Newbie FD Questions!!

[Skip]

Hello everyone :)

I am in the process of looking to replace my Ford Mustang and my Clio with some kind of japanese RWD turbo car. Only dawned on me last night that an FD RX7 would be a good idea, once I had looked beyond the "they blow up every 10,000 miles" stigma that I have always heard about!! :rolleyes:

So can anyone answer me a couple of questions please... :)

Just how reliable is the rotary engine? I will have about £8000 to spend and dont really want to have to budget for a rebuilt engine in the first six months! Cars for this kind of money are all approaching the 50-60,000 mile mark which worries me a little, should it? I have read elsewhere on this board that the rotary lump can need "refreshing" at about this kind of mileage, by "refreshing" does that mean a £2500 rebuild?? :confused:

How bad is the MPG? For the first month or so I will be continuing my current 56 mile round trip to work until I move house when it will be a 5 minute drive, I dont REALLY want to be spending £80 a week on petrol!!! :eek: :)

1996 onwards cars seem to fetch considerably more money, was there a major change at this stage? Can anyone point me in the right direction???

I suppose I need to look at one really, the FDs are a beautiful shape, far prettier than the R33 Skyline GTSt I was considering, and a bucket load cheaper to insure to boot! :D

Newera Imports seem to offer good cars for the kind of money I want to spend and there are plenty of threads on this board praising them, are they a good route to follow?

Thanks for your help!! :)

Convince me to get rotaried up!! :D :D :D

[J4P RX]

I wouldnt buy it unless you have also budgeted in for a few things. Some people arel ucky, but since I got mine I have had to do a fair bit of work, but none of it engine related.

As for MPG, Im going to get a 2nd car. It makes my Pulsar look really good. I put in £30 and it just about managed to do 90 miles. The only mod on the car is an exhaust. That was much worse than I was expecting it to do. I havnt driven it much so it might get better when I calm down with it.

Cheers
Lee

[johnf]

Quote:

"How bad is the MPG? For the first month or so I will be continuing my current 56 mile round trip to work until I move house when it will be a 5 minute drive, I dont REALLY want to be spending £80 a week on petrol!!! "



I've done a quick calc on J4P's fuel spend it that looks aorund 11mpg. I drive a .98 and get 13 - 18 depending on my mood.
The guy I bought it off said I'd get 18 - 25 mmmmm...............

There is no doubt I would struggle to afford my RX as an every day car but having said that it would take a lot to get it off me. Quite simply the best car I've ever owned. Only had it four months so my opinion may change if big bills come along.

I've got two cars and think I've got the best combination, my main vehicle is a fully loaded 4ltr gas converted Jeep returning a fuel comsumption of 36mpg on gas.

I would be an interesting topic to see how many members use their cars daily or what other cars they have to soften the fuel blow.

[g11ary]

Im afraid I cant leave em alone, have 3 of them at the moment, although one is for sale,
http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=627

Hate to think of not have a daily driver.

[Trappy]

Has anyone heard of an RX7 converted to that gas/ Can it even be done? That'd knock down the cost a bit.

[bnaellis]

Hi Trappy,
Rotechniks do a lpg conversion for the rx7. I have no idea of cost or anything though.
rgds

[johnf]

Interesting the gas conversion idea.

Having had this done to my Jeep, some probs come to mind.

Where would you put the extra tank.

There is also a slight drop in performance on gas.

The extra plumbing under the bonnet is huge, trying to get all that extra stuff in an RX engine bay would be interesting.

Had this done to the Jeep, by a qualified garage providing a certificate, cost me £1,800 a year ago. That's about 475 gallons of petrol before you break even.

[mmilner]

Hi. I've used my 1989 gen 2 N/A EGI RX7 every day for the last couple of years. I get about 18mpg out of it. (The only downside of the car...)

Martin.