CC Lemon

My apologies for starting another thread like this. I feel a bit guilty about it, but I always find it really helpful to have knowledgeable opinions based on my actual situation.

So, as the title suggests, I currently drive an RX-8. It's a 2007 with roughly 64,000 miles on it. It has the MS body kit, including the rear spoiler and MS wheels. It's mostly stock, with the only real "mods" being a short shifter and an AUX mod. Even in mostly stock form, I definitely can't say I don't enjoy it. Here's a picture:



So why am I thinking about an FD? Well, like many, it's always been a "dream car" for me. Before, the reason I didn't/couldn't get one was mostly based on my financial situation and need for a reliable daily driver. Now, I can afford one that's already in decent, or even good condition. I also think I can take a bit more risk in terms of reliability and things like number of seats and some creature comforts aren't of major concern.

I currently don't drive for work. It's a 3-4 minute bike ride, so there's really no need and that wont change for at least a few years. Most of my driving is on weekends and the occasional (short) road trip/traveling. In the last year, I've put about 6500 miles on my 8, so even if I were to suddenly increase that by 50% or so, I'd be putting in 10,000 miles a year, at most. Even as an only car, I'd hesitate to call it a daily driver as that's definitely below average. Also, I have decent access to public transportation in the event the car has some down time, so it wouldn't be a complete inconvenience. I'm far from a master mechanic, but I've had some general wrenching experience and can probably do a lot of basic to intermediate stuff on my own. That said, I definitely don't have the space for tools or working on it that would be required for more major repairs. Also, I'm not planning any major modifications

Of course, the rear seats/doors would essentially be lost in moving to an RX-7, but I think I've only used the rear seats for a 3rd or 4th person 4-5 times in a year. It's nice to have the option, but far from necessary. I understand things like HNV can be a bit worse with the 7, but I don't mind that much. I know some of the creature comforts will also be lost, but that's also something I'm mostly ok with.

In terms of driving, I don't see any track time in my future, so let's just say casual driving mixed with fun, spirited driving. I'm not planning to push it to the limits. Obviously, when thinking about either of these cars, performance is a factor, but I'm not worried about the relatively small differences in handling or power since I'm not trying to get the fastest times at a track.

So, does this seem like a reasonable option for me? Or am I missing something important and just looking for trouble? Of course it can vary a lot by the specific car I look at, but just a general idea is enough for me to start considering one way or the other. I'd definitely do proper research and checking before choosing exact car.

One more question: Is there anything to look out for on JDM models? I know there are some differences in terms of models/trims and the later years offered a bit of a bump in power, but is there anything reliability wise that would be important to think about?

airjordan223

iTrader: (8)

I think my biggest concern for you would be not having space for tools, and it sounds like you don't have a garage.

Being an Rx7, and a car that is pushing 25 years old, things will break and will need to be fixed. Some of them can be fixed relatively easily, but if you don't have a place to do that, it will become a major pain.

There's a good thread on here regarding reliability mods to perform once you get your FD. You might want to take a glance through there and see if you'll have a place where you can do them.

lt1_rx7

iTrader: (13)

sounds like you've worked out most the details in your head to justify the FD... and personally, i would say "why not do it??" take your time to find the right FD!! you aren't hurting and in desperate need of the car, so you can take your time to find the right one for yourself. there are many reliable "restorers" out there... folks who find blown up cars and rebuild them and send them to a new home... i know a few who offer warranties if they do a rebuild before selling. giving a little more peace of mind...

then once you get it, no rush to change much on it... so take the time to learn more about your specific FD... as you said, each car has its own quirks.

i think if you try to go quick, cheap, and easy... we all know that rarely works out to have all 3 of those qualities!!!

CC Lemon

Thanks for the replies so far!

A garage/good place to work is definitely a major road block for serious stuff. Of course, depending on the car I get, many or most reliability mods might already be finished. Those are the only mods I was thinking of, so I'll definitely take a look into that before taking the plunge on something. I'm not in a hurry and I'd like to save up a little more before I seriously start searching for anything.

As for 25 years old: All the cars I've looked at in my price range are around 2001/2002 models, so not quite that old. Of course, if you're talking about designs, they're going to be a bit outdated in some ways, but the parts themselves won't be that old. Then again, 15 years old isn't exactly new.

It's hard to say I can "justify" it, since I already have a good car that is probably going to be more reliable, in general. I really enjoy rotary cars and would have certainly bought a 7 earlier had it been reasonable. I'm fairly confident it's a matter of "when" I'll own one, not if. This is the first time I've started to think it might be a good time.

Of course I'm not in a hurry. Even if I wanted to hurry, I'll still need/like to save up for a few more months to comfortably buy something in the price range I'm thinking. I'd like to make sure I have enough for the car itself, plus some set aside in case troubles arise. Also, there are basically no 7's that I've seen available near me, at least for online listings. I'll either need to have it shipped or plan for a new-owner road trip, so I'll surely be careful to choose the right one when I have to think of that.

I'm definitely looking for something that is starting in good condition. Of course, even those can kind of be "project cars", but I'm not looking for a true project car that needs a lot from the beginning.

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

Sorry but you are not getting a 2000-2001 in the US. Sounds like you need to do a lot more research.

djseven

iTrader: (56)

You will be looking at 93-95s unless you consider an older imported RHD which is pointless but that's neither here nor there.

Buy an FD with a fresh rebuild, new wiring harness, new/deleted Fuel Pulsation Dampner and new/cleaned injectors. Everything else is easy to repair/replace. These cars aren't the nightmare a lot of people claim them to be. Often they are not maintained or have had inexperienced hands messing them up. Outside of the short block and sequential control system they are just like any other car on the road.

As far as enjoyment of driving, it is about 1 million light years ahead of a rx8.

adam c

iTrader: (2)

Having an RX8 is nothing like having an FD. They are in no way the same. The FD will require much more maintenance, and the $$$ that go along with it. There will likely be things that come up that you wont be able to fix yourself. Is there a good rotary specialty shop in your area?

I hate the thought of an FD sitting in the sun/rain/snow/ice year round. Without a garage, I (selfishly) dont want you to buy one.

Fritz Flynn

iTrader: (263)

I agree with everything said here but one thing.

It's 1 trillion light hears ahead of the RX8

MattGold

iTrader: (108)

I'll say this. Since you don't seem to have the 'mod bug' as most people have - you might be able to get away with it. In stock form - with reliability mods and maintenance - these aren't horribly unreliable. AND it's light years beyond the RX-8 in terms of performance - so out of the box - you should be a much happier camper.

That said, I would make sure there is a good rotary shop/mechanic in the area you can call on if/when you need it.

CC Lemon

I'm in Japan. There's plenty available in my price range that are 2001 or 2002.

Thanks for the tips! Are all of those relevant fixes for the later models? As I mentioned in just above, I'm in Japan and it seems like 2001 or 2002 are fairly available, as well as a few years near that range. A fresh rebuild would be nice, but I'll have to see what's available when I'm actually ready to purchase. As you said, I think they're not as bad as many people suggest. Of course, when buying older cars, it's easy to find some that are like that, but some are well maintained and/or upgraded for reliability. Even if that doesn't cover everything, it can definitely make a difference.

A rotary shop is something I'm looking into. I'm in a pretty rural area, so it wouldn't surprise me if there's not much nearby, but I'm hoping there's something. I'd definitely feel more at ease if I can find a place.

I definitely don't want to leave it out there, but alternative parking options can be a bit difficult here. I've thought about looking for something, but there's a good chance that there simply isn't anything close enough. I'm usually pretty good about maintaining cleanliness of my cars, so I'll definitely do my best to protect it and keep it looking nice.

I know they're not quite the same and will face different issues, but that's the main reason why I've held off in the past. Of course, when I said it's not an issue if it has down time, I don't mean to imply I'll just leave it there for long periods of time. I'll work on getting it running again ASAP, but it won't be a major inconvenience if I don't have a car to drive for a couple of weeks. I've owned a car that is also known to be a maintenance heavy/problem car before, so I'm not completely new to that idea.

Eh, they're both great cars and offer different advantages. Whether I choose to stick with the 8 or move on to a 7, I'll have good reasons.

Thanks for the encouraging words! That's one thing I've definitely heard over the years. Mods might come later, but definitely not for a while. I definitely enjoy modding, but I've tried to stay away recently. I've been too busy to do anything serious and I've been a bit more "responsible" with my money. For at least a few years, I don't think I'd consider much beyond things like an exhaust. I don't think anything serious will come unless I get to a point where I can keep a second car and have no worries about whether the 7 is running or not. If I'm going to do more serious mods, I want to do them right, which means having the time and money for it.

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

Should have stated/clarified that in your initial post, as that really changes things a lot.


CC Lemon
Junior Member

5 Year Member
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Join Date: Apr 2008

Location: San Antonio, TX

CC Lemon

My bad. I totally didn't realize my location was set wrong. I mostly lurk here and haven't checked/changed an profile settings in years.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

true, but i noticed the picture... the trees are JDM trimmed, y0!

um to the O.P. buy a newer FD, you should be pretty spoiled for choice, and enjoy.

i would be tempted to by an older one and fix it up, but shop labor would probably make this more expensive than a decent car to start with

Fritz Flynn

iTrader: (263)

YEP

With your location it's an easy decision. Get a nice 01 or 02 FD and it may be more reliable than the 8.

jojodotcom

iTrader: (6)

It's a no brainer if you are living in Japan. Buy a FD and make friend with Amemiya-san and you are set.

FD3S2005

iTrader: (11)

how much does a 2000-2002 fd go for in japan? was always curious

R-R-Rx7

iTrader: (24)

Rx8 is Mazda's greatest disappointment if you are asking my opinion

bobsrx795

The cars in that range are readily available here in Japan through many means. I live down near Hiroshima and finding them are easy. Cost is still in the 15,000$ U.S. Range for quality ones here most are still more than that plus exchange rate is killer right now. Anyway as far as maintaining depends on where in Japan you are and whether a shop is close. I have had both of my FD s over 7 years (split time one is gone) here and not all shops are equal even rotary specific. One lesson I have learned from many people here is stock is reliable as it gets as long as you replace parts as needed don't wait till it's too far gone.

R-R-Rx7

iTrader: (24)

Yeah. Twin turbo system best thing ever .. 100 % reliable
Lol

Mild modifications including a single turbo conversion makes these cars very reliable with a proper tune

Stock or modified. Get an unmolested vehicle. The rest u worry later

CC Lemon

Thanks for all the replies!

Overall, it seems like it's a positive for the 7. I'll start saving a bit and see where I am after a few months. I'll definitely put in some time doing more research in that time. Even with newer models, they are still a bit older, so I definitely don't want to start with a problem car. It seems like it's possible to get a good one within the price range I'm thinking, but I'll have to be a bit more thorough before I'll put the money down for something.

Some reliability mods were suggested above, but it seems like the attitude towards the newer models is that they are generally more reliable. Is this just because they are newer, or are there some changes that make some of those mods unnecessary? Is there anything I should be particularly careful about with a newer FD? I don't need a personalized list, but just a point in the right direction for the information would be a great help!

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

You are asking this question on an RX7 specific forum, if you ask it on the RX8 Forum (or any other car forum) you will get a different answer.

Everyone here would love to have a S8 FD.

MattGold

iTrader: (108)

There weren't a ton of reliability mods that the S8 has vs the S6. I believe there were some minor modification to the intake/intercooler ducting, the later models replace a hose prone to splitting/leaking near the turbos (you'll hear the term Efini Y-Pipe... S8s have these from the get go) - but many of the "weak links" remained the same - which are just inherent rotaries and the OEM sequential system.

First is heat. Heat is the big enemy in all of this. New/upgraded radiator (~$300) is a good first step along with eliminating/replacing the stock AST (~$100). Just please make sure the system is properly burped after messing with anything coolant related. I remember too many threads ten years ago where someone did everything "right" then fucked up the end game and overheated their car.

Second is heat. An aftermarket downpipe (~$300) to replace the first cat is a good idea. Not sure what the laws are there - but this just moves more heat out of the engine bay. Cat-Back helps too (~$500) but don't do a full exhaust (removed midpipe) until you address fuel and ECU - if you ignore this - you WILL blow the motor.

Heat wreaks havoc on everything. The OEM solenoids, the OEM check valves, the OEM hoses... when things get hot, they get brittle, when they get brittle they break or split causing you to have to hunt down issues.

You might want to consider eliminating as many of the aforementioned solenoids, check valve and hoses with a "simplified sequential" setup:
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...-turbo-749702/

Replace the check valves with new (or Dale Clark valves ~$30) and the hoses with silicone.

From there, you might consider a fuel pump (~$150) and/or ECU ($varies)... but really, you should be fine if you stop there. TONS of performance, the "wheee" of the OEM twins and most weak points in the car addressed.

I'm sure you'll get a host of other opinions (ditch the OEM sequential system) and they aren't necessarily wrong... but do you research and fine a local shop you trust. Everything has pros and cons.

Good luck!

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

the 98 and up cars got a whole host of upgrades, basically they did everything on your list.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

If I were OP, I would get the newest, best condition FD you can find (Series 8) and Leave. It. Alone.

Don't mod it. Just drive. If something breaks, fix it and avoid the "while I'm in there..." trap. Find a rotary shop locally that you trust to handle anything more than very basic work, considering you don't have a garage. And I say that as someone who has written a lot about how the FD works and how to tune it safely.

Supernaut

iTrader: (83)

Buy a 2002 FD, go single turbo (quick spooling and stick to 350rwhp) and add water injection. I can't imagine anything beating this combo in terms of longevity.