St.George

Hello, this might be in the wrong section. Sorry if it is, but I have a newb question.

I'm kinda new to import cars, is buying a RX-7 a good idea as it will be my only car for the time being? Like I said I'm new, my of my experence is with muscle cars and off road style trucks. But I've got a bit of a tuner bug when my friend bought a skyline GT-R. I've looked into it a lot and I'm stuck between a Toyota Mark II, RX-7, skyline GT-R and 300Z.

So I guess I want some opinions and info on the RX-7 (and any of those cars for that matter). How hard is it going to be to work on a rotary motor? I have lots of experence with "normal" motors, but is a rotary motor going to be too different for me to work on? What about reliability? Are parts expensive? As you can tell I got a lot of questions and I'm pretty lost as is. So ANY info at all will be a huge help.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

Well,as a daily driver the car would be a little bit of a disappointment in the gas mileage department.
It is a Fun Car to drive,and I myself love getting into it,and sort of hate getting Out of it once I am in it!
Reliability is pretty well up to the owner and his Maintenance abilities.Being able to Check fluids,hoses,etc as the car is not exactly a modern technological wonder with OnStar that tells ya when anything is out of whack.
In the Stock version you can have the car keep up to the best,but once you start replacing the engine components with aftermarket stuff,such as ECU,Turbo,etc,then you are looking once again at whether you have the capability to give it the tune that will support the upgrades.
As with all cars,Parts can get expensive,and with the car being 20 years plus old,some parts are not readily available at the local Napa.they need to be bought from specialty online sites,such as Mazdatrix,BlackDragonAuto.
If you know the Basics of a Piston engine,then you shouldn't have too much of a problem with the Rotary engine.
Unless you plan on rebuilding the engine and can work with "tolerances and clearances" then the Engine is about the same Piece of pie as compared to a Piston engine.
I look at like this:once you get past the fact that there are "triangles inside it",if you think about it,The keg of a rotary and the Block of a Piston engine perform the same function.
Now,slap on aftermarket parts that do the same thing on Both engines and you are pretty well on an even keel when it comes to mechanics,right???
Many Guys are scared that the engine doesn't have pistons in it,but really the old 4 is still there,and that is "intake,compression,power,exhaust.
So don't let the triangles fool ya or scare ya.they are just "weird shaped pistons"!
Few mechanics will shy away from the Rotary engine as they were schooled on Piston engines,and that leaves the Rotary owner faced with finding a capable shop.I truly think that is Why this Forum was created!!..If you start a hobby,such as stamp collecting,you would want to know as much about stamps as you can,right?..that is why it is a good idea to educate yourself as an Rx7 Owner and find out what parts do what,and IF you do this,what will happen,,and why **** happens!
Take a cup of coffee and browse through some of the Sections,such as the SEC GEN Specific and Sec Gen Archive Sections.
The info in those 2 sections alone is worth it's weight in gold,and Frankly,If it wasn't for those sections I would have Folded up "this Card table" a long time ago and quit the game.
I love my Rx7 and I have never felt so Strong about owning something that I feel connected with,somehow.
So,see what you can Gather info wise by reading the Threads,and the experiences of the owners,and then you decide,,is it your "cup of tea"?..or is it just a piece of metal that you are gonna toss on 6 months.
My bet is once you "get bitten" you will stick around for Part 2...
..with that,Welcome to the Forum.have fun,go out and drive the car,and For God's sake make sure you stay Employed!..haha..as the car will want you to Donate your cheque to stay alive!

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Out of all RX-7s it's generally agreed that the 3rd generation is the least suitable for daily driving. They drink gas, have expensive parts, the throttle and stance are really poor for winter driving, and no space for people or cargo.

The 2nd gen and 1st gen are not as bad but similar traits. Fortunately the aren't as expensive.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

1st gen is a great dd as it's the only thing right now i have. fc probably is too but never owned one. u really need to get to know how the rotary works and how to care for and keep them running before u make one ur ONLY vehicle. AND how to source and swap an engine out in a weekend when the current engine looses an apex seal so it's up and running by the next work week.

Evil Aviator

I think the RX-7 is better than the other cars that you are considering. The 86-92 models would probably best fit your bill. The car parts are priced about the same as the other cars that you are considering. The engine parts are a little expensive, but there are not many parts on a rotary engine, so it evens out pretty well. Rotary engines are very reliable, but they are a little more prone to damage from heat and detonation, so you need to watch both of those areas. Rotary-powered cars do very well in endurance racing events.

If you want to see what is involved in an engine rebuild, videos are available so you can see what you are up against. It isn't very difficult, but it is different. The rest of the car is pretty conventional though.
http://www.rebuildingrotaryengines.com/
http://www.rotaryaviation.com/overhaul_video.htm
http://atkinsrotary.com/store/catalo...p-1-c-707.html

dankekong

iTrader: (2)

Buying an rx7 is a great idea, hands down. MY first car is my rx7, and I would have to kill myself if I ever got rid of it!

R0tor R00ter

iTrader: (1)

I have had my 88 fc vert for a few months now and it has cost me a bit I must say. Right now it is all I have so it is my DD as well as hobby. I do love it and plan on learning about rotary engines. It does seem to be a bit more simple than a piston engine IMO! Don't think I will ever get rid of it. It is cheap for a sports car and fun.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

^Agreed. You can add that it's hard on the engine if you don't allow for warm-up time, especially in cold weather and especially before getting into boost.
The FD is forced induction with a finicky control system for the sequential twin turbos. Forced induction of any kind increases heat and stress. Heat and stress tend to reduce longevity/reliability. Factor in that they are all at least 16 years old (in LHD) and you can answer your own question.
General mechanical experience is great, but little else will translate from a piston engine to rebuilding a rotary. Though if you can follow the Factory Service Manual you can probably do it.

Obviously I'm a FD enthusiast or I wouldn't be here. The FD makes a great weekend/second car. But if you absolutely have to rely on one car to get you to work or school on time... all year long, there are better choices.

ASolangeM

I have an 88 FC3C as my daily driver and I live an hour away from work. Not ideal because I hate to put the miles on it but everyday I fall a little more in love with my RX7. First thing you should do, if/when you get yours, is a full tune up. It will help with the mpg.

wjk0817

iTrader: (3)

My 90 fc is my daily, but I'm not too smart with rotarys
So its kinda scary to drive my fc as my dd.
Especially after today, my car failed to start cause it was so hot.

pokemonpimp55

iTrader: (6)

Every car breaks down, rx7s are no different, if you decide to our base an rx7 make sure its in reasonable condition and just like any car in the world, keep up with the maintenance ...plugs, oil, and coolant, and the car will treat you well, as long as driving habits are under control, the car will last you 180k+
Good luck...and welcom to the forum!!!

czar

heh i daily drive my fd but i also walk to work most the time so its not critical. Put 20k miles on mine in the few months ive had it lol

rusty FC

iTrader: (7)

you dont wand to daily drive any of the cars you listed. i have a rx7 and a mkiv supra and my x-girlfriend had a 300zx, so take it from somone that knows. buy yourself a beater for a few hunderd and drive it every day. i had a 89 s-10 that i drove for 15 years never had one problem from it and only paid 300 for it.
if you can afford to have and play with on of these cars than you can afford something else to drive every day. if not then you dont need to get one, certainly not an rx7

bmeyer

iTrader: (5)

My old GSL-SE was the only car I owned the first two years of driving. I am biased toward first gens, but I would agree with Rxtasy3 in that first gens are great daily drivers. I put about 25K on it in the three years I owned it. You just have to keep up on everything, because it can bite you in the *** if not. I learned that the hard way. Inspect the car thoroughly and I would suggest doing everything it needs at once, if the money is there.

I now have a Ford Bronco II and split the miles between it and the GS.

castokrk

I have only had my Gen-1 for a couple of years, but it made a great DD for my son after he sold his car. I have found that the parts are not too bad from a pricing standpopint. I have seen, though, that the junk yards all of a sudden seem to be empty when it comes to these cars. Even as recent as a year ago, the local U-Pull-It yards had 4-5 cars to scavange from. I can not find any now. There is a good AM company - you can find on the web. I don't think I am permitted to give the name on the fourm though.

Kirk

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

hey kirk. don't think i've seen ur intro thread so welcome and what part of sc? what's an "AM" company? if it's automotive related then yes u can give the name.

castokrk

Hi Michael,
I'm in rock Hill, so not too far from you. "AM" meaning after market. So I it's Ok to actually list the company name? Thanks - I wasn't sure.

I'm sure most everyone on here already uses or knows them, but since St. George isn't already an RX7 owner, I figured he did not.

I use Black Dragon for some parts - been satisfied, but some things are a little pricey.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

never heard st george. but everyone knows BD.

fc3cFTW

hey guys, i just started the rotary game...i traded my ek hatch for a nice fc3c with very low miles..its my dd but i want to do the j-spec tII motor swap..is it worth it, or should i turbo the n/a motor??

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

IMHO, don't do ANYTHING to the car for a year or so.
Get the Factory Service Manual (FSM), read every sticky in the 2nd Gen. section. Then search the forum for additional info. During that time do regular maintenance and repairs. Do that and this time next year you'll have decent working knowledge of YOUR car and rotary engines in general. If you still choose to do the swap, you will have a better idea of specific details, needed parts and obstacles. And that will likely translate into saving alot of money and keeping you from running out of enthusiasm half-way through. You'll also have a chance to pick-up a spare DD for the time when the car is down.

Slevin_FD

iTrader: (26)

RX7 as a daily...... dangerous.

czar

But o so fun

Slevin_FD

iTrader: (26)

Agreed.

rx7baller999

yeah im also looking into getting an rx7 but it would be my daily driver. any suggestions on how pricy i should go. meaning should i gett a really nice one and hope it doesnt break besides the normal rx7 problems or buy an average one that i can afford and deal with all the problems

Mr.Cool

iTrader: (2)

iv been dd my fcs for just over a year now i have an 88 turbo ii for my summer car(dd) and an 88 gxl for my winter car(dd) i bought a jeep last winter and drove it the exact same way i drive my rx7s every single day. it blew up within 3 weeks.
so i went back to the gxl, and ooo man i was in love again. rx7 - best summer, best winter.