They're really not all that much more high revving or very responsive, but you'll probably be tossing the stock turbo aside anyway to get to the 300 mark. It tends to add up quickly and the lack of local support/supply of parts really can be a pain sometimes. I personally never really cared for the body style of the 240's, which was one of the reasons i stayed far far away. That and the general age group of the owners in my area. It was always amusing to see how many of them would be parked in the autocross parking lot or just be buzzing up/down the street in front rather than actually entering the event. They've kind of got a bad name as far as owners, where rotary kind of has a bad name for just being a pain in the ***.

I'd say get the TII throw a full tune-up at it and drive it a while as it is and just get used to fixing the normal every day crap that goes wrong with them before diving too far into upgrades.

 

Also take into consideration the upgrade paths for the two cars. I don't know what 240 guys use for engine management but for FC's you have to go full standalone which is $1000+ a tune. Also with the FC your turbo selection will be bigger and more expensive, the manifolds are also very expensive (high EGTs). The cooling system needs to be upgraded too (not always the case w/ piston cars).

Good news is we don't run that much boost, with piston engines you need to run like 30psi+ to make any power and things tend to get unreliable at that point. One random day you'll get on the gas and shoot a rod through the side of your block or blow the headgasket, lol.

 

s13 you can go safc for simple stuff, 550cc injectors, fuel pump and S15 T28 turbo and tuning = 300hp. You could go apexi power fc, yadda yadda.. theres tons of management.

I think your general location will help you decide on the 240 scene,.. if you live by a coast, theres plenty of nice 240s out here in socal and knowledgeable people.. if you live in some central state, might not be enough good influence on those cars or people who put passion behind them, slapping cheapass parts on them etc.

example of one done right http://zilvia.net/f/cars-sale/278921...a-red-11k.html


but this thread is goin no where.. majority of the people here are biased towards FC lol

 

engine management choices between the two cars are pretty close actually. you can do SAFC type of deal, edit the tables in the ECU (sort of like Rtek), or go Power FC or other standalone. Probably the biggest advantage on the 240 in terms of engine management is that you can upgrade to larger Nissan MAF sensors. When I was working on that s14 I noticed from looking through the diagrams that the wiring is pretty much a mix of FD, FC, and EG civic in terms of its overall architecture. like I said they are really very similar to the 2nd gen Rx-7. Another thing that's nice about the SR20 is that the stock turbo manifold has a T25 flange, so you can bolt up all sorts of turbos to it, including the later model OEM ones or good flowing aftermarket turbos like the GT2871

 

like so many others said, you dont know for sure if someone swaps an engine into a 240 then immediatly sells it....make ya think..what did they **** up? go for the TII, original cars save many many headaches to come my 2 cents

 

really... I think that says it all.

It's a completely different experience driving cars that are actually designed to be sports cars rather than ones you try to make into ones...

that's why my gf drives her miata everyday and the CRX sits around un-driven...

 

the rx7 is going to be fun, but youll have a lot of things to learn.


A LOT OF THINGS TO LEARN.

buy the rx7, and if you plan on getting any type of exhaust work done then stop right there.

the turbo, and the fueling system need to be upgraded before you even start messing with the exhaust. if you d it backwards, you got pop.

 

The rx7 has falts much like the s13 however you have to do some research before you start to mess with them or you will pay the consequences. For instance if you do an omp (oil metering pump) block off and don't know or forget to add 2 stroke to your gas you will starve your motor of oil and end up with a rolling chasis for sale. I highly suggest asking Pineapple Racing and or BDC, also get a compression check before buying the car THIS IS A MUST. You can find the write up on the site or just ask pineapple.

I also have an interesting piece of history. A MUST WATCH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5k762yJJvQ

 

here something for you to thing on is that mazda and rx7 owners are way more respective then alot of the other car groups out there.

 

So long as you stay out of the lounge.

 

Maybe cuz its FWD. I had a b16 swapped crx and it was quick and fun to drive but i would rather have a stock 5 speed RWD car that was slower than it. Im starting to see there are a lot of positives and negatives of each one. Heres my post on Nico. http://forums.nicoclub.com/zeropost?cmd=tshow&id=451621

 

gahhh this forum fails if peoples only response is "240sx is not a sports car".. lmao
they are labeled as sports cars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdpjSFz79sY
but closed minded fc owners will not acknowledge that since FC is the best sports car in the world haha

 

If you have already owned 240's then you know what you are getting w/ that platform. As for the FC's. the turbo II's are fun and pretty fast but I will almost guarantee a rebuild is in your future w/ the one you are looking at. Nobody drives those things slow or baby them. hehe.

 

really? really? you're quoting a commercial? first off... KA engine is a pickup engine... not a sports car engine, and they also say the same thing in crysler sebring commercials... it's called marketing.

I'll admit that I'm biased, that's why I bought an FC. but there is no denying that the FC was built to be a sports car and the 240sx was built on a budget with semi-sporty thoughts. 240s handle like poo compared to an FC unless their sideways, which they like to do... a lot.

the FC was the top of the line mazda sports car... the 240sx was just the thing they slot in below the 300zx and the skyline above that...

 

I think it really depends on what you want to do with the car. My best friend has had both RB20 and KA-T S13s and I've probably spent as much time under the hood of his cars as I have with my 7. We are both regular auto-xers too.

If you want a track/auto-x rat, get the FC. They naturally handle a bit better for "grip" driving and really only need shocks and springs to become demons. The 240s seem like they need more trick parts to really start working right. Opposite is true for drifting. 240s make anyone look like a hero, while the FCs seem like they need more setup work.

For a DD, get the 240. Both his engines were fantastic around town, plenty of grunt down low and lots of go up top. Good mileage too iirc, high 20s on the highway. My car has been stored in the winter the past few years because it is super cranky when its cold out (TB mod doesn't help), while the 240s seem fine with the cold. In the summer, I feel the 240s tended to pick up minor issues, while my car just runs. At the same time though, any failure in a turbo rotary is probably going to be catastrophic, so it probably balances out. Additionally, I've had this chassis for 7 years and the engine for 5 (and 60k on my rebuild w00t), so I've pretty much replaced everything on the car at least once, any car you buy will probably not be able to say this.

Styling is personal preference. We are a FC board, so we probably think FCs look better, I know I do.



Cliffs: If you have a DD, an FC is a great toy. If you are relying on your car to get you to work, especially in the first year or 2 of ownership before you really get the car sorted, get the 240.

 

He seems to have a chip on his shoulder for some reason and seems come off as if he thinks he's truly some different kind of RX-7 owner from everyone else on this forum and that everyone hates him for it. I say just help the OP since he's who is trying to be helped.

 

Nothing wrong with having a sweet spot for the 240SX.

Lots of valid points on either side. A few thoughts:

1. I really don't like swaps done by others, unless they are known to be meticulous and have a good rep. Reasons posted in first page.

2. The TII would be good for someone who is willing to keep it for a while, but first opens it up, checks for wear and puts in a few seals if needed. You may not be near needing a rebuild, but it's a good starting point, before spending money on other things.

3. Whatever the car, try to know as much as possible as to its history, and how it was maintained. Compression test the rotary for sure no matter what.

 

Its been stated before but I will chime in also. Most RX7 owners know what they are gettin into, and have a want for the wankel motor. The other half dont know anything about it and have issues and run their mouth about them and gives the whole car a bad name. I have a Raptor quad and almost every single week on the foru, people get on there and ask 'Should I get a Raptor or a YFZ450'. Your on a RX7 forum askin this so your more then likely going to get more people leaning towards the RX7. In general for the average mechanic a Piston motor is going to be 10x easier to work on and understand.

If your not too knowledged on the motor to begin with check to see if there are any Rotary mechanics or experts in your area. There is a whole 0 in my town so when I have a issue that I cant iron out I get to troubleshoot forever. Where as the S13 any mechanic will have a idea about the car and be able to shed some light on it.

As to people sayin that the S13 with a swap is a bad idea, it depends who does it. Anyone can ghetto rig a 20B into a rex and have terrible results, but theres the handful that will do it right and make the car shine. A S13(240sx) or S14 with a right swap into it are great cars. It all depends on who does it and if they have a will to do it right.

 

ditto, also, get the Haynes manual and the new rotary modification book.

those things are worth every single penny.

 

again talk from someone who never experienced an s13
truck engine debate is dumb as ****.. its has great torque and great hp for a 4 cylinder car of its age. Considering nissan had the skyline and 300zx above the 240sx, pretty good that the 240sx is even considered a potential platform being that its far easier to work on and lighter than the said 2 while sharing the same suspension design as the higher end nissan cars.

But FC is a fun car, nice change of pace =P
its got alot more racing heritage behind it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2ykGckF_NE

 

This forum only fails if people believe the ignorance that drifted in here from the sport compact forums. I quite plainly listed the cars that were actually compared to the FC RX-7 in the same era, without bias towards anything on the list. If you want to believe that the 240SX is in that same group simply because it has pop-up headlights, then there is nothing I can do for you.

I think it is pivotal for the OP to understand that the RX-7 and 240SX are NOT comparable vehicles. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and each has over a quarter of a million people who liked it enough to buy it. However, they are not in the same class, and it is absurd to demonize anybody who points out this significant difference.

 

"This forum only fails if people believe the ignorance that drifted in here from the sport compact forums. I quite plainly listed the cars that were actually compared to the FC RX-7 in the same era, without bias towards anything on the list. If you want to believe that the 240SX is in that same group simply because it has pop-up headlights, then there is nothing I can do for you."

He is completely right the 240sx is not in the same group as an rx-7 however the Silvia is if we are referring to the turbo charged models. But as far as handeling and speed nothing is as clearly seen in this video which everybody skipped over.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5k762yJJvQ

This is a race stock for stock and the rx-7 takes them all. There is another race in which an evo, nsx, and R-34 are also taken down by the rx7 again. enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg6VM8EWH20

 

if your that un decided go with the 240, 240 people dont understand rx7 love.

 

i like both cars, they both have very high potential. just the difference in the rotary, and piston. ive owned 3 fc rx7's, and i have thought about buying many 240's but they were always junk.

 

I think the only reason the 240 wasn't listed as a sports car in the US is because it never came with the SR20 engine, or any upgraded suspension/chassis stuff that it might have come with in Japan.

I knew someone in VA that autocrossed religiously and had both and claimed his GXL was faster than his 240 in every way.