My RX-7 Story
10-17-10, 01:25 PM
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My RX-7 Story
Wow...where do I begin?
I have always been into fast cars. My very first car was a 1974 Olds Cutlass Supreme with a big 455 Rocket. I was purple in color with a white vinyl top. That car used to be my fathers until he parked it in the backyard when I was thirteen.
For the next three years, I dreamed day and night of the day when I could drive that car around town by myself. My Dad told me he would give it to me on
my 16th Birthday. Of course, all my friends were also involved in getting the car ready for that day! They all contributed something from seat covers, floor mats, cassette player, booster, speakers and even "fuzzy dice" for the mirror.
This was also around the time when I first became interested in the "mechanical" aspect of owning a vehicle. You see, I was having trouble with my 4 Barrel Holly Carburetor flooding. I ended up rebuilding the carb as my project for shop class.
After the Olds, I went on to own the following;
1965 Chev Impala SS with a 327 V8.
1984 Mercury Capri Charcoal RS Turbo with a 5.0 HO EFI V8.
1986 Pontiac Sunbird Coupe with a 2.0 L Turbo 122 I4.
In the summer of 1996, I had finally saved up enough money to attend Aviation College at Skywings Aviation of of Red Deer, Alberta. At this time, I was still driving my Sunbird which by now was a little beat up and beginning to show it's age. That brings me to how I found my RX-7.
I was driving around all the car dealerships in Red Deer trying to swing a deal to trade in my Sunbird on something nice. I had no real idea of what type of car I was looking for, only it had to be "sporty". So, near the end of the day, I decided to try on last dealer. I told him what I was looking for and he said he had the perfect car outside on the lot.
When I first saw it, I was a bit hesitant. It was a sharp looking car alright but it was so TINY. I was a little more used to the "American" version of what a "Masculine" car should look like...you know, a MUSCLE car. Be that as it may, the dealer encouraged me to take it for a test drive. So, not expecting to be impressed, I climbed into the drivers seat with the dealer soon seated beside me.
That first drive was an eye opener. Driving that Mazda was my first introduction to what I can only call the "European" version of what a sports car should be...you know, refined/elegant looks, excellent handling qualities and of course, it has to be fast. Like someone said in a movie, it's like the difference between NASCAR and FORMULA 1 racing. There you see the American ideal versus the European ideal of cars, racing, masculinity and pretty much the rest of life in general.
So, to make a long story short, I bought the car. I owned it for the next two years while I was in College. I finally sold it to a racing outfit in 1998 when I returned home to Saskatchewan. I was short on money and DEEP in debt with all the Student Loans I had raked up flying.
Now, I'm looking to reclaim a little of my "youth" and another RX-7 is exactly what the Doctor ordered.
I'm looking forward to locating another 1985 model with either the 12A or 13B engine. Eventually, I may even decide to get into racing a little myself. That is, if money and nerves are in ample supply when that time comes.
I have always been into fast cars. My very first car was a 1974 Olds Cutlass Supreme with a big 455 Rocket. I was purple in color with a white vinyl top. That car used to be my fathers until he parked it in the backyard when I was thirteen.
For the next three years, I dreamed day and night of the day when I could drive that car around town by myself. My Dad told me he would give it to me on
my 16th Birthday. Of course, all my friends were also involved in getting the car ready for that day! They all contributed something from seat covers, floor mats, cassette player, booster, speakers and even "fuzzy dice" for the mirror.
This was also around the time when I first became interested in the "mechanical" aspect of owning a vehicle. You see, I was having trouble with my 4 Barrel Holly Carburetor flooding. I ended up rebuilding the carb as my project for shop class.
After the Olds, I went on to own the following;
1965 Chev Impala SS with a 327 V8.
1984 Mercury Capri Charcoal RS Turbo with a 5.0 HO EFI V8.
1986 Pontiac Sunbird Coupe with a 2.0 L Turbo 122 I4.
In the summer of 1996, I had finally saved up enough money to attend Aviation College at Skywings Aviation of of Red Deer, Alberta. At this time, I was still driving my Sunbird which by now was a little beat up and beginning to show it's age. That brings me to how I found my RX-7.
I was driving around all the car dealerships in Red Deer trying to swing a deal to trade in my Sunbird on something nice. I had no real idea of what type of car I was looking for, only it had to be "sporty". So, near the end of the day, I decided to try on last dealer. I told him what I was looking for and he said he had the perfect car outside on the lot.
When I first saw it, I was a bit hesitant. It was a sharp looking car alright but it was so TINY. I was a little more used to the "American" version of what a "Masculine" car should look like...you know, a MUSCLE car. Be that as it may, the dealer encouraged me to take it for a test drive. So, not expecting to be impressed, I climbed into the drivers seat with the dealer soon seated beside me.
That first drive was an eye opener. Driving that Mazda was my first introduction to what I can only call the "European" version of what a sports car should be...you know, refined/elegant looks, excellent handling qualities and of course, it has to be fast. Like someone said in a movie, it's like the difference between NASCAR and FORMULA 1 racing. There you see the American ideal versus the European ideal of cars, racing, masculinity and pretty much the rest of life in general.
So, to make a long story short, I bought the car. I owned it for the next two years while I was in College. I finally sold it to a racing outfit in 1998 when I returned home to Saskatchewan. I was short on money and DEEP in debt with all the Student Loans I had raked up flying.
Now, I'm looking to reclaim a little of my "youth" and another RX-7 is exactly what the Doctor ordered.
I'm looking forward to locating another 1985 model with either the 12A or 13B engine. Eventually, I may even decide to get into racing a little myself. That is, if money and nerves are in ample supply when that time comes.
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alfred1976
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