j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

mechanically, they all pretty much do the same thing. the engine, and a bunch of stuff on top and around it, need periodic replacement. if its babied and well cared for you might get a little more mileage, but its still going to need that stuff sooner or later. most people on here are on a breakdown maintenance plan, while trying to get more power, and thats never a good idea.

if you replace all the peices you should with the engine, and are happy with stockish power (maybe 250rwhp) then they actually can be quite reliable cars.

the suspension has some bushings that wear out and get clunky, strut mounts fail, again its kind of a periodic thing.

the cosmetics depend on how its been treated. the interiors are fragile. exterior 90% have had paintwork of some kind, mostly inferior quality.

you have to figure a cheap FD will need EVERYTHING, which is a big bill. ive seen several with 20k type repair bills to bring it back to stock, mechanically sound. you can do it in stages but it wont be reliable until all the motor stuff is done, and again, you can do it at once, have a big bill and reliable car, or get stuck and buy it peice by peice.

Dudemaaanownsanrx7

iTrader: (23)

even babying the car things can go wrong. not to mention these cars are not meant to be babied. they were meant to be race cars straight off the showroom floor. If you lug around town you're just going to have carbon build up and very little fun. then the one time you do decide to get on it a chunk of carbon is going to break off and f*ck somthing up.

These cars can be relatively reliable AFTER you spend the money to make them reliable. Even then unforeseen occurrences arise, and money will need to be spent.
Recently i had one of my injectors fail, just cruising down the road. I have lots of money in reliability mods. single turbo etc, but i'm still always replacing something. I never even heard of an injector failing like this before, and fortunately it didnt crap out while i was running it hard or i might be looking at a new engine. I also know alot about my car and how to diagnose things, i managed to get a used pair of injectors for $25. But if i had to take it to a rotary shop to have them figure out what was wrong i guarantee i would be out at least $500, maybe more.

Fuel leaks are common at the fuel pulsation dampener and can cause fires which wipe out everything under the hood. Stock ast can rupture causing coolant loss and o-ring failure. detonation from bad gas will take out an apex seal and a new engine is then in order. sensors fail, wiring harness get old and crispy and mystery electronics start acting up. Driver side window switch fails ($120+)

They require premium fuel and dont get very good mileage. I used to daily drive my rx7 years ago, but its not practical, and is becoming less practical with the economy the way it is.

Azcamel

iTrader: (1)

at this age its not evey about "maintance", cars this old no matter what age needs parts to be replace because of age.

CKD

Thanks guys. You are all helpful. It's good to get the feedback like that. I am looking for a few other cars now, but one of these days when I have a bit more cash I will possibly consider an FD. Thanks again.