All right, here goes. This might be a bit of a long post, but I hope you'll bear with me.

So, I turned 20 years old this August. For 18 or so of those years, I didn't have a single care in the world when it came to cars or driving in general. But now I feel that I'm getting a bit older and going past that carefree age, I'm in college and possibly work or higher education after it, I think I've come to a point where I can't just avoid it anymore, and I should start paying attention about cars at least a little bit.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's like I'm being forced to like cars/driving, as a matter of fact, I'm enjoying it so much right now that I feel that I've wasted so much time NOT driving

Anyway, a few weeks after my birthday I decided to book some driving lessons. I've enjoyed it so much that only a month and a half later, I have done 14 lessons, which equates to 28 hours. I enjoy it so much that for the past few weeks I've also been researching as to what car I should have as my very first.

This is where the first of my many problems start. The car that I've taken a liking to are FDs I don't particularly know what IT is, but there's something about them that makes me want to have one. At this point, I felt that I was in such luck because as I researched more about the car, I realized that it was a 1.3, so immediately I thought that I may just be able to get one.

As I said before though, I am COMPLETELY clueless when it comes to cars, so my first question is, is this really true about the engine size? I also tend to get confused, because sometimes I would look at classifieds and one car would state that it's 1.3, while another would be 2.6 litre. So my natural reaction would be "WHICH IS IT??" =/

If the answer is the former and it IS a 1.3, then I'll move on to my next question, which is about insurance. Would I even be insured for a reasonable price, considering that I'm only 20 and to the insurance companies' eyes, a completely inexperienced driver?

If the answer is the latter and it's a 2.6, then I'm guessing this topic is over. I doubt I would even get insured, and even if I did, I'm fairly sure that it'd cost around 3 or 4 times the actual price of the car.

Also - hypothetically, the car is actually a 1.3 and insurance-wise, I'm good to go, another problem appears. Being as car-illiterate as I am, I wouldn't even know where to begin and what I would want in the car. I don't know what the particular parts are and what exactly they do. I mean seriously, my mind is like a blank canvas when it comes to cars, in fact I have no doubt that any information posted by anyone who decides to post in this thread will be brand-new information for me, and I'll be all "Whoa.. learned something new today" :P

But if I was to give a vague description on what I would want on this FD, I guess I'd like it to have a reasonable amount of reliability mods that would increase the car's stability and overall performance.

Aesthetically, I would definitely prefer those bigger front bumper lights compared to the squinty-eyed ones (you can totally tell how clueless I am by using words like "squinty" and "big" to describe things, haha) but if I were to make a semi-educated guess, they're called 99 spec lights, right? If possible, I'd like them on the tail lights as well. I think they'd look cool no matter what kind of body kit is on the car, standard or custom.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1966269.htm - in fact, I think this is the car that started my FD obsession, it looks so awesome, especially with that front bumper I saw it after I finished my 7th or 8th lesson, and told myself "I gotta have something like this". I think my obsession got worse when I discovered this website and wandered into the FD picture thread

But then again, this is all hypothetical, of course. I guess my main issue right now is with the insurance and if I can get insured or not, THEN I can worry about the actual car. I'd be seriously disappointed if I can't get insured, so much so that I wouldn't know what to do, since I've looked at this car and nothing else. At this point my obsession grows so much that I can't even get myself to like any other type of car even if I tried really hard, and would have this or absolutely nothing.

So, I ask the members of this forum to please, PLEASE give me some good news, and hopefully, eventually, help me find a perfect first car. <3 I apologize if this is the wrong section to post this in, but I felt it the right one, seeing as it IS a problem about an FD, just a different kind of problem. ^^ I also apologize about the insanely long first post, but I don't think I could make it shorter without missing out some important details. I totally had fun writing it though, but I'm sure it'll be a pain for everyone to read, haha.



Either way, thank you!

 

coles?

 

It is a 1.3 Liter...

 

Did you even bother?

https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-rx-7-technical-256/frequently-asked-questions-3rd-generation-rx-7-1992-2002-faq-fd-782404/

 

Im going to be polite so "please" GTFO

 

*palm to face*

I guess if you want to learn about cars, this is the car to do it on, because anything and everything will go wrong with it, meaning you'll have a very steep learning curve in a short amount of time.

 

Gee, rough crowd.

doofy, as a matter of fact I did. Although I'll admit it was just a little. I went to the insurance parts straightaway since that was my main concern and checked for quotes, but they were all classified as 2.6 that's why I was so confused. I just wanted a verification from an actual post since this is all hard to take in at once, but apparently I'm not trying hard enough.

Anyway, I'm in the UK, if that helps any.


edit:
There was something about wanting power out of the car in there, by the way. To be completely honest, I'm not really after that. I guess I just want something that looks good and I could possibly keep for a while, till I get a different one.

 

 

For comparison purposes between a Wankel Rotary engine and a piston engine, displacement and corresponding power output can more accurately be compared on the basis of displacement per revolution of the eccentric shaft. A calculation of this form dictates that a two rotor Wankel displacing 654 cc per face will have a displacement of 1.3 liters per every rotation of the eccentric shaft (only two total faces, one face per rotor going through a full power stroke) and 2.6 liters after two revolutions (four total faces, two faces per rotor going through a full power stroke). The results are directly comparable to a 2.6-liter piston engine with an even number of cylinders in a conventional firing order, which will likewise displace 1.3 liters through its power stroke after one revolution of the crankshaft, and 2.6 liters through its power strokes after two revolutions of the crankshaft. A Wankel Rotary engine is still a 4-stroke engine and pumping losses from non-power strokes still apply, but the absence of throttling valves and a 50% longer stroke duration result in a significantly lower pumping loss compared against a four-stroke reciprocating piston engine. Measuring a Wankel rotary engine in this way more accurately explains its specific output, as the volume of its air fuel mixture put through a complete power stroke per revolution is directly responsible for torque and thus power produced.


I.e. Two rotations of the eccentric shaft displaces 2.6L in a 13B rotary. Two rotations of the camshaft in a "2.6L" piston engine also displaces 2.6L.

 

Yep. The main forum is a rough crowd. Keeps people from creating the same inane threads every day. When they do, they get a bit of a hazing. That is why we created the newbie section.

Welcome to the forum. Start by spending some time reading the FAQ link that doofy posted. It is stickied in this and the newbie forum. That should get you up to speed on the basics.

At least you can write in correct english unlike some of the crap people post passing for wUrDs and sen10ces yo.

 

the car is classified as a 2.6 for you Brits ( i apologize if this is offensive to you) for insurance.

but to be even more sure, why dont you actually call an insurance agent?

 

To answer the OP's question regarding engine size.

Your insurance is going to be based on the vehicle having a 2.6litre displacement. Lets be honest, have you EVER known the British gov't to let you skip on a tax? There are some early reg FD's that got in before the MOT/Road Tax/insurance types got clever to the fact that the little 1.3 acts more like a 2.6 and, thus, deserves to be treated as such. Those cars only stay registered as 1.3 litres so long as they are on that original registration though.


Better bet if you are looking for Rotary information pertaining to the UK, and users in the UK, would be to register at www.fduk.org/forum. I lived/was posted in East Anglia for several years and found that forum to be very informative and much more friendly towards newbs than the general population here on rx7club.com (not to say that I don't love us, in all our bitter, jaded, ways )


But yeah, I agree with the people that mentioned it before me. We have a newbie section for introductions, please utilize it and be sure the thoroughly search the forum (Generation Specific, FAQ, and Archives) before posting what you believe to be a "new" question.

Cheers and welcome to the addiction.


Oh.... and if you still have a big "L" posted on your vehicle, or recently got past that, then an FD is NOT for you!

 

too right, I'd be 6ft under if I had this thing in my late teens or early twenties. All that testosterone and youth mixed with an RX-7 makes for one dangerous combo.

it deserves respect when driven in the wet, and you really need a good paying full-time job to cover things that can, and inevitably will, go wrong with it.

 

I looked into buying and insuring a FD when I was your age, with a perfect driving record. I was looking at 12k/year for insurance, on my parents plan (6 other cars and a house with market value of $500,000). G'luck...

 

@gracer - Oh wow, there ARE some nice people here. :P Thanks.

I realize this thread isn't gonna go anywhere nice if I let it carry on any further, so I better quit while I'm ahead. I guess I went a little over my head there, but from the initial reactions it looks like an FD is probably too early for me. For now I guess I should concentrate on passing first, then getting a general knowledge regarding rotaries and cars in general. Thanks for the replies though, made my eyes open up a little bit at least.

I apologize to the first posters for coming off a little bit on the stupid side, and I'm gonna go lurking around the new member section for now, but I'll come back when the time is right!

Now, can this at least be trashed or deleted to I can save myself from further hatred and embarrassment? ^^

--

@cptpain - Probably the best course of action. I'll be sure to do this soon, thank you.

@fendamonky - Does that mean that an FD officially registered as a 1.3 would considerably have a lower insurance cost compared to the others? And thanks for the link, I've already bookmarked it. I'll be sure to use this and the new member section properly this time around. =]

@HardHitter - I can't tell if it's sarcasm or not, but from your post you make it sound like I would be spending more time actually trying to fix problems than actually driving around and enjoying the car. That's sounds pretty tough and tiring, to be honest. XD

@Martin - If we're talking about personality here, I'm not one of those who are careless and have a "racer" mentality. So in that regard, I think I would be safe.

Although, I'd most likely be put in a dangerous situation anyway, it's pretty bad here when it snows, and my being inexperienced and being a new driver doesn't help things.

 

The FD is an old car. Most cars this old require a fair amount of TLC. Even moreso b/c the FD is a complicated car. Not many were made either so parts can be pricey and repair prolonged.

Its a beautiful car that is a blast to drive but its not for everyone.

Check out the MX5. It is a decent alternative and a blast to drive as well.

 

If you want to go the rotary route get an FC. They're cheap to work on and a lot more forgiving than an FD, it would be cheaper with both insurance and repair/learning curve (generally speaking).

Advantage being you could work your way up to an FD as you get older.

Don't let folks here scare you off, we all forget what it's like to be young and enthusiastic about our first car(s) sometimes.

Best advice I can give you is to post in the correct area of the forums, and always search and do research on your issues before asking questions, especially ones that are covered in an FAQ or stickied topic.

I was a late bloomer myself on these cars but I know what you mean about loving the FD. My first year here I don't think I ever posted, just tried to absorb all the info, and that's a good way to go imo.

 

brutal. gotta start somewhere though.

definitely not recommended as a first car, although it has been done, but by people more mechanically inclined than you

come back in 4 or 5 years they'll still be around waiting for you.

 

If you really want it buy it and learn from it, Rotary engines are pretty complicated and expensive to repair as it's been mentioned.

 

OP seems like a pretty well rounded guy that just digs FD's and admittedly knows dick about cars. There's nothing wrong with that. We all start somewhere.

If your intelligent, willing to learn & have a passion for these cars, than your already half way there. The other half is DEEP pockets and this is where your passion is tested. What turns into a fun weekend car has you wondering why it's been sitting in the garage for a year.

Some get frustrated & buy a more practical car, some hang in there.

I've said it before & I'll always say it again. FD's are old, complex & expensive to own. But it's the price you pay for owning the most beautiful car ever manufactured

 

i read the first 3 paragraphs and immediately i knew this was going down hill. you dont know much about cars, let alone drive yet, youre way in over your head. my suggestion is something else...

imo an rx7 is not an average persons car. i believe 95% of the rx7 owners are car enthusiast, this is definitely no civic...

 

an FD is a terrible car for you. especially if you know nothing about cars - let alone rotarys.
the FD is more complex (infact misunderstood) then most other cars around. You will either need a very high paying job or will need to have a fair amount of mechanical knowledge.
Let alone the fact that you would no doubt wrap the car around a lamp post.

may i ask what kind of car you have been learning to drive in?
also whats the fastest car you have ever been in?

 

If you want an fd.....get one man. Don't expect it to run for too long, and knowing nothing about cars......you had better expect to learn the hard way...with almost everything. But at least you'll have the car you want right?

 

It seems in the USA displacement size didnt effect price much. It was only when you said the word Turbo that you got the rape. I guess with turbos seeming more common in the EU its more about CC.

I'm so glad that Im out of the "single male under 25" insurance racket!

 

he doesn't have much driving experience either.. he's in drivers ed basically. 28hours behind the wheel = ready for fd