Whose had an rx7 as a first car
01-30-10 | 11:11 PM
#76
Right near Malloy
iTrader: (28)
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 7,847
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From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
Not a good idea for a young, broke, noob with only one car. I recommend an unmodified non-turbo car until you are on your own and find yourself a good job. A good indicator that you can waste money on your car is when you are able to keep 3 months worth of pay in your bank account, you contribute $416.66 to your IRA or 401k each month, you don't have any outstanding credit card balance or loans other than a home mortgage, and you still have money left over after each paycheck.
It does not include gas, insurance, personal property tax, vehicle inspection fees, or license fees.
However, it does include:
- Castrol GTX engine oil and oil filter change every 3,000 miles (4 months)
- Good quality wiper blades every 12 months
- NGK spark plug change, Prestone coolant change, ATE Super Blue or Castrol LMA brake fluid change, and Red Line synthetic transmission and differential oil change every 30 months.
- Supplies (Glass cleaner, Rain-X, brake cleaner, grease, solvent, hand cleaner, etc.)
- Other scheduled maintenance (battery replacement, tires, brake pads, etc.)
- Unscheduled repairs that crop up.
Just keep in mind that I averaged the costs into monthly expenses. Actual expenses will fluctuate, with some of them exceeding $1,000, so make sure you have some spare money set aside for emergencies if your car is critical for your transportation needs. This applies to any high-mileage used car, not just RX-7s.
So far I have only paid for labor to repair some body rust and to mount and balance the tires. My expenses probably sound high because I fix things CORRECTLY, I buy new quality parts as opposed to crummy Chinese Ebay parts, I only buy used parts if new parts are impractical or unavailable, and I actually track my expenses in Quicken. Most people don't realize what they really spend on their cars, and based on my experience they probably don't want to, lol.
It does not include gas, insurance, personal property tax, vehicle inspection fees, or license fees.
However, it does include:
- Castrol GTX engine oil and oil filter change every 3,000 miles (4 months)
- Good quality wiper blades every 12 months
- NGK spark plug change, Prestone coolant change, ATE Super Blue or Castrol LMA brake fluid change, and Red Line synthetic transmission and differential oil change every 30 months.
- Supplies (Glass cleaner, Rain-X, brake cleaner, grease, solvent, hand cleaner, etc.)
- Other scheduled maintenance (battery replacement, tires, brake pads, etc.)
- Unscheduled repairs that crop up.
Just keep in mind that I averaged the costs into monthly expenses. Actual expenses will fluctuate, with some of them exceeding $1,000, so make sure you have some spare money set aside for emergencies if your car is critical for your transportation needs. This applies to any high-mileage used car, not just RX-7s.
So far I have only paid for labor to repair some body rust and to mount and balance the tires. My expenses probably sound high because I fix things CORRECTLY, I buy new quality parts as opposed to crummy Chinese Ebay parts, I only buy used parts if new parts are impractical or unavailable, and I actually track my expenses in Quicken. Most people don't realize what they really spend on their cars, and based on my experience they probably don't want to, lol.
However, those are items that go into every car. And if you can't keep a good set of brake pads or tires on a car, I don't believe you should be driving anything... PERIOD.
Aside from fuel, I don't think my 1986 GXL is any more expensive to maintain than my 1993 Civic... It's slightly cheaper than my 1996 Isuzu SUV on account that the SUV uses much larger brakes, tires, etc.
I also don't think you should be relying on ANY car for your daily transportation needs if you don't have a second means of transportation...
-Backup car
-Friend that'll give you a ride
-Mass transit
-Shoeleather express
Mechanical items fail. Life will continue to go on... If you can't keep up with your job, appointments, etc then you'll encounter a lot of hardships... All on account of a car breakdown.
I know a couple people who haven't saved money or vacation days for a bad day. It comes back to bite them in the *** and I'm usually the one taking the day off a work or running a late evening to put a timing belt on their car or replace a CV axle or put in a radiator or something...
Just because the N/A RX-7 is reliable doesn't mean it's immune to Murphy's Law.
01-31-10 | 12:36 AM
#77
Thread Starter
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
story of my life
but what i was saying was if the engine were to blow if i could throw in a jdm turbo one. I didnt mean to simply swap engines out of nowhere just to gain power its more of a if push come to shove.
but what i was saying was if the engine were to blow if i could throw in a jdm turbo one. I didnt mean to simply swap engines out of nowhere just to gain power its more of a if push come to shove.
Last edited by ethien161; 01-31-10 at 12:39 AM.
01-31-10 | 07:55 AM
#79
Rotorhead
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 9,136
Likes: 39
From: Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
01-31-10 | 08:11 AM
#80
I dont think anyone should have a nice car as their first car. If youre set on an rx7, buy the coach's for $1700 and drive it for 6 months or a year. If it breaks, fix it, but don't modify it. Almost everyone ends up screwing up their first car one way or another. Get one, learn on it, get the experience bumps out of the way, then buy a nice one. That way, when youre working on the nice one, you still have the beater to take you to school or work or your girlfriend's house or whatever, and you will have a much better chance to treat your baby the way it should be treated.
I also recommend a miata as another first car choice, those things are indestructible.
I also recommend a miata as another first car choice, those things are indestructible.
01-31-10 | 05:25 PM
#81
Thread Starter
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
Thank you for all of yalls input i think i just need to save for money and wait for the right car i have till the end of summer this summer to make my decision so wish me luck.
01-31-10 | 05:57 PM
#82
a stock RX7 is a great first car, not enough power to get into too much trouble but if your going to think your a drifter or a race car driver then you will probably end up in a tree somewhere.
My first car was a trans am, 6 months after buying it I ripped the motor and trans out and changed it all, racing on the streets I then wrecked that car, but at the time the fastest cars were Grand Nationals and Corvettes and I was killing them with that car.
My first car was a trans am, 6 months after buying it I ripped the motor and trans out and changed it all, racing on the streets I then wrecked that car, but at the time the fastest cars were Grand Nationals and Corvettes and I was killing them with that car.
01-31-10 | 06:16 PM
#83
im 20 now but my first 3 cars were rx7s the first one turbo swapped and sold. the second one i parted out. the third is my daily driver with corksport header, 3in cat back, hks intake, and megan tack series coilovers
02-01-10 | 01:47 PM
#84
But their concern is not true at all. Like any old reliable car it will be far cheaper than a newer car if you get one in good condition... and a money pit if you buy a neglected POS that's falling apart or an unreliable brand. Check out the buyer's guides mentioned and/or have a mechanic carefully inspect anything you're thinking of buying. I spend about half as much on my car as the average american with just a decent non-turbo car and doing my own scheduled maintenance. I'm sure people on these boards who do their own repairs spend even less. Unless they're restoring the aforementioned POS or making a race car, but I give mad props to such people.
Expect to spend $0.50-$0.60 a mile on an average car, including insurance, depreciation, money you could have gained if the initial cost was invested elsewhere, gas, maintenance, repairs, everything. Maybe $5-$6 grand a year. Like I said my NA RX-7 is probably half that. Doesn't count upgrades, but those are about done now.
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