Hello every one my name is Matt I\'m from the midlands place called Mansfield.
So I\'m in a position where I can get my first big jap car and I carnt wait, I\'m currently going though a lot of owners clubs asking questions about different cars in the jdm market.
So if ya don\'t mind in gunna ask some questions these are geared toward the fd rx7.
Performance:
How does the Rex compare the other jdms on the market like the supra skylines evos scoobys and the silvias.
Reliability:
How sturdy are these cars do they break down a lot or are they bullet proof like most japs ?? Is there any common faults to watch for if so what?? And if anything did go wrong are they expensive to fix??
Running cost:
How does the the rotary do with its petrol what\'s the avarage mpg ? Also heard a rumour that you tax them just a 1.3 is this true???.
What\'s the avarage service cost and how much does a major service cost??
Tuning:
Save the best for last and the one important for me the tunabilty of the motor now I have heard that the rotary motor is very tuneable is it true I would be looking for a round figure of 350bhp easy to achieve or does it mean a totall rebuild ???
Thanks for your time, Matt.
Well very talkative forum here !!!
Quote from: M-W;815733Hello every one my name is Matt I\'m from the midlands place called Mansfield.
So I\'m in a position where I can get my first big jap car and I carnt wait, I\'m currently going though a lot of owners clubs asking questions about different cars in the jdm market.
Hi, i\'m from nottingham, but i live in Cyprus at the moment.
So if ya don\'t mind in gunna ask some questions these are geared toward the fd rx7.
Performance:
How does the Rex compare the other jdms on the market like the supra skylines evos scoobys and the silvias.
A stock rex is more or less on par with all of the above, if not a little faster and better handling due to the power to weight ratio.
Reliability:
How sturdy are these cars do they break down a lot or are they bullet proof like most japs ?? Is there any common faults to watch for if so what?? And if anything did go wrong are they expensive to fix??
They\'re good if you look after it properly, if you don\'t and you get a premature engine detonation its gonna cost you. If you are in the market for an RX-7 then you should look for one with a recent rebuild and the paperwork to proove it, also asking for a compression test is a good idea.
Running cost:
How does the the rotary do with its petrol what\'s the avarage mpg ? Also heard a rumour that you tax them just a 1.3 is this true???.
What\'s the avarage service cost and how much does a major service cost??
Tuning:
Save the best for last and the one important for me the tunabilty of the motor now I have heard that the rotary motor is very tuneable is it true I would be looking for a round figure of 350bhp easy to achieve or does it mean a totall rebuild ???
Its mental, you can get big numbers. Becase the car has a rotary engine you don\'t need \'forged internals, apb bolts and custom con rods\' etc. 350 is easily acheivable, you might even be able to get to that on the stock twins with a few bolt on upgrades (assuming your talking about the FD)
Thanks for your time, Matt.
Hi, welcome to the club. I;ve answered the questions with my limited knowlege, hope this helps. :wave
To be honest if your buying an fd, it will almost certainly be decatted and have an apexi pfc on it so will be around 320bhp at that point.
Thanks for the reply so I could go for more power then I originally wanted then with out forging which Is a big +
Yes with a rotary you just need to add fuel and air to get more power basically.
Ahhhh that\'s very handy indeed so take it tuning is not that expensive as ya normal piston engine then or am I wrong ??
Are there reputable tuning company in the uk for FD3s in the uk then??
Yes many, some are leading the market around the world ;)
Have you got any names or websites I could have a look at thanks.
looks at the sponsors logo at the top - all of them will offer tuning ( well the ones that i spotted do ;)
And welcome to MRC
There\'s a lot of them down south lol !!
Yeah, one\'s around here don\'t really exist - WGT is probably the closest (or at least quickest) to get to in Cheshire.
If you have a search around this forum you\'ll find plenty of info about common faults and what to look for when buying one. A recently rebuilt engine from a reputable company is best, with compression test results (a must if there isn\'t rebuild history). Bear in mind you\'re buying a car that is up to 20 years old and doesn\'t have the highest quality fittings, so the interior is plasticky and likely to creak, rattle and break. Mazda spent their money on getting the driving right rather than the niceties of the interior!
Other likely issues aside from the engine will be suspension components (worn bushes, tired dampers), possibly the gearbox, electrics and, er, pretty much anything to be honest! That\'s the nature of older cars sadly. You need to go over the car with a fine toothcomb if you want a minter - take a view on what is cosmetic/easily repaired/you will replace anyway, as there will inevitably be something not 100% with it, just as there is with almost any used car. Make sure the expensive bits are in good condition - engine, turbo(s), no rust, no crash damage etc.
Servicing is cheap generally, as you use mineral oil - you should change this every 3k miles though. Running costs are high - you\'ll be lucky to see 20mpg even on a standard car. My 400bhp single turbo does 13mpg on the road, more like 6mpg on track. If you have a second car, you can get classic insurance, which is cheaper on limited mileage. Some cars are registered as 1.3, but not all and you can\'t change it retrospectively.
Tuning is relatively easy but these engines are very sensitive to detonation and heat. Every change you make to the breathing or fuelling will likely require a remap. Changing exhaust and filters on a stock ECU is pretty much a no-no, never mind increasing boost etc.
350bhp is achievable on the standard twin turbos, I\'m told, although I think it\'s pushing it a bit and requires quite a lot of additional mods. A potentially easier route (and one that allows for much bigger power) is to change them for a single turbo, although this isn\'t cheap if buying new parts and paying for the work to be done. You will need supporting mods such as additional fuelling and bigger/relocated intercooler to support that sort of power as well.
Most FDs are modified in some way, if you\'re planning on substantial mods my advice is get one with the main parts already attached - larger (front or V mount) intercooler, Apexi PFC ECU, exhaust and filter(s), possibly even single turbo if you want big power. Then there\'s the cosmetic side - lots of bodykits available for the FD, from subtle to monstrous! Depends on your taste, but again, much cheaper to buy one that looks like you want than buy parts new (or even used) and get them sprayed/fitted.
Thanks lockwood very intresting reading there alot to taking tuning company all the way then no diy stuff. the MPG really that bad ! s**t mines gunna be daily driver anyway petrol budget of a grand a month then !!!!.
Just saw this looks rather nice just wanting some opinions
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201116385373948/sort/priceasc/usedcars/model/rx7/make/mazda/quicksearch/true/postcode/ng185nh/page/1/radius/100?logcode=p
Fairly standard example. I assume its still got cat and standard ECU so around 265bhp. Apexi ECU & Commander will cost you £450+ (2nd hand, plus £300 for 1st dyno session. Then you need to buy your decat/midpipe and you will probably want a larger downpipe too if you are shooting for 350bhp (which may also require a better fuel pump, fpr & maybe bigger injectors too)
Personally I would find one which already has these items done to it but thats just me :)
Thanks for advice ricco :D
Looking for one that just been rebuilt seen two on pistonheads not far away from me that was re-built 2.5k - 3k miles ago one lists that the compression is 8.01 all the way through so maybe going to see that one fingers crossed.
Listed at that then it should be strong! Make sure it was done with a proper tester and find out who did the rebuild - good luck :Thumbs-up
Hi & Welcome.
I used to live in Mansfield ("When I were a Lad"); Sister still does...
Sorry don\'t know much about FDs & tuning etc., more about RX-8s (probably not as tunable as you would like, but a cracking drive) - and there\'s a few \'8 owners of those not too far from you :-)
Hello again :D erm just looking at my tuning options whats the differnce between a full street port and a full bridge port ????
the difference between sounding like a lawn mower and a rusty chainsaw.