A Noob, An RX7, A Journey
08-01-11 | 12:12 AM
#1
A Noob, An RX7, A Journey
The Noob
First off I guess I'll introduce myself my name is Nickolas Hicks and I'm 24 years old and graduated this past May from the University of Nevada here in Reno with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I received a full time position with the company that I had been interning for as an RF Engineer.
My interest in cars has always existed but I never really got an opportunity to really work on cars until I was 21, before then is was just basic maintenance stuff. 21 is when I returned from a church mission in Argentina and began working for a local engineering firm. At work I became friends with a co worker who did a lot of work on cars and I began to help him work on cars. At that time I was driving a 1995 Nissan 240sx he began helping me with installing basic performance upgrades like intake and exhaust. I later decided I wanted an SR20 so I bought one and with his help we installed the SR20, front mount intercooler, t3/t4 turbonetics turbo, and a recirculated HKS blow off valve. After about five months of ownership of the SR20 the clutch went out and it was a mad scramble to get a new Exedy clutch. Since this car was my daily driver I learned, as my friend had told me, that a project car shouldn't be your daily driver. I then traded the 240sx for a 1998 Mitsubishi 3000gt which I still currently daily drive and have yet to have any problems with it.
Between 21 years of age and 24 I bought cars to fix and sell to have some extra income while I went to school. I helped my same co worker friend with his 91 Toyota MR2 build. Also helped out on a 1995 Nissan 300zx twin turbo. Most of my car purchases have come because they were cheap and I had nothing else to work on at the time. Usually I would buy them, fix them, drive them for awhile and then sell them because it wasn't really anything that I wanted.
This brings me to this August of 2010 when I decided to buy a new project car when I graduated. I looked at 240sx again, Datsun 510's, E30 M3's, FD's, and some muscle cars like 1965-67 GTO, 1970 Challenger, or 1970 Charger. After doing some research on each car the FD stood out to me really for one reason and that was this forum and the knowledge it contains. This forum is really different from all the other forums. The information it contains is just of a higher quality and many posts discuss technical aspects of things which as an engineer I like. The interest and depth that you guys know your cars was impressive to me.
The RX7
I began looking at prices for an RX7 in August of 2010 and when I got closer to graduation I began seriously looking, about March of 2011. My requirements for the FD were twin turbo, recently rebuilt motor, black interior, and not red or montego blue. The FD's in town didn't meet my requirements so I went to a local dealership in town that helps people find, inspect, and transport cars. At this same dealership they also have sold a couple FD's. Eventually I found one from a shop in Southern California and they had just completed a fresh rebuild on the motor. The inspection went well and it was a 1993 Silver FD with 140k and black interior. The price was decent and I felt good about finally getting a car I wanted to build not a car that was just cheap. The car was basically stock except for exhaust, intake, and an AST. So I went ahead and bought the car.
The Journey
Upon taking delivery of the car I drove it very slowly and did not boost and followed the instructions of my builder on how to break the motor in. The first upgrade was waiting for it when it got home. I installed two new defi racer gauges, one for temp, the other for boost. The install was simple and I followed a how to thread on this forum and with my multimeter it was easy. After that I installed an RX7store high flow cat so that I could pass smog and get the car registered. After that was taken care of my plan was to just drive the car on the weekends or at night and break it in slowly and just look for worn out parts and replace them as necessary. After a couple or weeks I had a cooling system leak from the throttle body hose. So I replaced that with ease thanks again to the forum, and replaced some of the other hoses because they looked worn out. I also got all my parts from Ray at Malloy he really is a great resource. I also replaced the AST, and associated hoses, both radiator caps, installed the pettit thermoswitch and eventually got a Koyo N-Flow radiator with new hoses. I also bought that Lesile funnel and use it on all my other cars. Replaced both the filters on the Apexi intake system and began looking at the parts for sale section.
This became sort or an addiction for me I checked constantly on the Iphone for parts that I wanted. Pretty soon I had a SakeBomb door handle, RB Dual Tip Exhaust, the Greddy one I had scrapped a little coming out of the driveway so it had to go. I also got a Knight Sports boost controller since I plan on staying sequential. I have yet to install the hanlde because I need the plastic door piece as well. The boost controller isn't in yet either, and im not a super JDM street racer guy so I rarely hit 10psi anyway. The controller will be included as things progress.
Since I've gotten the car I've put about 2000 miles on it mostly because I wanted to break the motor in so I found myself taking long drives around Lake Tahoe. Currently I have that clunking sound in the rear so I'm inspecting the rear suspension and already have new pillowballs since I figure from reading it is probably the pillow *****. However not being to knowledgeable on suspension stuff I'm still reading about it and looking into new toe links and trailing arms since they are probably as old as the car. I looked at getting just the bushings but that seems to be the same cost as buying new aftermarket ones. Out of the new aftermarket ones I've seen the ones offered by RX7store, RX7.com, and Rotary Extreme. It seems that the rotary extreme ones are the best for longevity because the have rubber seals.
I mostly just street drive my car but have considered maybe getting into autocross as another hobby. I'm looking for a solid car that looks good, runs good, and makes about 350HP. I plan on this summer and fall being full of reliability upgrades and worn out part upgrades. This winter I'll be spending time refreshing the interior, in the spring I'm thinking of getting a repaint possibly with 99spec bumper and wing and then in the summer getting a fuel system upgrade, stage 3 BNR twins, and Apexi PFC to make the 350hp. I plan on taking things slow and trying to do it right.
Hope this wasn't too long of a post and I'm looking forward to reading the other build threads, finishing up reading all the FAQ, and Dale Clarks Meth/Water Install thread. Thanks for info you guys post on here, it really does help.Any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated.
First off I guess I'll introduce myself my name is Nickolas Hicks and I'm 24 years old and graduated this past May from the University of Nevada here in Reno with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I received a full time position with the company that I had been interning for as an RF Engineer.
My interest in cars has always existed but I never really got an opportunity to really work on cars until I was 21, before then is was just basic maintenance stuff. 21 is when I returned from a church mission in Argentina and began working for a local engineering firm. At work I became friends with a co worker who did a lot of work on cars and I began to help him work on cars. At that time I was driving a 1995 Nissan 240sx he began helping me with installing basic performance upgrades like intake and exhaust. I later decided I wanted an SR20 so I bought one and with his help we installed the SR20, front mount intercooler, t3/t4 turbonetics turbo, and a recirculated HKS blow off valve. After about five months of ownership of the SR20 the clutch went out and it was a mad scramble to get a new Exedy clutch. Since this car was my daily driver I learned, as my friend had told me, that a project car shouldn't be your daily driver. I then traded the 240sx for a 1998 Mitsubishi 3000gt which I still currently daily drive and have yet to have any problems with it.
Between 21 years of age and 24 I bought cars to fix and sell to have some extra income while I went to school. I helped my same co worker friend with his 91 Toyota MR2 build. Also helped out on a 1995 Nissan 300zx twin turbo. Most of my car purchases have come because they were cheap and I had nothing else to work on at the time. Usually I would buy them, fix them, drive them for awhile and then sell them because it wasn't really anything that I wanted.
This brings me to this August of 2010 when I decided to buy a new project car when I graduated. I looked at 240sx again, Datsun 510's, E30 M3's, FD's, and some muscle cars like 1965-67 GTO, 1970 Challenger, or 1970 Charger. After doing some research on each car the FD stood out to me really for one reason and that was this forum and the knowledge it contains. This forum is really different from all the other forums. The information it contains is just of a higher quality and many posts discuss technical aspects of things which as an engineer I like. The interest and depth that you guys know your cars was impressive to me.
The RX7
I began looking at prices for an RX7 in August of 2010 and when I got closer to graduation I began seriously looking, about March of 2011. My requirements for the FD were twin turbo, recently rebuilt motor, black interior, and not red or montego blue. The FD's in town didn't meet my requirements so I went to a local dealership in town that helps people find, inspect, and transport cars. At this same dealership they also have sold a couple FD's. Eventually I found one from a shop in Southern California and they had just completed a fresh rebuild on the motor. The inspection went well and it was a 1993 Silver FD with 140k and black interior. The price was decent and I felt good about finally getting a car I wanted to build not a car that was just cheap. The car was basically stock except for exhaust, intake, and an AST. So I went ahead and bought the car.
The Journey
Upon taking delivery of the car I drove it very slowly and did not boost and followed the instructions of my builder on how to break the motor in. The first upgrade was waiting for it when it got home. I installed two new defi racer gauges, one for temp, the other for boost. The install was simple and I followed a how to thread on this forum and with my multimeter it was easy. After that I installed an RX7store high flow cat so that I could pass smog and get the car registered. After that was taken care of my plan was to just drive the car on the weekends or at night and break it in slowly and just look for worn out parts and replace them as necessary. After a couple or weeks I had a cooling system leak from the throttle body hose. So I replaced that with ease thanks again to the forum, and replaced some of the other hoses because they looked worn out. I also got all my parts from Ray at Malloy he really is a great resource. I also replaced the AST, and associated hoses, both radiator caps, installed the pettit thermoswitch and eventually got a Koyo N-Flow radiator with new hoses. I also bought that Lesile funnel and use it on all my other cars. Replaced both the filters on the Apexi intake system and began looking at the parts for sale section.
This became sort or an addiction for me I checked constantly on the Iphone for parts that I wanted. Pretty soon I had a SakeBomb door handle, RB Dual Tip Exhaust, the Greddy one I had scrapped a little coming out of the driveway so it had to go. I also got a Knight Sports boost controller since I plan on staying sequential. I have yet to install the hanlde because I need the plastic door piece as well. The boost controller isn't in yet either, and im not a super JDM street racer guy so I rarely hit 10psi anyway. The controller will be included as things progress.
Since I've gotten the car I've put about 2000 miles on it mostly because I wanted to break the motor in so I found myself taking long drives around Lake Tahoe. Currently I have that clunking sound in the rear so I'm inspecting the rear suspension and already have new pillowballs since I figure from reading it is probably the pillow *****. However not being to knowledgeable on suspension stuff I'm still reading about it and looking into new toe links and trailing arms since they are probably as old as the car. I looked at getting just the bushings but that seems to be the same cost as buying new aftermarket ones. Out of the new aftermarket ones I've seen the ones offered by RX7store, RX7.com, and Rotary Extreme. It seems that the rotary extreme ones are the best for longevity because the have rubber seals.
I mostly just street drive my car but have considered maybe getting into autocross as another hobby. I'm looking for a solid car that looks good, runs good, and makes about 350HP. I plan on this summer and fall being full of reliability upgrades and worn out part upgrades. This winter I'll be spending time refreshing the interior, in the spring I'm thinking of getting a repaint possibly with 99spec bumper and wing and then in the summer getting a fuel system upgrade, stage 3 BNR twins, and Apexi PFC to make the 350hp. I plan on taking things slow and trying to do it right.
Hope this wasn't too long of a post and I'm looking forward to reading the other build threads, finishing up reading all the FAQ, and Dale Clarks Meth/Water Install thread. Thanks for info you guys post on here, it really does help.Any advice or recommendations are greatly appreciated.
08-01-11 | 12:18 AM
#2
Rotary Enthusiast
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 763
Likes: 13
From: reno nevada
Nice post nick! I recently replaced the pillowballs and control arm bushings. Im in the process of finishing up my water/meth install. Call me if you want a hand with either my neighbor still has the press we used for bushings
Nice to see you go the right path regarding reliability upgrades 
08-01-11 | 10:29 PM
#6
Thanks for the comments.
cptpain sometimes I thought I would never make it out of school. lol.
I'm also gonna use this thread to keep track of the good posts I find about the subjects that I'm currently researching. I hope that's not considered bad etiquette here please let me know if it is.
Here is what I found regarding aftermarket and OEM toe link and trailing arm replacement. Look for the Howard Coleman post, surprise surprise right?
https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/toe-links-trailing-arms-299731/
I have begun an inspection of the suspension components and I'm mainly focusing on the rear passenger side since the clunking seems to be coming from there. When I put my hands in the 9 and 3 position on the wheel I can move it back and forth like I'm "steering" it and from what I've read that points to the toe links. I also shook the other suspension components back there and the only one that makes the noise when I shake it is the toe link.
Current plan is to continue researching the toe link replacement options tonight, make some calls and order tomorrow. I think I'll be getting into trouble again and end up buying toe links, trailing arms, and solid diff bushings because you get a discount and who doesn't like the package deal discount?
So I guess its rx7.com vs rotary extreme.
cptpain sometimes I thought I would never make it out of school. lol.
I'm also gonna use this thread to keep track of the good posts I find about the subjects that I'm currently researching. I hope that's not considered bad etiquette here please let me know if it is.
Here is what I found regarding aftermarket and OEM toe link and trailing arm replacement. Look for the Howard Coleman post, surprise surprise right?
https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/toe-links-trailing-arms-299731/
I have begun an inspection of the suspension components and I'm mainly focusing on the rear passenger side since the clunking seems to be coming from there. When I put my hands in the 9 and 3 position on the wheel I can move it back and forth like I'm "steering" it and from what I've read that points to the toe links. I also shook the other suspension components back there and the only one that makes the noise when I shake it is the toe link.
Current plan is to continue researching the toe link replacement options tonight, make some calls and order tomorrow. I think I'll be getting into trouble again and end up buying toe links, trailing arms, and solid diff bushings because you get a discount and who doesn't like the package deal discount?
So I guess its rx7.com vs rotary extreme.
08-22-11 | 05:28 PM
#7
Update:
I ended up doing some research on bushings and aftermarket suspension parts and decided to stick to OEM parts for now. I stayed with OEM because I read the bushings last longer and with aftermarket parts I would need a realignment. The other reason is that I remember seeing that Japan2LA was selling good condition low mileage OEM rear suspension kits. So I searched the for sale section and he had a set left so I picked it up.
Got all my parts except for the lower control arms, still waiting for those in the mail. I didnt get around to putting the toe link in till this weekend because I was spending my time at Hot August Nights, a yearly classic car show here in town, or working on a Baja Bug my friend convinced me to buy. After I got angry cause the bug wont start I decided it was break time so I put the toe links in. Took about 30mins maybe and the clunking is almost gone. I have no more clunking in reverse and only a little bit occasionally on decel.
When the lower control arms come in I'll be installing those and the trailing arms next. In the meantime back to reading about AI and staying away from the for sale section.
I ended up doing some research on bushings and aftermarket suspension parts and decided to stick to OEM parts for now. I stayed with OEM because I read the bushings last longer and with aftermarket parts I would need a realignment. The other reason is that I remember seeing that Japan2LA was selling good condition low mileage OEM rear suspension kits. So I searched the for sale section and he had a set left so I picked it up.
Got all my parts except for the lower control arms, still waiting for those in the mail. I didnt get around to putting the toe link in till this weekend because I was spending my time at Hot August Nights, a yearly classic car show here in town, or working on a Baja Bug my friend convinced me to buy. After I got angry cause the bug wont start I decided it was break time so I put the toe links in. Took about 30mins maybe and the clunking is almost gone. I have no more clunking in reverse and only a little bit occasionally on decel.
When the lower control arms come in I'll be installing those and the trailing arms next. In the meantime back to reading about AI and staying away from the for sale section.
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09-30-11 | 02:08 AM
#9
Update:
Things have been going well with no major issues. I am have an incorrect boost pattern where primary hit 6/7 psi and secondary will climb past 10 and almost reach 14. This happened a couple of times so I've been reading about the rats nest and vacumn hoses. Untill I fix this I wont be boosting very much and I try to keep it below 5psi. On a side my gas mileage has improved but I didnt buy the car for gas mileage so that doesn't matter.
I also met a local fd owner who owns a classic car storage warehouse/shop and after 2 hours of rx7/general car talk his mechanic agreed to teach me how to paint. So Im planning to paint this December or January. I'm unsure as the color Im leaning towards keeping it silver but am unsure as to the shade of silver or finish. I don't know much about paint so I have to read about that. I do want a 99 style bumper and a different wing so we'll see what happens there.
Input on paint and body welcome.
Thanks again to the forum couldn't be happier with the experience so far.
Things have been going well with no major issues. I am have an incorrect boost pattern where primary hit 6/7 psi and secondary will climb past 10 and almost reach 14. This happened a couple of times so I've been reading about the rats nest and vacumn hoses. Untill I fix this I wont be boosting very much and I try to keep it below 5psi. On a side my gas mileage has improved but I didnt buy the car for gas mileage so that doesn't matter.
I also met a local fd owner who owns a classic car storage warehouse/shop and after 2 hours of rx7/general car talk his mechanic agreed to teach me how to paint. So Im planning to paint this December or January. I'm unsure as the color Im leaning towards keeping it silver but am unsure as to the shade of silver or finish. I don't know much about paint so I have to read about that. I do want a 99 style bumper and a different wing so we'll see what happens there.
Input on paint and body welcome.
Thanks again to the forum couldn't be happier with the experience so far.
10-31-11 | 01:40 PM
#10
Finally got around to replacing the control arms and trailing arms this weekend, I have no idea what took me so long, and while driving around everything feels a lot tighter and I havent noticed any clunking so far took me about two hours to do. Next up the uppers and the diff mount and deciding about paint.
10-31-11 | 01:57 PM
#11
Update:
Things have been going well with no major issues. I am have an incorrect boost pattern where primary hit 6/7 psi and secondary will climb past 10 and almost reach 14. This happened a couple of times so I've been reading about the rats nest and vacumn hoses. Untill I fix this I wont be boosting very much and I try to keep it below 5psi. On a side my gas mileage has improved but I didnt buy the car for gas mileage so that doesn't matter.
I also met a local fd owner who owns a classic car storage warehouse/shop and after 2 hours of rx7/general car talk his mechanic agreed to teach me how to paint. So Im planning to paint this December or January. I'm unsure as the color Im leaning towards keeping it silver but am unsure as to the shade of silver or finish. I don't know much about paint so I have to read about that. I do want a 99 style bumper and a different wing so we'll see what happens there.
Input on paint and body welcome.
Thanks again to the forum couldn't be happier with the experience so far.
Things have been going well with no major issues. I am have an incorrect boost pattern where primary hit 6/7 psi and secondary will climb past 10 and almost reach 14. This happened a couple of times so I've been reading about the rats nest and vacumn hoses. Untill I fix this I wont be boosting very much and I try to keep it below 5psi. On a side my gas mileage has improved but I didnt buy the car for gas mileage so that doesn't matter.
I also met a local fd owner who owns a classic car storage warehouse/shop and after 2 hours of rx7/general car talk his mechanic agreed to teach me how to paint. So Im planning to paint this December or January. I'm unsure as the color Im leaning towards keeping it silver but am unsure as to the shade of silver or finish. I don't know much about paint so I have to read about that. I do want a 99 style bumper and a different wing so we'll see what happens there.
Input on paint and body welcome.
Thanks again to the forum couldn't be happier with the experience so far.
The exact same thing has happed to my boost after a vacum hose job and a manual boot controller install and before I was boosting a perfect 10 8 10. Please let me know when you find the problem. I plan to have an electronic boost controller installed and hopefully that will solve the problem.
10-31-11 | 05:09 PM
#12
Good post! Glad you're doing things right, it really helps when you take time, do your research, and do things correctly.
Keep up the good work!
Oh, if you haven't got a set of my Viton check valves, PM me, I'll get you a set at the GB price.
Dale
Keep up the good work!
Oh, if you haven't got a set of my Viton check valves, PM me, I'll get you a set at the GB price.
Dale
02-17-12 | 06:47 PM
#14
Well since the last post I've made I have just continued to enjoy the car and I drive it occasionally since it hasn't snowed much here in Reno. I have been gather parts together to get my car tuned. On Tuesday my car should be down in Vegas with Ben at Rotary Evolution. Im going to have him install the AEM water injection system, Apexi PFC, and other odds and ends that I haven't been able to get around to this winter, the garage is pretty cold after work.
However to keep myself busy I've been repainting my faded/peeling interior plastics, and getting pieces in better shape then the ones I had. The painting has been a pretty tedious process but that's how painting goes. Just a lot of sanding, painting, re-sanding, and more painting till it comes out good enough for my standards which aren't extremely high but it gotta come out pretty good because I don't wanna do it again. The Duplicolor bumper paint mentioned on the forum works great and the results are good. One thread also mentions using Goof Off to get the remaining clear to coat off but I would not suggest this route. It cause more problems then it solves. It takes of the clear coat but it makes it sticky and spreads it out and just makes a mess. Save yourself some trouble and just sand the top coat off.
Once the top coat was off I just applied a couple coats spray paint primer on the plastics then sanded them smooth and applied the Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter and applied the Duplicolor Bumper Coating and it turned out pretty well.
When I get the car back from Vegas hopefully I'll be ready for the interior plastics install and then off to the paint booth.
However to keep myself busy I've been repainting my faded/peeling interior plastics, and getting pieces in better shape then the ones I had. The painting has been a pretty tedious process but that's how painting goes. Just a lot of sanding, painting, re-sanding, and more painting till it comes out good enough for my standards which aren't extremely high but it gotta come out pretty good because I don't wanna do it again. The Duplicolor bumper paint mentioned on the forum works great and the results are good. One thread also mentions using Goof Off to get the remaining clear to coat off but I would not suggest this route. It cause more problems then it solves. It takes of the clear coat but it makes it sticky and spreads it out and just makes a mess. Save yourself some trouble and just sand the top coat off.
Once the top coat was off I just applied a couple coats spray paint primer on the plastics then sanded them smooth and applied the Duplicolor Adhesion Promoter and applied the Duplicolor Bumper Coating and it turned out pretty well.
When I get the car back from Vegas hopefully I'll be ready for the interior plastics install and then off to the paint booth.
Last edited by Reno_NVFD; 02-17-12 at 06:51 PM. Reason: spelling errors
02-21-12 | 01:30 PM
#19
Rotary Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,050
Likes: 0
From: New York
So how do you like the FD against all of the other cars you've driven? Against the 3000gt, 240, Mr2, 300zx....
Welcome! You said it best; of all enthusiast forums this has got to be the most detail/dedicated/knowledgeable base out there!
Welcome! You said it best; of all enthusiast forums this has got to be the most detail/dedicated/knowledgeable base out there!
02-21-12 | 03:58 PM
#20
The car looks pretty good in pics but its got a lot of dings and scratches and some spots where the paint has flaked off. It just hard to tell cause the material under the paint is also a gray color.
As far as comparisons go my 3000gt is nice. It rides nice, drives nice, has a good stereo from the factory, the cabin noise is pretty quiet as well. Its really slow, its only a SOHC so its basically a 160hp car that weighs 3200lbs. However because of that it gets good gas milage, 22 mpg, and actually does fairly well in the snow because of the weight. Cargo space is usually good enough for most things even a set of full size hard door that I bought for my jeep and physically it looks good. I haven't had to work on much all just normal stuff and an axle, it only has 106,000 miles. I also eliminated a lifter tick I was getting this weekend by remembering what I read on this forum about reformulated oils that Howard Colman posted up. Probably the best thing about the 3000gt is how easy an oil change is you dont have to jack up the car to reach anything and the plastic oil catcher tub thing fits right under everything.
The 300zx has what the 3000gt does except the rear end is ugly, even the twin turbo model doesnt have very much power it didnt feel quick at all. The worst thing about it though is the cramped engine bay. Some things require removing the motor like turbocharger changes and it just isnt laid out well for working on it, I would never buy one.
The MR2 was pretty awesome, light car with some horse power. It was a lot of fun to drive around and my friend beat on it pretty hard but that motor was solid he never had any problems with it. Im not a huge need for speed guy and that car kinda scared me when it was up and going. 1st gear sucked, 2nd was ok, but one you hit third that car was a monster. They arent as hard to work on as people say, motor swaps are easy just jack it up high enough and take the motor out from the bottom. I also had the advantage of a good MR2 mechanic/ parts guy in Sac that was very helpful and always had parts if we need them. Physically its not a bad car to look at just not quite as sleek or refined like the FD. I had fun working on it and learned a lot from it.
The 240 was my first car that I started working on and I soon realized that if you were serious about getting more horse power you needed to do more than just intake and exhaust so I bought an SR motor. The swap was easy and the car was fun but after it broke down a couple of times I realized I needed something more reliable as a daily driver. Plus the value in an SR 240 really isnt there. You spend the money on upgrades and paint and your car isnt really worth anything, in fact you probably spent more money on paint than the car. In todays economic times they are pretty cheap and easy to come by I think its because they only people that want them are young people who dont have a lot of money whereas the FD appeals to a broader age group and a broader wallet size.
The FD is awesome even though I live in fear of a blown motor and drive like a grandma most the time. I just enjoy seeing it and cruizing around in it more than the other cars. Plus like the community really is huge bonus, Ive met other FD owners and they are nice, polite, courteous people and not gangbanger we hate the police people like other car groups. The good info on here is well shared, accepted, and followed usually that its pretty easy to know what is the right way and what is the wrong way.
I hope I didnt spell to many things wrong but I probably did.
As far as comparisons go my 3000gt is nice. It rides nice, drives nice, has a good stereo from the factory, the cabin noise is pretty quiet as well. Its really slow, its only a SOHC so its basically a 160hp car that weighs 3200lbs. However because of that it gets good gas milage, 22 mpg, and actually does fairly well in the snow because of the weight. Cargo space is usually good enough for most things even a set of full size hard door that I bought for my jeep and physically it looks good. I haven't had to work on much all just normal stuff and an axle, it only has 106,000 miles. I also eliminated a lifter tick I was getting this weekend by remembering what I read on this forum about reformulated oils that Howard Colman posted up. Probably the best thing about the 3000gt is how easy an oil change is you dont have to jack up the car to reach anything and the plastic oil catcher tub thing fits right under everything.
The 300zx has what the 3000gt does except the rear end is ugly, even the twin turbo model doesnt have very much power it didnt feel quick at all. The worst thing about it though is the cramped engine bay. Some things require removing the motor like turbocharger changes and it just isnt laid out well for working on it, I would never buy one.
The MR2 was pretty awesome, light car with some horse power. It was a lot of fun to drive around and my friend beat on it pretty hard but that motor was solid he never had any problems with it. Im not a huge need for speed guy and that car kinda scared me when it was up and going. 1st gear sucked, 2nd was ok, but one you hit third that car was a monster. They arent as hard to work on as people say, motor swaps are easy just jack it up high enough and take the motor out from the bottom. I also had the advantage of a good MR2 mechanic/ parts guy in Sac that was very helpful and always had parts if we need them. Physically its not a bad car to look at just not quite as sleek or refined like the FD. I had fun working on it and learned a lot from it.
The 240 was my first car that I started working on and I soon realized that if you were serious about getting more horse power you needed to do more than just intake and exhaust so I bought an SR motor. The swap was easy and the car was fun but after it broke down a couple of times I realized I needed something more reliable as a daily driver. Plus the value in an SR 240 really isnt there. You spend the money on upgrades and paint and your car isnt really worth anything, in fact you probably spent more money on paint than the car. In todays economic times they are pretty cheap and easy to come by I think its because they only people that want them are young people who dont have a lot of money whereas the FD appeals to a broader age group and a broader wallet size.
The FD is awesome even though I live in fear of a blown motor and drive like a grandma most the time. I just enjoy seeing it and cruizing around in it more than the other cars. Plus like the community really is huge bonus, Ive met other FD owners and they are nice, polite, courteous people and not gangbanger we hate the police people like other car groups. The good info on here is well shared, accepted, and followed usually that its pretty easy to know what is the right way and what is the wrong way.
I hope I didnt spell to many things wrong but I probably did.
02-21-12 | 09:49 PM
#21
Full Member
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 71
Likes: 2
From: Arizona
Welcome to rx7club my man. I must say, I'm in a similar situation myself. I'm 23, just got my first FD less than a year ago after owning an RX8 for a year and taking meticulous care of it. There is so much this car has to offer, so much to learn...and the community here at rx7club is extremely helpful in assisting you on your journey. I'm currently looking for someone local who can (in person, hopefully) teach me more about this amazing car. I've done research on my own, but I would love a more "hands-on" experience. Until then, I'm just going to read as much as I can, and ask lots of questions!
02-22-12 | 06:35 AM
#22
Rotary Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,050
Likes: 0
From: New York
Reno,
I've owned 3 Mr2's, an FD, Miata, and had a couple drives in a friends 300zx. I've come to appreciate a lightweight car no matter what the lack in power. I've also driven the heavier domestics like a brand new 6spd GT Mustang and cars of that nature and when it comes down to it I just really enjoy a car that "speaks" to you. I care more about how it feels rather than the speed itself. That being said I don't think I need to drive a 3000gt to know I wouldn't like it all that much lol. When it comes to aesthetics, while that is very much up to opinion if you ask me the FD is clearly the winner among any car mentioned both inside and out. Beaaaaautiful. The Miata is second of course, being that the NB model I had looks so much like it wants to be an FD anyways lol.
I would like to say Piece-of-Mind is a very precious thing that was the ONLY part of the FD "Speaking" to me that I didn't appreciate, lol. Everything else was (obviously) quite better than my Mr2 Turbo or my friends 300zx. It was faster, the dash was more kickass than anything else the 90's had to offer, the shift action was great, the steering response on point, and to turn that chassis left and right gave me an awesome feeling. I soon sold it due to the Piece-of-mind or lack thereof. And here's why: I was young (21 i think?) and it was the amount of money I had in the car I couldn't afford to lose. I had a backup 2nd car (92 Integra) so it wasn't necessarily my *daily driver* but I still had a large part of any money I owned or owed into the FD.
Selling the FD and ultimately ending up with the Miata was a weight off my shoulders. The miata felt just as great to turn the wheel, to shift, to toss the body left and right, the top down was awesome on summer nights..... but.... it's obviously not all that fast at all. I missed rev'ing a bit further. I almost wish the Miata had the B20 from the Type R Integra or the S2000, something with 2-300hp all motor that just wanted to rev into eternity.
So now, at 28 with a wife and 3 kids (AHHH!) all in diapers we have the minivan and I'm buying a sedan. If/when I can get that third fun car it'd be a much different FD ownership. I wouldn't have to worry about the gas mileage or the reliability so much because it's not what I depend on. I'm kind of excited about it. The other half of me loves the inexpensive joy of another miata however so depending on my wallet the FD may have to wait.
The FD is quite an experience. It really is a car like no other. I've kept the aftermarket black floor matts, efini badges, full mechanic service manual, and other small things from my first FD knowing that if nothing else by "Mid-Life Crisis" time I'd have one again. haha.
I would like to encourage you to try a local AutoX or track days. I autox'd a bit in the Mr2 and FD and loved every minute of it. I felt like that's where the car belonged, and like you I'm not much of a street racer so I really got a chance to lay into the throttle like I hadn't before.
Sorry if my grammar is poor in this post, English was my worst subject plus I'm at work and am trying to make this quick!
I've owned 3 Mr2's, an FD, Miata, and had a couple drives in a friends 300zx. I've come to appreciate a lightweight car no matter what the lack in power. I've also driven the heavier domestics like a brand new 6spd GT Mustang and cars of that nature and when it comes down to it I just really enjoy a car that "speaks" to you. I care more about how it feels rather than the speed itself. That being said I don't think I need to drive a 3000gt to know I wouldn't like it all that much lol. When it comes to aesthetics, while that is very much up to opinion if you ask me the FD is clearly the winner among any car mentioned both inside and out. Beaaaaautiful. The Miata is second of course, being that the NB model I had looks so much like it wants to be an FD anyways lol.
I would like to say Piece-of-Mind is a very precious thing that was the ONLY part of the FD "Speaking" to me that I didn't appreciate, lol. Everything else was (obviously) quite better than my Mr2 Turbo or my friends 300zx. It was faster, the dash was more kickass than anything else the 90's had to offer, the shift action was great, the steering response on point, and to turn that chassis left and right gave me an awesome feeling. I soon sold it due to the Piece-of-mind or lack thereof. And here's why: I was young (21 i think?) and it was the amount of money I had in the car I couldn't afford to lose. I had a backup 2nd car (92 Integra) so it wasn't necessarily my *daily driver* but I still had a large part of any money I owned or owed into the FD.
Selling the FD and ultimately ending up with the Miata was a weight off my shoulders. The miata felt just as great to turn the wheel, to shift, to toss the body left and right, the top down was awesome on summer nights..... but.... it's obviously not all that fast at all. I missed rev'ing a bit further. I almost wish the Miata had the B20 from the Type R Integra or the S2000, something with 2-300hp all motor that just wanted to rev into eternity.
So now, at 28 with a wife and 3 kids (AHHH!) all in diapers we have the minivan and I'm buying a sedan. If/when I can get that third fun car it'd be a much different FD ownership. I wouldn't have to worry about the gas mileage or the reliability so much because it's not what I depend on. I'm kind of excited about it. The other half of me loves the inexpensive joy of another miata however so depending on my wallet the FD may have to wait.
The FD is quite an experience. It really is a car like no other. I've kept the aftermarket black floor matts, efini badges, full mechanic service manual, and other small things from my first FD knowing that if nothing else by "Mid-Life Crisis" time I'd have one again. haha.
I would like to encourage you to try a local AutoX or track days. I autox'd a bit in the Mr2 and FD and loved every minute of it. I felt like that's where the car belonged, and like you I'm not much of a street racer so I really got a chance to lay into the throttle like I hadn't before.
Sorry if my grammar is poor in this post, English was my worst subject plus I'm at work and am trying to make this quick!
06-21-12 | 09:01 PM
#23
Well things continue to go well with the seven and everything else in general. In March I had Karack tune the car and install some goodies like an AEM water/Meth injection system. While the car was out of my hands I had the opportunity to work on refreshing the interior a little. I went ahead and purchased some none broken interior pieces and proceeded to repaint them following a thread here on the forum. I got a chance yesturday to install these new bits and the feel of the car is so much better with nice plastics and nice chrome gauge bezels, thanks Ray.
I have included some pics of the new bezels versus the old, what the new plastics and bezels look like, and my broken defroster vents that I got to throw away today.
Now its on to the exciting world of getting my car to pass smog. I failed only at high for High HC, about 1500ppm actually. Is there anything that I can narrow it down too since I passed at 2500rpm but failed at idle?
I have included some pics of the new bezels versus the old, what the new plastics and bezels look like, and my broken defroster vents that I got to throw away today.
Now its on to the exciting world of getting my car to pass smog. I failed only at high for High HC, about 1500ppm actually. Is there anything that I can narrow it down too since I passed at 2500rpm but failed at idle?
06-21-12 | 09:16 PM
#24
Slow and steady wins the race.
