so i was wondering, how much would it cost owning an rx7 in canada, and is it a good idea to have an rx7 as a first car? being 16 i've always had my eyes on an fc but over the years of researching about rotaries, it seems that it will cost alot to maintain. also what would it cost for a good condition s5 fc? anyways any help would be awesome =)

 

If it is your first car,it will literally Deter you away from automobiles all together!
This Type of car is like Crack!!.
Seriously,if you afford to keep up with the Joneses,then Buyi it..BUT if you want a car that you can just drive,and beat the crap of,get a Cavalier,Honda.Toyota..Anything BUT an Rx7.
The car requires maintenance,seeing it is a 20 year old vehicle.Then there is the Modifications,Seeing that you will want to put Something Special on it.or are just not satisfied with the stock power,or the way that the steering wheel is,ETC.
I bought my car and Swore I would keep it stock.,.
I lost Count on how MUCH money I have spent in it.I think I got 5 km on it in 5 years.
It gets Great Gas mileage.seeing it is always in the Driveway On Stands.
...Remember this Thread.You will Buy the car anyways,But just Remember..I Told ya so!
..(there is an old saying:if YOU HAVE TO ASK,YOU CAN'T AFFORD IT..It is Oh so true in this case!)

 

hmm
i am not a fan of fc..and dont know much about them either
but i can help you with price.. since i browse cars a lot
i have seen FC's going from 2000 to 5000.. mostly stock parts
but again do as much research u can
one more thing
rotary as your first car.. think again
but they are fun to drive!!!!

 

You have to be able to afford or have a beater/winter car for when the car's at a shop and during winter days. Or maybe a really nice friend who'll chauffeur you around.

Other than that, you'll have to always have spare cash around for sudden unknown costs.

 

If you have the money sure...as long as it's running healthy it doesn't cost much more any another car. Personally i would look to buy a roller or one with a blown engine and get a rebuild so in the upcoming years depending on how much you drive it you'll be good to go. My advice to you is just keep your eye on everything every weekend i give my car a full inspection if I've been actively driving it. Look for leaks check oil, check coolant levels. Just always actively maintain the car and it'll be good to you. Think of it like a high maintenance girlfriend if you don't keep her happy she'll leave your ***.

 

The notion that RX-7's are something totally different than every other car when it comes to wear and tear and maintenance is retarded. The only real difference is the engine and the fact that there are far fewer shops that are willing to mess with it or that you should even trust to work on it. Otherwise it's the same as any other car. To put into perspective what can happen should you decide to start modifying your car, I'll list the things I've done to my FB. I started off upgrading the suspension, tires and brakes. After that I put in a 4 speaker stereo with a deck and amplifier. Then I got a new exhaust and carburetor. At the end of August last year I blew the rear apex seal and the car has sat since then. The engine is being rebuilt right now and I have the entire suspension and steering system pulled off to be replaced. Keep in mind, I've already done the suspension once, but want something more race ready now. I also plan to buy another set of wheels and stickier tires because I don't like the ones I bought from a friend last year. With the new power and stickier tires, I'll want some racing brake pads. By the time it's all said and done, I will have spent nearly $9K this year alone, and i haven't even driven it in 8 months. If you are willing to spend a lot of money then buy a 7, if not then buy a Civic to get around with. They are more reliable, but less fun.

 

NO, DO NOT BUY IT. Get anything else.

IT will consume you and your funds crazy quick.

240sx's, civics, mr2s, integras , cheap and fun and can be made quick for the track.

 

Buy a 5L mustang. Kinda cheap, takes all kinds of **** kicking, pretty fast, and is the best bang for the buck (imho). Not as stylish or as rare as a 7 though

 

do what he said, 7's just drain the bank as many of the people have said. I am not saying that it is going to break down all over the place it's just that you might want to do certain mods and maintenance isn't extremely cheap. So just go for something cheap you can drive all year long, beat the crap out of and have fun.

 

did u check the buy black one on kijiji.. its going for 1500

 

damn... from what you guys are saying, it will be really expensive to own a 7... anyways thanks for all of your help =P

 

I have an 88 RX7 vert, I love 7s, I have a pic on my office wall with 4 1st gen RX7s I owned all at once and loved them all.
I love that vert, but it's not my daily driver/winter car, that's a Jeep Cherokee.
The vert is a weekend car and for driving 300 kms into Winnipeg for a meeting in the summer. If you drive a 7 in the winter the salt on the roads will rot it fast, and rust can be a huge expensive problem on these cars, and if you want to buy one, it may not pass the Govt Safety Check we have in MB and probably in your province too. You have had some good advice here, buy a Honda or a Mazda sedan and you won't be stranded with a parked 7 with a tip seal broken.
If you have a few bucks, as well as a cheap reliable Honda for daily use , buy a 7 with a blown motor, lots of those around, and work on it as a fun project for a summer weekend car, they are fun!
Mike

 

@mbonner lol nice name =P but i seriously never thought about what you said... thanks man i think thats what i will do, get a civic beater and a rx7 as a project car or something.

 

My 7 has been the most reliable car I've owned, ever, I've had it 12 years. That said, it's n/a, never been winter driven (so no rust, lot less wear and tear on everything), and well cared for. I've put in a clutch, brake pads, and spent around $1500 on suspension, another $600 on exhaust. I spend $500+ on tires each year - mostly for autocrossing, street use not so much, and I've picked up used vert rims for that purpose, and a set of lightly used Enkei 16x7 rims for the street, with a set of useable rubber for $350. So the expenses for my car are in the tires and suspension.
That said, any 15-30 year old car is likely to have issues. My factory stereo recently lost a sub-amp - replaced with a used piece from a forum member, but many might go for a modern stereo instead. The low washer fluid light is on, and it's not low, so a wiring/sensor problem or bad solder in the warning light display, more likely the first, usually the warning lights crap out, not stay on. My back up lights haven't worked for years, probably from when I had the clutch replaced (one of the few jobs I've had others do), but I never remember to look for the reverse switch when I see a 7 at a wrecker. Small stuff, but it adds up to time and money. And of course, with the age of these cars, small stuff is rarely the only issue.

Even turbos, FC or FD, can be pretty reliable, if well maintained and relatively stock, or well modified, but wear and breakage are more common, and they are of course more expensive to feed and care for and insure. I 2nd those saying a 7 isn't a great daily driver - regardless of generation - mostly because, with the age of the cars, it isn't a good bet. And even the N/a cars are pretty thirsty, especially in stop and go city driving.

 

lol.. a lot of civic love going on here.

I like the idea of a MX-3 or Toyota AE86 for a daily. When I was in high school, I transplanted a 323 GTX Turbo engine imported from Australia into my MX-3, great project and extremely fast! The AE86 is cheap as well and would be great to setup for drifting.

Point being you can get a really cheap daily driver that can be fun and affordable to mod as well. Especially if your main project is away for the season. Or undergoing a lot of work.

A link to my old MX-3 from way back in the day: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3362939.

 

If I coudl do it all over again, I'd buy a miata.

 

any car is expensive to own if you rely on a dealer for service.
its a crime what dealers charge!
If there is a lawyer on this forum with nothing to do i suggest going after a dealer
who charge by the mitchell estimating manual!
Its fraud! book says 4 hours to do a job, machanic is experienced in doing same job
in 2 hours, they charge you the 4 hours!
I know a machanic who was getting 12 to 14 hours pay for a 7 hour day!
I made the mistake of saying ok when i took my chev truck for warranty when they said that
you are due for a trans service, 260.00 later for something that i could have done myself for less than 100 in less than an hour!
Ok sorry for the rant, but it gives you an idea what its like to own a automobile.

 

^ There's the biggest money saving tip when it comes to a project car. Get a shop manual and some tools and do it all yourself. You'll save thousands in labour and parts costs, especially since a lot of the time you end up replacing parts that aren't broken because every now and then, a mechanic will just take a guess at whats wrong. Besides, you also learn the ins and outs of your car and you'll be able to take pride in the work you have done.

 

it's BONNER Dude,,not Boner!!!..jeesh..
..Idea..get 5k...
use 1500 for a Stock FC..
use 3 k for a Daily Driver.
.use the 500 dollars on Gas getting to KNOW your FC,,
then think about Modifying,,Serioulsy they are FUN Stock,,it;s just that after awhile you want to Take the Speed up a notch because the car handles so good,.
good luck.
..by the way,,Liberace was a Pianist..is that hilarious?..(pianist,Organ grinder.,.haha..wtf?,).

 

yea too much civic love here haha,
i cant personally weigh in on the cost of owning an rx7, as i myself am interested in buying one soon, but we'll see how it plays out haha.
Is everybody forgetting about Mazda's 4 door gas savers, like the protege? haha
2.0 liters, reliable, enjoyable, not too slow also haha

 

I have a protegay daily driver. It's jewish racing gold.

 

You bite your tongue styx! If anything owning a 7 just deters you from buying any OTHER type of car.

That being said, with the exception of a 1-month ownership of a 1990 Taurus Wagon, my FC is my first car (can we please ignore the fact that I even owned that wagon? It was disgraceful.)
If you can get the car insured under your parents name it will save you $$$$$$$$$$$.
I drive mine in the winter too and there is no better car for learning to drive rwd in the snow (as long as you have a GOOD set of winter tires). Just be sure to get it oil-sprayed before each winter.
The 7 has taught me more about cars and car-ownership than anyone has ever tried to tell me.
If you decide to get the 7, stay loyal to the forum here and you know you'll have an infinite resource of knowledge to save you money and help with any troubleshooting that you'll need.
Also, when you buy your 7, I would suggest saving enough money to buy the car and still have enough left over to pay for a good tune-up at one of the rotary shops in Ontario (PM for my opinions on some of the shops I've been to so far.).
This will at least ensure that you have a good starting point for your rx-7 before you start beating on it.