When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Its no surprise that car manufactures have certain model years that get refreshed or are better than the other years because they added/fixed/took away something that overall made the car better. When I was shopping for my BMW I was only targeting a specific year range because those were the ones with upgraded headlights/old-better engine/etc. Older BMWs had it too and I learned which years were best if shopping for a classic
That being in mind, since I’m newer to the FD scene, which year would be the consensus that was “better” than the rest of the years because of features/options that it had that were added/kept from being taken away by other years?
Essentially; which year(s) would be the best to shoot for if shopping to get the “best” RX-7
At this point any well taken care of car with the lowest mileage in the best shape with the least mods and the freshest motor. Used to be able to be super picky 10 years ago but now a days I feel like they are all getting to be special, even my hated 93 touring with tan interior.
Thank you
These all seem like good reads and I’ll definitely be combing through them, appreciate it!
Originally Posted by Molotovman
USDM ‘94 or ‘95. If you’re a collector the earliest stock ‘93 without a tan interior.
Not necessarily a collector but I am hoping to find one in red with tan interior (pretty particular about this). I’m assuming there are issues with 93’ Tan?
Originally Posted by nopistons1994
At this point any well taken care of car with the lowest mileage in the best shape with the least mods and the freshest motor. Used to be able to be super picky 10 years ago but now a days I feel like they are all getting to be special, even my hated 93 touring with tan interior.
I can definitely say that an RX-7 is a sight to behold in person and I can count on my fingers how many times I’ve actually seen one in the wild. Since it will be taken up as a project, my only hope is to find one with a clean/straight body and the least amount of mods possible; engines can always be rebuilt/upgraded/swapped/etc; I went through the “being realistic” phase when I was shopping for classic BMWs so I know there are things that might have to be compromised on when hunting for a classicish car. I know the 13B-REW isn’t known for its reliability but I’ve finally gotten to the point in life where I can afford mechanical problems and wrenching until the car is fixed as I have other, slightly more reliable means of daily transportation. I plan on keeping the car pretty close to stock + reliability mods; more of a resto-mod build. Already have something to scratch the “go fast” itch
Good start with the expectations. People love to hate the tan interior of the 93's because of how much tan they used. Here is a comparison between 93 and 94 tan interiors (the 93 is mine)
93 VR -
94 Tan interior -
As you can tell the headliner, door cars, bins (not shown), and footwell bits are all black vice the tan in the 93. The 93 interior also is more flaky (it's actually smooth) whereas the 94 interior is rough and almost bumpy looking. It's personal preference, I like my tan interior, I also had a 94 FD with the tan before as well.
Here are some stats on how rare these are in USDM form..
Assuming you want a manual transmission, in vintage red -
-1993 there were only 2,506 VR cars made in base and touring form, of which there are both tan and black interiors (don't know that breakdown)
-1994 had 467 VR cars made in Popular Equipment Package (PEP), base, and touring form
-1995 had a staggering 88 cars in PEP and base (dropped the touring model)
So if you want an original VR FD, then you're at a grand total of 3,061 options ever made. If you want tan on top of that, well you're less than 3000 for sure obviously. How many are left? Not quite sure but you can see that you're not off to a great start statistically. Everyone is going to tell you the 94+ were better (they were for various reasons besides just the tan interior change) but good luck getting a 94+ in your configuration, as you may have to wait years for something to come around and it will likely be north of 30K in pristine condition with low miles and a good motor.
This is why I said you're best off getting a 93 if you like the way the tan interior looks. If you stumble across a 94+ at a good price, snag it for sure, just don't get your hopes up. If you're NOT looking for a collector, then just buy a 93 man, that's my take on it, and you can swap in black interior bits like door cards and bins for a decent price anyway.
Any more questions feel free to hit me up on email or here on PM, I love chatting RX-7 **** so it's no problem.
* 93: Look for grinding in the weak 5th gear synchro or documentation it’s been fixed.
* 93: Most had thin plastic UIM gaskets that could leak. An easy fix with later model’s metal gasket, but may still be there with low mileage cars.
* 93: The driver’s side engine mount had a high failure rate because of it’s design. Even after a redesign, ALL stock engine mounts, regardless of year, tended to fail eventually. But that driver’s side 93 just failed sooner.
* R models, in general, tend to be more desirable. They also have dual oil coolers which is a desirable modification on the other models.
* No sunroof models have better headroom...especially if you wear a helmet.
Dual oil coolers are nice, but honestly even though the R1 had them, you're still better off installing an aftermarket dual oil cooler setup anyway if you don't want the up-charge for the R1's otherwise. Mine does have the 5th gear issue if you throw it hard into 5th, which I just simply fixed by gingerly going into 5th for now until it's time for an engine rebuild when I'll get the trans fixed as well.
Good start with the expectations. People love to hate the tan interior of the 93's because of how much tan they used
The 93 Tan Interior you posted is pretty much exactly what I’d be looking to get. If that is your car then I am definitely jealous and hope you enjoy and treat the car well
Thank you for the breakdown on the production stats as well; it helped to shed more light on the market I’ll be looking at when it actually comes time to buy. The tan headliner would probably be the only thing I feel would be a bit “much” but the doors and rear lockboxes; absolute must
Originally Posted by Sgtblue
1) 93: Look for grinding in the weak 5th gear synchro or documentation it’s been fixed.
2) 93: Most had thin plastic UIM gaskets that could leak. An easy fix with later model’s metal gasket, but may still be there with low mileage cars.
3) 93: The driver’s side engine mount had a high failure rate because of it’s design. Even after a redesign, ALL stock engine mounts, regardless of year, tended to fail eventually. But that driver’s side 93 just failed sooner.
4) R models, in general, tend to be more desirable. They also have dual oil coolers which is a desirable modification on the other models.
5) No sunroof models have better headroom...especially if you wear a helmet
1) Yes, read about that in the FAQ guides posted. Fully prepared to do a rebuild myself if I find an FD I like but there’s grinding/no documentation
2) I’m heavily DIY inclined and so no worries there
3) Replacing it wouldn’t be a problem, see above
4) I am not particular with getting any which trim package as long as the options can be retrofittedd which I am assuming they are. The only cars I am anally retentive about being a factory trim level are BMWs and I’ve already got that itch scratched
Frankly, I’ll prefer whichever trim nets me the easiest/cheapest entry point while fulfilling my non-negotiables (Vintage Red + Tan; Manual). I’m starting heavily lean in the 93 direction although won’t pass up 94/95s for a good price and add in the Tan bits I DO want later
5) Don’t plan on tracking the car and I am of average height and so I feel as though I’ll be okay in any of the trim levels although I am still in between wanting a slicktop because of the “true” sportscar feel or having a sunroof just to say I have all the options... Decisions decisions
Thanks for the replies so far everyone
Theyve really been helping me narrow down expectations and learn a completely new platform than what I’m used to
You can retrofit or improve every R series option on the car with either factory or aftermarket and the parts are readily available to do such. For suspension I'd just go new vice 25 year old parts, same with oil coolers, but the factory R1 strut bar in red is DOPE (I have 2 lol). Seats are nice as well in the suede type material but you can easily recover your seats anyway and have brand new, more modern material. The R1 front lips are also pretty cheap to install, got mine from Goodfella for like 100 shipped in good condition.
Appreciating the replies. Good to know things can be added. The car I’ll eventually get my hands on will definitely get a refresh from the ground up but kept mostly stock baring the obvious wheels + springs + dampers; maybe bumpers/wing as well (nothing crazy, just OEM+). I might prefer a non-R1 model at this point (mostly due to the lower entry point) because retrofitting/upgrading would help me get acquainted to the small intricate details/upgrades between model years/trim levels myself. Regardless, nothing is off the table but it’s definitely getting me excited to bring an FD home to the garage one day
Is there an online parts directory from Mazda that show the parts diagrams and has list/numbers? BMW has RealOEM which has been invaluable for me in tracking down parts for my current project; hoping there would be one for the RX-7 as well which would make tracking down part numbers that much easier
09-18-18, 02:31 AM
