Hello everyone. I purchased a 1995 FD and took the keys last week and thought I would share it along with asking a few questions after getting a little more acquainted with the car. First of all, I’m currently in Japan so this is a model spec’d as such. The car shows just short of 70,000 kilometers on the odometer and a quick pop of the hood shows that it has had modifications from previous ownership. After driving the car around for about a week, it is very fun to drive and I enjoy the car but there are some things that the car needs given that it is obviously 25 years old.

I know that the car needs new shocks as the rear end bounces like a pogo stick and the passenger side power window stopped working for some reason. Some of the stock gauges do not function but there are some aftermarket gauges that appear to be oil temp, oil pressure, and water temp. There is also a boost gauge installed but it is definitely not measured in PSI like I am accustomed to. I will monitor the oil level weekly and add as needed (conventional 20w-50?) with changes every 3,000-5,000 kilometers. The car is also a 5 speed manual for any information that may provide.

My overall intent for this car and the guidance I'm looking for is to make it as reliable and dependable as possible. The car is already very fun and very quick and as you’ll notice, already seems to have some performance modifications done to it so I do not want to modify the car for performance but just ensure its reliability. The car is my daily driver but I live in a Tokyo suburb and commute on city streets about 10 kilometers each way to work which usually takes around 30ish minutes depending on traffic at that time. So judging by the pictures and what you might can tell from what you can see under the hood, what measures should I take to keep this car running well for a very long time? I’ve done some researching and it seems the Japanese models do not have the pre-cat or EGR system that is recommended to be removed for reliability. Lastly, the car has a Power FC installed but I’m not familiar with what to do with it and would rather not mess with it considering I’m not sure what has been done to this car. That being said, on the topic of fuel octane, I’ve read conflicting recommendations and would like clarification if 91 octane is what I should be using.

Thank you all in advance for taking the time to read and offer advice to these comments and questions. Pictures are inserted below.

 

I dont have an FD but that's a beautiful car you have there. Welcome to the forum.

 

*Search the 3rd Gen FAQ at the top of this section for reliability modifications. Hint: IMO everything starts with cooling.
*You already have an aluminum AST, hopefully an aluminum radiator as well. Stay with stock hoses but make sure they’re in good shape and installed properly with original spring clamps. Make sure you have an undertray or “belly pan”. Seems like for some reason they get left off when aftermarket bumpers are added such as yours but critical for good air flow to the radiator face.
*You have an aftermarket IC, looks like maybe a Pettit. If so it should have a good duct and you’re in good shape.
*Not crazy about your aftermarket intake. It uses hot under hood air. I’d source a box-style intake or at least a shield from Pettit Racing to help the intake get ambient air from the nose.
*With an open intakes and that Intercooler you should have some form of boost control to prevent spiking.
*Not certain what that is beside the throttle-body elbow...a catch-can setup maybe? Maybe someone else can chime in.
*Personal taste but you got a lot of different colors going on under the hood...yellow, red, blue, silver...even a sort-of green? I think the previous owner should’ve made up his mind.
*I’d also source a used battery box and cover. In addition to (mostly) aesthetics I think they have some function to shield from heat and an accidental terminal shorting.
*IMO you only need two gauges...Temp (oil or coolant) and boost for a street car. I prefer monitoring coolant temp because that’s what I’m used to. But if you’re comfortable with oil temp, fine. Don’t rely on the stock temp gauge. It’s not linear.
*Sketchy oil pressure readings on the STOCK gauge can frequently be traced to a dirty connection at the sender which is right under the oil filter pedestal. Sometimes the sender needs replacing.
*If there’s an aftermarket oil pressure there’s probably a sandwich on the oil filter pedestal for that sender. Check for any signs of leakage.
*Looks like the AC was removed.
*91 octane is fine as long as you keep it at stock boost levels (i.e.
10 psi or .7 bar). If you have a PFC you should have a commander which monitors a lot of things, including boost. Just make sure Japan’s octane level is calculated the same and is equivalent to the North American 91.

**You need to get a good baseline for maintenance on the car. Look beyond the shiny paint. If the previous owner ignored blown shocks, what else may he have neglected? Change ALL fluids...coolant, oil, gear oil in the transmission and differential, maybe a brake flush. And at least visually check the brake pads and belts. New plugs and if plug wires are old. NGK for both in stock heat ranges. Maybe some quality fuel system cleaner and fuel filter. It’s a forced induction rotary. You DO NOT want to run lean.

 

If on-base has high octane, use that. Personally, I prefer out in town. Tell the attendant "high-o-ku," and you'll be good.
Not to disagree with SgtBlue or anything, but, I imagine if you bought the car local economy, that intercooler may be an RE Amemiya 1.5 or 2 SMIC.
Since you're in Yokosuka, you might consider a trip to Chiba (iirc) and get a full look over by RE A. They could probably also set you up with a tune on that PFC. I think KnightSports is closer, if you want. Think they're on the south side.

Also, make sure you take her out to the Bayshore route every now and then to stretch her legs
Go play with some GT-Rs or something.

 

Don’t consider it disagreeing. It was a guess on the IC...it just reminded me of their old Cool Charge II. Regardless good ducting is nearly as important. I agree on checking tune as well.

 

Thank you for the compliment and warm welcome.

You mentioned a bunch of good stuff which I really appreciate. I read through the third gen FAQ and browsed through the reliability mods and some of them seem to already be done but I thought it wise to get opinions and advice from you experienced and seasoned folks. I'm not a big fan of the intake on the car either so I'll see what I can find for a shield if possible along with a cover for the battery box. I'm not entirely sure what that is next to throttle body elbow either but I'll try to get a few good pictures of it in the morning when I go out to the car and post them. At night under a flashlight, it almost looks like the oil filter attached to a big braided hose.

As for gauges, the previous owner removed the radio and installed three aftermarket gauges in its place and a boost gauge right in front of the tachometer. I'm not a fan of the setup as I have seen someone on this forum with what appeared to be a digital gauge that monitored both coolant temp and boost in the same gauge and it was mounted at the bottom of the A-pillar near where it meets the dash. I would like this setup much better and could re-install a radio. The AC was indeed removed which isn't a major issue currently but it does get hot and humid here so I'm not sure why it was removed in the first place. For octane, it seems that my only two options on the military base are 85 and 93 so the latter is what it looks like I'll be using. Getting a good maintenance baseline is something that cannot be understated in my opinion so I'm glad that you pointed that out as it will be a top priority. The specifics you mentioned are extremely appreciated.

Someone has spent time in Japan I see. I am a little over an hour drive from Yokosuka on the Army base which only has 85 octane but the housing area that is about a 15 minute drive has 93 so if higher octane is what I need, that's where I'll likely get it. May I ask why you preferred to get it out in the economy? A buddy just about ran his car out of gas on the way to work one day when I was with him and he had no choice but to stop out in the economy for fuel. We didn't know what we were doing trying to get the pump to work.

The car was purchased from a local national which is part of the reason why I'm not sure what some of the specifics are on the modifications that are done. RE A is indeed in Chiba which is about an hour and 45 minute drive from me so once the current worldwide situation dies down some, I will probably take the car there to have them look it over really well. Knight Sports is closer at just over an hour away so between the two, I'm not sure which would be the better recommendation.

I'll have to do some research on the Bayshore and see what it's all about. A buddy I work with has an R32 that I could probably talk into going as well.

 

Re-reading my post it sounds like I was beating-up on your car. Wasn’t my intention...and sorry. I should have left some comments out. It’s a nice car. Some things may not be to my taste but it does look to have been cared for with some quality parts.

 

Yeah man. i'm down in Oki. Looking to move on up to Fuji in the next couple years.
Really, use the high octane. The stuff on base (at least down here) had a reasonable concentration of water in the tanks at one point in time. I believe it's since been resolved, but, not a good look. We only recently got premium on base at Kadena. But, most enthusiasts still go to Eneos or something. The majority of stations have attendants. So, they pump for us. At your self service pumps they should have someone there who can assist. When I rolled up outside Iwakuni a few years back, the Self Service ones were the only ones open, but they still had someone watching who was able to walk me through it. I know it's not cheap off base. But, it's cheaper than a blown engine. Well worth it, imo.

RE A vs KnightSports would be up to you. From what i see in general, Amemiya-san is a good guy. But, I light KS aero parts more lol

If you've gone to Daikoku, you've probably been on it. Just head back to Tokyo proper over the Rainbow Bridge and you'll get on it, iirc (only been once lol). If not, go take a drive! Daikoku is where it's at Friday/Saturday like 2200+. And 7s day, of course. That's what you'll be interested in
Oh and, on that note, if you wanna do research on the Bayshore route, you need to know about The Midnight Club. And I dont know your feelings on anime or anything but, Wangan Midnight is something you should look into too. If you've hit up any arcades, they should have a few Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune cabinets for you to play. Just make sure you get an Aime card.

Oh. And that thing next to the throttlebody/elbow, looks to be just an oil filter relocation kit. Keep it, or dont. If you have the oil temp/press gauges in it, you can keep it for now. Personally, a sandwich plate will do the trick and be less conspicuous. But, thats me and what I did.