hello, 1st time posting on the 3rd gen forum Anyway, I've been wanting an FD ever since I bought my FC, and ever since have had a mental argument over a touring,or R1 , R2. I just thought who better to ask than you guys. I like the touring for the leather, bose,and sunroof. But I know the R1's have the stiffer suspension, front strut brace, duel oil coolers, lighter seats, etc.. So I was wondering, are the R1's actually any faster? Is all I need to make a touring as good as an R1 an aftermarket suspension and front air dam? If you had it to do over, which would you prefer and why? I finally can afford to buy one and still cant decide. The biggest thing that makes me lean toward an r1 is the extra oil cooler, because I will be modifying it, so I figure I want as much cooling potential as possible. Is this a big deal? Sorry for the long post, just want some informed info b4 I buy. Thanks in advance. Again , Touring or R1?

P.S. I did a search and found nothing useful, so sorry if this has been answered before.

 

NEW RECORD!! TWICE in the same week!!!

 

dude it does not really matter...just find one in good condition...plenty of cars have huge mods with the one oil cooler...Now if you TRACK the car constantly..then maybe consider having 2 oil cooler...

my touring is every bit as good as my old r1..if not better...its got better mods

 

The Base is better than all of them if you want it to be. The R1 suspension is really nothing compared to a good Cusco/Tein/Tanabe setup and that's one of the first things I personally would attack on any car. People may charge a bit more for an R1 or Touring compared to a Base because of the name, so spend that on a real suspension, the extra oil cooler, and wham-o! The Base is lighter, and you can get it with leather (like mine) ... and no rear wiper or spoiler (yay! Even though mine did come with a stock spoiler, it's gone.)

 

If you're modifying it anyway, then you can always add a 2nd oil cooler or a larger replacement. Still, replacing the stock radiator should be of greater concern sicne that makes a far greater cooling impact.

You should really decide if you want a sunroof or not since its not really something that shouldn't be added. Everything else can be pretty much be modified with better aftemarket parts such as suspension pieces. The R1 seats aren't really lighter at all and a good aftermarket setup can save ~40lbs alone.

 

save 40 lbs....my black leather seats (w/o brackets) weighed about 26 pounds each.. not bad...you'll have to get some 6 pound seats to save 40lbs...something tells me that would not be too comfy...or it might be rather expensive.

 

save 40 lbs....my black leather seats (w/o brackets) weighed about 26 pounds each.. not bad...you'll have to get some 6 pound seats to save 40lbs...something tells me that would not be too comfy...or it might be rather expensive.

 

I go along with the previous comments. The differences between the various models are so small that you're much better off finding the car in the best condition you can, or the color you really want.

I'm someone who has driven both the R-2 and Touring models when they were new. I test drove showroom demonstrators before I ended up buying my 95 PEP. As far as speed goes,
in terms of acceleration, all the manual transmission cars are the same for all intents and purposes. (The weight and skill of the driver are more important factors.) Looking at the magazine tests, the R models are a few mph faster around a slalom course.
In real world, day to day driving, you'd be hard pressed to see that advantage.

The real difference between the models comes in terms of feel.
The R models have super-sharp handling and immediate responses, but there's also a ride penalty. The Touring and Base models feel as fast, just a little more buffered. I seriously considered an R model. Almost bought a silver 94. But then I thought about the day I had a headache, or driving back from a long trip when I'm bone tired, and I realized I'd end up hating the car at those times. I ended up choosing the base suspension and I've never regretted it.

If your girlfriend is going to be in the car a lot.....get the regular suspension. If you're going to drive in an autocross, then look for an R model.

OK, I'll shut up now.

 

How "harsh" is the ride on an R1 anyways? I remember first driving my base model and I thought it was rough, but I just got used to it..

 

Get the touring... have fun lookin' for one... I've got the fully loaded 87TII also, well it use to be fully loaded.

see ya,

car 53

 

Get touring..

 

Im in the same boat as you, looking for an FD.
If I had my choice I would get a base model and upgrade to dual oil coolers and strut brace and new suspension anyways. This way you get a lighter car with better handling (no sunroof = stiffer chassis).
But I will buy whatever model is in the best shape as soon as I sell my damn other car!

 

so guys are saying that the touring has the wing or the back or was it opional back in the day? See mine has no wing but it has the leather seats with no sun roof, and im the third owner. So what was is my car a R1, R2 or touring?

 

Yours is a touring. Only the touring came with leather, and a sunroof. The R package had a cloth/suede like seat that is ideal for heavy cornering. The touring didn't come with the wing on all, but the R's did.

 

Leather seats were a factory option on base '93's. They were not listed as an option in the other years, but I've heard of, and seen enough exceptions to the equipment on the various models to believe that almost anything could be special ordered. It appears you have a base model with the leather seats added by the factory, or after purchase by the owner.

 

the front spoiler and rear wing could be ordered as options (even Dealer Installed) on Base & Touring was only std on R-1/2 Learther Seats were Std on Touring, Optional on Base and NOT Available on R-1/2, Sunroof was Std on Touring. & Pep
BOSE system & CD could be dealer installed on Base or R-1/2