rx7 reality check please....
 

I currently own a 1991 miata, sold my turbo NB a while back and I'm itching for boost again... Today someone trades in a 93 rx7 at the dealer I work for, we paid 6500 bucks for it. I am able to acquire this car for what we paid, plus some fees, and whatever it takes to get through maryland state inspection, so figure on a good day, for under 8 grand.... The car has 95k on the odometer, and is bone stock with no evidence of any previous mods, 5spd, green with tan leather. It has hail damage to the top surfaces, and some door dings but nothing major, and some wear on the drivers seat.

The car idles fine, seems to have a vacuum leak somewhere (big suprise lol), the tach is acting up, as is the oil pressure guage, but no CEL or any other badness, clutch seems fine, small clunk over bumps in the rear.

The question is.... do I get it? Seems like a good deal, it's always been my dream car, and I think I can sell the 91 pretty easy (only 45k original miles)
I have to talk to my credit union about cash flow, as I don't have the money outright to buy it, I'll do that monday, but in the meantime.... I solicit your thoughts!

do you work at carmax?

Depends on how much work you want to put into it. I'm usually not one to bash rotaries, but they were more work in my case than I ever planned for. I've gone through 3 and all of them were almost always needing something done to them. At the same time all of mine were at least 6 years older than the '93. For $8k, I'd probably say go for it, I've always wanted an FD.

How familiar are you with the wankel? I too have always wanted a FD...

I'm familiar enough, I owned an 86 gxl back in the day and I loved it to death despite the fact it happened to be a giant piece of shit. Brain, yes I work there :)

There are so many better cars you could buy for $8k I wouldn't even consider that purchase.
Then again I like ~'00 VAG cars so what do I know.

LSx swap. Would be immensely awesome, and they're gorgeous cars.

x2

Will it be your daily?

yes it would be my daily, I'd be keeping it stockish for reliability reasons.

I love fd's and my buddy had one.... it was like a dsm, off the road more than it was on. So get it, and when the rotary shits LSx Swap.

I love me some Wankel goodness. I've had four FB's (including one beat-to-shit GSL-SE), and one FC GXL. My dad had an FD for a while, and that thing was like crack to me - so smooth, so buttoned down, and stupid-fast at the time. From what I understand, the FD's main downfall is the sequential twin-turbo system, which involves lots of BS vacuum solenoids and flapper valves. If it's not maintained properly, then things can go awry and cost lots of money. For $8K I'd be tempted to take a chance on it if it ran good and boosted properly. The bugs can be worked out, and a single-turbo conversion is always a possibility... and so is the LSx swap.

Another vote for LS1 swap. An FD with an LS1 would be WAY up on my list of coolest cars to own list. I know of two in my area and videos I have seen as awesome. Yet to get a ride in one though. FD is super sexy inside and out, and if the engine is in good shape and is kept unmodified will be decently reliable. I found the biggest problems with my RX7's was not the engine itself, but the emissions controls and heat dried and rotted wiring and hoses. My '87 T2 needed to have a whole new engine harness, which I never got around to getting before I sold it. Wires would break completely in half if kinked. That good old rotary turbo heat.

A local guy that owns BNR Supercars (Bryan) which some rotary guys might know, can modify the stock turbos to flow a little better and run non sequential. If I wasn't going for big power, that would be my route.

Get the FD! But I must say fuck the fast and the furious, these cars should be sold at cheaper prices.

I figure I'll go through all the vacuum hosing and replace/simplify it first.... I'd prolly go to a single turbo for simplicity's sake in the future, or, once it's paid for do the ls1 swap i was planning on for my NA

For what they are, they already go pretty cheap. In their day, and even still today from the factory they are pretty damn impressive. Then you add in the rarity factor and the fact that they often go for a little as $10k with low mileage is pretty amazing I think.

Oh I just saw the mileage. Thats good actually. My 96 has like 140k I think.

As a daily, I don't recommend it. You'll be getting into more mechanical messes than your old NB, that's for sure. Also, LS swap is a major endeavor which does not equal daily driver.

Annnnnd there's lots of these floating around now for under 10k. Check out this one on craigslist now. Already has some mods. 1994 RX-7

My final vote though, is for you to buy the car, work on it, and get a bicycle for a daily.. :)

Quoted both for truth.

Upgrading or otherwise modifying the FD as a daily driver is a bad bad bad idea IMHO, it'll certainly break down.

If you buy it, keep the miata and daily it.

Lsx FD is my dream car.. If it were lower miles/rebuilt id buy it.