BoostCrazy

On supraforums I go by Bad94sup...if you need any help with anything, let me know ill do my best

Rookie84

I see I'll try my best to help you out as well if you need anything even though I don't know that much :p

sexxy7

I tried to stay away from this thread, but I give up...
supras suck! Get a 7! I mean I have NOTHING against supras, but I have every reason to sit and tell you to get a 7! They are unique, awesome cars! I don't care how much horsepower you are putting down with a supra, rx7's are one of the most unique cars and I wouldn't trade mine for anything! But then again, it's just one of those love or hate subjects, you either love rx7's or you hate them! I personally think that you can buy a piston car any day... but you can only buy one original rotary car!

jdhuegel1

Supra = Powerful, Agressive looking car. Very reliable and fast

RX7 = Sleek, exotic, sexy car. Can be very reliable and fast

I wouldn't mind having both!

veilside-bpu

I have a TT Supra, and a friend of mine has a TT RX-7.... he's had the tranny opened up twice, the motor rebuilt, and numerous boost leaks, and not only that.... the Supra loves upgrades, an rx-7 is a crybaby...you can barely do any mod without being forced to buy a computer....that sucks.....plus he had a ton of issues with his 93 TT he had before this one....and another friend of mine had one, and just one thing after another goes wrong with them.....ask yourself this, why is a 1993 rx-7 worth 11,000 and a 1993 supra worth 19,000 there are reasons for this, whether the mazda guys like it or not, there is no car company that is as reliable as Toyota, or Honda..... That is a fact.....I love rx-7's don't get me wrong, but don't do it, you'll most likely regret it, unless you love driving in s-turns all day, and don't mind replacing hoses, fixing boost leaks, having problems, and not being able to make your stock, 14-sec rx-7 as fast as a stock Supra without dumping 2-3 grand into it......your call, but no matter what, the Supra is just what it translates to in Latin: Above All

shawnk

Well it sounds to me that everyone has convinced Rookie84 to keep his supra but I thought I'd make a post for someone else who might use the search button and read this post in the future....

Background:

I picked up my 3rd rx7 in may of this year.

The first was a 83 gsl that got me through college. It lost it's engine at 195K and I did a factory reman replacement and drove it into the ground. I loved that car and may still be driving it today except I could finally afford a 3rd gen rx7 in 2000.

The second was a 93 automatic base. I couldnt find a manual and came across this beautiful Montego blue one with a new engine that was really clean for a great price. I drove it for a year and a half and didnt have to do anything to it. But I was now getting the urge to go faster. The modification upgrade paths for auto's are all dead ends so I decided to sell. Sold it for what I bought it for and started the search again.

The third was a 93 base. The guy before had started on a single turbo conversion but had to leave the country. It needed a lot of attention but I snapped it up, took it home, and promptly took it apart. Over the next 3-4 months I went through the entire engine bay. Added about 6k in parts and put together a simplified single setup. There were many points that I was cursing that car during that project. (It is good to have a friend to help you through these parts -which I did) I got it back up and running and then started the tuning ordeal. Ended up, after a few disappointing experiences, making a 8 hour trip to have my car tuned at KDR (well worth the time and money!). I left there with a car running at 13 PSI getting 320 RWHP (tuned very conservatively to 11.0 and havent done some easy things like pullies to get the max out of 13 PSI yet). I had a boost issue which kept me from going any higher. I have worked on it several times since and my custom fuel system modifications have taken the car down several times for up to 2 or 3 weeks at a time. (order a part from summit, wait for it to come it, get some time to mess with it, fail to fix, try again, order another part, etc...) Luckily I work about 400 yards from where I live and I can drive my wife's truck when I need to. I really like being able to do all the work on the car myself. In fact I ended up pulling an entire engine for my friend in Sept and help him with his 3rd gen single conversion.

Now to wrap it all up now that you have the background...

For me there is no other car I would rather have. Regardless of money I would have an rx7 (up to about 150K and since I dont think I'll ever have 150K to spend on a car...). It is not that I think other cars suck - I don't. I love seeing Supras, Porches, Corvette Z06s, Vipers and the other unique sports cars you see on the road. I just have had the rotory bug since I got my first Rx7. My current car is probably never going to be done. It seems there is always something to do (I am putting on shocks and springs tomorrow and saving for my next upgrade - clutch and flywheel) and I like and dislike that fact. To date I have about 19K (and I have one of the cheapest singles that I know of) into my car and it has been driveable about 50% of the time I have had it.

No sane person should even consider getting a 3rd gen unless they are prepared to do alot of work and spend money on it as they go or unless you have a lot of money and live by a good rx7 mechanic (of which there are very few).

There are many valid points in the posts above. I have witnessed many of them first hand. But I still think the rx7 is the only car for me. If you dont feel that way I wouldnt get into one. I often think I am an rx7 addict - the lows suck, but the highs (the drive home that first chilly night this fall where the car just wanted to go faster and faster...) keep me in it.

I am not sure but I think I just convinced some more people not to get an rx7. Strange when I truly wouldnt have anything else...

Shawn
www.3rdgenrx7.com

HeX

Hahaha...that's such bullshit. They are about dead even stock for stock. The Rx-7 and Supra are totally different beasts for built for different purposes. Comparing the two would be like comparing a woman to a dog. The dog (Supra) is just that. Give it the basics and it's happy. Done deal. No brainer. The woman (Rx-7) takes finesse and carefull planning to keep satisfied. Like the easy route? Buy a Supra. Want a true challenge that can reward you if done right? Buy a 7. If you got the bucks, get a 7 and install a 20b and build on that. You'll tear any Supra in existence. Ever notice the vast majority of 7 owners tend to lean toward engineering/mechanics as their profession?? 'Nuff said. Rx-7s may cost less but do cost a whole lot more over the span you own them. Comes with the territory of owning something not everyone wants to deal with but is exotic in its own right. Eeeeenuuuuufffff.

-HeX

jdhuegel1

Gotta love Supra owners.

My FD has yet to have a problem. I don't know if I can beat a Supra, nor do I give a flying ****. Why does this always become an issue?

If I remember correctly the Supra started off 10K more than a RX7, and that's why a 93 Supra TT is more than a 93 FD.

HeX

Well, there you have it. I guess Toyota wanted to charge for the extra weight that came with the car. I wish I could see a highly modified Bonzai Rx-7 (triple rotor/single turbo) vs. a highly modified Supra BPU++ (single turbo). That would be a awesome race. Too bad Bonzais are extremely rare.

-HeX

Domestic513

I'll trade you my FD for you Supra. I was looking at getting supra before I found my FD for 4500 bucks with a salvage title. I love the autp Supras too, as dumb as that sounds. My friend had a 97 auto, green. You couldnt get a much better interstate car then that, and that is the only racing I do pretty much. I'll even throw in my sister's dog

93TTRX7

I think your facts are bs. Are you still going by that one article that stated a tt supra ran a stock 13.4 and pulled .98g's? It's the supra bible...fact is I have yet to lose to a supra (3-0) granted the most modified one had just straight through exhaust and an intake. Point is it takes a lot more knowledge and dedication to drive an RX-7, where as all it takes steering capabilities to own a Supra. 42% of the TT supra drivers don't even have to worry about shifting gears. I have two friends, one had a 97 tt supra and one currently has a '94 tt supra. The '97 one blew it's tranny and had aamco rebuild it. The 94 is now puking blue smoke at 70k miles. Come to think of it, my 7 is the most reliable car out of the 3. Yeah I've had my fair share of boost leaks, but if you can't fix a simple torn coupler than you should be driving a frickin' camry. The only thing I can honestly agree with you is your fact about Toyota having a great reputation for build quality. Yeah Mazda lacks a lot and if the RX-7 was made by Toyota it would probably be flawless and wouldn't be sold for under 30 grand. But who knows? 8 yrs have gone by since the last rx-7 was sold here and maybe we should see how they do with competent mechanics and tuners building the cars. It'll be interesting to see in a few years how these rebuilt motors go...if they start going 100k miles easy then maybe we could call it a "supra" as well...since it does mean above all right?

salamander

The 3rd gen RX7's got more reliable with each model year. The 1993's were really a beta version (sorry to those with 93's) but the 94's and 95's had most of the bugs worked out. Unfortunately most FD's are 1993's. I have had a 1994 FD for 4 years now and, while it is not my only car, I drive it the most (by a wide margin). I am very meticulous about the maintenance and do everything twice as often as the owner's manual suggests. I also have kept it pretty much stock except for installing an aluminum AST. As a result, my car has been very reliable with no costs other than tires, filters etc. I drive it reasonably hard on the street but no racing of any sort. Elevated boost levels are hard on apex seals and tends to overwhelm the oil injection system that is used to lubricate the rotors.

The RX7 is a very different car than the Supra and is best suited to a different driving experience. The car is very light which gives it a very low moment of inertia and hence handling abilities that the Supra will simply never be able to duplicate. The rotary engine cannot produce the torque of a Supra motor so the Supra's straight line performance potential will be more exciting.

You might consider a Mitsubishi EVO VIII when it comes out next spring. The US spec car is expected to be less than $30K, light (2400 lbs) with about 250HP+ and about 250 ft-lbs of torque. The Japanese version, which I think is available in Europe, can reliably put out 320HP with a comparable quantity of torque so you could mod yours to where you want it. Gas mileage will be poor but it will have four doors for every day use.

matty

you guys make me sick...you shouldnt be Rx-7 owners as you are not rotary enthuasists.

Jim Swantko

Why because they are being honest about some of the shortcomings of the car?

I guess it makes an owner more of an enthusiast if they pretend that their car of choice is perfect. But I thought only Supra owners did that? Guess not huh....

matty

times have changed within the rotary community as everyone says..i didnt see it much till this thread.

Well to answer your question..for starters..i love the rotary engine from my 1st gen, 2 nd and 3 rdgen i loved them all. I love the the fact that they love and beg to be revved...i love cruising around at 5000 rpms in 2 nd gear....i love the 50:50 weight distribution...i love the power to weight ratio. The car is the closest thing you get to a full blown track car. Put some mods into it and not many people here can drive it to its potential and can fully appreciate it for what it can do. Me included.
The fact is no other car feels and gives me the same excitement. Does that mean that no other car can handle or accelerate like hell..of course it doesnt. I like the torque of the V8 and the hwy power of the supra..i am not closed minded about these things...BUT i have driven them all and i would take my rx7 in a heartbeat! I love the excitement of the car and enjoy the way the rotary runs. Ever drive a 2 stroke kawaski kx 125 or something similar...well same "feel" but with 4 wheels. BBRRRAAAP!

jdhuegel1

What was different? I thought it was just interior ****? Like sound deadning, the dash panels and little **** like that... The R1 suspension was changed a bit in 94... I've read every RX7 book... Did I miss a page?

matty

i guess everyone is entitled to there own opinions..i guess i am wrong for saying that you guys make me sick..but i always thought that rx7 owners owned there rotary's for a different reason then owning a piston engined car..i guess its hard to explain.

matty

believe it or not there are some VERY small changes in the engine bay...i dont think it makes the car any more reliable though..but you never know

jdhuegel1

Yeah, I'm aware of most of the changes...

The same reliability issues carry over from 93 on. I think Mazda was sleeping on some of those issues. But then again... In 1993, 94, and 95 the AST's weren't blowing up... It's after years of abuse by heat that these little things start to happen... So I guess they just weren't ready.

matty

i really cant wait for this new renesis engine..not the car but the engine...just sounds so damn impressive!

Shinobi-X

Nice post.

salamander

I was referring to the TSB's and/or recalls for the 3rd gen RX7 that seem to include many more 93 models than 94 or 95's.

Not to relabor the point but here are a few examples (some not so serious, and some that are more of a concern):

Black finish peeling from interior trim required different trim materials.
Redesign of of suspension bushings to prevent a clunking sound,
motor mounts redesigned for better clearance,
ECU's redesigned for both manual and automatic transmission versions to prevent stalling and fluctuating idle,
5th gear synchro problems required redesign of the shift selection spindle,
reported engine compartment fires required redesign of a number of coolant system components as well as the turbocharger housing,
embrittled fuel lines causing a second set of reported engine comparment fires which required Mazda to change out fuel lines for ones made of a different material and to add a fan control relay etc....

Perhaps you do not consider these major items but Mazda spent a lot of money fixing them and they are probably the type of problems that gave the RX7 the reliability reputation it has.

jdhuegel1

Ok... Yes, we know about these. You first said reliability issues, that's where you lost me. But good info for the people who don't know about these...

salamander

And you do not consider these reliability issues??

ArchangelX

I've only owned my RX-7 since November...I was originally going to purchase a Supra TT.

But I fell in love with the RX-7 after driving it. It was totally different. Bear in mind the Supra I was going to buy was a 1998 Supra TT 6-speed with only 21k on the odometer. It was in great shape except for a dirty interior and a dent on the roof where the previous owner dropped the targa. I had check in hand, and was about ready to sign the deal...when the owner decided he wasn't going to pay the taxes to get it properly licensed so I could purchase the car "legally".

That supra would have cost me 39,000 dollars PLUS tax, title, and licensing to own. A total of 43,000 dollars.

For a little more than 1/4 that price...I picked up my 93 RX-7 and I haven't looked back ever since.

It has almost 98,000k on the odo...and with the money that I've saved from trying to purchase the over-priced Supra...I've been able to do everything that I've wanted to with it so far. The car is a joy to drive, and isn't even close to the boaty-bloated feeling Supra that I loved for so long.

After doing a test drive in the Supra, and a test drive in the RX-7, the mazda's nimbleness simply won me over....great looks, beautiful interior that knocks the Supras interior down several notches.

Reliability with this car has been nothing but a worried CEL light from a bad temp sensor. Of course, it's completly stock except for the suspension and brakes...but that will soon change.

I think if you do things right, take your time, and don't try and play the limits, the RX-7 will definetly be a very reliable car. It has been so far...I think alot of people on this board are really pushing the limits of the engine..so things are definetly going to blow up more readily than the stockers.

The Supra is a totally different. It's a highway monster and is one of the BEST cars ever built, but to tell you the truth..I just didn't like the way it felt in the corners..it's just TOO heavy for my own tastes. And that's after driving heavily in two different ones.