FD RX7 reliability?
Head on over to www.rx7club.com to get some 411. 
There's definitely a lot of misinformation in this thread.
There's definitely a lot of misinformation in this thread.
nah this thread is pretty spot-on. There are some serious idiots over at rx7club. They are big rotary enthusiasts and will lie to you and tell you that rotaries are reliable if properly taken care of.
I have several friends who used to tell me the same thing about their cars. They were very meticulous about their FDs and FCs. They STILL blew their motors, several times.
Unless you just REALLY enjoy the car, I wouldnt bother unless you're doing an LS1 swap. With big turbos and everything, the rotary can make decent power; but not even in the same order of magnitude as an LS1 or 2jz motor; and not even a minuscule fraction of the reliability. And NEVER EVER EVER get one for a daily driver.
I have several friends who used to tell me the same thing about their cars. They were very meticulous about their FDs and FCs. They STILL blew their motors, several times.
Unless you just REALLY enjoy the car, I wouldnt bother unless you're doing an LS1 swap. With big turbos and everything, the rotary can make decent power; but not even in the same order of magnitude as an LS1 or 2jz motor; and not even a minuscule fraction of the reliability. And NEVER EVER EVER get one for a daily driver.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,633
Likes: 281
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
No, as you indicate, repairing small body dents fron the lightweight construction is not necessarily a big deal, but having to repair or replace bent or broken suspension/steering parts from impacts on rough roads or potholes is quite another matter. Mazda went all-out in the design of the last-generation twin-turbo RX-7 to save weight....and it showed. The immediate benefit, of course, was superlative sports-car handling, but the downside was a lack of durability.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,718
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From: NJ
all i know is that the factory turbos need rebuilds but most people end up replacing them 
RX-7's and RX-8's are pretty unreliable.
a friend of mine had an 8 and for the 24 months he'd owned it, it was back at the dealership 24 times for various things.
another 8, battery termials went, steering went out, etc etc.
and yet another 8 in the same group (I hang out with them on their tuesday night meets) has stalling issues and fogged up lights that turn into fish bowls (literally)
they love their cars and the brand but by golly they are sick of the issues.
everytime a 7, or an 8 doesn't show up we say, "where's so and so? I thought he was coming?"
"he blew up on the way here."
RX-7's and RX-8's are pretty unreliable.
a friend of mine had an 8 and for the 24 months he'd owned it, it was back at the dealership 24 times for various things.
another 8, battery termials went, steering went out, etc etc.
and yet another 8 in the same group (I hang out with them on their tuesday night meets) has stalling issues and fogged up lights that turn into fish bowls (literally)
they love their cars and the brand but by golly they are sick of the issues.
everytime a 7, or an 8 doesn't show up we say, "where's so and so? I thought he was coming?"
"he blew up on the way here."
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,979
Likes: 0
From: ca
set aside funds to replace the engine every 50,000 miles, it may or may not go, but its good to have the $$$ if it does. Do all the reliability upgrades like radiator and intercooler. Always check the oil, pay close attention to the engine temp (replace the stock gauge with a real temp meter) and stay away from synthetic oil.
Back in the early days of TT Supras (when you could still buy them new) there were a few former FD owners who had nothing but trouble with their engines. Bryce in Houston went through three engines before he sold it (it was on its third warranty engine, just back from the dealership with the understanding he would not get another warranty replacement when he sold it). He did not abuse his car, and went on to build some of the fastest Supras in the early days (first to run a T-51 Kai).
Everybody loves driving the FD. Few have the patience and budget for keeping a rotary in one. Swap the LS-1 in there and you've got a REALLY fun weekend toy to drive.
Everybody loves driving the FD. Few have the patience and budget for keeping a rotary in one. Swap the LS-1 in there and you've got a REALLY fun weekend toy to drive.
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Rotary engines have always had some issues. They have poor low-RPM torque, get poor gas mileage, use more oil on the average than conventional piston engines, have relatively weak apex-rotor seals (comparable to a conventional engine's piston rings), pollute a lot requiring a lot of emissions hardware, and, on carburated versions, sometimes have flooding issues on cold starts, creating big clouds of smoke. Parts for them can also be expensive because there relatively few places to get them. But they are small, light, help the car have ideal weight distribution and a low center of gravity for good handling, and rev almost as smoothly as an electric motor; virtually vibration-free.
Aside from that, later models of the RX-7 (the early 90's twin-turbo version) were very lightly constructed, with a lot of thin aluminum parts. They were known for being like a tin can, both in road noise because of lack of insulation and for bending and warping suspension/chassis parts on bumps and rough roads.
Aside from that, later models of the RX-7 (the early 90's twin-turbo version) were very lightly constructed, with a lot of thin aluminum parts. They were known for being like a tin can, both in road noise because of lack of insulation and for bending and warping suspension/chassis parts on bumps and rough roads.
They are sweet cars though...
Pole Position
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 298
Likes: 0
From: Texas
I daily drove my FD for 2 years, through 2 Texas Summers, and never had any problems. I may not be the norm, but after installing the already mentioned "reliability mods", and upgrading the cooling system, my car ran great. I did take VERY good care of it, and only sold it once I started a family, which meant less free time to drive and maintain it. Original motor and turbos had almost 80k on them when I sold it, and an update from the new owner (he shipped it from TX to Vancouver!), said that the car is still going strong at almost 100k. New owner is not daily driving it, but has taken several long weekend trips.
If you are planning on owning an FD, make sure you have a reputable Rotary shop thoroughly check it. I was fortunate to have 3 such shops (at the time) very close to me, so I always fely secure knowing that if I did have any problems, getting good service at a reputable shop was not a problem.
I can say that nothing I have ever driven is as fun to drive as an FD
here is a picture of mine
If you are planning on owning an FD, make sure you have a reputable Rotary shop thoroughly check it. I was fortunate to have 3 such shops (at the time) very close to me, so I always fely secure knowing that if I did have any problems, getting good service at a reputable shop was not a problem.
I can say that nothing I have ever driven is as fun to drive as an FD
here is a picture of mine
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: D.F.
Rotary engines have always had some issues. They have poor low-RPM torque, get poor gas mileage, use more oil on the average than conventional piston engines, have relatively weak apex-rotor seals (comparable to a conventional engine's piston rings), pollute a lot requiring a lot of emissions hardware, and, on carburated versions, sometimes have flooding issues on cold starts, creating big clouds of smoke. Parts for them can also be expensive because there relatively few places to get them. But they are small, light, help the car have ideal weight distribution and a low center of gravity for good handling, and rev almost as smoothly as an electric motor; virtually vibration-free.
Aside from that, later models of the RX-7 (the early 90's twin-turbo version) were very lightly constructed, with a lot of thin aluminum parts. They were known for being like a tin can, both in road noise because of lack of insulation and for bending and warping suspension/chassis parts on bumps and rough roads.
Aside from that, later models of the RX-7 (the early 90's twin-turbo version) were very lightly constructed, with a lot of thin aluminum parts. They were known for being like a tin can, both in road noise because of lack of insulation and for bending and warping suspension/chassis parts on bumps and rough roads.
From 1.5 liters you get stock 255bhp, but since it is a rotary engine it revs faster and redlines at 8,000 rpm. Do some simple modifications and you can take it up to 300bhp, where, due to the 2,300 pound weight of the car, you can hit 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 180mph.
For a few more dollars, still less than what you paid for your Lexus, you can increase the reliability of the Apex seals and literally shred asphalt and blow the doors off of some ***** in his Lexus that posts **** on his club web site that he knows nothing about and has preferred to hand his ***** over to wife because he’s afraid to drive a real sports car…douche bag.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: D.F.
I’ve seen a ’96 RX7 with 5,600 miles on it for $23,000. Pure stock, mint condition.
Thread Starter
Lexus Champion
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,999
Likes: 3
From: washington
The late model RX7s (96-02) are simply amazing machines. There are negatives, such as the engines last only 100,000 miles, but the upside to them is simply amazing. Insofar as handling goes, they're sports cars not some luxury sedan...
From 1.5 liters you get stock 255bhp, but since it is a rotary engine it revs faster and redlines at 8,000 rpm. Do some simple modifications and you can take it up to 300bhp, where, due to the 2,300 pound weight of the car, you can hit 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 180mph.
For a few more dollars, still less than what you paid for your Lexus, you can increase the reliability of the Apex seals and literally shred asphalt and blow the doors off of some ***** in his Lexus that posts **** on his club web site that he knows nothing about and has preferred to hand his ***** over to wife because he’s afraid to drive a real sports car…douche bag.
From 1.5 liters you get stock 255bhp, but since it is a rotary engine it revs faster and redlines at 8,000 rpm. Do some simple modifications and you can take it up to 300bhp, where, due to the 2,300 pound weight of the car, you can hit 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 180mph.
For a few more dollars, still less than what you paid for your Lexus, you can increase the reliability of the Apex seals and literally shred asphalt and blow the doors off of some ***** in his Lexus that posts **** on his club web site that he knows nothing about and has preferred to hand his ***** over to wife because he’s afraid to drive a real sports car…douche bag.