, but play it safe.

potatobbq

Very insightful post jimlab.

maxpesce

I agree w Jim we can't stop you from getting an fd as your first car and shouldn't even try (heck my first car was a 66 e typ Jag 4.2l 265hp on 185-15 tires) But we can and should implore you to both Learn to Drive responsibly and for the sake of you, your family and the people you share the roads with (and their familys) Please treat it (and truly any automobile) wit respect - mostly with respect for the fact that mistakes can be fatal this advice really applies to ANYONE that operates an Aytomobile. Thanfk you Jim

ZeroBanger

all these teen agers buying FD's and we wonder why there are so few left.

JoeD

very nicely said, Jim.

i think you guys have to start facing the fact that there are going to be more and more kids with FDs as their first car. the prices are dipping into very low teens, and parents have no problem spending that much for a car.

but i have said it before, and i will say it again...fast cars do not kill people, irresponsible drivers kill people. i know many 16-17 year olds with insane cars for their first, that if i listed them, people will call it BS. but the thing is, they all respected them. my good friend drives a high-10 second Trans Am. it first ran a high-10 when he was still 17 (sure he used his parents money, but that it beyond the point). but he never speeds on public roads, never does powerslides just to show off, and rarely takes it WOT. except for the occasional race on the freeway (and if you say you have never raced, you are lying out of your ***), the car is driven like a granny-driven Buick. and oh yeah...he doesnt have one ticket or accident. do i consider him a good driver? no. do i consider him a responsible and mature driver? yes.

then there was this kid who just turned 16, and his parents bought him a bottom-of-the-line, non-VTEC Honda Civic. he crashed his car into a cement wall on the freeway, with an estimated speed of 105. needless to say, his family chose to have a closed-casket funeral as well.

my point is that while the chances of losing control of a high powered RWD sports car is higher than loosing control of a low powered FWD econobox for a new driver. but toss in an irresponsible driver in the mix, and you have a whole other story.

my first car was and is a 93 Benz 500SEL. with 347 ft. lbs. of torque, it will get sideways on you instantly if you mash the trottle mid-turn. i learned that the hard way. i was taking a turn in a large and busy intersection. i was making a left turn, and decided to floor it (this was my first time). i found myself facing the street i was turning from in the middle of the intersection. luckily the intersection is huge, and even the closest cars to me were very far away. but boy did i make a fool of myself in front of all of those cars waiting at the light.

no i know the car's characteristics a bit more, and i am better at handling hairy situations like that, but i still dont consider myself good driver. instead i think of myself as a responsible driver. i dont speed in traffic, i barely and rarely take it 10 mph. above the speed limit, and follow all the rules of the road. its only when in the right and safe situation when i decide to take the car to high speeds. just yesterday racing a C4 Corvette, i took it to 140. but there were no other cars around. and after that, i took it up to about 135, all by self with no other cars around....not racing, just for the hell of it. there were not any other cars around, so the only life i was endangering was mine, just incase something happened. and no, i do not have one speeding ticket or accident yet.

Cliffs Notes: be a responsible driver and you will live happily.

SoCalLove

I went from a '89 Huyndai Excel to a '95 Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T to the '93 Mazda Rx7. I'm 20 btw. Oh, I can see you boostin' hard after a 10sec warm up and shut the car off, put 87oc. gas, and crash the car .

If you're not going to get the car at the moment, at least look for them and test drive. You'll **** in your pants (I pissed in mine, sorta ).

And if you get it, you better give props to the MkIV's and DSMer's, they can hang. Don't let it it get to your head. I've seen FD's get beat by vr6's.

With mad phat powah, comes mad phat resahonssssibilily yo!

lawn boy

thank you to jm lab, joed, rx7fastlane, and all the others that have reacted in a calm, insightful way. Thanks for not joining the majority, smartass "and i wonder why there is so few FD's on the road" point of view.

karl

RX7_Fast_Lane

I still honestly dont understand this... why is there such hostility towards me and my fellow teenage drivers? It seems that we are "below" you, or something of the sort. We are the next generation, so please treat us like equals.

That being said, I'd like to ask a question... I have seen this suggested many times... to go "buy a civic and learn to drive". This makes NO sense to me, whatsoever. Apparently, we already must know how to drive a "civic" to get certified by the state to drive. So, what would driving a FWD sub 150 hp car do to help us learn to drive a RWD sports car? Plain and simple, it would do nothing. Each car handles differently, accelerates differently, slides, differently, etc. etc. I do think, however, that teenagers (myself included, althought I already have) should test drive a FD on their own, take it around a few blocks, and see if they can handle it. Maybe they'll realize its too much, maybe it'll be right up their ally. But, its not my decision, its not our decision, its them... We have no right to say if they can or cannot buy the car of their dreams. Who are we to say if someone can and cannot drive this car? Thats age discrimination.

I just say, drive safely, drive responsibly, and treat the car as it should be, and everything will be fine.

ZeroBanger

I have no hostility toward you guys at all. I remember one time I was a teen-ager. My dad played me a tape of my first car when I was 16, he taped it and I was not aware. The car was a 1979 Volkeswagon Rabbit. It had around 100K miles on it and it was rusted to death and had bright red interior/exterior. the AM radio was cool too. I never forgot that feeling. I was SO excited about this car. Its so funny to hear the tape my Dad played for me. The car was really a POS but it was my first car. You never really get over your first car.

With that said I don't believe every teen-ager is going to destroy themseves or the car. I just think the car is WAY to fast and WAY to tempting for MOST teen-agers. Most importantly I don't want to see you guys get hurt, Secondly, I don't want to see any more FD's get wrecked. If it were up to me, I would pass a law that you must be 21 to own a FD.

Enthu

iTrader: (1)

MY first car was a 1994 FD, although I was 20 when I got it. I had used a parents spare until then. The forum has been a big help, and I made a great reliabilty mod of buying a second car. also make sure you fix things that need to be fixed before they become something bigger. Keep everything maintained! I had the engine rebuilt on my car, added a DP and change oil frequently and always cool the car and allow it to warm properly. Just take good care of it, it doesn't matter how old you are. And don't drive like an *******.

You're insurance is gonna be high too if you're under 21 driving a mild exotic. be sure you can afford full coverage.

skunks

Don't get a auto, an automatic sports car is automatically not a sports car!

martini

I mean no hostility.. And I don't think anyone else on this forum does either. most of us have been in similar shoes. Someone could say we are older and wiser. If you take our comments as suggestions, and advice, or if you take them as hostile insults, is up to you. I can assure you, none us are thinking any less of you as a person just because you are younger.

I notice one main thing in your post...it's here:

One thing should be made VERY clear. Just because you have a license, does NOT mean you know how to drive. It means that you know how to pass a driving test. Passing the driving test is NOT hard.. (it's a hell of a lot easier than it should be.) If you pass a driving test, and go home with your license thinking that's all there is to it, you will be sadly mistaken.

I don't know about your state, but the DOL here doesn't teach you courtesy on the road, doesn't test if you're looking 5 sec ahead (or even WHAT to look for), doesn't teach you the dangers of speeding through yellow lights, doesn't teach you threshold braking, doesn't teach you emergency manuevers, doesn't teach you driving in adverse weather conditions, doesn't teach you proper vehicle maintence (as JimLab explained so well), doesn't teach you what to expect/not expect from other drivers on the road, etc..I could go on about the inadequacies of the public drivers licensing process.

The fact is, most people really don't know how to drive responsibly and safely at 15-17 years old. It's really something that only experience can give. Hell, some people are 30 or older and don't know how to drive safely and responsibly, those are the people that don't learn from thier mistakes, and don't respect vehicles, and the road they are on. Let's face it...most people on here thought they were pretty good drivers when they were young, but I'm sure most of us now look back and think "damn, I wasn't very smart back then..".

Inexperienced drivers make mistakes. That's why an experienced driver is an experienced driver, because he/she has made those mistakes before, and has learned from them, and is now much less likely to make that same mistake again.

I'm fairly certain that if you've already made up your mind, none of this is going to affect your decision. But I hope at least some of it is soaking in.

I DO think it's a good choice to buy a 2 seater. I think a large percentage of new driver accidents are caused by friends riding in the car, or "showing off".. By that reasoning, I think a Miata would make an absolutely perfect first car. RWD, good handling, convertible, 2 seater, not too expensive, decent reliability. If you get the auto, strap on a supercharger (auto miatas have lower compression ratios I believe), and you'll be having a ton of fun. Dare I say Miatas are MORE fun to drive than the FD? It just may not have the throw you back in your seat power that an FD has. Nothing that can't be changed by a few mods.

FULLofDreams

Thanks for everyone's opinion's.Especially jimlab for the story/advice. I am having 2nd thoughts about insurance. I figurerd it would be high but I'll just have to see what my parents are willing to pay. BTW I am only "getting" 3,500 "free". The rest will be taken out my paycheck starting in around 4 months. My brother who is 18 bought a '94 supercharged Dodge Ram when he was 16. He got a job and payed for it himself.LOL actually he is still payin.But I think hes down to 4 more payments. My dad pay'd/pays his insurance. I'm thinking with 3,500/summer work cash, i will have a bit of a head start then my brother did. Now I live in a pretty small town,bu I know of this boy(rich as h***) who got him a firebird when he was about 17. I heard his insurance was around 800 per month. If you guys who are sooooo generous ,will please post your (your) AGE/car YEAR/ MODS/and car package,it would really help me out alot.THANKS !

cbrinega

I am a 26 year old owner of a nice FC, and I can honestly say that I was not ready ten years ago for this kind of sports car. I wanted one though! And wow, what a difference that car would have made in the high school social scene.

The RX-7 was the first car that I ever really wanted. My Dad worked as a factory Mazda master technician, and I ended up with a sharp looking Mazda B2000 as my first vehicle. He used to race a car that he owned and has driven RX-7s of all generations at 100+ mph.

Being such a knowledgeable person about the RX-7s and other high performance cars, there was no way in hell he would have allowed me to have one back then. However, he did help find the one that I own now, and it is a total blast now that I have the experience to drive it responsibly.

I am not trying to pass a judgement on these possible new drivers of RX-7s. I just know that I was not ready for that kind of vehicle. Maybe some of them are ready. I just know that it has required several years of making a lot of little mistakes for me to feel comfortable with a sports car in the 160 to 200 hp range.

I do admit that it does sound scary to see a new driver with an FD (255 hp stock!!!). Partly because I don't know the driving skills of any of these people, and partly because I have lost too many friends to car accidents.

Flybye

I'll give you a few reasons...
1) Lack of control
2) Peer pressure
3) Inexperienced
We were all there at one point. Most of us always almost said "I know what I am doing" and in reality, we don't. ALL of us are at risk when we are on the road, but the ones with more experience know when to do what.

I think I can speak for everyone on this forum that we ALL like to play, but there is a time and a place for everything, and knowing when to do it and when not to is the key. Come on. You guys are teenagers. You make it seem as if we have NEVER been a teenager before in our lives. We KNOW what goes on in your head. We all were rebelious at one point or another, and we understand your reasoning behind your thinking of it's ok to have a car of this caliper at my age. Hey, it's normal, and no matter what horror stories we tell you of OUR younger years, you are going to want to experience whatever you want to experience for yourself, and there is nothing we can do about it.

I'm not even going to get into the topic of having the funds to maintain this car. Just remember one thing. FD's are now between 7-10 years old. There is a VERY high chance that you will be buying a project car, and a project car is a car that needs constant funding.

Just remember one thing.......don't come back to us saying we didn't tell you so.

dubbs693

FULLofDreams ur the same fagot that posted a week ago and didnt noe ****... and evry one flamed u.. go away..

FULLofDreams

AWWWWW dubb didnt that feel good. I myself dont like to pick on people,no one forced you to reply to the post anyways. Just becuz I ask a few basic questions a week ago doesnt mean I dont know anything,that was when i first got here. So please,you got nothin good to say,dont say at all... thanks.

rx7Mazdarx7

hey no offense to anyone but dont get a 3rd generation rx7 to much power especially if ur going to be driving it as a daily driver in the rain and in the winter. These cars have to much power and youll wreck a beutiful car and we all dont want that. If you want a rx7 as a first car buy a fc. They dont go for that much and are more reliable and then u will still have a lot of money to mod ur car if your one of those. I have wanted a rx7 since i was 7 because that was when i first saw one now i am almost 17 and i am not driving one but i got time. i knew i wanted a more reliable car for a first car so i got a nissan 300zx. to tell you the truth i would of probablly had a rx7 if i had found one that had low miles and in good condition and that had a clear title but never came across one. but then i found a 1990 300zx with only 12000 miles and it looked nice so decided to go with it. My point is get a car u will be able to afford not just one that you like and wont be able to afford all the money that a rx7 needs. YOu can always buy one when ur older theres time. just dont buy one and race it and beat on it and then end up wrecking it cuz everyone would hate u for the rest of ur life. peace

lawn boy

dubb, STFU. you contributed nothing to this post.

Kahren

iTrader: (13)

all i can say is, "if you can go straight sideways for about 5 secs or longer then you are ready to drive this car if not forget it"

this doesnt take just practice, it takes brain and your arms and legs to listen to it. and knowing when u can do it and where.

your are the only one who will make the final decision but in my opinion to let the FD as a first car is not an option, if you really like it do as others have mentioned get a 2nd gen non turbo and have fun with it then you will be ready for the FD...