Soooo... RX-7???

[ej25ti]

Soooo, this guy just offered me to trade his FD for my STi

My STi:
2005
108k miles
pretty much stock, but all parts have recently been replaced, including the timing belt and what not
car runs perfect, and in almost perfect condition


His FD:
1993
51k miles
30k miles on the motor
series 8 motor
needs a new paint job desperately
HKS intake, turbo back exhaust
m2 sm intercooler
and an apexi pfc... which are like $1000 in itself


The conflict: it's RWD, i live in MA, i would need a winter beater
but my friend is willing to sell me his 4wd explorer for like $600, not bad

What you guys think???

[Nemesis]

I know your excited the fd is a beautiful car, but a bear to warm up and maintain in a cold climate area. You think your turbo is bad in the cold, wait till you try the rotary. The rotary will also need to be rebuilt way before the turbos go on the sti. More usable room in the sti. I also love the fd, but the engines are a problem waiting to happen and need constant rebuilds. Also (personal opinion) the torque delivery on the fd is too smooth and feels weak in comparison...specially if turbos are pooing out due to age. Good luck with your decision.

[ej25ti]

my turbo actually runs much better in the cold? lol
well my car has 108k on it and this motor has 30k on it so
though i know they are still terribly unreliable though
i dont need the room, and ill have a daily for that anyway
and of course rotaries are known to have less torque so yea
thanks for all input though!

[Nemesis]

my turbo actually runs much better in the cold? lol
well my car has 108k on it and this motor has 30k on it so
though i know they are still terribly unreliable though
i dont need the room, and ill have a daily for that anyway
and of course rotaries are known to have less torque so yea
thanks for all input though!

I have to say my mr2 turbo had to be warmed up sufficiently in the cold, ran better in the summer, sky rl only needed a bit of warming in the cold, the hotter the better. However my 335i needs no warming in the cold doesn't like the 98+ temps lately but seems to be much stronger in moderate temps. Just some comparison to help.

[ej25ti]

well yea it takes a while to warm up, but my car runs strong in colder temperature for sure, generally engines do better with colder temperatures, which is why you try to prevent heat soak and what not

[Cal]

Hell no. You will lose so much in that trade.

[West]

Like I said in Random thread. Take the investment approach. If each were to sell the car on the market who would be left with the most cash? I love the FD3S but you gotta take into consideration their age and location. If the FD3S was raised in MA, then how good is the suspension, the chassis, the engine no less. Your STi with 108k is about equivalent of a 50k 13b. The 13b will require more TLC. Rebuilds are generally simple in retrospect, but can you really rely on the Exploder while you rebuild it? Id have an FD but I dont have the time or money to keep one in the shape and condition in which I expect from a car. If your cash in pocket value were to the advantage then Id say do it without hesitation, but if it needs paint then question the overall life care of the car. You know your car, and probably the FD. It might make better sense to save your money and just get the damn FR-S, no? lol

[modifiedMR]

My mr2 turbo runs much better in the cold. It runs so rich, any cooler denser air helps! LOL. I got a pfc with tune and a 3.5" intake, but it's sitting in my room. Got waaaay to much on my plate to work on the duece for now.

The sti, if taken care of, will still probably outlast the rotary. Turbo rotaries are usually good for 70-90k with good care (from what I've read and from a friends experience) and the sti's can go 150-180+K no problem. Basically the Sti is twice as reliable. Either way you have 30-60k or so trouble free miles, but one will be better rebuilt than the other.

I agree with West. If you want rwd and a descent car, wait for the FRS/BRZ. May not be as fast as an rx7, but it'll last much, much longer. Personally, I'd drive the sti for about a year or more, wait for a turbo version (save now!) and then buy it.

[ej25ti]

It might make better sense to save your money and just get the damn FR-S, no? lol

i knowwww
lol that sounds like a mom quote... if your mom was really cool and actually knew about cars, haha

but the FD has def been one of my dream cars for a longggg time, and ive been driving this STi for six years now...... though i still do love it

btw i am asking for $3500 on top, im gonna see what he says

[sip]

I live in Canada so my FD only gets out between May and October.

I have used it for 3 race seasons and the engine is still going.

Did they rebuild or get new turbos when the new engine was put in. I had turbos crap out on me at 42,000miles. Are they 99+ turbo's?

I really think the FD is a good car if you do some basic preventive maintenance. But then again I have only ever bought 2 of them and they had 12,000 and 40,000 miles.

There are 2 downsides. The STi you can enjoy fast all year round and the STi is worth more in cash (but it will depreciate faster than the FD). Take the FD for a drive and decide if you like driving it better. Then get someone experienced with FD's to look it over with you.

[bersh]

rotory engines are sweet for toys. useless for everything else.
i love rx7's but its just not practical to have one as a street car.

oh the reasoning behind that isnt that they arnt reliable. cuz they can be super relaible. the problem is that very few people know how to truely take car of them,
thus premature wear on the apex seals begins. or people dont relize they burn so much oil... rotories cant knock when low on oil. they just keep going, slowly killing themselves till they lock.. and then when rebuilt..the engine metals are treated from factory with some wacky coating that makes them reliable. if that coating is removed during machining, no matter what parts are put intoit, it will never last more than 50k miles. sooo id stay away from a rebuilt 13b.

[Cal]

I agree with West completely. At this stage in your life, an FD does not seem like it would be feasible unless you had a beater on the side.












Hideous as hell, but sound awesome

[West]

I agree with West completely. At this stage in your life, an FD does not seem like it would be feasible unless you had a beater on the side.












Hideous as hell, but sound awesome

Lol. Way to make him spank to the FD. Now he's screwed.

Why, all of a sudden feel like the old dad of toyobaru I'm only 30 haha.

How's this, girlie is 21!! #winning



Random...

I's derunk.

[ej25ti]

omg I hate you Cal! -___-
lol, srsly that first blue one... asldjf;alskdjf;alksdfj;aklsdfj;aksldfj
that's like telling the kids drinkings bad, and then showing them photos of how awesome being drunk can be!
i mean that must have a taken like 5 minutes to compile too! n you gotta admit you want one now too! lol

[sip]

rotory engines are sweet for toys. useless for everything else.
i love rx7's but its just not practical to have one as a street car.

oh the reasoning behind that isnt that they arnt reliable. cuz they can be super relaible. the problem is that very few people know how to truely take car of them,
thus premature wear on the apex seals begins. or people dont relize they burn so much oil... rotories cant knock when low on oil. they just keep going, slowly killing themselves till they lock.. and then when rebuilt..the engine metals are treated from factory with some wacky coating that makes them reliable. if that coating is removed during machining, no matter what parts are put intoit, it will never last more than 50k miles. sooo id stay away from a rebuilt 13b.

I guess that depends on what you mean by street car. If you mean on that you take an hour long commute in stop and go traffic to work everyday. Or use to pick up the groceries (will take you two trips the trunk is so
Small), or want to take a camping trip (which I've done, actually). If the above is what you mean by street car than FD is by no means practical.
But if you just mean a car you use on the street then I can't imagine why it doesn't make a good street car. Mine I take when I want to go for a drive to clear my head, and I take it on 5 hour long trips. The track is 3 hours away and it is always driven to and from the track.

I'm not away of any special coating on the rotary. Can you tell me more about this.

[Cal]

omg I hate you Cal! -___-
lol, srsly that first blue one... asldjf;alskdjf;alksdfj;aklsdfj;aksldfj
that's like telling the kids drinkings bad, and then showing them photos of how awesome being drunk can be!
i mean that must have a taken like 5 minutes to compile too! n you gotta admit you want one now too! lol

Lol. Yea it took around that. The Rx-7 is an awesome car and yes I would love to have one, however not as a DD. As Sip said it would make a good street car, aka something good for you to blast around in on the weekend or after work. However the back and forth to work, everyday commute, I would not want an RX-7 for.


Unless it was like this. Shitty gas mileage and a bastard swap IMO, but I think it could handle the daily abuse better than the 13b.

[ej25ti]

Lol. Yea it took around that. The Rx-7 is an awesome car and yes I would love to have one, however not as a DD. As Sip said it would make a good street car, aka something good for you to blast around in on the weekend or after work. However the back and forth to work, everyday commute, I would not want an RX-7 for.


Unless it was like this. Shitty gas mileage and a bastard swap IMO, but I think it could handle the daily abuse better than the 13b.

srslyy wtf

[terrancep123]

Long distance deals are always tough. You never really know what your getting into until you actally get your hands on it. If you can get a mechanic to check it out and say your not getting burned, maybe. I would also check the KBB.com value to compare what your are giving up tp what your are getting.

[modifiedMR]

Cal, you realize that the fd with an all aluminum v8 is not much heavier if at all than the iron rotary and the gas mileage will be the same, if not actually BETTER?

[sip]

Cal, you realize that the fd with an all aluminum v8 is not much heavier if at all than the iron rotary and the gas mileage will be the same, if not actually BETTER?

Way better gas mileage on the highway. The vette can cruise at highway speeds at like 1500rpm I had one for the weekend of my wedding and loved it.

[Cal]

I stand corrected. Still a bastard swap. I despise cross brand swaps.

[bersh]

I'm not away of any special coating on the rotary. Can you tell me more about this.

its a nitride coating on the housings. saved the seals biggg time. but after machining the coating is gone because its very thin. seals against the normal steel housing is just like having a pre 1979 mazda engine. theyr only good for 40k miles then need new seals.

theres also lotsa crazy other coatings and treatments mazda tried over the years on different parts. some worked. some didnt.
but the housings made a biggg difference when they started coating them in 1979. most good rotary rebuilders retreat the metal after rebuild, but there are very few GOOD rotary builders. some even use ceramic coatings which is even better.

theres lotsa info online about it. gooooo dooooo googgllingggg!

[sip]

its a nitride coating on the housings. saved the seals biggg time. but after machining the coating is gone because its very thin. seals against the normal steel housing is just like having a pre 1979 mazda engine. theyr only good for 40k miles then need new seals.

theres also lotsa crazy other coatings and treatments mazda tried over the years on different parts. some worked. some didnt.
but the housings made a biggg difference when they started coating them in 1979. most good rotary rebuilders retreat the metal after rebuild, but there are very few GOOD rotary builders. some even use ceramic coatings which is even better.

theres lotsa info online about it. gooooo dooooo googgllingggg!

Ha ha. Cool. I've never had to have one of my rotary engines rebuilt so I never looked into it.

[Cal]

Soooo... Did you get it?

[modifiedMR]

I stand corrected. Still a bastard swap. I despise cross brand swaps.

An mzr engine would be pretty sick. Still, I would rather go ls6, if possible. Or a 2gr would do.

[ej25ti]

Soooo... Did you get it?

No... lol
dont you think i woulda been postin mad pics if i did :P

[modifiedMR]

No... lol
dont you think i woulda been postin mad pics if i did :P

IMO, you made the right choice. That car probably would've grenaded at some point. You know what condition your car is in.

[Cal]

No... lol
dont you think i woulda been postin mad pics if i did :P

Good point.

IMO, you made the right choice. That car probably would've grenaded at some point. You know what condition your car is in.

Agreed. Not everyone can properly take care of a rotary.

[LilJohn]

OMG i hope you dont do this trade. STi all the way!!!