hey new here need some advice on the rx7
 

hey im junior i currently dont have a car but my last car was a Evo 9 and i had to sell it for financial reasons.im getting a large amount of money in the spring so i wanna lookup some info on the cars that im intrested in. the list starts with the car im most intrested in fd3s rx7. 1.fd3s rx7 2.honda s2000 3.nissan 240sx swapped with either sr20det or rb25det. i really want a fd3s but im always hearing negative comments about the 13b engine. If the maintence cost for it is as much as an evo i wouldnt mind and would always keep the maintence (changing oil and other stuff) up to date.of course i would also do the mods to make it more reliable also. also when a 13b rotary engine has been rebuild (lets say around 70kmiles) how long is it good for until it needs to be replaced or rebuild again? any advice would help just trying to get info from people that have experience with rotary engines

I don't know much, but a few of my mates are big fanatics, and they say round 50,000 kilometers you do an engine rebuild, cost bout $2-3000, if you do it yourself, it's much cheaper. what I do know is that, the 13B-REW engine gots really hot, even though the temperature gaugesays it's half, you can feel the heat come through into the cabin of the car. but a better cooling system will fix that, don't know how much it is to upgrade cooling but...

Mileage after a rebuild depends on the quality of the parts and the mechanic. There are a lot of tolerances that need to be checked in the engine and dependent on the reason for the rebuild, many parts may need to be replaced. If they are not, then the engine will last much less time on the second build then the first. Sorry, I know that is vague but the mileage on these things varies due to set-up, driving style, maintenance, and the attention to detail of the driver.

I don't want to scare you away from the FD but these cars demand a lot of your time and money. They are more a part of your life then most cars and the learning curve is steep(or expensive). But they are worth everything you put into them and then some.

There is a sticky with the FAQ post that is worth more then it's weight in gold that you should read to get a good handle on the car.

Also, Howard Coleman has been posting some great threads about the FD and he is a big fan of AI to help increase the reliability of the car. My opinion is: When you are looking at a potential buy, factor in the price to do all the reliability upgrades (or finish them if the car already has some), add an AI system, money for a rebuild(either what a local shop would charge you or the kit if you can do it yourself), and an extra 2-3K for when the mod bug bites you. That will be a good price comparison for what you will end up spending on the car vs. the others on the list. If it is still within what you are willing to spend range, I'd do it.

Oh, and if you really want to extend the life of your FD... Get a daily driver.