i have about 12 grand to spend and have a friend who imports cars. I really want to go through with this and buy it because i really want one but i just want to know if its going to be worth it. I dont have access to a shop and have no knowledge on rotary engines and very minimal knowledge on conventional engines. I have done lots of internet research about the rotary but thats it. So, I am going to have to have all my work done at a shop. Is this a bad idea... am i just buying a big headache or should i continue my search.

 

You DEFINITELY should buy it so you can get pissed off with it and sell it at a fraction of what you paid for it to someone here on the forum.

 

well that dosnt seem like very good advice to me... is that all thats going to happen?

 

well how patient are you lol i had little knowledge about them and bought mine. i love mine. you just have to have the willness to work on the car and some bank to buy parts (not cheap)

 

i just got mine a week ago and it took 1 1/2 months to just get it. and going off of just an auction sheet isnt the best way to buy your car, you take a big chance. But if your willing to learn and do your own work then go for it (especially when the new law is on the edge) but be ready for the check book to come out if your going to let someone else do everything. If you learn more about actually importing a car https://www.rx7club.com/canadian-forum-42/1992-fd-has-arrived-654689/ , hope this helps a bit.

 

well i have owned two different(older) BMW's prior to this and believe me parts and service isnt cheap on those cars either... but i managed... do you think i will be looking at a large difference in prices or what

 

the other thing is i know of anyone who would be able to teach me anything about the cars because there are literally no third gens where i live... (victoria) so no one really knows much about them... besides the shops around town who dont want me to know what to do cause they dont make any money that way...

 

"... is that all thats going to happen?"

Well probly not before you get a boost leak in a vacumm line somewhere and can't find it , and it doesn't do the boost pattern 10-8-10. Or not before you have to replace onslaught of the tires, tie rods, windsheild wiper blades, windsheild, daytime running lights (might be different in BC), clutch, and lights in order to pass your out of province. And be ready because the turbos and engine will need a rebuild.

I know its harsh but its the reality of it. Although the car has low miles, those are hard miles. Cars are very disposable in Japan. And thats why they're so cheap when they make it over here. Im not saying don't do it, just telling you to be ready with an easy 3k to put into that thing to get it running right once it lands.

Other than that nothing else will happen, unless someone else can think of something, and i suggest reading up on these machines some more.

 

well the friend of mine that is taking car of the import for me is adding in all the costs due to inspection and bringing the car to me ready to insure thats part of the price. As for the turbo rebuild and engine rebuild.. will that really have to happen right away and isnt that going to cost a lot considering i havent ever done any serious work on an engine therefore i will be paying someone to do that.

 

are you buying it at auction? remember the japanese car auction lasts only a few seconds and you cannot test drive the car beforehand, not only that i reckon most auction brokers dont even look over the car properly, just the auction sheets.

only warning i can give you is to NOT buy a early model fd at Japanese auction, unless you factor in the price of a rebuild. I know cos i lived in Japan and wasted 5 months looking all over japanese auctions for mine. i gave up and found one privately. Cars at auctions are the ones that dont sell elsewhere.

 

Just wait till the 93's/94's become legal. You're gonna kill yourself with 92's. Assuming of course it runs when it arrives...

(You do know those cars tend to sit in the lots/storage yards for long long periods of time, not really rotary engine friendly).

 

screw the import.
you got that much cash buy one here in the states and use the rest to make it good.

 

If you don't have the money to afford a decent FD then I suggest you don't purchase at all. How do I know this? Because I bought a 92 JDM imported from Japan and it was one problem after another.

You should remember the 92 model are 15 years old now so something is bound to break whether its your engine or turbos or a thousand other things. I did buy my 92 cheap but like someone mentioned before you should factor in a rebuilt as well as added cost to repair things. If the car is red which in my case, you can almost guarentee that the paint will be faded.

I got a good 40 000 kms out of my engine before it blew and I think I was lucky and if I could do it again I would have saved my money and bought a more decent example as the amount I spent on repair and rebuild over the years that I've had her, I could have bought a nice clean newer Series 8.

Bottom line if your going for broke and don't have much money stay away all together. If you consider buying this as an on going project then it won't be bad but to have it as a daily driver is out of the question.

 

1. Not much money.
2. No local rotary shop.
3. No experience with rotaries or cars in general.

1+2+3 = not a good idea to own one, especially an imported one