I don't really see why paying for my own roof makes a difference. Wouldnt it be better to have the car while I don't have to be worried about paying bills? I'm not hurting for money, I have my own job and it pays ok. Which is why I'm saving up for the car. I suppose I can also buy a 350Z as I can afford the montly payment of $400 per month.

Would you be able to quantify the amount of $ per month I would spend in maintenance on the FD? Not including gasoline of course. I can't imagine the average being over 400 per month. Am I wrong?

 

I dunno, I really wish it to be the case too... I think for now it will keep appreciating though, the problem is that it's hard to find good condition rx7's with matching numbers.... however there was an article I read a while back saying that the next generation of Barret-Jackson esk cars will be the 90's import muscle cars aka the skyline/supra/rx7/3000gt/300zx...etc.

but to stay on subject... the upkeep on *most* rx7's becomes expensive... from all the little things that go bad... and finding the replacement parts becomes harder and harder to find. I think about 1500 (not including broken or failing parts) a year in upkeep and maintinance on a good rx7 is reasonable... plus the future (or near future) rebuilds of both motor and turbos... and the fact that things do and will go wrong... and if you don't know how to diagnose a vacuum leak or a bad solenoid, you will get raped by having someone else attempt to figure it out.
In conclusion owning an rx7 costs more than face value, but it's more than worth it if you can afford it and another car and to live comfortably.

 

Thanks for the input. I will have to test drive one before I make a decision. To be honest I haven't even been on a 300ZX TT yet. All I know is my NA. I will keep looking and look around the forum for a while to see what problems people have with their cars.

 

Oh and I should add... that I've spent 5k (only 1000 of it was labor, and not including parts I had laying around) on my silver rx7 in the past 2 months... because I didn't trust the person that put it together... so I pulled it all apart and rebuilt the motor and went single. My red fd I've spent 4k on in the past year... without a rebuild. I straight out own both of them AND have a subaru daily driver that I own straight out.... my only payment is my condo and insurance and tv and cell phone.... I think what people say as financially responsible means that if a problem comes up... you don't have to sacrifice anything to get it fixed... and what happens when you decide to move out... and something goes wrong?

 

I came from an '84 300ZX Turbo to an FD Turbo...

$dime for dime, it's costed me the same... so far...

Only I had the 300ZX for 3 years, and the FD for 3 monthes...

I bought the 300ZX...and first it was alternator, then battery, the transmission, then leaks, then rust...and then trying to pass DEQ...

Then I bought the FD, had to get it to pass deq, then it was too loud, then it started leaking oil, then the clutch fork broke, then the battery died...and the fumes...and the expensive gas...

Anyway, I will take the FD over a 300ZX(Any gen) any day of the week. I love the car. I don't mind sinking $100's into the car to maintain it, while on the other hand the $$ into the 300 was a lost cause... to me anyway...

 

The FD is a gas hog, expect around 15mpg avg. And if you are buying this as the only form of transportation I would suggest not to. I know people do it, but like was stated earlier if you have a problem and have to order some parts you could be with out a car for a few days.

It is however a very fun, great looking, super handling, quick car, and you will always find someone wanting to ask questions about or talk about how much they always loved these cars.

 

IMO, if you are still living at home, I would spend my money on moving out and not on a somewhat finicky and high maintenance sports car. But that's me being an "old man" (and presumably wise).

Mahjik and I are in the same group.....we are guys who think the FD is a car for true enthusiasts who can afford to maintain them. This belief has been proved time and time again as casual owners and those with less means have not been long term owners...

 

From what I've read since I've last posted, I think the Z would be your best bet. Do the basic stage 3+++ mods. Leave in the stock injectors and turbos. It becomes an expensive situation when you start to modifiy those. Assuming that is you buy one that is already stock, which actually you'd be better off. You said to have never driven a TT yet....even a stock one can be a dangerous and expensive situation. When those parallel turbos come on at about 3500 coupled with the rear anti-squat suspension geometry, it can be quite a handful.

 

+2

I didn't get my FD (my first sports car) until I was 37, and with two homes.

:-) neil

PS: you need to take cars to near red-line (once warmed-up) periodically and hold it there (preferably under load, like going up a hill), in order to have a healthy engine. Some of us call this an Italian Tune-Up.

 

lol well I see the consensus here is 'don't get an FD'
I love the Z and I think I will go that route unless I find a cheaper FD out of nowhere.

 

If you're living with your parents becuase you NEED to (can't afford to move out) then you have no business buying an expensive car like a final-gen 300zx or RX-7.

If can only afford the 300zx/Rx-7 becuase you don't have to pay rent or a house payment, then you have no business buying the car.

If you can afford to move out and have an "ok paying job" as you say, then you have no business leaching off of your parents. You are 23. Move out.

I know it hurts to hear this stuff but it's the honest truth. What did you major in at school? Is your current job related to your major? Are you still waiting for an actual career-oriented job? If so you need to hold off on big purchases and concentrate on your future.

 

I would expect to pay about $15k for a "used but solid" FD. Most of the cars below that range need some repair (whether its vacuum lines, suspension bushings, etc) that will take you back up to around $15K anyway. Then from there expect to spend about $2k/yr in maintenance if you really want to maintain it properly. If you do that then it's actually pretty reliable, in that the things that wear out fast and break do so consistently and its always the same issues so you just have to know to watch out for them and take care of them proactively.

 

well.... if u do its oil changes and dont let the car sit there.. and u rebuild the engine.. ( no porting and shyt) u should have a reliable gas chugging machine noneofthe less. but still... u need money... then its very nice owning the car.,

 

I've owned my FD longer most, bought it in 95' new and it's been my daily drive the whole time. In that time it has spent about 6 mouth in the shop. The first five years were trouble free more or less. Fast forward to now, the car will turn 14this September (94' model year made in 93'). Any car that age will have numerous problems waiting to happen regardless of the mileage. There is no way that I would ever buy a car that old at $15K. I keep it because it's been paid for since 1999. The stock performance when new is being matched by high-end sedans today. Lastly these cars can be a handful particularly at 300 RWHP. Below 70F I cant keep traction in 1st gear. I still run a stock tire size running some of highest traction tires money can buy. At these power levels you can drift on demand which can take awhile to get use too and is not advisable on the street.

The point here is if you are serious you need to identify who's in you area that can service the car. That means a rotary specialist, that pretty much excludes most dealerships and other Mazda shops.

I use two mechanics for may car one for the stock stuff and one for the custom stuff. My custom tuner has to be scheduled 1-2 months in advance. Most FD owners live in California and Florida where shops are fairly plentful. If you don't see many FD around you could have a problem finding a good shop.

 

that was good insight. 300zx can be more of a problem than most of you are thinking. anyone hear of code 55

 

IIRC, code 55 is the CAS. I've frequented the Z forums for 10 years now...never knew it to be a problem. I'm pretty sure my 95TTZ flashed that code once before during many random ECU checks. But that was it

 

code 55 = vg30dett is a piece of crap code.

 

I would afford this car regardless of weather I needed to pay rent..
Staying with the parents isn't all about the money.

I majored in Economics, I will be working for one more year before I go back to school for a Masters. I think it would be wise to stay with the parents until then...besides staying with the parents doesnt sound as bad as you make it seem. It's more of a cultural thing than a financial.

Not the mainstream 'get the hell out of my house when you turn 18' crap here.

 

I disagree. The VG30DETT was great engineering for its day. A mass-produced sports car from Nissan that was designed as early as 1984 that came with a forged crank, variable valve-timing on the intake cam, direct ignition and 100HP/per litre IMO is not "a piece of crap" To twin turbocharge a V6 with crossflow heads and cram it under a low, short hood was no small task for Nissan engineers. The car won a multitude of awards during its production run.

 

What can happen is that *if* you purchase a car which requires a lot of upkeep, that can hamper you from being able to get a nice place later (i.e. your free cash goes into the car which slows down your ability for your own place). Keep in mind, paying rent is one thing, furnishing a nice place is another.

I've been there and done that. I'm trying to help you from making mistakes I made as a "yute". If you don't want to listen, once again, it's your money. I would recommend a sports car with a little less upkeep right now, and then when you are financially independent pick up something which may be a little more troublesome.

 

so mahjik, you actually suggest the 300 to him? if not, from your experiences; what would you suggest for kids trying to make it out after college or thru college?

 

there's nothing like the 7. once you get into it.. you'll fall in love.
take good care of it.. and put some $ away incase of emergency while keep up with scheduled maintenance... you shall never have to see the ugly side of having a non-running car and no $. Just go through the FAQ

with that said... FD is a old pretty old car... there will always be something wrong with it.. whether its ur starter ticking... broken interior plastic ...etc. so it does take some $ to keep up if u want flawless condition

I loved the 300ZX when it came out... but after FD released in 93, my interest in the commonly seen 300ZX went straight out the window. 300ZX or 350Zs... are like taxi cabs... they're great reliable cars... but u see them everywhere...

My FD's been my DD for 2 years now... I'm never gonna sell this car

 

I was making this same decision myself recently. My previous car was a Skyline GTS-T R32. Very fun car, hard to find a car that lives up to the Skyline's abilities.

In the end I decided on an RX-7 FD3S. The reasons?

#1) Weight. The RX-7 is extremely light as far as cars go, and this makes a huge difference when you start modifying the engine

#2) Handling. The RX-7 has 50/50 weight distribution, this makes it a very neutral car. It's a very good thing to have confidence in your car when you are going around corners at a good clip.

#3) Engine simplicity. Despite all the rumors of engines breaking or seals blowing, I think that it's an exaggerated problem, and I think that the Mazda 13b REW engine is a VERY simple design with minimal moving parts. I think that anyone buying a used RX-7 should be able to rebuild one, even if it required a little instruction and help - the engines are so simple a child could take them apart and re-assemble them. It's a totally different story with most piston engines.

#4) Mod potential. The car comes from the factory as a twin seq-turbo car. It's easily converted to a large single turbo car, and has fantastic suspension out of the factory. It has three large name brands behind it that support it heavily with modification parts (Greddy, RE Amemiya and APEX'i) which can enhance the performance of the car greatly.

#5) Uniqueness. It's nice to have a car that at most, 20,000 of them exist in North America. It's not every day you see an RX-7 FD driving down the street. I like the looks I get when I'm driving unique cars, I got a lot of them driving the Skyline and I get a lot driving the RX. Maybe I'm shallow but it's nice to have a car that everyone else doesn't.

Just be wary, the car is awesome but if you want a car good on gas, buy a kia or something. If you want an ultimately reliable vehicle, buy something else. If you want an awesome car with fantastic all around attributes, and acceleration potential matched by only a few other Japanese cars, the RX-7 FD is for you.

 

IMO, for his position I wouldn't suggest any older turbocharged car. Older + turbo typically = problems which then = money out of pocket. I would look to choose a car which isn't going to require a lot of help. I know the little time I spent in college, I'm glad it wasn't under a car!

If a college kid has some money and wants something similar to the FD without the hassles, I would suggest an S2000. Its a quick car with great handling. If they want to do highway runs, they can get a fairly new SRT-4; bolt-on a few mods and crank up the boost. While the SRT-4 is not "pretty", it can be made to go very fast for very little money. Add in that they can be had for not much money for a fairly new car and it's a decent choice.

 

You must have misread somewhere. I never mentioned that it would hamper me getting my own place later on . I don't want to spend more than a certain amount because I don't want to be paying for it for 2+ years. This is because I want to return to school and don't want to bother with payments until I'm out again. Anyway, this will be in a year at least. As for the car, I do my own work so labor costs are out (and that should be well over 40% of the costs)

Anyway, I'd appreciate if we get back to the topic. This is not a discussion of my financial state. Thanks for the advice.

Really!? I find this very hard to believe but then I noticed you live in California. Chicago 300s are very few and hard to come by. RX-7s even less but IMO don't look as exotic.

As for the S2000, not really a fan. I like the 350Z and evolution(not as much as the 300ZX or the RX-7) but they are way too common. Like it was mentioned above, I seek a nice and unique car. No SRT either.