cmeflibi

hey i was wondering and crunching the numbers, for the price, you could just about buy a c5 vett w/decent miles (40-50k range) or I've even found higher milage z06's going for low 20k dollar range. What would be the positive points to buying an FD and building it up. I'm starting from scratch with nothing and no experience with FD's. Wouldn't a vett handle pretty nice and then on top of that it's a vett? Some of those cars ever come with warrantys. I'm trying to decide which would be better. I just don't like the idea of getting a FD roller with alot of miles on it and having to replace a whole bounch of crap and having to put all kinds of money into it to make it tip top. Like all the bushings and replacing coilovers and buying convertion pieces and all that jazz.

well let me know your thoughts and ideas.

EJayCe996

You've pretty much made your decision right there. Older cars are going to need more things replaced than newer ones. Since you don't like the idea of buying pieces for the conversion and such, buying any car for a motor swap is probably gonna be pointless for you.

Merc63

If you'd rather have a waranty, buy a stock vehicle. if you think a V8 FD and a Corvette are the same, then get the Corvette and don't bother with the work of the conversion.

What are the benefits of the V8 FD? For starters, it isnt'a Corvette. it's smaller, lighter, with a different feel on the road and on the track. It's got better build quality (for bodywork and gaps), is more rigid, and has a nicer interior with better ergonomics. For many people, it looks better. More than enough reasons to build one.

cmeflibi

if I recall though, the c5 z06 outperformed cars like the 360modena and other such supercars. I rather dump the money into a vett, but we'll see, im still liking the idea of not paying insurance on a z06. Also if rx7's are soo nice, how come you need to replace like damn near everything on the cars. Enginges, 5th gear syncros, power antennas, door handles, I like my cars to not fall apart

rotorbrain

well, engines and 5th gear synchros fall to the side when you go ls1. . . so, nevermind that. antennas? never had to replace mine. if its that big of a deal, just delete it and move it inside the cabin. door handles? its a pretty old car. . . but, you can get away from this if you do a little preventive maintenance on them. take them apart, and lube them up. . . make sure the door isnt getting caught on anything. you can also get the aluminum ones. . .

falling apart. . . again, old car. if youre doing an ls1 conversion, youll more than likely replace all the "likely suspects" during the process, anyways. also, most people that take on a project like this arent the normal tards. . . so, they tend to take care of their cars. if you get one that needs replacement parts, then get them. . . replace them, and feel nice knowing that YOU wont tear them up.

also, ANY car can "fall apart". im sure you could find a couple c4's that need a good amount of TLC.

jimlab

If you can find an '02-'04 Z06 for less than $30k, buy it. The '01s are devalued for a reason.

Second, if you think Corvettes don't fall apart or wear out, think again.

And finally, it's "Vette", not "Vett".

djmessiah

I think the guy really wants to know which car handles better. Obviously this topic can be debated and debated but lets hear some opinions from those that have drove both a c5/c6 and fd. The only vette I have driven was an 98 auto convertible and found the fd much more satisfying that that car in every aspect of handling. Also if you can, post your opinion on the ultimate handling/chassis potential of the fd,c5, and c6. For instance, will an fd with coilovers,tires,sways,ect. be able to lap quicker than a c5 zo6 or even c6 zo6 Remember it only truly helps if you have had seat time in each of these cars.

Crash Test Joey

iTrader: (1)

I've had seat time in a C5, and I own a C6 and an LS1-FD. The C6 is my favorite, but mostly for all the reasons 99% of people would pick it - it's new.

I've gone the route of replacing all the broken/missing items from an FD roller to build the LS1-powered car, and it's not as satisfying when you don't have a lot of time to do it right. I bought the C6 because my work schedule hasn't allowed me that. If you have the time and desire to buold a nice car, by all means go with an FD. When done right, you've got a very nice car that will perform as well as a LOT of more expensive vehicles.

If you would rather buy something used but not as old, an 02-04 Z06 is definitely a good choice. I know a guy who has an 03, and it's unbelievable. Of course, he added a supercharger

Rxmfn7

iTrader: (4)

It seems as if youve made up your mind already by the tone of your post, so I dont know what answer you are looking for. Bottom line is, if you dont really love an FD ( or any older car for that matter), then replacing worn out parts is not satisfying, its a chore that does nothing but make you dislike the vehicle more. For the money I have into my FD I could have bought a Z06, but I have a thing for the Rx-7. If you dont, then the corvette will be money better spent for you. You can dump money into upgrades instead of maintenance.

cmeflibi

guys, awsome posts. I really like the opinions here. I would like the guys who have driven both post up their comments. My whole thing is that I would like to just straight up finance the vettE (<-the huge e is for jim lab) and not have to worry about comming up with huge amounts of money for an engine and what not. How would a c5z06 w/suspension mods compare to a FD with the same mods? like someone mentioned, I would like to get to upgrade at my pace, not have to spend money unexpected b/c something went wrong. Again, my mind isn't exactly made up b/c I could just buy an FD straight up no loan, and then save up for the conversion. i really like the idea of an ls rx7. Plus isn't the curb weight alot less on an FD? I know this doesn't pertain, but I had an eclipse that I spent boat loads of money on, and I don't want that experiance again. My wife definatly doesn't either. I could never get that thing running right and spent way too much on tunning that got me nowhere. Some parts my fault, others I blame mitsu. for not making durable parts. I think that car was just cursed.


Keep the good posts comming though. BTW i'm looking at a 2001 which is devalued, but doesn't have any of the symptoms that do devalue them. I do also like the idea of putting 11in wide tires with no fender mods.

nick

owen is fat

sounds like a new or barely used Vette is the right car for you... financially and time wise.

but you could do better cost-wise and performance wise in a well made LS1FD. you should look for a nicely maintained FD with proper suspension upgrades and then sell off the rotary drivetrain and drop in a stock or close-to-stock, as new as possible, LS1T56 and keep it simple! do it fast and do it cleanly and you will have a wonderful car for half the price of a used Z06 thats on par in performance. if you keep it simple you wont break the bank and wont run into problems with installation errors on aftermarket parts, which is the most common way time gets wasted on an LS1FD project.. waiting for the right parts or needing to do something twice etc.

after a year with the stock'ish LS1FD, you could decide if you want to run flares out back or add any other mods or safety parts. but a very simple LS1FD seems to be quite a capable car and any other mods are just icing on the cake.

cozmo kraemer

If you really want an LS1 FD I would say buy one that is already done, or at least close to being done. I really doubt anyone actually sells their project at a profit, that way most of th work is already done, and you have something to tinker and play around with. Just make sure, before you buy it, that the person who built it knew what they were doing. You don't want to go back and fix other people's mistakes, because it is a nightmare you don't soon wake up from.

A C5 Z06, with minor mods, is really, really, tough to beat... I am trying to do it staying rotary, and I may have met my match. I should have bought the Z06...but the RX7 was one of my first loves, and there is no replacement for that.

hotrodrx7

You don't sound like you enjoy working on cars so I would recommend a corvette that any GM dealer can service. That said, I love my V8-FD. It is light and fast and I'm not paranoid about blowing an engine everytime I wind it out. It's unique and it will embarass just about anything on the road. I loved it as a rotary too mainly because it's a great looking car.

pianoprodigy

I had my FD for over 2 years. At the end, I was getting tired of dealing with the rotary stuff so I was going to swap to an LS1 but the cost and mainly the time it would take (sending it off to Hinson) prevented me from doing it, so I sold the car.

I bought a 2002 Z06. It has been a great car. It's very fast. Obviously, it's a newer car, so things generally work better than a car that's 10 years older.

However, a couple weeks ago, I got an e-mail from the new owner of my FD. He offered to sell it back to me for a very good price, so I bought it back. I also met a guy locally that will be doing the swap for me, so that concern was taken care of.

Personally, I love the Z06. I've had second thoughts about doing the swap into the FD just because of the "hassle" however, I'm pretty set on doing it now. I love having a "unique" car. My FD is one of the nicest around (see pics in sig). The LS1 swap will take away the only thing I really disliked about the car: the rotary and all its associated hassles.

sevensix

iTrader: (1)

^ thats crazy u got your fd back. ls1 hmm did the new owner blow the rotary

pianoprodigy

Nope, car runs perfectly fine. He only drove it about 500 miles.

cmeflibi

i do like working on cars, I just hate spending money on stupid maintnece(sp) work. I built my turbo eclipse from the ground up, but in the long run, it wasn't worth it. I've also been looking at singled FD's, but again, not tuned right, I'd be scared to rev her up. We'll see what happens. I'm buying a house now on a whim, so project is on hold for a few weeks probly. looks like the new wife wins in the end. haha

Russo

i am currently in the process of putting a ls1/2 in my FD.. the car is totally torn apart and i (like most of us) am doing it right... the motor will be the last thing going in it because if i can't get ahold of the 500 hp ls1 that my cousin is selling, then i'm going ls2... i am ordering parts from Hinson as i go and doing body work in the mean time... fixing the widebody holes and various other dents is taking longer than removing the motor! i have probably 15 hours in the build so far and well... here you go!

[QUOTE=Jadiem]













the car now is completely sanded, widebody removed, the whole bottom is re-undercoated, wheels painted gold, and some of the holes/dents repaired... i'm waiting on the sale of the old motor (which is still for sale) before i complete the order with Hinson... but for now i have the subframe, bump steer correction, transmission brace, and driveshaft coming in... new pics coming up today

$100T2

iTrader: (1)

Dude, if you can't put the "e" on the end of "Vette", then maybe you should stick with a Camry.

pianoprodigy

As a side note, I just drove my FD for about 20 minutes and boosted it a few times in 1st and 2nd. I'm sorry, but that thing is a dog compared to my Z06. It has a moderately-sized single (T66), but the boost (and of course the power) comes on like a switch, on or off. Below 3500 RPM the car has nothing.

Rotary power sucks *****. I can't wait to get that POS 13B out and get the LS1 in there!

Russo

btw, anyone know what kind of wheels i have? no markings on the inside except for the width and the center caps were missing

capn

as the conversions are much the same, I'll chime in with the FC owner view point.

I wanted a car that was, better, faster, cheaper; and a V8 swapped RX7 gave me that. For the price I end up paying to finish my car No car of the same price range will be as unique/fast as my RX7 with a V8. To me it just makes more sense then to work with an engine that had problems to start with and will always have problems and around town driving is a hassle.

TORQUE FOR ME!

maxcooper

I have not driven a V8 RX-7, but I have driven an RX-7 in every state of tune from bone stock to single turbo on street and track, and I have driven a C5 (w/Z51 susp and wide track tires) on track and a C5 Z06 on the street and some mountain roads.

I think the C5 is fun to drive and the Z06 has very nice power. But the FD chassis is smaller and more "tossable". The Vette is larger and more stable, and you can make it go where you want it to go, but it changes direction more slowly than the FD. They are both great cars, but the FD is more fun to drive, IMO.

A V8 FD sounds just about perfect to me. But it won't neccessarily be easy to build one that you will be happy with. FDs are old. You might need paint. You will need suspension parts and a lot of this-n-that to make it nice. I worry about the diff holding up, too, with all that V8 torque. On the flip side, however, I've heard some horror stories about C5 reliablity as well.

My guess is that you would be most happy with a C5 Z06 that has a warranty.

-Max

rotoober

iTrader: (3)

^^ *** comment. If you knew how to work on cars maybe you would have sized your turbo correctly for what you needed.

Crash Test Joey

iTrader: (1)

And oh how simple that is to do with experts such as yourself to enlighten all of us.