Hey guys, Im 17 years old and planning on getting a Rx7. However I dont know too much about them and im afraid that if i ever have to do sum serious surgery on the car or rebuild the motor im not gonna have a clue of what to do. I was just wondering if any one around the NY/NJ/PA area knows any classes, workshops or seminars i could attend to learn more about rotaries. In the mean time willl be reading as much material about Rx7s and such as i can find on here and any other sites.

Thank you

 

Most automotive classes (UTI/Lincoln tech etc.) don't teach you much about rotaries. My advice is howstuffworks.com (how a rotary engine works) and this message board. Just keep reading random threads lol

 

You won't find anything on classes, seminars, etc. If that were available everybody would be rotary builders and techs.

Just keep up with the reading, buy RX-7 geared books. There's quite a few out there. And the best way to learn is hands on.

 

I'd have to agree. Rotaries aren't really common so they won't really be taught in an automotive class. I'd see if you could find out information through Mazda since they have technicians that work on RX-8's, i know it's not the same as rx-7 but it's still a rotary.

Yes, these boards will help A LOT, if you find the right threads.

If you haven't already, check the FAQ's b/c they will answer a lot of your questions.

 

Find a rotary shop in your area and visit? I'm sure if they're cool, they can walk you through their experiences with rotaries.

 

Ok thanks alot guys...I think theres shop not to far from me that works on Rotoaries and last nite my dad just told me that he was friends wit a mazda technician so between those too i should get to learn a little. thanks again for the input.

 

Just come to the meet in blackwood, NJ you will learn about them!

 

Ok , sure. Exactly where is this meet and when?

 

.... well first theres the dorito on the straw and theres the peanut it spins in....

 

Talk to Ernie-lol

 

I have this book (I forget the name haha, it's that one that sells for like $70-80+, got it from my friend...) that talks all about rotary engines and a lot of different modifications and that has been very helpful, you can also browse through the Hanes manual.

 

Most shops won't have the time to entertain somebody with questions about rotaries, unless they have a car that needs to be worked on. Now if you get to know somebody that works at one, sure, I can see that happening.

The book you speak of tr4c3 is very good indeed. Complete history of the RX-7, including a few chapters of the pre RX-7 rotary powered cars. Many pictures in it, prototype pictures, the infamous RX500, tons of information. Great read. I open it from time to time, and take a look. But it's not coming to me who the author is.

 

OK, I am going to be a dick and this is totally my opinion, but 17 year olds shouldn't be driving high performance sports car. You just haven't spent enough time behind the wheel of a good car that will allow you to make mistakes. I have seen so many FDs that have been slammed into walls by some overly anxious child.

Of course this does help raise the blue book value since it makes ones like mine that are mint even more expensive.

playastarkz123, I recommend you get yourself a beater and learn to drive. Go to some driver events so you can learn to handle a car.

I don't think your father is looking out for your best interest by even considering allowing you to have a car like this.

Ok, rant off. Everybody go ahead and flame me for beating up on the young lad. But I just don't want to see him wrap himself around a telephone pole.

 

An FD is a deathtrap for the average 17 year old, I'd look for a clean S5 NA. Drive the hell out of it and maintain it, keep it clean and then sell it if you want an FD. I would assume that he knows better than to buy such a high performance and high maintanence sports car for his first fun car considering hes actually wanting to learn about rotaries, not like other kids that watch FNF and ask their parents for one.

 

I completely agree with you. So many kids around here want fast expensive cars and they don't realize the mistakes they are making. When you are just learning to drive, just get a piece of **** that can take a beating. That way, if you do happen to get in an accident, you aren't destroying a perfectly good car.

 

"Mazda RX-7 Performance Handbook" by Mike Ancas

 

well im 19.. and my first car was a POS hyundai elantra.. i only had it for a year and it was a car for me to learn how to drive like a normal person with u know? .. when i turned 18 i sold the hyundai and bought myself a 97 integra gsr 5-speed..i wanted somethin a lil sportier but not a full blown sports car...w/ my GSR i opened it up a lil bit and was more daring w/ the car learning how to handle it better and i took it to a road course a couple times over the summer.. i just turned 19 3 montsh ago and sold my integra last week..and am now looking for an FD .. i agree with everyone else here about driving a car to beat oin for ur first car.. however when i was 17 i really wanted an rx7 too... but i waited because i knew i wasnt experienced enough to drive one.. but do what you want.. but jus b careful

 

I think learning the basics of working on a rotary isn't any different from another car. Get the factory service manual, learn how this engine is put together compared to other engines, read www.rotaryengineillustrated.com to see the basics.

Buying an FD at 17 as your only car is not a good choice. Very high maintenance and very high performance. If you're in NJ you'll be stuck anytime there is winter weather. The FD crumples like tinfoil in minor fenderbenders, and costs an assload to fix. It also has nearly zero cargo space and only one extra seat. So in other words, it's very impractical and it helps a lot to be made of money. Plus it's terrible for road head and gettin it on.

As for the driving experience issue, it always comes out sounding like "you'll shoot your eye out kid!". But I'm really glad I didn't get my FD until I was in my 20s and I could afford it to be a 2nd car. I guess the analogy is that if you and your passenger went skydiving for the first time, and you had to choose a parachute for both, and your choice was the parachute recommended for beginners or the parachute for experienced jumpers. I think an inexperienced driver buying an FD is kinda like picking the wrong parachute for both of you.

Dave

 

I'm not speaking of that one, it's blue, with an FD on it. It's a hard back book, so it ranges around 60 bucks. I have both of them. The Performance one is a good read also. But the other one has the ENTIRE history of the rotary engine.

My advice to you is to start of with an FB, with a 12a to be exact. If you want to learn about the cars, I think that would be the greatest platform to start off with. Getting ANY turbo charged rotary for your first RX-7 will be a huge headache unless you have a ton of money sitting around not being used.

 

Yeah, it's been such a helpful book with everything. It's perfect for anyone just getting into rotaries.

 

I understand exactly what your saying and i agree that and inexperienced driver like myself can get hurt and mess up a perfectly good car by acting stupid. But the first of all i just wanted to clear up somehting. right now i am not looking to get an FD. In the future i plan too but for right now all i wanted to get was 89-91N/A, which IMO is not a high performance sports car. I currently drive a 1994 passat GLX with 172hp (Vr6motor) , which (if im not mistaken) is more powerful than an N/A FC. to tell u the truth im not even sure if i want to get an Rx7 yet. I simply want to just learn all i can about them before making my descision.

Also my father knows exactly how i drive which is why he is letting me consider buying an FC if i so choose. He currently owns an s14 with a sr20det swap and t3/t4 turbo upgrade, which i have driven numerous times. and he knows im not one of those kids that think they can drive like people on TV and ****.

 

Cool. Perhaps I read too much into your post. Sounds like you have you have a good head on your shoulders. An FC would be a good start as it will teach you much about the basics of a 12A or 13B engine depending on which model year you are able to find. These things are all over the place. They even make good spec racers if you ever decided to take it to a track.

Good luck with learning about the rotary. I have owned and FC and and FD for 10 years and I am still learning.

 

Whoops, sorry about that. I thought I saw FD somewhere in there and just got on a roll.

 

what the hell do you mean lol, really you all have to learn how to read, not once did he mention any thing about a FD and you all jump down this kids back but now he said he wants an FC so its completely different story right you FD guys make me lol. any way playastarkz123 get the car it will be a good learning expeirience and it is really a fun car just make sure you have a second vehical that is open for you to drive just incase any thing happens and please dont listen to all these stuck up fd guys

 

lol i uderstand where they are coming from though. There too many stories you hear these days of teenagers getting these extremely fast cars and end up losing control or something and crashing