Hey folks. Just got my 92 FD RHD about a week ago and it has snowed here in calgary quite a bit... and the tires i have on right now (stock) are no good on even a little snow or any kind of ice... i've relized that when i bought the car.. the reason im asking is cuz my winter car "93 MX6" is sick lately and now i cant start it at all... :P
so... how are the 7's (FB, FC, FD's) are in winter? and doesnt anybody on here drive one during an actuall winter wonderland?

***oh and one more thing... what are the things i should do first ones i got the car? ... i've already done the coolant flush (i found out in japan they use mostly water..) ... so anything of that sort? to get the car - canada-ready?

 

on the topic of snow, we've had a couple of FD's in our family. My uncle drove one all year round in vancouver and in toronto regardless of snow (unless the front bumper was snow ploughing).

he did the same in colorado. They're definitly a bit tricky even with good tires, but as long as ur super careful, u should be able to do it.

Honestly though, why not just find the cheapest POS winterbeater u can and use that? I dont know what its like in Calgary, but they salt the roads like its going out of style in toronto and that's not really good for the car. Rust = bad.

Are FD's galvanized?

 

FD+ winter = no


FC + winter = no (generally)

FB + winter = yes, but it's a bad idea.

AWD DSM + winter = hell yes.

 

FD's should never be subjected to T.O. winters. I don't know if Calgary uses the amount of salt that T.O. uses. But I can't imagine anyone trying to drive a car as low as the FD through snow.

Find yourself a beater or get that MX6 back on the road! ASAP!

 

yah thats what im trying to do ... get that mx6 back on the road asap... cuz i dont want to hurt the 7...
i was just wondering if anybody around here does anything like that... :P
oh and also... anybody aware of what kind of tune-ups and fluid changes i have to make when the car was just imported from japan???

 

all the fluids...why risk it? they're not expensive, start with a clean slate.
do a 100,000km tuneup (or watever the major service interval is)
reliability mods (see 3rd gen forum for list)

 

A search for "winter driving" and variations under this forum will turn up a lot of past topics as this is discussed every year around this time. However basically, there's nothing wrong with driving any RX-7 in the winter as long as it's in good tune. Nothing fundamental about the car makes it a bad or unsafe winter car. Snow tires are highly recommended but you can get by without them.

The real issue is RUST. Both FCs and FDs are galvanized from Mazda but they still WILL RUST if exposed to salt and moisture. If you intend on preserving the car, driving in the winter is not an option.

 

Calgary doesn't use as much salt as toronto, but they SURE do pour on the gravel. The FD's paint seems really susecptible to chipping, so get a bra. If you're planning on driving your FD this winter, i have an FD bra i could loan you for the winter as long as i get it back cleaned and in decen condition in the spring.

 

Crymson thanks.
right now im still debating about winter driving... i will try to fix my mx6 first if its not gona be too expensive... i am weighting my options right now but definetly driving my FD is the last resort...

 

FC's are galvanized?

are you sure?

I've never heard that before!

 

Yep, very sure.

 

Galvanized or no, stone chips will expose metal, be it the zinc or bare steel to the elements, where they will ultimately corrode. Calgary uses loads of gravel and rock salt on the roads because our snowfalls are rarely heavy, and even if they are, the city doesn't have a lot of plows or snow removal equipment at it's disposal, so melting the snow and ice or covering it with pea gravel is pretty much the solution - and that's nasty to the paint and steel bits of any car, especially a nice one. My FC has never been winter driven, and it is so different to work on compared to our much newer daily drivers - bolts and fasteners come apart easily, without breaking them or the parts themselves, and the underbody is completely rust free, despite lots of rain driving (because even tho' it's my "sunny day" car, track events seem to magnetically attract rain!). Even right now, with my Passat heavily damaged by an accident, I won't drive the FC - I'll drive the Passat, or make do without.

I'd highly recommend getting a winter beater if your current daily driver car is beyond redemption. I sold a perfectly serviceable, maintained, and reasonably rust-free Pontiac Firefly a couple or three years ago for $500 - less than what even a crappy set of snow tires would likely run for your FD, and a moderately good set would likely run you $600-700 if your rims are 16" on the FD. A winter beater is a great thing, saving your nice car for conditions it's better suited to, while saving on gas and insurance in a car you don't give a crap about. Plus, besides avoiding your own driver errors leading to accidents in your nice car, you avoid the other idiots, like those who think their SUV or truck handles, stops, and is safer because it has 4WD, when in fact that just lets them accelerate to speeds beyond their or the vehicle's ability quicker.

 

thanks for the feedback guys.
right now im currently trying to figure out what is wrong with my winter car (MX6)...
it cranks but doesnt start... im trying to figure out what is wrong and will try fixing it...
i really dont want driving my FD here for all of the reasons already stated.

 

Get a 83-86 honda civic. Might be rusted to hell but for 500-900 dollars it'll get you through the winter. Besides why ruin a Mazda when there are perfectly rusted out civics to beat on!

 

i think its all about how much fun you want to have driving in the winter. I just purchased a tree damaged FD as a parts car... then i started to look at it closer and then closer.... now its alomst complete again and ill have less than 3000.00 into it. it will be my winter beater.... sorry to all you hardcore purists but im thinking this is going to be a very fun winter... couple sand bags in the boot and and some studded winter snow tires and its all good. It will also be getting some bolted ice race tires and running some winter style auto crosses out on the frozen lakes af central alberta!! Ill post a couple pics when its finnished. forgot to take a before pic but just imagine a FD with a tree up against the front pully! ps i wasnt driving ... bought it that way.