So I'm thinking about buying an FD but I've never ridden in one. I've been in FC's and I've heard the FD's are fun. I know the potential they carry and I mean you can't go wrong with looks either with the FD. I was wondering if there is anyone that is selling one or someone that would be willing to give me a ride(I dont even have to drive) in the FD to see if this is the car for me? Please PM/Email/Or just post here. Thank you.

Sean

 

If you're looking for a ride in an FD you might wanna come out to the April 7th bbq at Doug's Lynnwood Mazda... If you're looking for one for sale locally I don't think there are many, if any, available right now. My suggestion would be to use a site like Autotrader.com and the For Sale sections on here to find a car and then use the members to help you decide whether it's worth purchasing.

 

FD owners will let you sit in one and even ride shotgun but never let you drive one.

 

you know, its not so much how much you like to like to drive/ride in it....if you have a pulse you will like it. The real question is, how much time and money are you willing to put into it to make sure it runs?

 

I could give you a ride, but I live way up in Bellingham.

My black car is also kindof forsale...

 

well i'm looking to get one for like $12,000 or under...

I'll def be at that meet April 7th...

I mean I'll have time to make sure its running and I got some ideas for swaps, want to try something new...cause I wanna be able to drive it cross country and it being rotary kinda scares me haha...

But yeah i'm not asking to drive one...i just wanna sit in shotgun and see how the car is

How do I know wats a GOOD deal for an FD? It being rare/rotary makes it kinda hard to figure it out?

 

ALSO...is this a car thats WORTH takin an autoloan for? Cause I got 5G's in cash...just wonderin...

 

If you can pay off the car fast: yes it's worth taking a loan for. But make sure you have enough money for constant repairs/maintenance, BILLS, and if you can afford it after those two - mods.

$12k or under is gonna be a while before you find a GOOD 3rd gen for that price. Most high mileage 3rd gens in WA are still $13.5 to $14.5 thru dealers. You can't really sacrifice with an FD. Either be willing to pay the money and be able to afford it, or expect a not so great condition car that will need work.

If you haven't already, go to the 3rd gen FAQ thread and see if you're up for the challenge.

If you've got $5g's why not look at getting a nice T2?

 

i've been lookin at T2's but I can't seem to find one right in that range...unless i'm looking the wrong places...

Is a FD like at the 15G's range going to be decent enough where I can just maintain it n it will be fine?

I've read thru the buyers guide and all that stuff in the FAQ, i learned a lot...its not so much money but its time consuming i guess?

 

a good 12k fd is really tough to find right now. I have been helping my friend look for one and its just tough. I got my car for 10.5 with a freshly rebuilt engine, excellent tranny, a few small dents, nice interior, and 74k miles just last year. This year, im looking at cars that are 11.5k and they have a rebuilt title, lots of body damage, missing parts, messed up 5th gear, questionable engines, etc. I feel like to get a good one right now you are looking at about a 14k minimum (only talking about washington area...dont know about other parts of the country). Even at that, expect to have to put a good bit of effort making sure it doesnt blow up, and you should also have a few grand on the side just in case the motor dies. A FD is much more expensive than just the price you pay for it unfortunately. If i sound like im just being negative, i think too many fd's get bought by people who cant really afford to maintain them and then they just end up getting run down. Please, think of the FD's.

 

Most FD's are going to start around $13k with high mileage, now. I picked mine up 3 years ago with 54k miles for $13.5k from the original owner. Nothing had been replaced and it wasn't maintained the best, but well enough to be in good condition.

point5chink said it best "Even at that, expect to have to put a good bit of effort making sure it doesnt blow up, and you should also have a few grand on the side just in case the motor dies. A FD is much more expensive than just the price you pay for it unfortunately."

I had $10k for emergency purposes, which unfortunately got me thru unemployment and schooling rather than going into a rebuild that I am in need of.

You should check the forum for a T2, you're more likely to find a better deal. Dealerships like to try and get $7-$8k out of them sometimes...

As for both of these cars it usually takes a while for you to actually find the one you want to buy... Just be patient and in the meantime weigh your options some more.

 

so to everyone on here...how RELIABLE is your FD? especially motor wise?

Is it better and less expensive overall to get a shell thats just missing engine/tranny for the most part and getting an LS1/2, SR20, 7M, V12(BMW) motor swapped into it?(LS1 or SR more than likely)

Cause how i See it is rotary engine if done right can be VERY reliable and very fun to play around...but its expensive to maintain...

But maybe get a shell, do engine swap yourself, and have a engine that works like most engines in this world and pay a lot less for maintainance...but a lot of custom things would have to go into it?

So either to buy one with the rotory for 15K, or get a shell for 6, swap it all for like 5-6 K, and have a car thats pretty reliable?

that is the question?

 

Well a swap is going to usually be more than $5 or $6k to do when all is said and done. You have the cost of the motor, plus everything needed to make it fit. RX7's really aren't known for reliability... And good shells are hard to come by, and not as cheap as most people would think...

Buy one with a rotary, or forget about the FD all together if it's that much of a hassle for you... Just my opinion, not trying to be rude.

 

i hate those motor swaps. They make me angry. Mazda has gone through hell and back keeping the rotary design alive and it fits the balance of this car perfectly. And you want to go and ruin that with some american bullshit. So sad when people butcher these limited beautiful cars. I hope you change your mind.