I already got some really good help on one problem that i know of on this FD that i may potentially buy. but what i wanna know is if anyone here knows anything that i should look at specifically on this car. its specs are 98k miles, came outta cali, last owner claims he drov eit 5k miles last year in total, and has knocked over a stop sign with it messing up a fender and bending the lower control arm. i am aware that the control arm although replaced still may pose some handeling prolems and such. now other than those two problems what else should i do considering i cant spend the 9k bux on a car and just simply hope it runs so i can go to work and pay for this and school. any advise on what to check for and how to make sure i wont get screwed is apreciated.

 

It is very common for most Fd's to suffer coolant seal (O-ring) failure around 60k miles. Which means the engine will have to be rebuilt. Check for a rough idle, excessive white smoke out of the tail pipe when cold started, tiny air bubbles in the coolant filler neck, coolant over flow tanks pissing coolant all over the ground.





http://www.fd3boost.com/Troubleshoot_oringfailure.php

 

Don't buy an FD if it's your only source of transportation, and you lack a decent sized bank account!!!

 

Jay, what's a "decent sized bank account?"

 

if you spend all or your money on an fd (or any car) you will be dissapointed



mike

 

Well put.



I don't think a FD is a very good car to play with while paying for school... I think about 5K sounds right to get a FD to a fairly reliable state (If the engine runs)... Compression check, coolant flush, downpipe, boost and water gauge, plugs, vacuum hose job, radiator/fan mod, the list goes on.. Not to mention driving school... At least I'd recommend it if you have never had anything with power going to the rear wheels... and if you are young and going to try impressing everyone with your fast/furious car... You should really have a passion for the RX7... Not just want one to be cool. If you fit the description of a RX7 owner, enjoy your purchase... If you just want a fast car drop a B18C1 in a Civic hatch and put a T3/T4 hybrid turbo setup on it... You'll be better off trust me.

 

atleast $10k I HAD one of those, Now heh

 

Is your RX-7 solely responsible for taking you from $10K to $0? That's scary. Two out of three forums I've asked have said an RX-7 is $1K-$1.5K per year to maintain even if nothing unusual goes wrong, and isn't reliable as a daily driver. One of the three's said it is a good, reliable daily driver.



I'm not terribly well-to-do--although the payments on it'll be $115 less than my current car--and I've got 'til tomorrow if I want to cancel my pending '93 RX-7 purchase, but that Wankel engine is just so darn nifty. And the whole car is the first one I've ever looked at as more than just a way of transporting me and my stuff from point A to point B, it's a kinda new feeling.



Are knowledgable RX-7 owners kindly 'n helpful towards newbies who don't know much about cars? I've read as much as I can find, but I don't have any hands-on experience, and my local craft shop guys have already said they don't know a thing about RX-7's, and don't even like Mazdas.

 

Well honestly when my engine went, I could have just dropped in a re-man and spent maybe $3500 total

But when you have a car like an FD it's really hard not to upgrade stuff, and add on things here and there along the way. Parts are not cheap for the car, and it's not the kind of car you can just take to any local garage to get repaired.



Seriously I would not buy an FD as my daily driver, especially one with that high milage

 

doubt the stop sign caused this...

id gather theres more to the story than hed care to explain...