:) Hi everyone, ive been reading every thread on this forum for a long time now ever since deciding i want a FD3(last month!!). I currently own a 98 M3 Evolution convertible (with a X brace for stiffening) in Estoril Blue. It is quick as anything and I have rinsed it silly racing other m3\'s and porsches from bristol to london and clocking 151mph etc..So this leads onto my question of whether the Rx7 will b FEEL faster and sharper to drive because I dont wanna go to a slower car now that im used to the M. Ive read a lot about how good Rx7s drive but need to know from u guys....also the only other thing stopping(actually just delaying cos im still gettin one!!) is the question of colour. I love them in white but have narrowed it down to either red or black, both with slight tinted windows. Yeah i may come across as a bit of a car tart(I admit i am!!, hence the convertible M3!!haha) but would like ur guys advice....any help wud b much appreciated....also excellent work wit the website...thru reading i have learnt so much about Rx7s... :god
welcome to the forum, as for your q will the rx be faster than the m3 hmm lets think ...... YES to true!
Quote from: shinobi:) I love them in white but have narrowed it down to either red or black, both with slight tinted windows.
Black every time :cool
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v234/Alexgreen170/May142005009a.jpg)
HTH
AL
Nice car Alex :) Saw it at the East of England the other week.
Dunno why you got rid of those stunning old wheels ;)
Yes it will feel faster than you\'re M3 although top speed won\'t be much more unless you mod it a little. As for colour they look good in any colour, but I won\'t argue with black or red as I wanted a black one initially and ended up buying a red one. When buying a red one especially an early car look out for faded paint easiest places to spot are the plastic bumpers and the standard rear spoiler (the metal parts buff up quite easily with a polish and wax). Sometimes with a rare car such as these its best not decide on a colour and just buy the best car available though.
Good luck and welcome to the club
Barry
Standard FD hasn\'t got anything on the M3 for pace real world until you throw it round the twisties or on track - it\'s a touch lighter so quite good there.
Get a slightly modded FD and you\'ll pee on most M3s.
Get a heavily modded FD and you\'ll be walking everything up to (and including some) supercars...
Hi and welcome to MRC.
I would suggest that the capabilities of an FD will out weigh an M3 as an overall package.
Without rubbishing your present car as l am sure its a fine car if you like that sort of car but the biggest difference is one is a modified saloon car and the other a pure sports car, sit in an FD shut the door and without even starting the engine you will feel what l mean. It will also turn many many more heads than your currant ride :D
speed wise - my mate had an FD , modded with an ECU and on the nurburgring place thingy he said that the APEXI showed 179 MPH
my other friend - similar car with APEXI ECU - has had either 165 or 175 out of it
so thats a slight indication :)
Thanks for the advice guys, and YES i am now definately getting one. Think ill go with the Black (although if anyone can suggest a good reason for red!!!). I do have another question though and hope you guys can help.
Ive been looking at all the typical channels for buying an FD but cant decide what would be the most sensible route. I am after a Black fairly stock JAP FD thats not too expensive. Dont care about I.C.E because ill be doing that, also I wanna put a \'99 spec front, skirts and spoiler on it. If minor reliability mods have been done that is also not a problem. Not too fussed about the alloys either as long as they are not too ugly! Need the bodywork and interior to be clean.
Having been on the Newera and GT culture site, which company is better? Also has anyone used BonsaiCars before because they have some very nicely priced FD\'s. I have also looked on Autotrader and Ebay and have found some good cars. What is, in your opinion, the best route to take?
also, Alex your car looks pretty amazing! Black is def a good colour on these cars.
Black / red ??? get purple !!!!! best colour out-there :evillaugh :evillaugh :evillaugh
A friend of mine has a M3 1998, although a decent car does not feel quick or does it turn heads, not at all rubbishing the car as they are great cars but compared to a modded FD no chance.
Purple:
Regarding an importer check out rotaryimports.com , Brian\'s a top bloke and will source a car to your requirements , he also usually has some really nice motors in stock if you don\'t want to wait
I\'d go for a slightly modded one because at the end of the day you\'ll probably end up doing it anyway , I\'ve heard a few people say they want to keep their cars standard but not many of them do , you\'ll save yourself a packet if you get one with exhaust , induction , ecu ( especially Apexi PFC ) and suspension already done
Atention wise I reckon if you lined up a porsche , ferrari , tvr and an FD the FD would get the most attention ( all the others are too common these days :D )
Regarding the fd getting looks, as they all do, the most common coment people ( girls ) make about mine is " like the colour ". It\'s Motego blue.
M/Blue best flip colour out there, but then i would say that. :spank
thanks again for the help guys, much appreciated.
Went out in a slightly modded(intake, exhaust,suspension) FD and WOW!!!! That is the most amazingly quick car i have ever ben in. The mechanic was an ex drift racer from Japan and the way that car shifted was incredible. My M3 feels like a skoda now!! Im definately getting one and cant wait.
Whilst at the garage i checked out a black FD. Wanna know how much would it roughly cost to paint and fit the \'99 spec front, skirts and rear wing? Also I am definately buying a Jap Fd and need to know what are the things most likely to go wrong with them? Also what are the reliability mods they need done (grounding wires, Waxoyl etc) if buying import?
Speedo needs and odometer needs changing to MPH, needs undersealing and needs a rear foglight fitting
A lot depends on the age of the car, and how many miles it has covered. After about 60,000miles you are entering the rebuild window (all though some twin turbos have covered over 90,000miles on the origional engine) so take that into account when buying. Cooling mods are quite important as the stock FD does leave something to be desired when it comes to dispersing heat. If you go for a car that already has a single turbo conversion then it will free up a lot of space in the engine bay and generally simplfy things. A Vmount setup gives a good compromise between intercooler and rad cooling, or you could fit a decent siuzed rad upfront and go for a charge cooler. Theres so much available :) A good aftermarket ECU is a must, most people on here go for the Apexi.
:wave
Just curious, which garage did you go to mate?
Thanks
Freddy, I went to Yuri Auto in Kent. They got quite a few FD\'s but mainly Supras. All Jap spec so thinking of getting one from there rather than importing. At least I can take it for a test drive.
Can anyone give me an idea of the price range for an FD? What condition am I looking at for a £3000 one and also a £5000 one? Ive seen auction grade 3.5 for 3000. Is that too cheap? What condition would it be? Whats the best way to check for engine condition? Compression test? Or is it not really worth it? Is it better to import an FD or buy a Jap spec from Uk thats already been imported?
Cheers
Shinobi,
Bonzai regularly advertise cars very cheaply (Which they don\'t actually own, they simply use auction pictures obtained before sale) to attract interest from potential customers. Ask on this forum if many people have had good quality RX-7\'s from this supplier...
Having seen Yuri Auto\'s cars in Yokohama before shipment and knowing the buyers who source their cars.... erm, just make sure you know the quality of car you\'re looking at... Take a good look at the straightness of the flanks, door shut lines, etc.
Won\'t go too much into the merits of buying a top quality RX-7, instead of a cheap one...Suffice to say, it\'ll save you money and give you a lot more fun to get a genuinely low mileage straight RX-7 in the first place.
Blacks the colour definitely. The rear end looks much better because the plastic strip joining the lights blends in giving an overall better look. I\'ve got an original twin turbo setup and whilst it is a great drive there is always the issue of the second turbo coming in at 4500rpm. When you\'re driving you always need to be aware of it. It means you haven\'t got a smooth and consistant power delivery right through the rev band(as I expect the M3 has). In real terms this means you either short change before 4500rpm or you let rip and take it right through to 6500-7000+ rpm. Trying to change at say 5000rpm just as you\'re into boost gives unsatisfactory results (unless it\'s just my car of course). I\'ve been persuaded that a single turbo conversion is better, giving consistant and predictable power delivery + considerably more performance than the twin turbo. That\'s the way I would go now.
Newera-Thanks for the advice, I was wondering why Bonsai were so cheap!! Now I know. Also, I have sent you guys an email regarding the RX7 spec im after. Any help would be appreciated.
Adrian-cheers for the info on driveability. Went out in one and although it was a twin turbo setup, i still enjoyed it. Its just totally different to the M3. Since im gonna be keepin my M3 as the daily driver, the stock turbo setup should be okay for me. Although at some point I will be looking to upgrade to the \'99 spec ball bearing turbos or a big single like you say(when I have the money-M3 servicing costs way too much!)
I have noticed on some FDs that when you look down by the drivers and passenger side doors, you can see a horizontal strip of paint 4-5 inches tall running from the front wheel arch to the rear arch. The paint looks all messed up and not smooth. I have noticed this on about 3 FDs. Is it normal? Maybe a bodykit was there? The rest of the paint is perfect.
just thought of one more question. Ive read most of the threads but not sure if its been discussed before. Is there a relevant difference between an 8bit and a 16bit ECU in the RX7. I understand the difference in technological(computer nerd) terms but in the real world what does the difference equate to? Driving dynamics, fuel enrichment? Thanks
The \'strip\' you refer to is an anti chip covering - does what it says on the tin.
John
An Apexi FC ECU is always 16 BIT, so when tuning an RX-7 earlier or later model is irrelevant anyway - assuming you\'ll use a Power FC...