ST430

As customary around this time of year for me, I get the itchin for new rides. The last few years its been bikes galore from f4is, 954's, to rc51s and 600rrs. But I've gotten an itch to go tweaking with "normal" rides again. My choices are as follows:

1. JZA80 Supra TT : I've had 2 already, one tweaked to around *average* 500hp so know a few things about them. Problem is, most are now goin for in excess of 30k!

2. FDS3 RX7 TT - I've always had a soft spot for the mighty Mazda. Although the performance can be tweaked similar to the Supra, the wenkels (particular the apex seals and fragile vacumm hoses) can be notroiusly troublesome. Good news, is they're CHEAP around 10k.

3. Evo VIII/IX - I've always loved the Evos of the worlds. Was able to test drive a buddies and it was simply visceral! Bad news is these used still cost a pretty penny, and most have been abused

4. Tundra D/C - Yes, a Tundra? Why you ask? Because it is cheap as dirt right now, so I can save some $$ and buy a new R6/R1 to tow around with! Kinda of been wanting to go back to cages though, although NOTHING beats the power to weight ratios of bikes, but I guess I'm getting old =/

Your choice (or alternatives)?

mmarshall

The RX-7 TT had other problems as well besides just the apex seals and vacum hoses. Like some Lotus products, the whole car was extremely light for its size, which meant superb performance and instant steering response, but the light-weight aluminum parts paid their price in durability. Drive it on a rough road, especially with potholes, and you were likely to bend or break some parts underneath....these cars were notorious for suspension and steering system damage from potholes.

mmarshall

As requested, here's an alternative: You didn't say how much you could afford to spend, but I gather from your post that it was somewhere between 10 and 30K.
You say you like the Evo but don't want to pay the price of a new one ( which starts in the low 30's...see my recent review of the Evo IX ) and don't trust the used ones on the market. ( I don't blame you...many HAVE been abused ).
If you are willing to give up a few of the Evo's horses for the chance to get a brand-new car, look at a new Subaru WRX for around 25K to start.
http://www.subaru.com/shop/overview....mmand=overview

The WRX has almost the Evo's performance, especially at 3500 RPM and up. It is not as harsh-riding as the Evo but almost as responsive. Granted, living in Silicon Valley, CA you probably won't need the AWD for snow ( and the WRX's standard summer dry-pavement tires are not really snow-friendly anyway ) but the AWD has other advantages as well, particularly in handling. The sedan ( or Sportwagon ) body style will allow you to carry people and cargo in back in a pinch when you need to. The engine is not quite as as powerful as the Evo's or STi's but will definitely get out of its own way. The WRX also has Subaru reliability....though its warranty is not as long as the Evo's. The Evo, I agree, is incredibly responsive, but the penalty for that is an extremely harsh ride ( one of the worst I have ever experienced in a sedan ) and unstable twitchiness when trying to drive in a straight line.

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

I disagree. The suspension on the FD3S was absolutely outstanding, and the chassis is equally superb, as many owners will attest to. Having driven my car (over 100,000 miles), and being in association with many others as well, I have yet to see any major issues, or abundance of topics on the car club forums arise from fragile suspension components (such as the A-arms) on rough roads; I regularly drive the DC, MD, VA area, with a 93, and the roads there are less than perfect. I'm currently running koni yellows, on eibach springs with a 1.5inch drop, w/ standard tires/stock wheels, and I take uneven surfaces easily, including speedbumps, even with less than perfect bushings. No issues whatsoever, even after 13 years.



ST430,
The RX-7 (I'm assuming you're speaking of the 3rd gen), is now a vehicle which is at the very least, over 11 years old since it last saw production. In the ideal case, you'd want a 95, but they can be very difficult to come across, and do not go for 10k. You'll more than likely end up paying 16-18k for one in good condition, as the value of RX-7s has appreciated in the past years. 10k will earn you a poor condition vehicle, with a host of problems...not only the motor, but you'll more than likely have to replace cats, bushings, 5th gear synchro on the tranny, motor mounts or the motor, make sure you modify the car for greater reliability, diagnose any boost issues (should be 10-8-10psi boost pattern), as well as any other issues that come with age. A typical engine rebuild will cost you 5k or so if you do none of the work yourself, which could easily drive the cost of the car up into the 20k+ range, just on maintanence. You'll also have to deal with the "cheap" plastic interior that Mazda fitted for weight savings, as the earlier models do no age as well. Its not a car which is for everyone, but when treated correctly, I've still found very few vehicles to be comparable to its light chassis, suspension, power potential per dollar, and overall attention to detail when it comes to performance.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Well those are some tuff choices.. The SUpras hold there value very well.. Everytime i search ebay there like 30-40k for a decent one.. I can't afford it anyway but the fact of the matter is they hold there damn value.

I've sat in a EVO at the car show and man the cockpit reminds me of a true race car feel.. With a little tweaking i bet you can some fun with the EVO...

The tundras are very nice.. Especially the 4 door.. Can you get a supercharger for it.. Then you wold have a truck with power to hall around your bike...

Good Luck bro.. Those are some tuff choices.. Keep us posted,,

T

MGS4

FD RX7 with LS1/LS2 V8 swap

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

I was actually considering an LS7 swap (which has been put off for the future). The LS1/T56 is a popular choice; great fit, and they actually end up being as light as the stock rotary motor, while providing awesome torque/power.

mmarshall

Yes and no. We have roads in this area that vary from glass-smooth to almost third-world condition.

I'm glad you have not had problems with your RX-7, but many owners have when hitting potholes.
I test-drove an RX-7 some years back, and while it was extremely agile, I noticed an extremely light feel as well. In fact, the sevice manager at the dealership told me they had to do a lot of RX7 suspension repairs.

On a smooth race track, though, that car really showed its stuff. If you remember, in 1993 a modified RX-7 gave Japanese automakers their first victory at Le Mans.

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

Fair is fair. If they experienced problems, then there isn't much to argue; sure they weren't talking about Miatas? Most service guys have no clue that an RX car existed before the 8, much less how to work on them, lol. I'm just going from the personal experiences on our car club (www.rx7club.com), which hasn't provided much evidence of it being a major issue. The issues I've described above are the ones I've ran into, and also happen to see the heading of many threads, as they are known to be problematic.

There were suspension revisions from the early models though, which saw the move to a softer suspension, but given the age, most people wouldn't notice the difference now anyway. You mentioned a light feel; in the steering? Which year and model? and how many miles? I'd like to say it depends on the car, but while your observations potentinally hold true, I can't say I've really experienced the same in the vehicles I've driven.

mmarshall

Though this was a long time ago, I think I remember reading where the enthusiast magazines had some problems, too, with the light-weght parts, but some of them, of course, are based in Michigan, which has terrible roads...some of the worst in the country.

Anyhow, we got a little off-topic in depth here with the RX-7 suspension, though I know I originally brought it up. The main question is what is the right car for ST430. Used RX-7's are available, both in the classifieds and on E-bay, but in general are not that plentiful. Not many of the last-generation ones were actually sold in the U.S. market, primarily because of high price and high insurance rates. Mazda pulled it from the American market in 1996 for the same reasons that the Supra, 300ZX, Stealth, and 3000GT left..........poor sales.

If he wants a new car instead, I still like the idea of a new WRX.

Lets Drive

iTrader: (3)

Including emissions, oil demands, and the big SUV wave which hit the US.

rotaryeye

I would vote for the FD too because I'm bias But do tons of research before purchasing one to see if it's the right car for you. Like Shinobi-X said, look up www.rx7club.com Props to Shinobi-X for representin' the FD community

ST430

Thanks for the suggestions so far. The WRX was an option, but I really despise its looks. I used to frrquent the rx7club back when I had my Supra TTs (had to get to know my enemy . Searches thus far reveal very far and few Supras, some quite nice RX7s, and quite a few Evos.

Another option I was thinking, was getting an older SC300 manual, and go turbo on that...thoughts?

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

any chance you could give us a price bracket your trying to stay inside?

my thought is that for the cost of getting and modding the rx7 or supra, could could pick up something like a used Lotus Elise (<$40k) or an Ariel Atom (~$43-45k)

Otherwise theres always the S2000

mmarshall

Yes, if you can find a good sample, but there weren't a huge number of them sold.......finding a good one might take some hunting.

The Elise is an amazing car if you want agile handling and acceleration with a small engine, but in many ways it is just an oversized go-kart. I'm not sure it is really worth 40K-plus as a new car, much less used.....and it will be difficult finding used ones. Lotus dealers are also few and far between. More or less the same situation for the Atom.