Hey i was just wondering how suseptable a 3rd gen rx7 is to rust.

I mean if you drive the car on clear days during the winter months, with no fresh salt on the roads, and wash the car once a week will this be ok for winter driving ? I do understand that there is still salt in the air and there is a bit on the road in some places.

let me add, as soon as the snow plows are out the car goes away.

Im refering mostly to the underbody of the car, did mazda make these cars rust proof?

Regards,
wb123

 

They appear to be as rust-resistant a most cars of this time period. The exhaust looks to be made of 409 Stainless, which tarnishes and corrodes in places but remains structurally good. But if you keep it washed I think it's not such a big deal.

Dave

 

just make sure you go to a car wash that washes the underside aswell. im talking the drive thru type of course. but i wouldnt try drivin in the winter up here in the great white north. too unpredictable. just look at last night and today. it was all supposed to be rain not sleet and snow. ahhhhh white death. snow+salt=white death

 

Rust is the least of your worries if you drive an FD in winter and get caught out in bad weather. It is a pig on ice.

I drive mine only on nice winter days when the roads are bone dry, and after 11 years and 40,000 miles, the only rust is surface rust on unpainted metal and where the tie-down anchors bolt to the frame behind the rear wheels.

 

Apart from the salt and poor performance on slick roads, you still have to deal with all the sand. Low windshields and hoods that slope down on the leading edge aren't real gravel friendly.

 

Yup, they put GRAVEL down on the roads here. You have to make sure you are driving slow and leave some good distance between you and the next car so you don't get chips in the paint. Hooray for beaters.

 

Beeter it is then! = )

 

anyone have a beeter they can sell me up in To ? =)

 

get a tri ad

 

youre the only one that have ever suggested to take a rx7 through a car wash.... anyways. yeah just wash it yourself with a hose. and make sure u have wax or sealant on the paint because it prevents the salt from reaching your paint which could easily corode the paint then itll slowly reach down into the metal. check out www.autopia.org and click learn.

 

I don't understand why such a great handling car is such a loser on ice/snow?

I get that it has tons of power, but even without that, it feels jittery. Why? I see guys in real POS cars easily drive by, what's up with that? Is it the fat tires? (Winters on them).

 

Because it comes down to tire selection, chassis and operator. Tires themselves make all the difference- wide tires aren't as good, and neither are summer ones which operate fine on a good dry road. Equip it with proper winter and skinnier tires and it will be more driveable in the snow. The fact that its a relatively higher powered car w/ light chassis just leaves a bit more margin for error too. I find lesser powered FWD easier to handle in snow (Corolla/RSX), but thats just me.

I don't mind driving my FD in the rain (aside from fog), but there is no way I'd drive it in snow or worse yet, ice.

 

really im the only one......huh???? im talking about the touch less car wash that just sprays the underside of your car aswell as the paint. also if i was driving my fd in the winter (which i dont cause im not crazy) id be a bit more worried about the underside of my car than the paint. maybe thats cause i still have factory paint and really am not to concerned about it.

 

It's a lightweight car, with good power, and no traction control. While you can put snow tires on it which will help; it's just not really worth it when you can get a FWD beater for the cost of snows tires and not have a worry.

 

the owners manual tells u how to put snow chains on the wheels

 

It's no better or worse than any other lightweight, narrow wheelbase, wide tires, low MOI, RWD car. The problem is that all the things I just described the FD with either hurt traction or stability when on snow. Snow tires and traction control can offset this some, but the fact is that great RWD handling is a tradeoff with winter performance.

Fortunately the ABS works.

Dave

 

Anybody got a zero to 60 time for their FD with snowtires and chains?

The ABS saved my butt a couple of times when I came upon black ice at night, but the car just is not designed for winter weather, no matter what you do to it.

Get a Subaru for that.

 

imagine having to use an ice scraper on ur fd OUCH