RX-7 or 350Z?

[partymonster 975]

My friend is buying either a 3rd gen. RX-7 or a 350z. Which would you pick? What do you guys think about the cars all together? I'm not even sure which I'd choose.

[wootwoot]

3rd gen RX7 is not a car that is cheap to maintain in anyway. The performance of the car far exceeds a 350z, but if I needed something to drive everyday and wanted to not put a bunch of money into maintaining it 350z by far. They'd cost about the same after you got everything fixed on the rx7 anyway =P
3rd gen's are exotics

[Ricks15]

RX-7 all the way:D

[OptionZero]

If you have to ask whether or not to get an RX7, it's not the car for you.

The Z is the one for you, you can't handle the 7.

[partymonster 975]

If you have to ask whether or not to get an RX7, it's not the car for you.

The Z is the one for you, you can't handle the 7.

lol:D I got to use that line next time I see him.

keep the posts coming!

[TurK]

GET a supra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OMGWTFBBQ]

rx7 if he wants the better sports car

[exitspeed]

RX-7 if he's got time an money to fix it.

Otherwise if it' sfor just a nice dependable DD. 350z.

[RiversideS13]

he should get rx7 if he has plenty of money, time, resources, and knowledge.

i think 350z is a more reliable option

[gorgasm]

dont get an FD.
they suck.
ive got one rotting in my driveway.

maybe if your made of money.

[partymonster 975]

Just a quick question since I know nothing about rx-7's, what kind of stuff is known to break?.
Thanks.
Keep posting for the first questions. Which would you get?

[OMGWTFBBQ]

dont buy one (fd) hoping to learn as you go along
If hes actually looking into one, have him sign up on rx7 club and read every single word of the buying guide, and its good to know how the engine itself works also, a lot of people just buy them then dont know shit
theyre awesome cars if your not an idiot and know how to properly take care of them which a lot of people do not

[Team Rootbeer]

both are fun, quick, and get ladies out of the box.....

but the Z does it all w/ a factory warranty!

Z FTW

[Wei240]

if you have time and patience, get the rx7, otherwise, get the 350,

since i lack time even for my s13, i'd get a 350 at this point in time

[Ghettokracker71]

I have never driven either a 350z or RX-7. I have however,driven an RX8 and I aboslutely LOVED it.

But sticking to the title of this thread,there is something,and always possible will be something thats really special and really really turns me on to the 350z. I dunno what iti s?

[aznpoopy]

If you have to ask whether or not to get an RX7, it's not the car for you.

The Z is the one for you, you can't handle the 7.

+1

FD is a never ending work in progress.

350z is buy and drive. no worries.

[kurissuS13]

+1

FD is a never ending work in progress.

350z is buy and drive. no worries.

+2

many FD owners call it a money pit, myself included. u'll spend massive amounts of money and never see it again. it's such a great car, but u need to be rollin' if u wanna maintain that car.

better off buyin a 350Z.

[infinitexsound]

neither, get something baller...

[Kn1ves]

dont get an FD.
they suck.
ive got one rotting in my driveway.

maybe if your made of money.

how much u want for it :)

[ALTRNTV]

Just a quick question since I know nothing about rx-7's, what kind of stuff is known to break?.


http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/rotary-engine-rotor.jpg

[aznpoopy]

^^^ lol

not to mention the car is underengineered in many respects.

FD owners are the only people i know of that have a section of their mod lists devoted to "reliability mods."

on top of that, nobody except rotary specialist shops know how to work on these engines. these shops are few and far between. dealers do NOT know how to work on any 7.

i.e. if you buy a FD, you better know your shit.

[jdm538]

i would choose the 350z, i saw an FD blow the engine after only 20k mi of having it rebuilt.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

^^
people who dont know how to take care of them shouldnt be allowed near them. This is why so many idiots think theyre unreliable cars, my 13b has already out lasted a bunch of cars

[OptionZero]

exactly why i say that guy should NOT buy one

if you want one, you'd have done the research

IMHO anyone that needs to ask his friend what to get should get the softest, least sporty one. They don't deserve the good stuff.

If you're really interested in going fast, you'll go drive them yourself, talk to owners, ride in them in the environments you'll drive them (autox, track, drift, etc).

Anything short of that is leaning toward poser territory man

[aznpoopy]

^^
people who dont know how to take care of them shouldnt be allowed near them. This is why so many idiots think theyre unreliable cars, my 13b has already out lasted a bunch of cars

i agree... 20k is too soon for a rebuilt motor.

typically a turbocharged 13b will last about 75k-90k. i've seen some higher mileage ones hit 120kish. i know of one or two stock T2's that have hit 150k without blowing.

n/a's on the other hand are very reliable. i have a friend at 175k on a s4 base.

[OMGWTFBBQ]

the 13B-rew is the more problematic of the two..

my T2 has over 150k and runs perfectly with very good compression, just depends how its been driven and maintained over the years.

but to stay on topic, it doesnt sound like this guy knows shit about rotarys other than the fact that they look like triangles. Unless he likes rebuilding motors dont get an fd

[91CRXsiR]

RX7 to look at and 350Z to drive

simple

[SilviaNinja240]

the new Zs out preform the old 7s, if you're buying a new car, I'd go with the Z. But if its used i'd go for the 7.

[AllenRPS13]

RX-7 all the way:D

+1 rx7 all the way, hehe

[ALTRNTV]

Z

Message Length.

[Vatche]

i would tell him to buy an ford fucus

[cyurchik]

350Z.

My FC has over 170k on the original engine and runs fine, but FD's tend to have lots of random vacuum line and fuel related issues. The FD is what a Rotary owner graduates to after years of SA/FB/FC ownership and learning, it's a horrible starter.

[koukidough]

dont you watch fast and furious?? Get the FD

[Irukandji]

FD owners are the only people i know of that have a section of their mod lists devoted to "reliability mods."




so you're saying you spend ZERO money on keeping your car reliable? No oil changes? No tuneups? If your waterpump goes out, did you fix it before your car overheated?

EVERY car owner spends money on reliability mods...

[wootwoot]

the new Zs out preform the old 7s, if you're buying a new car, I'd go with the Z. But if its used i'd go for the 7.

How?...The rx7 is quicker in the 1/4 mile, stops faster, pulls more g's. It is the better performing car.

The main problem with 3rd gen rx7's is not with the rotary itself, but in the insane sequential turbo system that Mazda engineered. The vacuum diagram for the car is absolutely insane but becomes way worse when you are looking at the physical car. My friends dad owns a rotary shop so Ive seen these things in and out, they are not fun.

http://www.rx7guru.com/images/rx7vacuum_hose_diagram.jpg

[OMGWTFBBQ]

^^
word
I was gonna mention the TT setup, but figured at this point that guy shouldnt even be considering and fd and doesnt need any more info

[Kaji]

350zed all the way.

[drift-it]

fd's are cool but you have to have the scooch to fix it when it blows up or whatever plus you gotta know your shit he shouldn't even be asking the question he probably can't handle the fd, plus they have twin turbo kits for the 350z that push a lot of hp or tell him to get a 240

[alexchanman]

neither, get an s2k.

[a94cardude]

just get something reliable and good on mpg...and just spend the money towards other things...

unless ur rich... but this is just imo...

[IKnowAllOfNothing]

rx-7 w/ls7 engine, most pimping

[aznpoopy]

so you're saying you spend ZERO money on keeping your car reliable? No oil changes? No tuneups? If your waterpump goes out, did you fix it before your car overheated?

EVERY car owner spends money on reliability mods...

spend some time in 3rd gen section on rx7club and look up reliability mods. it's totally different than a waterpump going out on a 240sx.

if you drive all oem spec shit on a 240sx and just replace stuff as it fails, the 240sx will be fine and dandy.

on a FD, some mods are a must as soon as you buy the car because they simply were NOT up to spec from the factory.

3 big ones that are usually recommended are
-aftermarket rad. stock cooling system is simply inadequate.
-downpipe and pre-cat. restrictive, get hot, and bake the wonderfully complex system of hoses and lines in the engine bay, causing quite a headache if you need to start replacing hoses... which you probably do.
-aluminum air seperator tank. the stock plastic one cracks and causes massive coolant leak.

people add to this list as per their own preferences. but you get the idea.

[ms!3]

the Z is a more reliable car but i would go with the FD, there so much better imo and they sound so good in high rpms.

[Kaji]

If you like shooting apex seals out your exhaust then the FD is definately the choice.

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

hahah sorry this is old thread but yeh i spit out my apex seal out my exhaust just a month ago. my engine is sitting in my garage, i have no more money, saving up for new rotor housings cuz there messed up. Rx7s cost a grip of money to maintain. the engine had about 1200 miles on it, but it wasnt tuned perfectly causing my engine to detonate just driving on the freeway at 70 mph in 5th gear. but yeh rx7 is the best car to get. its worth all the trouble.

[wootwoot]

rx7's cannot handle poor tuning at all.
Look into purchasing some Ceramic seals, you can get a set for 700-900 bucks which seems ridiculous but if you get it tuned properly this time it will last a longgggggg time. You can also upgrade to 3mm seals without the disadvantages metal 3mm offer.
Look into deleting trailing plug spark if you want to try and avoid some more oof that detonation.

This is not proof that rotaries are fragile though, but proof that a improperly tuned motor will kill itself reguardless of what it is.

Good luck with the rebuild!

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

ceramic seals are not always that great, its great for track but its gonna break nd wear sooner then other metal ones out there. 3mm isnt that bad of an upgrade, its just insurance, and thats the way im going right now. nd thanks i need that luck, haha

[HyperTek]

I recently thought about these 2 cars in one of my threads, and i jus cant afford a newer car such as 350z. So i have turned to FD. hopefully my plans go well and I can purchase one cheap in need of a new motor, so Ill just put a fresh rebuild off the bat. Im a rotary fan but not a noob to mechanics so Ill take my chances. the car is just sexy. Right now it has timeless styling. Looks good even today for its age like it could have just been offfered as a new car today.

[DJPimpFlex]

yea, but sad to say that the car stock is hard to drift and the motors are complete junk. I want a LS1 or LS7 or SR FD some day....anything but the rotory POS.

[wootwoot]

Ceramic seals do not wear faster then metal counterparts. They weigh significantly less, are considerably stronger, and put less friction against the housings. Ceramic seals are really the thing to do if you want your motor to last. 3mm metal seals are pretty terrible, bigger is not necessarily better. The extra weight at the very edge of the rotor DOES wear your housings more then traditional 2mm, they weigh more as well (duh) which is not good at all considering they are at the uttermost edge of rotating mass on the rotor effictively limiting your rpms, people have seen hp differentials of 30whp between the difference in 2mm and 3mm at the 350hp range. Seals dont blow out randomly anyway, the only reasons they ever do is detonation.

[fulloutspecr]

rotary all the way

[vspec15]

"20 lengths and a Vtec, you sure"?<----- hahahaha! His civic was whack! way to give a good name to imports!

[the240sxer95]

RX7 for sure!


after i sold my s14 i went to a subaru, sold that to come back and well.. sold that to go back to subaru, i went pretty far with mods. but i <3 it.

i would love to buy a RX7 and take my chances with the realibility :)


WOuld you be daily driving it?

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

ceramic seals yeh like you say do give less friction, and all that is good, but they are fragile. its not taht good fro both street and track days. if its strickly for track day car ceramic is fine. a lot of people that use ceramic for some reason are not happy with them and go back to stock seals. stock seals handle great power from the cars ive seen.


and DJPimpFlex rotary's cannot be defined as junk, its the tuner thats junk. so in my case i am the junk. putting a ls1 defeats the purpose of the 7. i mean u still have the lightness and handling, but its just not a 7 anymore. rotarys kick ass,

[blu808]

putting a ls1 defeats the purpose of the 7. i mean u still have the lightness and handling, but its just not a 7 anymore. rotarys kick ass,

So making a awsome car reliable is defeating its purpose?

O god lets not start with this purist retard bs. There is no doubt that putting a lighter motor, with more power, torque, potential, and mpg makes this car better. You guys need to wake up and see that yes the rotary motor is ok if you are a master tuner, and can afford c16 race gas on your 400 hp rotary. But why not have a 400hp ls1 that passes smog, gets 26 mpg, and can run on 89 octane all day long?

And lets not start with the torque. My ls1 fd makes over 320 ftpd of torque at 2000 rpm on the dyno. To the wheels. And thats the starting point. lol

[DJPimpFlex]

yea 13b's make like 95 tq and thats it......LS1 ftw. Sad to say though. I do like the rotory....crazy reves and such but the lack of reliability just makes it not worth it IMO. To each there own of course, but I would rather drive my car than work on my car.

[HyperTek]

bah who cares.. if you look past the negatives of the motor, you gotta admit its a good chassis.

well anyways, for your viewing pleasure http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=56961741177104533&q=re+amemiya

[SilentSamurai8]

If you have the money that IS the best way to go. I love the FD, but as someone already said, not a good car to start on. There reliability mods are NEEDED right off the bat and the twin turbo set up is bananas. Forget tuning too because once the motor is gone, unless you are really savvy with these things even a rebuild can be pricey and difficult...really not the right power for the type of driving most of us do either...SO what do you do...get another motor.

SR is great. Or if you are a pimp like some people...LS1 or LS7

*Looks at The White FD*
SKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET :coolugh: :naughty:

[SimpleS14]

350Z


Get one before the prices inflate due to FnF: TD :)

[SilentSamurai8]

If you like shooting apex seals out your exhaust then the FD is definately the choice.

Hey Kaji...not to change subject or anything, but I was wondering about your sig. I did not catch that show, what happend? Looks funny. Please explain.

Might whant to PM though not to stop this GREAT debate. :coolugh:

[AutoRnD]

lolz...
350z or rx7
i own a z
and my roomate own a fd

we are about even on the power level. its whoever gets the jump..
handling wise he beats me cause im running crappy tires and he has advan's

when i had toyo's and he was running dunlops..
i was handling better.

in terms of braking
fd hands down.

also fd vs 350z

the fd does require more maintenance costs
but in terms of modifications.
the z33 costs a lot more
coilovers for the z from zeal are like 3k
an exhaust for my car is like 1500 dollars

fd = cheaper.
also w/ fd u can run 17's and look ok and proper
where as the z even w/ 18's look like ass

[So Sideways]

if i were your friend i would buy a 1995 Supra twin turbo w/ the getrag 6 speed gear box.

As for the rx-7, its a definite money pit and will guzzle gas more than an H2 hummer. I have gone through my rx-7 fix and sure you only need a few fuel mods and turn the boost up, but every extra PSI is going to be a gamble, and thats not including boost creep. Also if you plan on modifying the rx7 first recommedation is a radiator, and then an intercooler(s) because rotaries run HOT.

If the supra is out of the question i would definately go with the 350z, just because of the warranty and the fact that its 10 years younger than the rx7.
Also mazda has a reputaion to have some bad electrical problems such as lose solder points, especially with the second gens and some of the earlier 3rd gen rx7's

[wootwoot]

rx7's guzzles gas then you recommend a Supra?....Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[AutoRnD]

hehehe
supra is nothing compared to rotary...
rotary sips gas like it were diet coke..

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

yeh i get 12 miles per gallon cuz the setting nd setup sucks.

but anyway blu808 if your luke haha i have nothing to say, your car is awsome. though me personally love the rotarys better.i have no money, im a student. my car hasnt been running for a month almost but what i do love is the high rev, nd no torque, without the engine problems. its an awsome engineered engine, were i still have a grip to learn about, and still a rookie with it, ask andrew he'd know. but its something id rather get into nd know about. trying to perfect or run an engine fairly well with its orignial engine. im no pro driver like you but if i can get up there, i wanna get up there with a rotary.

[blu808]

Nothing wrong with that. For a road racing application i would prefer a good running rotary. Not trying to bag on you or anything. Just for drifting i would perfer the torque.

There is nothing like being able to dive through a corner in a rotary and never having to shift until you want. lol

[XxJaPxOxNeEs23xX]

yeh im not going for drifting thats the thing hehe.