Rx7 Daily drivers?
 

how many of you drive an rx7 as your main car everyday?

and what are the pros and cons of having a rotary car as a main driver?


please and thank you for answers

I did drive my FC non turbo as a daily driver the first couple of months but the gasprices in europe are very high so i bought a cheap little car to go to work and after that i drove the FC mainly for fun in the summer.

The FB i own now only leaves his garage when it's good weather and never in the winter.

Only drawback to using mine as a DD is the standard parking lots- assholes need to learn not to just throw open their doors. seems like even if i park out in Bum-Fukkin-Egypt some asshole in a honda parks next to me...

The reasons why RX-7s aren't perfect daily drivers have nothing to do with being rotary aside from using more gas than your ordinary car.

They are all rear wheel drive and lightweight. If you daily drive in snow or ice you'll want to consider snow tires and driving skill.

FD's in general take all of these elements quite a bit further. So if you're thinking FD do some research on them.

yeah i drive it every day. it's the only car i own. when tax refund time comes around i'll be looking to get something to drive that's better on gas and cause the 7 needs some much needed r&r.

Just like any other car. And like someone stated, if your a ding freak, this isn't the car for you. You will find yourself parking in another state. : )

my current s5 is not a DD
but my 10AE vert was, the only complain i had after 3 years of DD was you have to slow down to like 1mph to go over most speedbumps so you wont bottom out, i dont know if the springs were gettin bad or struts/shocks, has anyone else had that issue?

I've dd'd my vert for 6 months now. Drive 5 hours back home every weekend, and dd in chicago during the week. Runs great. Only complaint is mpg's. Fun car to drive and turns heads all the time.

Mind you the car was sitting for 2 years before I got it. Preventitive mantainance is key. Currently I'm at 141xxx miles on the stock non rebuilt motor.

i drive my 85 GS every day. not great on gas but its a great car overall so that makes up for the fuel economy shortcoming. its been solidly reliable and i wouldnt heistate to drive it to california and back

I drove mine as a dd for 3 years put about 70k on it before it croked at 140k

Thank you very much for the answers

haha how often does that happen?

i dont at all mind driving mine as an everyday driver other than it needs a radio, i drive it quite often though even though it still looks a little rough right now, and mine doesnt seem to get very bad gas mileage at all, and she gets me everywhere i need to go, running through gears as fast as i can

I've used an FD as a daily for about five years now. They're terrible in traffic, especially with a leg-breaker uprated clutch, and idling away in traffic heat for ages will kill things like the engine loom really quick (especially on a twin where there's loads of heat). They're pretty wretched in the snow, too, I tend to avoid that if possible. Fortunately we don't get too much snow on the South coast of England! TBH, on the occaisions I've had to use a different car, for all its faults I've always spent the time wishing I was in the FD

oh and i have another question

what's the deal with the Apex seals? how often do you have to replace them (mileage wise)

and if you drive a rotary a lot what kind of maintenance are you looking at?

that is a stereotype apex seals aren't always what goes out. there is many other seals that could give out before them and require a rebuild. It also depends on maintenance if you take care of your car like you should then it will last you 150 or even 200k plus. the things you need to do are fluid change i do them every 2k although most do them at every 3k. there is nothing really special about maintenance just remember you are driving a 20 year old car so just like any old car things can break and will take down other parts with it. change your thermostat so you don't over heat your engine. check vacuum lines and fuel pump. you can search and learn a lot. if you don't find what you are looking for make a thread in the appropriate section.

man thank you very much, i think the Apex stereotype comes from the use of rotarys in airplanes. since they're on the throttle a lot more at higher rpms, but idk it's just a guess



and ummmmm how is the 13b Renesis(rx8) compaired to the 13b rew(fd/rx7)?

last two questions for now

what is bad mpg to you guys; like 16, 20?

and why don't people drive rx7s during the winter??

again please and thank you for the answers

im averaging 17 right now.

DD for 6 months (since i bought it :) )

looking forward to seeing how it does in the winter, my christmas gift will be a set of snow tires :P

Bad MPG is 15-16.

RX7's aren't typically driven in the winter because:
1. There are enthusiasts who do not want the salt from the roads destroying a beautiful piece of engineering.
2. It's rear wheel drive. Not the best choice when driving in a snow storm or blizzard. Not to mention, not the safest.
3. It's more fun to drive them in nice dry roads.

If they are driven in the snow, it's typically because they take precautions to minimize salt damage, it's their only car, or they just don't care about it.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Man i'm really thinking about getting one as a DD

^^^ it doesnt really snow in GA so i think you would be good or at least DD in the summer

i have 87 DD for 4 years now. NO problems. MPG is 20 city/hwy on full tank. will need a full tune in 6k miles or so though but still runs extremely strong for a 20 year old car

and i occasionally drift it as well

oo i thought that rotary engines wouldn't start during the winter or something

well if driving in snow is the only issue i should be fine then thanks for the feed back guys.
Getting closer and closer to buying one each day :3


now i just gotta figure out where i can buy new cores from and where i can get one machined

Well I use mine as a daily and love it!!!

Pros: the car is just classy lol but on a more serious note it just fun to drive. As long as the car is in optimal condition for usage and maintained it will do its job.

Cons: as far as gas mileage its not the greatest if you drive on a heavy foot or long distances compared to others but I am sure you don't mind if you want this car .

just got my FD and using as a daily, only cons so far while owning it would be the gas mileage and difficulty getting into driveways/ going over bumps :rolleyes:

I love the snow in my fc! I save tires :)

I drive my FD daliy talk about gas hog haha. not bad

i would def. not use a rx7 for a daily you get bad gas mileage and if you get on it on the way to work or school you will most likely burn threw your oil as well so its not really a good idea in my oppionion

how much oil do you put when you premix?

I Daily my FD....... Supermarket.... Target.... bestbuy.....
Drove it North Carolina (13hrs) and just drove to maine (8hrs) a few months ago.
I even take it to work sometimes downtown (Manhattan).

I really dont care or look at my gas so thats not really a con for me....

I guess It all depends on location.... for me its my only car so I have to drive it...
but living in New york is helpful because I take the Bus and train's to work.

Here's some pics from me taking it to the supermarket.

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Pro's:
You get to show off and enjoy the car for what it was made for......... to Drive...

Cons:
Parts start to wear and tear alot faster. And if your a cleaning nut like I am, Its very hard to keep the paint spotless.

my 90 s5 fc is my daily, treats me nice like I am to her haha

I DD my S4 N/A for 5 years until I wrecked it... On average I got about 20mpg's on the highway/city... And thats still playing with it.. I DD my 10thAE-swapped 88' Vert for like 3 months... Loved driving the car every minute... Hated the MPG's... I think I honestly got around 13-15 mpg in that car... And I had an issue with speedbumps in that car as well... And animals in the road.. You just dont know how many times I have had to put my Vert on a lift and brakekleen animal blood of my oil pan....

drive mine every day. realy its just a pain in the ass to start sometimes. and it doesnt get the best gas mileage. but i love it. you could not replace my rx for another car

I daily mine to school everyday, traffic is killer needless to say in an fd and so is the gas mileage lol only 16 city. But if im going around 75-80 and maybe an occasional 4th gear pull i make 20+

+1 on getting to show off you car and why have a car in the first place if you arent gonna drive it? i mean i guess i can understand if you can afford to have multiple cars but im not there yet, still 20, college student

i've been driving my 84 since soph or junior of high school i average 20 mpg i have had it for about 5 years now and have not done one thing to it except change the oil and done the brakes. i couldn't have asked for a better car, daily driver summer and winter driven in the snow numerous times! the snow it drives like a champ as long its not too deep... its not good on the ice i got stuck on a flat road once my wheels just spun... it was pure ice though! lol but i have chains! it leaks a little oil though but they all do just add some every now and then! GREAT car! fun to drive

I prefer to use my FD as a hobby. Let's face it, the car is a classic, and their numbers are dwindling like the members of America's 'greatest generation.' If you can, I'd cherish your 7 and look at minimizing the miles you put on it. But, make sure the miles you DO put on it are fast ones.:egrin:

nvm i searched the premix ratio

im looking for buying an fd as my first car.ill probably be driving it just over a mile to school every day and maybe about 10 miles during the weekend.would an fd be a good car minus the mileage?

i have a 302 7 and its not the best on gas but is fun on dry days...

never get stuck in snow. my 88 turbo 2 isnt my daily driver, i got caught in a small snow storm last week in nj, driving home from work sucked soo bad.. no traction at all. of all the days lol weather said just a dusting. turned into like 2 inches. i was like i shoulda just drove my truck

i DD my 86 S4 n/a...
actually i currently live in it...dont have a local house but i like to travel around the country...u might be amazed at how far a car and a tent will go.
i have 2 vehicles...the other is a gillig school bus with a caterpillar diesel in it...
pros; i get to baby the shit out of it...its all i pay attention to anymore...i take great care of it

cons; price of parts...i want to replace absolutly everything with quality parts to bring it not only up to par stock but a little beyond that, but its gotta be one thing at a time which kinda sucks when it require prioritizing what to buy/replace first.

my Daily

Only had my FD for the last few days now (new FD owner), but I intend to use it daily too.

And with the current weather we're having, it's a blast!!!!!

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nice fd. always liked the black and red advans. looks like the red is wearing off the front one? is that even possible?

I'd bet the vast majority who had to rely on an FD as their only way to get them to and from school and/or work...don't own them anymore. But a search is your friend, read and decide for yourself....

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/your-fd-your-daily-driver-492181/
https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/can-rx7s-make-good-commuters-370007/

I have my 99 Accord and a 2005 RX8. I use them both. The 8 goes out when it's good weather and clean roads and not too long of a trip but not a super short one either. When I'm going to a shithole place, I take the Accord and pray someone steals it. When I have a long trip, I take the Accord for the great gas mileage. If the weather sucks, I take the Accord. I totally baby the 8, but only because I have a choice of what to drive.

That is me as well. You should see the interior gymnastics after an Ikea run :D

Pros: I love it. My dream car gets driven every day.

Cons: Engine wear, the Texas heat, and paint chips from those who don't care what they open doors into..