Hello all! I am a college student who will be going to graduate school in the fall to start life on my own. I have always wanted to get into cars but never really had the opportunity and thought, why not start the hobby when I don't have family obligations. I should be able to make enough money to support myself and have a small project on the side if I could get some local garage help. I have little experience with cars but have loved the rotary engine's uniqueness for a long time. It will be a few months before I could start looking into actually buying one but I would love to learn any and all things rotary over piston. I figured I would start off with an FC and maybe someday I could own an FD.

 

 

Hopefully I can get some help from others where ever I end up living because I probably will not have a garage of my own for a while.

 

Welcome and wise choice starting with the FC instead of a FD. Most car stuff is similar and can be learned on any platform, so it's best to learn on something that wont break the bank. The one and best advice I will give on buying is get the best FC you can afford with a good strong/fresh rebuilt motor that has a paper trail. Depending on where you go to school will have a huge impact on the rotary scene, so start trying to network if you can and finding out who/what is around that area. I'm just north of Greensboro and at one point in time the 2 biggest meeting areas were Raleigh and Statesville. That allowed most of the state to be covered, but it was 10-15 years ago and has since died down a ton. If you can make it out to Deals Gap Rotary Rally I would highly recommend it and bum rides with as many people you can to get a feel for the cars. That way you can see what you like or dont like and start making a plan and skip buying crap that wont fit your end goal at all. Also there isn't a whole lot of rotary shops in NC so be prepared to tow the car or ship to motor if you dont feel like rebuilding yourself or cant find someone who will help you rebuild.

 

Thank you for the advise. UNC Chapel hill is a possible school so that would be perfect but I have other schools that I have applied to that are all over the US. I'll be sure to check it out.

 

Welcome! I am in NC as well and the car scene is pretty good around the major areas.

 

Hi guys. its good to be here chatting with you RX-7 lovers. right now I am looking for a cluster if you know from where can I buy one please let me know. Cheers

 

I have the 3rd generation by the way. sorry I didn't mention it.

 

Well since you dont know which state you might end up in, I would wait on getting any vehicle until you spend at least 1 full semester there. I wished someone had given me that advice when I was younger since it would have saved me a good chunk of money. That way you can figure out the regulations of that state(what's legal here in NC might not pass in others), the campus(parking, living arrangement), and just how often you will really need a car to get around or if the local public transportation will do you just fine. It might suck to hear that response, but it could save you a ton of money in the long run.

Take for example you move to California for school and are forced to park off campus a few miles away due to no available spots on campus and only end up driving 5-6 days a month. Now you need to pay for a parking spot most likely if you want something permanent, gas is higher, insurance might increase if they find out you moved/not using the car in NC anymore, needing to pass emissions, and also the issue of being pulled over and getting fix it tickets for non CARB legal parts. Then you still need to walk or use public transportation just to go drive your car which will become a pain after awhile. All of that is going to cost you money that could have been saved and put towards a better car after you graduate.

 

I completely understand. Some of the schools might have some stricter regulations but most of them seem like they will be pretty similar to NC. I also dont plan to do anything super heavy to the car just because I like most everything stock. But thank you for the advise I will be sure to look into everything once I get settled!

 

Welcome to the club! There's actually a pretty good rotary scene in Charlotte. Lot of knowledge here, just read the stickies and be prepared to get dirty but it will be a rewarding ride.

 

Welcome. FC are great cars.

 

I'm in the same position can't wait to see the progress!

 

Welcome