Let me give you a little first hand advice. I am a college student and have had my 7 for about 2.5 yrs. I bought it myself for 8k (put 6k down and put the rest on a credit card that was 0% for one year). I got 2 yrs out of it and now I am trying to get the engine rebuilt. First of all, if you can find a sweetheart deal on one, then do it. But first, you have to keep a part time job throughout college. I went 6 months w/o a job and put myself in debt trying to keep the car in good shape. Second, don't spend that five grand. Save it for a rainy day because there will be a few. Third, don't drive it like a stupidass. You won't get respect from anyone and you will get tickets. The car is a cop magnet and it will be tempting to drive really fast to and from college. I've had four large tickets since I bought the car. Yeah, it's expensive and stupid. Fourth, don't let anyone other than yourself drive it. This can be hard if you decide to join a fraternity, which I don't recommend because frats are gay, including mine. Fifth, you need to have a cheap beater for the aforementioned rainy days. I had a 90 nissan sentra and now a 93 miata. You can get a newer sentra than mine for under 1k now. This is a must. Lastly, should you decide to buy one, please take care of it. There is no sadder a sight than a beat up FD. Keep it clean and well maintained. Also, make sure you do the reliability mods. If I had saved money by not buying beer or joining my gay assed fraternity, I would have had plenty of money to buy a radiator and wouldn't be in this situation.

 

Not much else to do in college?

I'd like to see you come back in a year and revive this thread and see if you still have the same thing to say.

IMO, don't get a sports car when going to college. It's something else that can/will get damaged or get you into trouble. You don't need a car to pick up girls in college, they are just waiting to be picked up period.

 

I'd also say go for it. You'll eventually regret not getting one if you get anything else. You can still sell it if you find it hard to upkeep.

Personally to me it's a second car and I'm only planning putting on like 2-3k miles on it at most annually.

 

If you buy a low mileage, well-kept FD and only do reliablility mods, I don't see any reason why that would be terribly impractical. I daily drive mine and never have any problems(knock on wood!). I just do regular oil changes and tune ups. Just changed the fuel filter last weekend. If you keep up with the maintenance, don't turn up the boost or go crazy with mods, your car should be fine.
Like cruiser said, if you want an FD, you won't be happy with anything else.

 

Ok, here's my opinion.

Take the money you would have used to buy the FD and go to a good school. One of the "big 3" (UT, A&M, TT) would be better than UTSA. This kinda depends on your major. If you're majoring in anything scientific (inculding engineering) leave UTSA well alone. Business or education, maybe it's ok. I'm speaking from experience here. I got a B.S. from UTSA because I didn't have much money and I didn't want to take out a loan. I wish I would have gone somewhere else. You tell people you got an degree in mechanical engineering from UTSA and they kinda look at you funny.

I wanted an FD since they came out too, so I know how you feel about it. I waited 'till I was out of college, done with grad school and until I bought a house with a garage before I bought my FD. I found a nice low mileage R1, and I could afford to pay what the seller was asking, in cash. Sure, by the time you are done with school, there'll be less low mileage ones around, but there will be some, and you'll be able to afford and enjoy it, and more importantly, you'll be able to keep it in a nice garage out of that nasty south Texas sun.

And like alot of other people have said, you won't want to deal with keeping your car running when you've got projects and stuff like that to do.

If you love the FD as much as you say, then wait until you can treat it right.

Good luck.

 

I sure wouldn't like to own this car on a college budget...Especially since you have been exposed to this forum...

 

LMAO that is so funny how he keeps saying gay *** frat... lol

 

If you want one and have to have it now, you need to spend some of your leftover cash on a beater. It took me a little while to learn that I needed a second car, but I went out and got one nad hate car payments. I'll never buy another car unless it's with cash. I'm a freshman in college now, and I paid cash for my FD in February of my senior year in high school. Now, it stays parked because it needs alot of miscellaneous stuff I procrastinated on (fuel filter, spark plugs, new oil pan gasket, headlight cover) and have to save the money for, and I work and go to school full-time. Trust me, it's not fun bumming rides to school and work for weeks at a time when a big problem comes up and you're low on cash. So, if you get a beater at the same time, I say go for it, but no one likes driving another car when they know their RX is sitting at home under the weather. So, as long as you constantly have cash, you'll be just fine. And just remember to tell all the girls that you drive Vin Diesel's car, that'll work. j/k

 

Ya, he's right, the pigs dig the 7. Watch out

 

don't do it.

 

dude i am a senior at texas tech and i am on my second rex. why not have the car of your dreams while your still young and can enjoy it. just be responsible, dont street race, (quickest way to get your insurance to drop you) but if your not going to heavily mod the thing you can buy a great dependable rex for around 17k with low mileage. plus it doesn't hurt with the ladies and when else do you have the pool of women to choose from as you do when in college. go for it have fun you only live once.

Just my $.02

 

i second that... if your rx7 is your only car then i suggest not to get it... unless your rich or have all the time in the world...because one way or another you will experience your car not starting... hahaha...

but then again im in my last year and i own an FD for 2years now because $$$ is no problem.... telling you the truth, there's nothing better than owning an RX7 while your in college!! this car tells me who i am... old yet sexy... hahaha..."i feel good" with this car... so it can be a motivation factor baby!!!

On a final note... dont rush in getting this car... buy a beater... get a side job... give yourself time to shop around... Peace...

 

Like so many others have said... dont get it unless you have a beater. I'm going into my sophomore year in college and got my 7 as a high school graduation gift to myself (and since it was ans still is my dream car). I had a beater when I got it but it broke down within 2 weeks and took forever to get repaired. Then the 7 flooded in November. Since then I got a 2nd beater so now I have 2 beaters (93 Ford Probe, 95 Dodge Neon) and a 7. The only way this is possible is that I can get parts for the beaters for damn near nothing (motor $125, tranny $40, etc). I finally got the 7 running again two weeks ago (thanks to the blizzards in Maryland) but the college budget really makes it rough. I dont regret getting the 7 but I should have waited a little longer.

 

Speaking of speeding tickets and rainy days.... DONT DO IT! I've had a perfect driving record until I got my 7. Only got one ticket but it was for 96 in a 60. Which was very dumb of me in the first place but I've learned from the experience. Since I got the car started 2 weeks ago, it hasn't been over 80 yet. Only place I plan on goin 80+ is on the track.

As far as rainy days go... not long after I got it... before I was comfortable working on it myself... driving home from the shop to have a smoke problem checked out... it started raining... lost control on an exit ramp... spun a few times... hopped a curb... bent the control arm,stabilizer bar, and links... a little over $400 in repairs plus i needed new tires.

Bottom line... dont get the car without a beater.

 

Its just a car.

I love cars, I realy do, but frickin a', go life your life. College is about free time, bieng lazy and having the time of your life, not having some possesion own you.

Get drunk, get laid, have fun. Thats what I do, and all my friends that work all day wish they could break their addiction to their damn car to have more fun with me....

You'll regret it...

 

It's funny how all of the responses from the guys in college are telling you to just buy it but the older guys (who are most likely wiser) are telling you to wait. Looking back on college, I think I would have killed myself trying to get my engineering degree while working to support a car. Like someone said before, college is all about having fun, being away from home and finding yourself. I wouldn't give up the time and memories that I spent with my college friends and all of the things that I did. If I had to work during then, I might not have had that opportunity to spend with them and enjoy college.

 

just get it, its not that hard to upkeep like everyone makes it seem. i've had a ton of freak things happen with mine....hit a deer, clutch went out....but i can still handle it AS WELL as make payments on it...while in college. find one for 12-14, buy it and then get a beater. you can get a 1st gen eclipse for like 1500, turbo awd...or a 95+ GSX for like 4500...and those will pick up ladies (not as well as the 7, but not bad for a beater)

 

after reading what builtforboost said....i kinda do regret it...i dont have much free time....but heck....you're gettin the car free! you dont even have to work...do it!!

 

people.....he has 14k GIVEN to him...and 5k of his own....if he doesnt use it then he doesnt get the money. JUMP all over a NICE car for 14k, and spend your 1k or 2k on a beater...and still have a 3k cussion

 

I'm currently a freshman at SLO and have an FD. I had a pretty good idea about what I was getting into when I bought mine this summer because my father has one as well. All I can say is that even with all the problems and payments and all the other crap you'll have to deal with...there is nothing like getting into a car that will take a 2002 Carrera off the line that cost you 1/4 of the price and just driving it. When the car is running right it'll be like a dream. Just like everyone else said, don't drive it like a dumbass and change the oil a lot. The other thing that I can tell you is that I park in the public parking lot on campus and have had no problems other than a few door dings (which I'm still pissed about). GL with it, and find a decent one.