3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002) 1993-2002 Discussion including performance modifications and Technical Support Sections.
Sponsored by:

So, I'm getting an RX-7.

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12-21-02, 04:04 PM
  #1  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
So, I'm getting an RX-7.

This is my first visit here, so please excuse me if I break any social rules or something here.

I've recently decided to sell my 1994 Mustang GT 5.0 and use the money, plus some excess money, to buy a 3rd Gen RX-7.

I want to get a Twin-Turbo, so my first question is, are all 3rd Gen's Twin-Turbo?

Secondly, the car I am currently looking at getting is a 1994 RX-7 Touring Edition. I know it is Twin-Turbo, but I'm wondering if there are any downsides to the Touring Editions.

Third, I should be getting this car in late Febuary, so I think now is the time for me to start planning what to buy for it. After purchase, I will still have about 3 grand to buy parts with, so I was wondering what you guys would suggest to put in it first. Also, what do you suggest I spend the 3000 dollars on? I do want to get a body kit, and to get that body kit painted the color of the car (black), so I guess I only have about 2000 to spend (one of my dads friends is an autobody guy, so we can get work done for basically cost of materials).

Thanks for all the help. I'm only 16 years old so I don't really have any friends knowledgable about this particular car.

And if you care to look, my Mustang is at:

http://www.cardomain.com/id/rrail

Thanks again.
Old 12-21-02, 04:18 PM
  #2  
Doritos on a toothpick

 
BoostCrzy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: west palm beach, FL
Posts: 1,124
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
welcome rrail!....all third gen rx7s are twin-turbo.....the touring models are the "loaded" model of the bunch...as far as downsides...i really dont know of any other than a slight weight disadvantage.....(but thats easy to make up for with power!).....first mods should be 1. do a tune up and replace all vital fluids 2. get a boost gauge! 3. get a down pipe to replace the very restrictive precat known for destroying turbos!!.....read up..you have a lot of learning to do..... http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobinette/
Old 12-21-02, 04:45 PM
  #3  
Golf Cart Hooligan

iTrader: (12)
 
JhnRx7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Posts: 991
Received 22 Likes on 9 Posts
Welcome...i agree completely with what BoostCrzy said. you should spend some time reading the forum and you will learn a lot...i did

good luck with your purchase and i hope you love your new car and take good care of it.
Old 12-21-02, 07:07 PM
  #4  
Rotary Enthusiast

iTrader: (5)
 
rfreeman27's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: MD
Posts: 1,197
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
i got mine 3 months ago and love it. The car gets so much attn its amazing. Read the forum and you will learn more then enough to keep good care of your car. Also check out some of the how too sites like http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/ to get a better idea about how your car (stock&aftermarket) works. BTW im 16 too, its never too early to start. Take care of her!
Old 12-21-02, 07:08 PM
  #5  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Oh I plan to take great care of her

Although I think I might miss the deep, throaty sound my Mustang puts out, I'm sure I'll much enjoy the faster 1/4 times and the ability to auto-cross.
Old 12-21-02, 07:14 PM
  #6  
The Spirit of FLUFF!

iTrader: (1)
 
RX7SpiritR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: East Highland, CA
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The touring is a great edition! I own a '93 montego blue touring and it's great! Welcome to the forum! I agree with BoostCrzy, get a downpipe after the other things he said to do first. Hope you get what your lookin for agina, WELCOME to the club!

EDIT: O yeah and if you really wanted to, you can get a deep throaty sound out of the FD! I just wont go get a midpipe then, cause from what I've heard it makes it sound higher toned or whatever, not a bad thing since you get more power from it. I'm going with a high flow 3" in/out cat myself, but it's whatever you want

Last edited by RX7SpiritR; 12-21-02 at 07:18 PM.
Old 12-21-02, 07:18 PM
  #7  
Full Member

 
Lazerblu's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: California
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I just got mine as well in November but since it was sitting and not being driven regularly, I had to basically have the engine taken out and replace a bunch of vacumn hoses, fuel rail, and o-rings around the injectors.

I don't know where you are located but find a good shop that knows rotaries and specifically the RX. Mine has been at M2 Performance in Concord, CA and the guys there are awesome and know pretty much all there is to know about our cars.

BTW you may want to make sure your vacumn hoses are clamped on or they will pop off.
Old 12-21-02, 07:27 PM
  #8  
Full Member

 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
All the vital stuff first -DP,boost gauge,plugs,fuel filter,I always replace all fluids whenewer I buy a car,these cars also tends to overheat so make sure your cooling system is perfect ......(I'm sure I forgot some)
just go through
http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobinette/
there is a lot of usefull reading.
Good luck with your new baby.....
Old 12-21-02, 07:36 PM
  #9  
Cheap Bastard

iTrader: (2)
 
adam c's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: San Luis Obispo, Ca
Posts: 8,370
Received 50 Likes on 42 Posts
If the paint is good on your car, I wouldn't waste any money on a body kit. They look pretty nice as is.

You can do a lot with $3k. That assumes the car is in good working condition, and you don't have any major expenses to get it running right. This also assumes that you will be doing a lot of the work yourself. Having someone else work on your car will cost you around $80 per hour.

I have put my time/money into Hp and reliability mods. I didn't want to make the car ride stiffer, so no suspension expenses were needed.

The following is my estimate for some upgrades. These assume you will do the work.

New downpipe $300.
New Boost & Water temp Gauges. At least $100
New cat back. At least $400
New ECU upgrade. $700 to $1500

You can do your own boost controller for cheap:

http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobi...controller.htm

Do your own intake for cheap too:

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...5&pagenumber=1

Good luck with your car. Don't crash it!!!

Adam
Old 12-21-02, 07:44 PM
  #10  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hehe.

Thanks for all the help.

And I'll try not to crash it, Adam. But no promises, since it's undoubtedly much more squirrely than my 'stang.
Old 12-22-02, 01:46 AM
  #11  
HeX
01010010011010110

 
HeX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 473
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not to sound like an "A-Hole" and ruin your expectations but, I doubt you're gonna have 3k to spend on mods as you wish (as I onced wished). Most likely you will spend those 3k getting your rx-7 to spec and running right. These cars are expen$ive to work on and get parts for. Don't be discouraged however, rx-7's are well worth the money (proof when you blow the doors off other expensive/exotic sports cars). These cars are just about as addicting to drive as injecting heroin (my assumption) into your arm!! Nothing really comes close to matching the adrenaline pumping acceleration of the twin-turbos. THESE CARS ARE A BLAST TO DRIVE!! I LOVE IT!! I LOVE IT!!

... Ahem! ... Anyhow, do your research and ask lot's of questions. The rx-7 is a completely different beast from your Mustang or any other car for that matter. Brute force and appearance are now being replaced with stealth force and finesse. You're gonna have guilty pleasure handing Mustang owners their asses from now on. Good feeling to have knowing you can spank practically each and everyone of them. Also, if you're not used to getting lots of attention, BE PREPARED!! Be prepared to turn heads, be prepared to hear "What kind of car is that?" over and over, be prepared to hear "What year is it?", be prepared to have p00-say thrown at you, be prepared to have people constantly rev at you instagating a race, and lasty, be very prepared to have a small fortune for unexpected and costly repairs! <--I knew this in advance and my ***** didn't shrivel up upon hearing the estimates.

Upon learning more about the rx-7 you might start getting the impression that it's a complete POS and will always break down on you. This is not true. If you properly maintain it, change the oil every 3k, and learn how to properly mod this car (example; adding more fuel after every mod through the fuel computer), this car can be nearly "Bullet proof". Heck, even the "reliabilty mods" need more fuel. "Detonation" is the key word here. Learn it, and prevent it.

I've just about bored myself and will end it here. Just trying to return the love when I first started on the forum. Take cares and don't wreck the p00-say wagon. You'll be shooting yourself in the foot.

-HeX
Old 12-22-02, 02:17 AM
  #12  
The Spirit of FLUFF!

iTrader: (1)
 
RX7SpiritR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: East Highland, CA
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Good advice HeX, thanks.
Old 12-22-02, 02:33 AM
  #13  
I'm a CF and poop smith

 
skunks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 3,958
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
your probally gonna end up spending that 3k pretty quickly especially if you go thru lots of tires (200 bucks a peices is gonna go by super fast!). The relibility mods already cost damn near that much and it will still be very unrelible hehe. (note that if your not doing any of the work yourself, you better have closer to 10k or very good friends just for the relibility mods and maintainance!)

If I were you, I would just get the dp and start saving for an engine/single turbo upgrade/new or rebuilt tranny and clutch... then again the infamous V-8 conversion is also an option

I find that with this car, you can pretty much leave it near stock and it will still be a fast car, actually, you becomming a better driver will probally make the car faster then power upgrades unless you only wanna go in a straight line. (for that, there are supras )
Old 12-22-02, 02:56 AM
  #14  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, here is the deal.

My dad pays for basically any car stuff that doesn't make it go faster or accelerate harder. He bought my tires, breaks, engine work costs and everything for my Mustang, and the only thing I was forced to buy was the Edelbrock heads and some headers.

Although, if it really is going to cost an extra 10 grand to get it in working condition, I suppose he is going to make me throw my 3 grand in beside his money

Thanks for all the advice. I really hope it gets as much attention as you say.
Old 12-22-02, 03:17 AM
  #15  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hmmm, just thought of a new question:

I've been reading about people leaving there hoods open after they turn the car off... This is a requirment?
Old 12-22-02, 03:38 AM
  #16  
Junior Member

 
Rotarx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thumbs up

At 19 I thought I was really young but at 16 your you probably just got your license, anyway I hope you know how to drive the 3Gen RX-7's really zoom zoom,becareful when you do get the car don't do stupid crap like trying to show off as tempting as it may be or you'll risk recking it.
Old 12-22-02, 03:48 AM
  #17  
Junior Member

 
Rotarx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally posted by Rrail
Hmmm, just thought of a new question:

I've been reading about people leaving there hoods open after they turn the car off... This is a requirment?
During the Hell that is summer it's a good thing to do you also have remeber to let the engine and turbo's cool down for about 45 seconds before turning the ignition off a turbo timer should be one of the first thing's you buy.
Old 12-22-02, 03:55 AM
  #18  
I'm a CF and poop smith

 
skunks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Hawaii
Posts: 3,958
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
45 sec??? i let mines cool down for at least 5-10 mins (after a hard run) and at least 2 mins under normal driving...

BTW: You should pop your hood, I do. Then again, its your car and you dont need to do that if you dont wanna. Just have the money for a new engine and turbo's and you'll be fine... aint being rich fun???

another idea is to get a scoot hood

Last edited by skunks; 12-22-02 at 04:07 AM.
Old 12-22-02, 04:52 AM
  #19  
HeX
01010010011010110

 
HeX's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 473
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Wink Pound for pound. Ounce for ounce.

Another great idea is to get your local rotary shop hooked on coke. You being the dealer of course. Imagine the posibilities?

Owner of shops says;

"Hey um... [insert your name here] I...I...Um...muh...muh...n...need some stuff ...m...MAN!"

You say;

"Sure, i'll get you an ounce tomorrow. Btw [insert owner of shop name here], i'm gonna need a rebuild, streetport, and some lightened rotors. That should about cover the cost. Talk to you later."

He says;

"Y...You g...got it man! Anything you w...w...want!"

Old 12-22-02, 02:27 PM
  #20  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Haha.
Old 12-22-02, 02:39 PM
  #21  
The Spirit of FLUFF!

iTrader: (1)
 
RX7SpiritR's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: East Highland, CA
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Re: Pound for pound. Ounce for ounce.

Originally posted by HeX
Another great idea is to get your local rotary shop hooked on coke. You being the dealer of course. Imagine the posibilities?

Owner of shops says;

"Hey um... [insert your name here] I...I...Um...muh...muh...n...need some stuff ...m...MAN!"

You say;

"Sure, i'll get you an ounce tomorrow. Btw [insert owner of shop name here], i'm gonna need a rebuild, streetport, and some lightened rotors. That should about cover the cost. Talk to you later."

He says;

"Y...You g...got it man! Anything you w...w...want!"

HAHAHAHA!!! ROFLMAO!
I don't know, I wouldn't trust his shaking *** with touching the engine or anything and working on it, his crack headed *** may **** something up! He'll probably put turbos inside engine and rotors where turbos go and say it works, and then to your surpisement it will run and be all powerful and **** because it was made by a crackhead! Always happens like that, a crackhead makes something and he does it all backwards and **** but somehow he manages to make it work.......wierd
Old 12-22-02, 02:43 PM
  #22  
Full Member

Thread Starter
 
Rrail's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Dover, DE
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
LOL. I have a feeling 90% of the mechanics around here are on some fort of narcotic.
Old 01-27-03, 09:37 PM
  #23  
Newbie
 
TBarrett's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Atlanta/Seattle (college/home)
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've known a few of the mechanics at Park Place in bellevue (the shop that sponsors the Saleen S7 for those of you not local to seattle) and they were a little weird, but I dont know if I would consider them addicts...well, no more than the rest of us anyway
Old 01-27-03, 10:19 PM
  #24  
Full Member

 
nmo93's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: south jersey
Posts: 246
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
must be nice to be 16 and be going on your second car, esp an rx7. but good luck finding one. make sure you look at the buying a used car how to on rob robinette's site. best thing to do is to take a boost guage w/ you to make sure the car is running the right boost pattern. that was my biggest mistake. other thing to do is to get the compression checked.
nick
Old 01-27-03, 10:40 PM
  #25  
boost deprived

 
JimmyJimboJet's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: sioux city, IA
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i think the best thing you could do with your money is to get it up to 'like-new' condition... replace plugs, fluids, brakepads, tires, filters.

find a reputably rotary mechanic near you. if i'm not mistaken pineapple racing is nearby.

make sure it is running correctly.

then downpipe and a boost guage.

then drive the car. autocross, drag, whatever floats your boat. learn how the car reacts to you. learn it's limits (only in a safe environment).

all the while save up some money for emergencies. emergencies with FD's (3rd gens) can become pretty damn expensive in the blink of an eye.

it wouldn't hurt to find a daily driver either. that way when your 7 is in the garage for weeks at a time you still have a way to get around.

and ask questions around here. search for common questions (boost pattern, hesitation, white/blue smoke from exhaust) because they have all been answered many many many times already.

good luck and post some pics when you get her!

jimmy


Quick Reply: So, I'm getting an RX-7.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:37 AM.