I have wanted an FD for a long time and although I could afford one when I started looking for a weekend car nearly two years ago when I purchased my RX-8, I couldn't insure one because I was considered a pretty new driver in the UK (originally from the USA). After patiently waiting (ok not patiently because I spent a lot of money modifying my RX-8...) I called up my insurance company earlier this year and asked for a quote on an FD to see if things had improved. To my surprise I was insurable and it was also affordable! So, over the past couple of months I began searching religiously every day for an FD but I was really struggling to find one that met all of my criteria and I posted a thread about my troubles here:
http://mazdarotaryclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=82954.0
Eventually, one popped up for sale at the end of March which looked good in the photos and after a conversation with the owner I decided to take a 3.5 hour train journey out to Western England from London to see this car in person. The car turned out to be very good, it starts up hot and cold, seems to boost correctly and it has no under body rust at all. My only gripe is the interior which although it has every panel and there are no noticeable rattles, there are scuffs on the door cards from people's feet and a couple of unwanted scratches in various places which I would like to try to sort out. It took me another two weeks to decide to purchase the car as I wanted to see a couple of other FD's which were on my list to make sure it was the right one for me.
I am now scheduled to pick it up on Sunday and I can't wait to drive it home! The car's spec is pretty original as the only modifications are Apexi intake filters, Fujisubo titanium cat-back exhaust, Blitz ZZ-R coilovers, a Defi CR water temperature gauge, a fan controller and a Momo steering wheel. The mileage is kind of high at c.81,000 but the car is in good shape so I'm not too concerned.
My first plans are:
- take the car to Hayward Rotary for a full inspection to find out what needs replacing immediately and what may need replacing in the future;
- take the car to a rust treatment centre and top up the waxoyl underneath and check over everywhere else and have anything that needs sorting out dealt with;
- have the car detailed/valeted by a specialist for paint correction, interior clean-up, engine cleaning, etc;
- take the car to Wheels-In-Motion for an alignment/geometry setup for fast road use; and
- remove the ugly headlight vent.
During that time I will figure out what modifications I want/need to make in order to make this car a reliable weekend enjoyment/occasional track day car whilst keeping the sequential setup, A/C and battery intact. Aside from replacing the AST I am leaning towards an upgraded radiator (although I hear S8 radiators are triple core and much better than previous RX-7 radiators) and an upgraded stock location intercooler so that I can keep the A/C and battery in their stock locations. I also want to add oil temp, oil pressure and a separate boost gauge to be able to monitor everything. In addition, I'm not very interested at the moment in pushing out much more power than what it is currently making so I'm debating whether or not I should leave the stock catalytic converter on the car. I'm not sure if with the current modifications whether or not I need a remap?
Below are a few photos of the car I'm going to be picking up on Sunday:
(http://i.imgur.com/BJxGRIm.jpg?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/pgZntuI.jpg?2)
(http://i.imgur.com/cL7XkR0.jpg?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/XopDWcg.jpg?1)
(http://i.imgur.com/h5qhEL2.jpg?2)
(http://i.imgur.com/Jj3cCpU.jpg?1)
Stunning and im sure by the condition of your 8 this is going to get some serious tlc. :clap:
It's home.
(http://i.imgur.com/0OorW8C.jpg)
The car appears to drive very well and seems pretty frugal on the highway which is nice! There are a few rattles which need sorting out and the paint has a lot of swirl marks which I will also have to get sorted out (luckily no noticeable deep scratches or anything), but first it needs to head over to Hayward Rotary for a full check-over to make sure everything is actually as it seems. It's the start of a new project and I'm very excited! I just wish I could keep both cars but unfortunately I can't as the RX-7 is currently parked in a guest space on a temporary basis so I will need to move the RX-8 elsewhere until it sells (I've got a friend with a parking space whom will let me use his since he doesn't have a car).
By the way, I wasn't prepared for how much of a rock star this car is when driven in public! I had numerous people on the motorway snapping photos, slowing down, tailing me and urging me to floor it. And once I got to London it was a magnet for attention! My favorite reaction was a kid whom appeared to be in his teens and watching his jaw drop as I drove by. It definitely makes me a bit nervous about parking it anywhere unattended... On the other hand, I may need to tint the windows so I don't have to always look presentable for unsuspecting photos!
Wow lovely looking FD!! Very nice indeed.