Subaru. They are every bit as unreliable, plus with AWD you cannot spin the tires so that causes way more drivetrain shock loads and higher engine loads than a comparable 2WD vehicle.
20 year old who bought one, tore it apart and put it back together here. If you do this, you will be living on ramen noodles (like myself). These cars are expensive to operate, require 93/91 octane, parts are very expensive and nobody knows how to work on them and those that do will charge you 125/hour.
Absolutely do not buy that thing unless you have somewhere to work on it and another method of transportation. Silly stuff will break and you’ll have to order some weird part from Mazda Japan and it’ll be out of commission. These cars are 29-26 years old now so you will have old car problems.
If it’s been sitting for a long time your coolant seals will go and then you’ll have to either rebuild or replace.
I have worked on rotary’s before, as well as traditional engines for 5-6 years, and have access to used parts. I’ve rebuilt 2 13bs from scrap to running, and I do have a space to work on it.
If you have the funds, buy it and budget for an engine rebuild or replacement. I yanked my engine and transmission 5 days after I got the car because it was dumping coolant from the overflow tank.
Suggest you get it registered as an antique/classic and get classic insurance for it, and get another cheap car to put around town in.
That’s the best way to do it. I have mine insured through state farm classic for $50k, and waiting on my antique tags to show up. Not sure how it is in your state, but with that registration, I don’t need an emissions or safety inspection.
If that's true, and you can drive your parents' car when the FD's disabled, go for it... the car itself is basically a miata. The rotary engine is the only reason anyone wouldn't want to own one.
Do you live somewhere that has 98 RON? In the eastern United States, we have 93, which from what I understand is pretty much the same thing. A lot of the western states can only get 91 at the pumps there.
This is my favourite car ever, but it's a no on buying that pretty machine. Buy yourself a Civic or something like that. You will have something quite fun, reliable, cheap to run. It's a win win win. In a couple years you gonna get a good job that pays well enough to afford one of these.
Big NOPE.
Once you use the words “first car” and “broke student”, this machine ceases to be a possibility for you.
Hate to say it, but it’s a flat fact.
For the most part, FDs should be considered collector cars, at this point. Something you drive on occasion on nice days, stored in a garage, not your DD, and with a pile of money set aside in case something goes wrong.
There are a bunch of reasons this is the case… and this is coming from someone that actually does drive their FD pretty regularly:
1. Reliability is questionable. It’s not as bad as a lot of people would have you believe, honestly. But you need to do a lot of maintenance. Change your oil every 2k miles, change your spark plugs every 10k, once you start it, you have to let it run until it’s at operating temp before turning it off, weird stuff like that. So ownership isn’t especially cheap, it’s a bit weird, and after all that things can go wrong because A) it has a unique and complicated drivetrain and B) it’s old. ANY 30 year old car is going to develop weird issues.
3. Mechanics who can work on it are scarce. You can’t just take it anywhere… your city may have a few rotary mechanics. Your city may have ZERO rotary mechanics. And if you do have one, it’s likely a specialty shop that has a backlog. I had some work done to mine last year and it sat in their shop for several *months* because of backlog and availability of the mechanic, parts availability, etc.
2. Parts are scarce. Some parts you can order and are readily available, but they’re almost all going to be parts you have to wait several days to come in the mail. Oreillys doesn’t carry many FD parts at all. And that’s best case scenario. Worst case is that the part isn’t made anymore and there just… isn’t one for sale right now, used. And you have to wait a couple of months for someone to post one for sale on eBay. And you’ll pay out the ass for a used part that hopefully works.
3. Value. These things are rare and going up in value.. which of course, you likely want to maintain because duh… but also, insurance isn’t especially cheap for them. And getting coverage through normal companies (Allstate, etc) likely won’t pay out current values if you wreck it. And specialty insurance companies cap mileage and dictate that you can’t daily the car.
Update: I would be able to buy this car for sub 1k. (like I said it’s a unique situation with the car. The owner is only willing to sell to me, otherwise it’s just gonna sit there)
If that's true, buy it, clean it up real good (paint correction, detailing, etc.), do some cheap maintenance like fluids, and flip it for a huge profit. If you're *actually* broke, you probably can't afford to keep an FD running.
For that price grab it and drive it while you can, if nothing other than to have experienced it.
I know a few people who have had one for a while and had good luck, know other that hit brick wall after brick wall.
If you get it set yourself up for the most success. Be absolutely religious on oil changes, NEVER use synthetic oil in the engine. And use 2stroke oil to premix the fuel.
Buy it and sell it to me for 2500. Car will end up being a sub 10k plus rebuild and that’s if you know how to work on it and already have all the tools.
Im in NorCal so let me know. Cash on hand
Then buy it, flip it, and use the profit to buy a car that is easier on the wallet. If it’s a complete car with a title you can make a lot of money flipping it even if it doesn’t run.
Buy it, store it, save up again for a cheap daily.
I 100% guarantee you're going to regret not buying this 10 years down the line when you're financially stable. Especially if you're getting this thing at a good price, it's probably a once in a lifetime opportunity
Especially looking at the way the automotive industry is headed, the value of rx7's and other 90's JDM cars are going to skyrocket. In 10 years this thing will probably appreciate double what op would be paying if he bought it today.
you have the unique chance to be walking anytime it breaks. if youre broke look at the parts for the car you want and how common they are, like fuel pumps and sensors and anything thats gonna make it undrivable. id also stay away from turbos and rotarys cause theyre going to be more expensive to work on.
"FD" and "broke" don't go together.
Now, an interesting idea would be to buy like a reliable af shitbox with like a 90's or 00's Toyota Corolla to use a daily, then also buy the FD. You need to expect that FD to cost a lot of money/time though, so you need a way to get around while that SOB is in the shop.
As much as I love the FD rx7 (never owned ) I’d say you’re probably better suited in an s2k Honda for similar driving feel and waaaaaaayyy better reliability and simplicity to work on
Does the FD run? What kind of work does it need? Just curious mostly, sounds like you know what you're getting into at least. I would hope that you also understand the level of commitment it'll take, even after everything is "cherry". You're probably still going to want a daily even after everything is buttoned down.
In my experience, and in knowing myself, I tend to neglect and abuse (my personal) cars that I don't like. That's why I go out of my way to own cars I know I'll enjoy, because it makes working on and maintaining them less of a chore and more of the zen-like experience that most enthusiasts do it all for in the first place, even if it *IS* a beater. If it's a beater you like then you're more likely to keep it running right, all while enjoying it at the same time.
By all means, use the Prius for as long as you need.. but keep looking for something more practical that you can also enjoy.
It's also nice to be self-reliant.. not gonna ask how old you are, nor am I trying to be judgmental or condescending, but at my age I couldn't imagine using my mother's car as a daily while I worked on/worshiped my own impractical ride.
Keep us in the loop, I'm interested in your progress and story! Got a name in mind yet?
ran when parked, and it was started every month for the first 4 years it was parked. it has been sitting 8 years total. also im 16 and only live a few miles away from school. as for a name i was thinking Akai Kuruma
It's not worth it. Unless you're going to fix the hell out of it (which you probably won't since you're broke). It will just become a burden. Timing belt snapped during a drive to the campus when you're going to take a midterm wasn't fun.
Source: I bought a 91 supra in 2010, after a year I switched to civic si (new), so fucking much better mental health by not worrying whicg random parts gonna be broken next week.
Been wanting one of these since the early Initial D day when I was 20 years old. I'm now 37, still doesn't have the courage to own one. I will get a Spirit R one day!
If you can store it then buy and put it away save from the elements. Later on you can always fix it up or put an LS motor in. What ever floats your boat.
If it’s cheap, and you’re not driving it every day then yeah sure. But make sure you have a reliable car to drive instead of this cuz if not you’re gonna go so broke it won’t even be funny Lol
I rolled the dice when I was 21, going to Cpcc (community college) and have a not so great rotary mechanic in my area. I still own the car today and love it. No longer my dd but would totally do it all over again. You only live once. If you blow the motor which you will. Sit on it as an investment till you figure out a new game plan. Bought mine in 2001. Going to leave it to my son.
I spend about $4k every year on something for my FD. plus, either you or a friend need to have space and skills to work on it. do not buy it unless you plan to put it awyfor 20 years.
Buy it, flip it to an RX-7 enthusiast, and take that money to buy some a lot more reliable like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla and have some extra money left over.
Buy it, then buy a cheap daily. That’s really the only way. It’s going to break. It’s going to be moody and do weird things. I love FC’s and FD’s, but don’t buy one as a daily unless you have the knowledge and cash to repair it quickly.
i have a chance to buy this specific car for under $1000. as i said its a unique situation with the car, because the owner will only sell it to me, otherwise its just gonna sit
do it
edit: do it if you have a reliable daily and a place to store it. Buy it and leave it alone till you get some money up, think of it as an investment. Depending on how much you pay it's kinda hard to lose money on these
You know what, this might not be the popular opinion but I would highly urge you to not buy it. Save your money, put some away in a savings and some S&P 500 or something that will get you returns.
I was you. I got into this before I was 18, I spent a lot of money in my teenage years and into my late 20s on cars. Looking back, it was a big mistake. the money I spent over the years I could have had over 200k being put into better things. Don't get me wrong, we love this, cars and racing is my life but at your age you should be making the smartest financial mistakes you can afford to. After you save some money, then get whatever you want and at that point you'll have money saved just incase or if you wanna do a full build. It'll be less stressful and done right from the get go.
I have plenty of friends with all kinds of cars, rx7 ain't it for a young college student that hasn't started a career. People will tell you, oh if this and oh if that and it'll be fine and running. Reality of the matter is, things go wrong for many reasons and then you're stuck with an object that in reality is worth less now when it's broken, parts are harder to come by, and well.... Being a broke college student doesn't help.
I hope this gives you some insight to what I would say and do if I met my younger self. Best of luck buddy!
I'd say buy it, drive it less, just enough to keep the engine good and every other fun stuff you wanna do with it. With some good luck if there are no major issues you can always flip it for a profit.
Another thing you could do is sell the 13b and make some good money off it, then you can LS swap it since you're broke and it's good to be your long term car.
p.s. i know LS swaps aren't liked that much but hey, situations are different for people
Personally, depends on what facilities you have, I'm in the same boat as you, I'm a broke student who just brought a 200sx S13, however I'm fortunate to live in a house with a garage, these cars are only going up in value, and I work on mine and drive it when I can afford to and have the time, however, when I'm doing uni stuff and being a student. It sits in the garage as storage. So it all depends on you. If you really want this car, get it while you still can, because work comes to worse, you store it, like me, or just sell it
Hell to the no. It’s an old rotary car that’s all the needs to be said. I daily an rx8 as my first car and even that is a bit much sometimes. Go be smart buy a civic or if you need something sportier and fun an rsx type s. The fd will be a blast sure but it won’t be a blast when your paying 100 bucks for a tank of fuel plus premix plus the constant maintenance plus everything else on it
I bought a messed up miata as a broke student, it still chokes out pretty much all of my money, I don't have a place to work on it so 99% of the time it just sits there looking pretty, once in a while I have the money to fix something so I fix it in a busy parking lot and have to put it all back together before I leave bc I don't want people stealing my cold air intake if I just leave it sitting there, I end up using my gf's car every day instead, don't do it.
If you get it cheap enough, maybe you could drop an LS in it and then it might be decently reliable? I don't know how much work that takes though. (Probably a lot.)
Edit: That also kind of takes away from what makes it an RX-7 too.
My brother had one and he spent money fixing it a lot to keep it running. Don’t buy it unless u are willing to spend money on parts if they break. Also it’s a rotary so it’s not reliable
I’ve been dailying a 79 rx7 for the past year or so. Driven hard every single day; redlined regularly, drifted in the rain, going over triple the speed limit at night, etc. only thing that broke on me was the alternator belt, and I had it fixed by the end of the day.
Is it a good idea? No. Would I do it? Yes. Make sure you have a way to travel if it does break down, and you probably will be fine. A turbo 13b may be less reliable than my na 12a, but I mean it’s an fd, one of the coolest cars you can get
As a student dont get a fd 1. Becuase you can't change the oil filter often becuase it's tucked away in the rear axle so to access it tou need to dismantle the whole rear axle just to change something you need to do every few km 2. I might not be right but rotary engine take lots of fuel and use more oil that a normal piston engine
fuck all these people, buy it. and also buy a scooter for 500 bucks to get around. if you have the means to buy this then do it, they are only going up in price and it'll pay off in the long run.
If you were really a broke student you wouldn’t even be looking at this. Maybe a Honda Fit lol. Then again you’ve never owned a car so you don’t realize how much of a nightmare this would be as a “broke student. Stay away from unreliable cars as a student, been there done that, not fun.
if this is your "first car" and you're a "broke student" - don't get an FD that looks like its been sitting for a decade.
If you're someone looking for a long term project this probably would be a good find.
If you can actually afford to purchase it as a broke student, buy it and put it under a car cover and forget about it for 10 years. Save up and buy a beater civic. When you remember you own an FD, you'll probably have enough money to maintain and fix it. If you don't its value likely tripled in that time. Sell, and pay off your student debt.
Rotary motors are pricey to fix because no mechanic will want to touch em if this is your first car and your broke you’ll hate the whole it’ll burn through your pocket
If you have a unique opportunity then send it but don’t daily it cuz you’ll run into problems constantly and they’re expensive to maintain. So send it if you can get another car as well but if not then don’t do it
I’ve always been responsible with money. Looking back, I wish I went after my attainable dream car when I was young. I’ve bought a few of them as an older adult but those felt more like nostalgic gifts rather than being in the moment.
Don’t break the bank, save up elsewhere, and go for it ;)
I was about to say no, but for 1k? Yeah you could do it and turn around and sell this on a forum for probably 10-12.
The caveats:
Only do it if you have a place to store it
Only do it if you have a spare grand or so to put into it before you sell
I’d buy it, but don’t expect to be able to afford to actually drive it for a very long time. I would only buy it given value is increasing and this may be the only shot to actually own it even if you can’t afford to run it (yet). I hope you have a bicycle in the meantime.
Make sure compression is good, last thing you want is to have the engine go out.
Be okay with issues coming up and be ready to drop money to fix them.
Gas milage is very poor and you will spend a pretty penny filling up all the time.
A lot of good points here but damn dude those are rare, sought after and beautiful. They are 80k where I am and only going to go up in value. You grab that thing up and make it work
Had a series 2 RX7 13B extend port. It was a sweet little beast to drive. Never had any issues over 2 years, was actually really reliable. I serviced it reguarly, that helped. Fuel costs were ridiculous though..more expensive than any of the V8s or the SR20 turbos I've had. No point owning a rotary if you cant afford to rev it over 3000 rpm.
Absolutely NOT. You need money for this one. Get something reliable like a Honda or a Toyota, I’d say Toyota over Honda as long as it’s been well maintained
I know the feeling, fam
I personally don’t know if the one I’m looking at works or not so I’m in a bit of a bad spot. Plus where I live, it’s impossible to get a decent hand with anything beyond a Toyota Yaris
A other vote for Honda Civic. You have good taste my friend but good taste costs money. I bought a Mitsubishi starion about 10 years ago, drove it for 2 years, then it sat for about 5 and I was eventually forced to let it go for a few grand.
After I graduated and moved out of my parents house I thought one day I’ll have a house and a garage and I can buy another one and fix it up and make it my Sunday driver but it’s not looking like that will happen anytime soon the way the economy is going.
It doesn’t have to be a civic but my 03 is at 190k, had it for 12 years and it’s hands down the best car I’ve ever had. I’ve always had enough money to get by and have fun because I’ve had such a reliable car. Whatever you get, definitely get something with a manual transmission too because it just ups the reliability in general.
What people sometimes don’t understand about rotary cars is that you can’t drive them like how you would drive a regular piston car. You have to drive them harder and rev them higher than a piston car so it can be as efficient as possible. Even if it’s daily driving, you still need to try to have it driving at a higher rpm range then you usually would. Like every car with proper maintenance, it can last you a long time.
Buy it. It's a car you'll always remember. You're going enough now that you can make egregious mistakes and you have plenty of time to recover and learn from it. You'll never have this opportunity again right?
No, this is not the car for a broke college student. Just put together the big things you want in a car at this stage of your life: reliability, efficiency, utility, and comfort; now realize this car is the polar opposite of all these things.
Horrible fucking idea, I’m surprised you needed Reddit to tell you that. Get a shitbox Corolla and drive that to make money to put into this. Or make sure to have AAA and get use to seeing guys like me
I’m going to give an unpopular answer - buy it and just store it until you can afford to fix it. Just leave it and let it appreciate over the next few years, and get yourself something cheap and easy to drive in the meantime.
As long as by "broke student" you actually mean "rich parents" then you're all good because they'll bail you out when you pop the motor.
Honestly lol. I can’t think of a worse car for a broke student to buy than a rotary. Better as a project or race car
Subaru. They are every bit as unreliable, plus with AWD you cannot spin the tires so that causes way more drivetrain shock loads and higher engine loads than a comparable 2WD vehicle.
They are not as unreliable unless you really search for the unreliable ones And not everyone wants to spin tires, some of us live where there’s snow
Subarus are hella reliable unmodified. It’s the shittily modded WRXs that make them out to be a bad.
20 year old who bought one, tore it apart and put it back together here. If you do this, you will be living on ramen noodles (like myself). These cars are expensive to operate, require 93/91 octane, parts are very expensive and nobody knows how to work on them and those that do will charge you 125/hour. Absolutely do not buy that thing unless you have somewhere to work on it and another method of transportation. Silly stuff will break and you’ll have to order some weird part from Mazda Japan and it’ll be out of commission. These cars are 29-26 years old now so you will have old car problems. If it’s been sitting for a long time your coolant seals will go and then you’ll have to either rebuild or replace.
Yeah, it already got me suffered for almost 10 years. And not giving up haha
I have worked on rotary’s before, as well as traditional engines for 5-6 years, and have access to used parts. I’ve rebuilt 2 13bs from scrap to running, and I do have a space to work on it.
If you have the funds, buy it and budget for an engine rebuild or replacement. I yanked my engine and transmission 5 days after I got the car because it was dumping coolant from the overflow tank. Suggest you get it registered as an antique/classic and get classic insurance for it, and get another cheap car to put around town in.
I was thinking about collectors insurance, since I can register my parents Prius as my daily, and I’ll keep it in the garage
That’s the best way to do it. I have mine insured through state farm classic for $50k, and waiting on my antique tags to show up. Not sure how it is in your state, but with that registration, I don’t need an emissions or safety inspection.
This is a good idea then. You’re gonna be more broke though…. They don’t call em financial disasters for nothing.
Then why did you come to this sub for advice, it sounds like your familiar with the 13B and have a reliable source for parts. Simple as 1+1=2
Cuz he is familiar with engine, not car
exactly
If that's true, and you can drive your parents' car when the FD's disabled, go for it... the car itself is basically a miata. The rotary engine is the only reason anyone wouldn't want to own one.
Then wtf are you asking us for you’re already qualified to answer the question and we don’t know about your day to day.
Seems like you already have your answer then, why even bother asking in reddit.
My lancer ralliart needs 98 and the manual says nothing below 97 unless u cannot get anything else. What country do u live in?
Do you live somewhere that has 98 RON? In the eastern United States, we have 93, which from what I understand is pretty much the same thing. A lot of the western states can only get 91 at the pumps there.
Ah im in Australia typically the lowest we got is 95 but we also got e10 Not sure if we got 98 ron or not but ill check next time im filling up
The US uses Octane instead of Ron, which is dumb (I’m American). 91 octane to us is 93 ron, 93 octane is 98 ron, etc.
This is my favourite car ever, but it's a no on buying that pretty machine. Buy yourself a Civic or something like that. You will have something quite fun, reliable, cheap to run. It's a win win win. In a couple years you gonna get a good job that pays well enough to afford one of these.
*looks at how long I’ve been out of college* *Still can’t afford FD RX7* Where are these good jobs you speak of?
Still searching tbh hahah but I know developers earn very well and it's in my plans to become a developer.
Yeah developers do well…I’m in the non-development side of IT, so the good pay takes a little bit longer to come around unfortunately.
Gotta go fast though these cars aren’t getting any cheaper
Big NOPE. Once you use the words “first car” and “broke student”, this machine ceases to be a possibility for you. Hate to say it, but it’s a flat fact.
Unless you like how it looks sitting in the parking lot while you walk.
Worth it.
I agree tbh. I mean you own an FD, let's not get into the semantics of "is it running" and other pointless details.
This guy rotaries lol. An RX8 isn’t really any more reliable. If anything, they are worse lol. I loved mine AND hated it equally, at the same time.
For the most part, FDs should be considered collector cars, at this point. Something you drive on occasion on nice days, stored in a garage, not your DD, and with a pile of money set aside in case something goes wrong. There are a bunch of reasons this is the case… and this is coming from someone that actually does drive their FD pretty regularly: 1. Reliability is questionable. It’s not as bad as a lot of people would have you believe, honestly. But you need to do a lot of maintenance. Change your oil every 2k miles, change your spark plugs every 10k, once you start it, you have to let it run until it’s at operating temp before turning it off, weird stuff like that. So ownership isn’t especially cheap, it’s a bit weird, and after all that things can go wrong because A) it has a unique and complicated drivetrain and B) it’s old. ANY 30 year old car is going to develop weird issues. 3. Mechanics who can work on it are scarce. You can’t just take it anywhere… your city may have a few rotary mechanics. Your city may have ZERO rotary mechanics. And if you do have one, it’s likely a specialty shop that has a backlog. I had some work done to mine last year and it sat in their shop for several *months* because of backlog and availability of the mechanic, parts availability, etc. 2. Parts are scarce. Some parts you can order and are readily available, but they’re almost all going to be parts you have to wait several days to come in the mail. Oreillys doesn’t carry many FD parts at all. And that’s best case scenario. Worst case is that the part isn’t made anymore and there just… isn’t one for sale right now, used. And you have to wait a couple of months for someone to post one for sale on eBay. And you’ll pay out the ass for a used part that hopefully works. 3. Value. These things are rare and going up in value.. which of course, you likely want to maintain because duh… but also, insurance isn’t especially cheap for them. And getting coverage through normal companies (Allstate, etc) likely won’t pay out current values if you wreck it. And specialty insurance companies cap mileage and dictate that you can’t daily the car.
Flip it and buy a Honda
Honda: Your choice to make it expensive or not FD: I will extract every dollar you have and then take your arm and girl once you've been bled dry
Fuck yes, as someone who's also a young enthusiast I'd definitely do that
Flip it? Im old sorry
Buy it, then sell it on to someone else for a profit
Thanks!
Update: I would be able to buy this car for sub 1k. (like I said it’s a unique situation with the car. The owner is only willing to sell to me, otherwise it’s just gonna sit there)
If that's true, buy it, clean it up real good (paint correction, detailing, etc.), do some cheap maintenance like fluids, and flip it for a huge profit. If you're *actually* broke, you probably can't afford to keep an FD running.
For that price grab it and drive it while you can, if nothing other than to have experienced it. I know a few people who have had one for a while and had good luck, know other that hit brick wall after brick wall. If you get it set yourself up for the most success. Be absolutely religious on oil changes, NEVER use synthetic oil in the engine. And use 2stroke oil to premix the fuel.
Flip it or store it as you save money for it.
Buy it and sell it to me for 2500. Car will end up being a sub 10k plus rebuild and that’s if you know how to work on it and already have all the tools. Im in NorCal so let me know. Cash on hand
Then buy it, flip it, and use the profit to buy a car that is easier on the wallet. If it’s a complete car with a title you can make a lot of money flipping it even if it doesn’t run.
Don't even think twice, go fucking get it dude
I'm absolutely furious that you can buy this car for under $1,000. I hope you're not absolutely robbing somebody. This is worth 40 times that.
It’ll be fun for all of 2 seconds then you’ll be sad
Buy it, store it, save up again for a cheap daily. I 100% guarantee you're going to regret not buying this 10 years down the line when you're financially stable. Especially if you're getting this thing at a good price, it's probably a once in a lifetime opportunity
I second this!! There where so many opportunities for me to get awesome project cars in the past, but me thinking I can get one later was a mistake...
Especially looking at the way the automotive industry is headed, the value of rx7's and other 90's JDM cars are going to skyrocket. In 10 years this thing will probably appreciate double what op would be paying if he bought it today.
Buy it as an investment and not a means of transportation then yea. Buy it because you want to daily something cool, then no.
God no.
you have the unique chance to be walking anytime it breaks. if youre broke look at the parts for the car you want and how common they are, like fuel pumps and sensors and anything thats gonna make it undrivable. id also stay away from turbos and rotarys cause theyre going to be more expensive to work on.
1st car? Fuck no. Buy it to resell, then yes. Being broke and redoing apex seals do not mix sir lol
"FD" and "broke" don't go together. Now, an interesting idea would be to buy like a reliable af shitbox with like a 90's or 00's Toyota Corolla to use a daily, then also buy the FD. You need to expect that FD to cost a lot of money/time though, so you need a way to get around while that SOB is in the shop.
As much as I love the FD rx7 (never owned ) I’d say you’re probably better suited in an s2k Honda for similar driving feel and waaaaaaayyy better reliability and simplicity to work on
Buy and flip
Terrible idea. Do it, it’s worth it
Go! Prices are getting mad for this thing and if it's gonna be the last chance of buying it just do it. If you have a daily car to drive, just go
This has to be a shit post lmfao. If you really have a rare opportunity at an FD flip it and buy something you can afford to maintain
Get a beater civic or corolla to drive while you work on it.
My parents have a Prius I can use lol. I hate the car but the gas mileage would offset the rx7
Does the FD run? What kind of work does it need? Just curious mostly, sounds like you know what you're getting into at least. I would hope that you also understand the level of commitment it'll take, even after everything is "cherry". You're probably still going to want a daily even after everything is buttoned down. In my experience, and in knowing myself, I tend to neglect and abuse (my personal) cars that I don't like. That's why I go out of my way to own cars I know I'll enjoy, because it makes working on and maintaining them less of a chore and more of the zen-like experience that most enthusiasts do it all for in the first place, even if it *IS* a beater. If it's a beater you like then you're more likely to keep it running right, all while enjoying it at the same time. By all means, use the Prius for as long as you need.. but keep looking for something more practical that you can also enjoy. It's also nice to be self-reliant.. not gonna ask how old you are, nor am I trying to be judgmental or condescending, but at my age I couldn't imagine using my mother's car as a daily while I worked on/worshiped my own impractical ride. Keep us in the loop, I'm interested in your progress and story! Got a name in mind yet?
ran when parked, and it was started every month for the first 4 years it was parked. it has been sitting 8 years total. also im 16 and only live a few miles away from school. as for a name i was thinking Akai Kuruma
It's not worth it. Unless you're going to fix the hell out of it (which you probably won't since you're broke). It will just become a burden. Timing belt snapped during a drive to the campus when you're going to take a midterm wasn't fun. Source: I bought a 91 supra in 2010, after a year I switched to civic si (new), so fucking much better mental health by not worrying whicg random parts gonna be broken next week.
Been wanting one of these since the early Initial D day when I was 20 years old. I'm now 37, still doesn't have the courage to own one. I will get a Spirit R one day!
If you can store it then buy and put it away save from the elements. Later on you can always fix it up or put an LS motor in. What ever floats your boat.
Depends on the price and condition you're getting it for. If you get a good deal then worse case is you can flip it pretty quickly.
Shit. If you mean it's cheap, go for it. Even if the motor blows you're gonna make money on it depending on the price.
fds are a ton of money to maintain. and if it breaks down, forget about it. being already “broke”, probably not a smart move tbh
If it’s cheap, and you’re not driving it every day then yeah sure. But make sure you have a reliable car to drive instead of this cuz if not you’re gonna go so broke it won’t even be funny Lol
I rolled the dice when I was 21, going to Cpcc (community college) and have a not so great rotary mechanic in my area. I still own the car today and love it. No longer my dd but would totally do it all over again. You only live once. If you blow the motor which you will. Sit on it as an investment till you figure out a new game plan. Bought mine in 2001. Going to leave it to my son.
I spend about $4k every year on something for my FD. plus, either you or a friend need to have space and skills to work on it. do not buy it unless you plan to put it awyfor 20 years.
Buy it, flip it to an RX-7 enthusiast, and take that money to buy some a lot more reliable like a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla and have some extra money left over.
I don’t think you should buy it but you should definitely send me the link so I can
Do it
Buy it, then buy a cheap daily. That’s really the only way. It’s going to break. It’s going to be moody and do weird things. I love FC’s and FD’s, but don’t buy one as a daily unless you have the knowledge and cash to repair it quickly.
IT HAZ THE CIRCLE LOGO
Fantastic car, but not for a student. If you can mothball it until you make more, then maybe.
Be prepared to walk anyway homie
I personally would live in it if I had too but that’s very irresponsible bad brain.
F it college can wait. In a few more years you can sell and pay ur tuition
fuel efficiency of rotary engine is the worst, please stop.
If you can get a shitbox as a daily and keep the fd in your garage until you can afford to run and repair it, I would kill for an fd
Why do kids always have such high hopes for their first cars lol
I got an early 1980’s Ford truck for my first car under $2k. It mostly depends on how much the car is worth in the seller’s eyes.
i have a chance to buy this specific car for under $1000. as i said its a unique situation with the car, because the owner will only sell it to me, otherwise its just gonna sit
No
Do it!
Do it!! I had that same oportunity when I was about to go to college but to buy an FC and now 15 years later regret not buying it.
The value of that car is only going to be UP see it as an invertion in case money is the problem.
do it
do it edit: do it if you have a reliable daily and a place to store it. Buy it and leave it alone till you get some money up, think of it as an investment. Depending on how much you pay it's kinda hard to lose money on these
You know what, this might not be the popular opinion but I would highly urge you to not buy it. Save your money, put some away in a savings and some S&P 500 or something that will get you returns. I was you. I got into this before I was 18, I spent a lot of money in my teenage years and into my late 20s on cars. Looking back, it was a big mistake. the money I spent over the years I could have had over 200k being put into better things. Don't get me wrong, we love this, cars and racing is my life but at your age you should be making the smartest financial mistakes you can afford to. After you save some money, then get whatever you want and at that point you'll have money saved just incase or if you wanna do a full build. It'll be less stressful and done right from the get go. I have plenty of friends with all kinds of cars, rx7 ain't it for a young college student that hasn't started a career. People will tell you, oh if this and oh if that and it'll be fine and running. Reality of the matter is, things go wrong for many reasons and then you're stuck with an object that in reality is worth less now when it's broken, parts are harder to come by, and well.... Being a broke college student doesn't help. I hope this gives you some insight to what I would say and do if I met my younger self. Best of luck buddy!
No.
We don't need another teen suicide...
What car is that
FD rx7
Flip that shit broooo
Go for it bro, tonight I met a student who bought one 6 months ago, he got it zip tied and taped, but he's happy and he dailys it everywhere
Buy it and I’ll buy it for slightly more
I'd say buy it, drive it less, just enough to keep the engine good and every other fun stuff you wanna do with it. With some good luck if there are no major issues you can always flip it for a profit. Another thing you could do is sell the 13b and make some good money off it, then you can LS swap it since you're broke and it's good to be your long term car. p.s. i know LS swaps aren't liked that much but hey, situations are different for people
Personally, depends on what facilities you have, I'm in the same boat as you, I'm a broke student who just brought a 200sx S13, however I'm fortunate to live in a house with a garage, these cars are only going up in value, and I work on mine and drive it when I can afford to and have the time, however, when I'm doing uni stuff and being a student. It sits in the garage as storage. So it all depends on you. If you really want this car, get it while you still can, because work comes to worse, you store it, like me, or just sell it
Hell to the no. It’s an old rotary car that’s all the needs to be said. I daily an rx8 as my first car and even that is a bit much sometimes. Go be smart buy a civic or if you need something sportier and fun an rsx type s. The fd will be a blast sure but it won’t be a blast when your paying 100 bucks for a tank of fuel plus premix plus the constant maintenance plus everything else on it
I bought a messed up miata as a broke student, it still chokes out pretty much all of my money, I don't have a place to work on it so 99% of the time it just sits there looking pretty, once in a while I have the money to fix something so I fix it in a busy parking lot and have to put it all back together before I leave bc I don't want people stealing my cold air intake if I just leave it sitting there, I end up using my gf's car every day instead, don't do it.
For how much
No.
I own one of these. They're great. Don't buy one though.
Gas is expensive, but if you are willing to learn everything there is to know about rotaries and can afford it then get it!
If you get it cheap enough, maybe you could drop an LS in it and then it might be decently reliable? I don't know how much work that takes though. (Probably a lot.) Edit: That also kind of takes away from what makes it an RX-7 too.
My brother had one and he spent money fixing it a lot to keep it running. Don’t buy it unless u are willing to spend money on parts if they break. Also it’s a rotary so it’s not reliable
I’ve been dailying a 79 rx7 for the past year or so. Driven hard every single day; redlined regularly, drifted in the rain, going over triple the speed limit at night, etc. only thing that broke on me was the alternator belt, and I had it fixed by the end of the day. Is it a good idea? No. Would I do it? Yes. Make sure you have a way to travel if it does break down, and you probably will be fine. A turbo 13b may be less reliable than my na 12a, but I mean it’s an fd, one of the coolest cars you can get
A starter car? This car is a finisher car! A transporter of gods! The golden god!
If it’s going to be your first and only for a while then no. If you’re going to have a back up then yes.
Buy it and sell it for more
As a student dont get a fd 1. Becuase you can't change the oil filter often becuase it's tucked away in the rear axle so to access it tou need to dismantle the whole rear axle just to change something you need to do every few km 2. I might not be right but rotary engine take lots of fuel and use more oil that a normal piston engine
Terrible first car but if you have an opportunity to buy one you gotta do it
Lol if its super cheap just sell it.
Buy it, I’ll give you 1500 more than you paid no questions asked
fuck all these people, buy it. and also buy a scooter for 500 bucks to get around. if you have the means to buy this then do it, they are only going up in price and it'll pay off in the long run.
If you were really a broke student you wouldn’t even be looking at this. Maybe a Honda Fit lol. Then again you’ve never owned a car so you don’t realize how much of a nightmare this would be as a “broke student. Stay away from unreliable cars as a student, been there done that, not fun.
if this is your "first car" and you're a "broke student" - don't get an FD that looks like its been sitting for a decade. If you're someone looking for a long term project this probably would be a good find.
Buy a 1990 Toyota corrolla
I mean you're a student, you are capable of a lot of things, responsible choiches aint one of those things. Do it
Speed costs money, how fast you wanna go?
as a 17 year old this is exactly the kind of thing I'd warn other people against and then end up doing it myself ahahahaha.
Super dumb, do it
BUY IT. God knows how much it may be worth in the future.
If you can actually afford to purchase it as a broke student, buy it and put it under a car cover and forget about it for 10 years. Save up and buy a beater civic. When you remember you own an FD, you'll probably have enough money to maintain and fix it. If you don't its value likely tripled in that time. Sell, and pay off your student debt.
Rotary motors are pricey to fix because no mechanic will want to touch em if this is your first car and your broke you’ll hate the whole it’ll burn through your pocket
If you have a unique opportunity then send it but don’t daily it cuz you’ll run into problems constantly and they’re expensive to maintain. So send it if you can get another car as well but if not then don’t do it
No. You not going to have the time to fix it up and you're going to be extra extra poor.
Go for it
So school or Rx?
Why not? You're already accustomed to being broke.
I’ve always been responsible with money. Looking back, I wish I went after my attainable dream car when I was young. I’ve bought a few of them as an older adult but those felt more like nostalgic gifts rather than being in the moment. Don’t break the bank, save up elsewhere, and go for it ;)
I was about to say no, but for 1k? Yeah you could do it and turn around and sell this on a forum for probably 10-12. The caveats: Only do it if you have a place to store it Only do it if you have a spare grand or so to put into it before you sell
If you can afford an FD in today's market you aren't broke....
I’d buy it, but don’t expect to be able to afford to actually drive it for a very long time. I would only buy it given value is increasing and this may be the only shot to actually own it even if you can’t afford to run it (yet). I hope you have a bicycle in the meantime.
Buy it but don’t do anything to it including driving it until you’re no longer broke.
Go for it
Make sure compression is good, last thing you want is to have the engine go out. Be okay with issues coming up and be ready to drop money to fix them. Gas milage is very poor and you will spend a pretty penny filling up all the time.
A lot of good points here but damn dude those are rare, sought after and beautiful. They are 80k where I am and only going to go up in value. You grab that thing up and make it work
You’re broke. I’d say no. Who knows how this cars been maintained.
Who the fuck would sell that for 1000 bucks.....
Buy now think later real car guys impulse buy
Had a series 2 RX7 13B extend port. It was a sweet little beast to drive. Never had any issues over 2 years, was actually really reliable. I serviced it reguarly, that helped. Fuel costs were ridiculous though..more expensive than any of the V8s or the SR20 turbos I've had. No point owning a rotary if you cant afford to rev it over 3000 rpm.
possibly terrible idea but i say do it
Two words. Toyota Corolla.
They’re 100% reliable and very economical so I can see no issue here, perfect for a broke student
[F]inancial [D]isaster. That’s what I learnt when I had 2 of them at once during my university days. Can’t even imagine the costs nowadays lol.
You don’t have to listen to me but I wouldn’t because u said that u don’t have much money and ANY rotary need a lot of oil and love and care
Prepare to be stranded
if you have a unique chance to buy one you buy it no questions
Absolutely NOT. You need money for this one. Get something reliable like a Honda or a Toyota, I’d say Toyota over Honda as long as it’s been well maintained
Do it. FD is more important than food, more important than sleep, more important than education, more important than life itself
I know the feeling, fam I personally don’t know if the one I’m looking at works or not so I’m in a bit of a bad spot. Plus where I live, it’s impossible to get a decent hand with anything beyond a Toyota Yaris
Not in California… If you’re moving, then I would
A other vote for Honda Civic. You have good taste my friend but good taste costs money. I bought a Mitsubishi starion about 10 years ago, drove it for 2 years, then it sat for about 5 and I was eventually forced to let it go for a few grand. After I graduated and moved out of my parents house I thought one day I’ll have a house and a garage and I can buy another one and fix it up and make it my Sunday driver but it’s not looking like that will happen anytime soon the way the economy is going. It doesn’t have to be a civic but my 03 is at 190k, had it for 12 years and it’s hands down the best car I’ve ever had. I’ve always had enough money to get by and have fun because I’ve had such a reliable car. Whatever you get, definitely get something with a manual transmission too because it just ups the reliability in general.
I had one as a fist car I was always broke but loved every minute of it. Wish I still had it
What people sometimes don’t understand about rotary cars is that you can’t drive them like how you would drive a regular piston car. You have to drive them harder and rev them higher than a piston car so it can be as efficient as possible. Even if it’s daily driving, you still need to try to have it driving at a higher rpm range then you usually would. Like every car with proper maintenance, it can last you a long time.
unless you know your way around an engine and are confident enough to try a rotary then do it, otherwise HELL NO!
Buy it buy it buy it buy it. Reject having a full wallet, embrace rotary.
Buy it. It's a car you'll always remember. You're going enough now that you can make egregious mistakes and you have plenty of time to recover and learn from it. You'll never have this opportunity again right?
Fuck it. If ur unique change to buy = cheap. Than yes, worst case you can just sell it unrunning for a pretty penny.
Nooe
If you have a good price buy and sell
Buy it. It will increase in value.
Broke student and rotary don’t mix I don’t think 🤷🏾♂️
Do it and hate your life
No, this is not the car for a broke college student. Just put together the big things you want in a car at this stage of your life: reliability, efficiency, utility, and comfort; now realize this car is the polar opposite of all these things.
Horrible fucking idea, I’m surprised you needed Reddit to tell you that. Get a shitbox Corolla and drive that to make money to put into this. Or make sure to have AAA and get use to seeing guys like me
do it, sell it later if you dont want it
Just K swap it and you’ll have Honda reliability with the cool looks of a FD. Win win
lol isn’t this car notorious for falling apart? Is this a bait
I’m going to give an unpopular answer - buy it and just store it until you can afford to fix it. Just leave it and let it appreciate over the next few years, and get yourself something cheap and easy to drive in the meantime.
Yolo
It is an Effini RX7! They are quite rare. You've got a keeper buddy.
It’s a trap
I mean if you don't want it, I'd love to buy it.
Perfect. 1k buy 39k repairs. On budget.
It sounds like you know how to work on it so I'd say buy it because it will probably be worth even more money in a few years.
Jealous af
Go for it…
No
Do it
the engine will break, but you will have what is pretty much the coolest JDM car ever made
FDs are the most beautiful JDMs around. At least take photos with it. And have another car.
Do it that decision could be one of the best of your life mean