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-   -   Thinking of getting a FD for a daily driver... (https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/thinking-getting-fd-daily-driver-160853/)

ThePulse 02-24-03 11:51 AM

Thinking of getting a FD for a daily driver...
 
It's funny that I'm selling my unreliable TSI (Eagle Talon) for a 93 RX-7...
Curious if anyone knows how well the car should hold up? The car has 10K miles on a replaced motor (swaped at 100K). The car is supposed to be all stock and well maintaned. How many miles could I expect to get out of this car with its present setup, or by adding some reliability mods (how much should all of the ones I'll need cost?).

I appreciate all of your time. Thanks.

TeamChin 02-24-03 12:02 PM

really depends on the rebuild??? and how well you and the person before you took care of it...a good rebuild "could" last up to 100k or it "could" blow after 5k...try and find out where the motor was rebuilt or if it has a factory re-man in it...get a compression test...check the boost...well do a search on this forum...there are many topics about what to look for in buying an Rx-7....just be prepared to spend a few dollars to keep the car on the road...the rest of the car does have approx. 110,000 miles on it...these are not cheap cars to maintain....

think about why you are buying this car??? what are your reasons for wanting an Rx-7??? make sure they're legit and not to just impress your friends...do you have the bug???

...this car will cost more then most cars to keep on the road...but is worth every penny if you have it

skunks 02-24-03 12:15 PM

10k miles is very little but without tuning (on high boost or what ever) its gonna pop. That being said, I don't see why a rotary would not be a good daiily driver. I mean the other guys your buying it from has his till 100k miles before it let go :)

As for reliblity mods, i guess it really depends on what you consider relibility mods. Personnaly for me it includes ecu upgrade, fuel upgrade (incluiding a new filter for such a highmile car), boost controller, replacing all fluids frequently, engine mods (which includes intercooler, especially if your running higher boost as well as radiator upgrade), intake, full (straight pipe) exhaust, gauge upgrade (especially boost and watertemp, fuel pressure and oil pressure might be needed too as those sensors go to crap (at least the oilpressure one)), vaccum hose replacements, Replace/Eliminate the Air Separation Tank (AST) and all the recalls. These do seem like preformance upgrades but for a FD, its just the relibility ones :D

Good luck dude

BTW: how much is he selling for?

artguy 02-24-03 12:27 PM

i hope you got deep pockets...cuz i drove mine for two years as a daily driver and i must have put my mechanics kid thru college by now.


j

neofreak 02-24-03 12:33 PM


Originally posted by artguy
i hope you got deep pockets...cuz i drove mine for two years as a daily driver and i must have put my mechanics kid thru college by now.


j

I used my old FD as a daily for two years, barely spent anything, besides fluid changes.

Mahjik 02-24-03 12:48 PM

Re: Thinking of getting a FD for a daily driver...
 

Originally posted by ThePulse
It's funny that I'm selling my unreliable TSI (Eagle Talon) for a 93 RX-7...
Curious if anyone knows how well the car should hold up? The car has 10K miles on a replaced motor (swaped at 100K). The car is supposed to be all stock and well maintaned. How many miles could I expect to get out of this car with its present setup, or by adding some reliability mods (how much should all of the ones I'll need cost?).

I appreciate all of your time. Thanks.

Probably the problem you'll run into first is that at 100k, if the suspension hasn't been replaced/upgraded, it will probably be about time.

In the least you'll probably be looking at some new springs & struts. If that's the case, you are looking around $600 for the struts and around $250 for springs.

Brakes and tires will be another concern. If you need to replace the rotors, you are looking around $200 for OEM rotors and around $120 for brake pads.

Exhaust would be next. If the car still has all stock equipment, the main cat could be on it's way out (or the stock catback could be damaged or rusty). There is more money that you would need to fork out. Estimate around $400 for a high-flo cat and around $450 (I would recommend the Racing Beat Dual Tip) for a decent catback.

If you get the car, the first thing you should do is have all the fluids and filters (as well as spark plugs) changed and flushed.

Keeping the car as close to stock as possible the best way to keep it reliable IMO. You would only need a few things to have a nice daily driver which would be the normal reliabilty items:

Boost Gauge
Water Temp Gauge
Downpipe
Aluminum Air Seperator Tank
Aluminum Radiator

It's just normal car maintenance from that point on. The hard part will just be getting the car to a "daily driver" point.

As you can see, how much money you will need to spend will all depend on the car's condition when you get it.

Good luck!

ZeroBanger 02-24-03 08:10 PM

Mine is daily driver, has been for last year, only car, 165K on original turbo's, 50K on engine.

cruiser 02-25-03 02:12 AM

I don't think people buy RX7 to keep it stock. Just my $0.02

You'll be dragged into tuning sooner or later :D

neoamd 02-25-03 09:06 AM

Re: Thinking of getting a FD for a daily driver...
 

Originally posted by ThePulse
It's funny that I'm selling my unreliable TSI (Eagle Talon) for a 93 RX-7...
Curious if anyone knows how well the car should hold up? The car has 10K miles on a replaced motor (swaped at 100K). The car is supposed to be all stock and well maintaned. How many miles could I expect to get out of this car with its present setup, or by adding some reliability mods (how much should all of the ones I'll need cost?).

I appreciate all of your time. Thanks.

What year Talon =] AWD?

RX-7 are great cars. Main points are as follows:

Do general maetinience before you need to. When you need to you know something is up. Do your oil change, oil filter, fuel filter, dif fluid, etc as soon as you buy the car. You dont know the last time it was done by the previous owner.

Also get a compression check done the motor to make sure it is fine. If so Id go for it! Remember to do the reliabilty mods also. Good lcuk man, if you have anyother questions PM me!

Josh

Mahjik 02-25-03 09:45 AM


Originally posted by cruiser
I don't think people buy RX7 to keep it stock. Just my $0.02

You'll be dragged into tuning sooner or later :D

Not really, there are quite a few people on here that keep there cars mostly stock. You don't hear from them since they aren't breaking their cars... ;)

turborotarypower 02-25-03 09:48 AM

i daily drove my FD for a year,but the car is stock.

Conv.WS6 02-25-03 01:57 PM

I have my FD as a Daily Driver. I love it, and yes it does take general maintenance of frequent plugs and oil changes, but I bought mine with 130K on it. Put a new motor in it, and if in 3 years I have 200K on the car. so be it. I'll just put another motor in it, and rip the gears somemore to and from work. LOL.....
Vac hose job, Downpipe, plugs, fluids, filters. that's all I can think of to make it reliable.
The springs and struts will go in time, but that's true with any car, so i say wait till they go and then fix it.

Garrett 02-25-03 02:48 PM

The only problems I've had with mine were from modifying it and the "sequential" vacuum system. Every single reason I haven't had it for very long periods of time can be linked to drag racing or general mechanical incompetence that ordinary technicians have when dealing with an RX-7. Learn how to work on the shit yourself, if you plan on making it a daily driver.

A good way to do that is to take some general automotive classes at a technical college to get your feet wet. It will teach you how to properly use tools and take parts off. I did that and it definitely paid off.

Other than that, rotary engines are less complex and only have 3 moving parts as opposed to a conventional engine's 40 or so. Its hard to understand them at first but once you get the hang of it you'll realize how wonderful these engines are.

Garrett

7racer 02-25-03 09:56 PM

Its my daily driver...

LOVE IT. It has only let me down twice. Once with the blown apex seal :(

the other the master clutch line leaked/broke.

But everyday I get in and drive puts the biggest smile on my face:D

Just take care of the seven!!! (BTW it was all stock)

Radical Rotary Avantgard 02-25-03 10:55 PM

See if you qualify for a 7 first:
Single, not divorsed.
No high maintenance girl friends.
No kids out of wedlock.
Own a house already with low mortgage payments.
Have a secured job (better if you are, your own boss).
Make a very good salary over 60K a year.
Be mechanicly inclined.
Can do brakes, oil changes.....etc most DIY.
Have good credit, these car run on plastic.
Have a second car as a daily driver.
You are over 25 for insurance purposes, they'll rape you with the rates if younger.
Don't have any other hobbies that might take time or money away from your car.
Be willing to contribute to the Forum with your stories when you do something no matter how Stupid or Rice it is.
Be willing to be Flamed when you don't use the search engine.
If you answered NO to any of the above avoid the RX7 at all cost. :D

SleepR1 02-25-03 11:29 PM

7 years as a daily driver, and weekend track/autocross car, and that's four seasons per year including this nasty Indiana winter we're having (record snowfall for Feb--23 inches total!). Finally put a new motor and turbos in her after 102,543 miles on the original motor and turbos. See my sig for new mods.

Darivative 02-26-03 12:02 AM

My freshly rebuilt,ported,3mm sealed,pinned motor lasted 4 months. Daily driven...Thanks MVA

TTurboXfd3s 02-26-03 12:44 AM

that's not a great idea to get a FD for a daily driver! infact that's a pretty dumb thing! i mean if you had the money to buy a FD for a daily driver and wanted a reliable ( cuz it seems l ike that's what you're looking for complaining about your talon) go get a nice luxurious camry or something


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