3 years of ownership here. I always tell people the same thing. If you are comfortable doing all of the work yourself, then by all means go for it and don't be intimidated. If you need to rely on a shop then it may not be the for the best. Yes, on the car being built for smaller people. Yes, on slamming the driver's door. And huge Yes, on your purist comment. It's a beautiful-looking car (maybe the best JDM car looks wise), handles amazing (50/50 weight distribution), but the absolute best part in my opinion is the rotary engine.
Keep sequential operation of the turbos. You are already going through the trouble of pulling the engine, replace everything while its out and it will last another 30 years and you get to enjoy the sequential operation rather than the laggy non-sequential setup. I've got a How-To on my channel about the rats nest and its really not as bad as most people think and well worth the trouble to keep the sequential heritage. The instant boost response is irreplaceable in these things and much of the enjoyment of a stock twin car IMO
@@touchedbyawankel I do love the feeling of the sequential!! I’ll take a peak! I’m not scared of the rats nest as much as I like to simplify things. The less I have to worry about the better but nonetheless I’ll look into what it’ll take!
Yessss!! Now this is an idea much less floated in the RX7 community. I’ve always been made to feel crazy... but am I a fool that when my turbo comes on at 1500 RPM I feel like f***ing heaven?!! It’s soooo awesome just being able to launch from such a low RPM no matter what gear you’re in. The launches and instant power is insane. All the best to you, have fun!!
I used to be a purist and had to keep the sequentials. If I had a second chance at this car, go single or non-seq. It'll help with heat, reliality, performance, handling
Why are you parked in the middle of the road, is that normal from where you're recording? Otherwise awesome vid with lots of good clear info. Thank you so much for not putting obscenely loud music over your video.
Haha Absolutley! And yeah it’s not a busy road normally and SUPER wide so figured we’d just hop in. Cop was loving it and had no problems with it so we rocked on🤘🏽
Big fan of the rx7 I owned an early elford turbo. The rotary is an interesting unit and is fairly reliable and highly prized in Nz, they do need regular maintenance and rebuilds though, well compared to a simple v8
I was at a talk a few years ago at the Amelia Concours, with noteworthy racing drivers of early Japanese sports cars, and whenever RX-7 reliability comes up, I always remember RX-7 racer and IMSA GTU Champion Tommy Kendall mentioning one of the biggest things he was impressed by with the RX-7 was its reliability. Everyone in the room seemed to let out a gasp, but he said no no, it really was very reliable in competition. Fewer moving parts, fewer things to break. Not a direct quote, but that's the gist of it and it's stuck in my mind since then. I've never owned one but always loved the look and the sound.
@@BryceWomeldurf what a cool memory! It’s true though, not much moving parts so less to go wrong…. Shit even in drag racing, they’re going 6s with 2 rotors nowadays! And if one goes they haul out a couple of rotors out of the trailer and have the motor out, rebuilt, and back in within 1-2 hours! Not to mention parts are tiny so they can be stored anywhere!
Nice car and video, the FD is so much fun and damn good looking. I own a 93 bb lhd with relatively low miles that's been in my family since purchased new. I don't think I could ever park it in the middle of the road like that, too precious to me.
I've never owned a rotary personally, but I went to HS with a guy who drove an FB daily for many years. Did regular maintenance and never had a single issue. He always said the secret was regular maintenance and 2-stroke oil.
Great video about the truth of these cars. I have also owned an Fd since 1998. I just drove the car from FL to GA, and back last month, there were no issues. My motor was done by Kilo Racing in Fl. I also know Cam from Pettit Racing, and he is the only other person I trust for rotary car work.
Im a Supra guy, but in 2021 I knew I wouldnt be able to afford a Mk4. so I bought a FD. Best decision. I love my FD, and its been pretty reliable. I picked up a mk4 a year later when my business picked up mire than I imagined. After owning both FD>Mk4
Agreed, I come from a JZ platform and really love them don't get me wrong... But the FD is a pure drivers car vs the supra being more of a boaty grand tourer. Nonetheless both very cool cars but I'm all for FD>Mk4
I'm 6'3" and I fit ok. Although my head is pretty close to the roof (I have a sunroof also) and I needed to mount aftermarket seats to fit with a helmet, but it's doable for a lot of us taller guys too. And I know of one guy that is like 6'6" or 6'8" that fits somehow lol. RX-8 starter mod, good choice. I did the same. Regarding the speakers, the door speakers are near worthless as well. Put a pair in the rear quarter plastics where the non-bose cars had them, you can hear them really well there. I wired mine from the bose subwoofer connector in the rear driver corner of the hatch, that was after having aftermarket wires ran for a few years. JP3 sells the speaker mounts. The N flow is actually for more of a stock setup. It still has the inlet on top and the outlet on bottom. For a V mount radiator it's better to have a U flow with both inlet and outlet on top.
@@speedjunkie13 good to know on the rear quarter plastics! After I get the amp installed I’ll look into some sizing. As for the rad, the N flow works well with the Pettit charge III and I think that’s what I’m gonna get. This thing has been full Pettit for years and it’s never done me any wrong so I think I’m going to continue with it
@HenryJZX I think I put 6x9 in the rear quarters because I couldn't find the stock size which is 6x8 IIRC. Yeah don't change what works. I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to optimize each system, and then realize that it's not a full on race car in competition so what's the point lol. But I do like to overbuild each system to ensure the engine has the best support possible and it's worked pretty well so far. I used to get the N flow every time and modify it for V mount to get the outlet on top too, then I realized I was removing the "N" in the flow and making it a U lol.
You know what, if you have the love for rotary engines and the cars themselves for what they are, its always worth it. Thats what makes it worth it for any car enthusiast.
Something is wrong if it’s getting hot. I have the same rad and intercooler setup. 100deg days my temps are rock solid at 185-190. You need to seal all the air gaps between the front mount and the rad along with making sure you have an under tray
The lack of undertray, no hood ducting, no air ducting is a large part of it for sure. But that front mount really blocks a ton of air that would otherwise help. Also the stock twins create a ton of heat that can’t escape. Nothing is really helping this setup at the current moment but the plan is to go top mount/vmount, add a custom undertray and duct everything
@ I understand if you want to do a v mount. But your biggest issue is no under tray. The air is just going through the intercooler and down under the rad. I track my car with the the same ets front mount and rad. No issues getting hot. I would put money on it that if you put on a factory under tray and sealed the air gaps between the front mount and rad all your heating issues would be gone. Also a must mod for the FD is an electric water pump. Works so much more efficiently then the stock pump.
As long as you're persistent.... Not too long, being mechanically inclined helps. At the end of the day its just a car, just need to be willing to learn and make mistakes to learn
@@iamjaycorbie find local enthusiasts that are willing to help, that will be a huge bonus when it comes time to turn wrenches. Look to the forums for guidance, especially from owners with higher post counts and more years on the forum. Dale Clark is a great source. There are others like him. TH-cam videos definitely help too.
As a rhd 89 FC turboII owner, I agree with a lot of what you said. You do the work yourself, or it doesn’t get done. The door slamming is a real thing 😅. My car battery was dead the next day because I didn’t close the door hard enough. It’s a quirky car but the driving experience makes it worth it!
A question for the community. So what kind of enthusiastic car does not require the ability to repair it yourself, or is it easy to learn on? Will the RX-8 be better?
Hmmmmmmm. Theres not a ton of project cars from this era that will be any better. One thing about rotaries is that there are far less moving parts so when it comes down to it you're not dealing with a ton of options of issues. My first car was a lexus IS300 and I'd say any manual toyota is a great first start into this world, there isnt a ton to go wrong and they're cheapish to repair. Of course mine makes 700hp now and I've put 4 different motors in it but thats all come from knowing nothing and learning along the way
Ditch the pettit intercooler and grab a defined autoworks v-mount or get a cxracing v-mount radiator and an intercooler and run a v-mount. Also ditch the twins, they create a lot of EGT’s and have high EMAP which is what causes the REW to fail. I just put an efr in mine, i highly suggest it.
So currently it’s ETS front mount, that combined with the lack of ducting, and the twins is no good for the setup. I’ve been thinking about going single but I really like the Pettit upgraded twins so I’ve been just debating going true twin upgrade, welding all the holes shut, and just make a reliable 350-400 with the upgraded twins and just duct it properly, replace the FMIC with either a Pettit IC or greddy v-mount, duct the hood or get a feed hood, and just at least start there. If I still can’t get around it I’ll go single (I’m not afraid of pulling the motor twice if I have to) but if I can I’d like to keep the twins. Still some time before the decision is made so I’ll keep weighing the options, but biggest thing for me with this car is driving to the track, tracking it, and driving it home. Mountain runs on weekends, cruises with the wife, and just generally reliability
@ i ran non sequential for a while, the thing to remember with it is it is harder on the turbos and creates more heat as well is a pain to maintenance. I made my own v-mount set up bc i think $3500 for a greddy v-mount was a bit much. I haven’t done any ducting and made my brackets then had a machine shop laser cut them in stainless for me and my Intake air temps are about as low as they can get and my coolant temps are always at 180 and stable unless absolutely thrashing it. I have a few friends running the full cxracing v-mount kit who experience no cooling issues.
When I do the true twin upgrade I’d say 350-400! But moreso looking for reliable efficient horsepower with 30 min sessions on track and easy mountain runs where I don’t have to worry about getting too hot and obvi AC for my fiance!
Im using an old 3sgte in my car (same car in my avatar) 3sgte dont get much fanfair (even though it delivered wins to toyota in wrc and jgtc), but i needed cheap reliable motor which is scarce with 90s turbo jdm
@HenryJZX as a general rule of thumb i dont associate 90s turbo jdm with "turnkey reliability". I do with 3sgte/e-series transaxle though. I know the 2jz/1jz's are also excellent by those metrics too btw
Owning a RX7 from 1st gen 2nd gen and 3rd gen is totally different my 1st gen no issues just heater hoses and vacuum lines as well on my 2nd gen too 11yrs of driving until my Automatic Starter failed so I parked it n began to drive my 2nd gen more fun to drive then I found a 92 Convertible Automatic I got it for the fun to drive top down at 4am now FDs is more complicated I wanted one as a N/A no turbos almost got a FD but the person died n car vanished n yes FD has issues but if u can work on em it's better than going to a shop like he said it start with the simple parts that goes out 1st also make sure the electric fans are working because no rotary can't get Hotter than normal that's their downfall overheating so I'm paranoid if my gauge goes above normal So Brapbrapbrapbrap On
@@joaquinncisneros5886 NA rotaries will run FOREVER! Turbos are the killer! My ideal setup would be an NA 3 rotor making 350-400. Don’t need much power, but braps and reliability!
Do NOT buy RX7's. They are NOT RELIABLE! THEY ALSO LACK TORQUE! RX7's suck, rotary suck! Trust me, you do not want to get near any RX7. Sincerely, A rotary nerd
3 years of ownership here. I always tell people the same thing. If you are comfortable doing all of the work yourself, then by all means go for it and don't be intimidated. If you need to rely on a shop then it may not be the for the best. Yes, on the car being built for smaller people. Yes, on slamming the driver's door. And huge Yes, on your purist comment. It's a beautiful-looking car (maybe the best JDM car looks wise), handles amazing (50/50 weight distribution), but the absolute best part in my opinion is the rotary engine.
preach!!!
Keep sequential operation of the turbos. You are already going through the trouble of pulling the engine, replace everything while its out and it will last another 30 years and you get to enjoy the sequential operation rather than the laggy non-sequential setup. I've got a How-To on my channel about the rats nest and its really not as bad as most people think and well worth the trouble to keep the sequential heritage. The instant boost response is irreplaceable in these things and much of the enjoyment of a stock twin car IMO
@@touchedbyawankel I do love the feeling of the sequential!! I’ll take a peak! I’m not scared of the rats nest as much as I like to simplify things. The less I have to worry about the better but nonetheless I’ll look into what it’ll take!
Yessss!! Now this is an idea much less floated in the RX7 community. I’ve always been made to feel crazy... but am I a fool that when my turbo comes on at 1500 RPM I feel like f***ing heaven?!! It’s soooo awesome just being able to launch from such a low RPM no matter what gear you’re in. The launches and instant power is insane. All the best to you, have fun!!
I used to be a purist and had to keep the sequentials. If I had a second chance at this car, go single or non-seq. It'll help with heat, reliality, performance, handling
Why are you parked in the middle of the road, is that normal from where you're recording?
Otherwise awesome vid with lots of good clear info. Thank you so much for not putting obscenely loud music over your video.
Haha Absolutley! And yeah it’s not a busy road normally and SUPER wide so figured we’d just hop in. Cop was loving it and had no problems with it so we rocked on🤘🏽
Big fan of the rx7 I owned an early elford turbo. The rotary is an interesting unit and is fairly reliable and highly prized in Nz, they do need regular maintenance and rebuilds though, well compared to a simple v8
thats the truth! Just a little more than a basic v8 or toyota I6... But totally worth it! Thanks for watching!
I was at a talk a few years ago at the Amelia Concours, with noteworthy racing drivers of early Japanese sports cars, and whenever RX-7 reliability comes up, I always remember RX-7 racer and IMSA GTU Champion Tommy Kendall mentioning one of the biggest things he was impressed by with the RX-7 was its reliability. Everyone in the room seemed to let out a gasp, but he said no no, it really was very reliable in competition. Fewer moving parts, fewer things to break. Not a direct quote, but that's the gist of it and it's stuck in my mind since then. I've never owned one but always loved the look and the sound.
@@BryceWomeldurf what a cool memory! It’s true though, not much moving parts so less to go wrong…. Shit even in drag racing, they’re going 6s with 2 rotors nowadays! And if one goes they haul out a couple of rotors out of the trailer and have the motor out, rebuilt, and back in within 1-2 hours! Not to mention parts are tiny so they can be stored anywhere!
Nice car and video, the FD is so much fun and damn good looking. I own a 93 bb lhd with relatively low miles that's been in my family since purchased new. I don't think I could ever park it in the middle of the road like that, too precious to me.
I've never owned a rotary personally, but I went to HS with a guy who drove an FB daily for many years. Did regular maintenance and never had a single issue. He always said the secret was regular maintenance and 2-stroke oil.
@@BerlinghoffRasmussen that’s damn right!!!
Great video about the truth of these cars. I have also owned an Fd since 1998. I just drove the car from FL to GA, and back last month, there were no issues. My motor was done by Kilo Racing in Fl. I also know Cam from Pettit Racing, and he is the only other person I trust for rotary car work.
@@arrivendrive6831 amazing!! Hard for me to want to bring it anywhere when it’s been this good for this long… Pettit ftw!
Im a Supra guy, but in 2021 I knew I wouldnt be able to afford a Mk4. so I bought a FD. Best decision. I love my FD, and its been pretty reliable. I picked up a mk4 a year later when my business picked up mire than I imagined. After owning both FD>Mk4
Agreed, I come from a JZ platform and really love them don't get me wrong... But the FD is a pure drivers car vs the supra being more of a boaty grand tourer. Nonetheless both very cool cars but I'm all for FD>Mk4
great content as always, Henry... it seems i got some catching up to do with your videos.
thanks man!! Definitley!!
I'm 6'3" and I fit ok. Although my head is pretty close to the roof (I have a sunroof also) and I needed to mount aftermarket seats to fit with a helmet, but it's doable for a lot of us taller guys too. And I know of one guy that is like 6'6" or 6'8" that fits somehow lol.
RX-8 starter mod, good choice. I did the same.
Regarding the speakers, the door speakers are near worthless as well. Put a pair in the rear quarter plastics where the non-bose cars had them, you can hear them really well there. I wired mine from the bose subwoofer connector in the rear driver corner of the hatch, that was after having aftermarket wires ran for a few years. JP3 sells the speaker mounts.
The N flow is actually for more of a stock setup. It still has the inlet on top and the outlet on bottom. For a V mount radiator it's better to have a U flow with both inlet and outlet on top.
@@speedjunkie13 good to know on the rear quarter plastics! After I get the amp installed I’ll look into some sizing. As for the rad, the N flow works well with the Pettit charge III and I think that’s what I’m gonna get. This thing has been full Pettit for years and it’s never done me any wrong so I think I’m going to continue with it
@HenryJZX I think I put 6x9 in the rear quarters because I couldn't find the stock size which is 6x8 IIRC.
Yeah don't change what works. I spend a lot of time thinking of ways to optimize each system, and then realize that it's not a full on race car in competition so what's the point lol. But I do like to overbuild each system to ensure the engine has the best support possible and it's worked pretty well so far.
I used to get the N flow every time and modify it for V mount to get the outlet on top too, then I realized I was removing the "N" in the flow and making it a U lol.
Just saw your video, l can say that everything you mentioned about RX7 and rotary engines it's damm true.
Love+money+ stress = Happiness own it.😊
happy to hear you agree!!
I got to drive a Miata dune buggy with a rotary in it and was impressed with the sudden and linear power delivery, plus that sound!
@@christophermichaels dang that’s cool!!
All things worth it for the sound and feeling of a rotary.
Ain’t that the truth!
You know what, if you have the love for rotary engines and the cars themselves for what they are, its always worth it. Thats what makes it worth it for any car enthusiast.
Something is wrong if it’s getting hot. I have the same rad and intercooler setup. 100deg days my temps are rock solid at 185-190. You need to seal all the air gaps between the front mount and the rad along with making sure you have an under tray
The lack of undertray, no hood ducting, no air ducting is a large part of it for sure. But that front mount really blocks a ton of air that would otherwise help. Also the stock twins create a ton of heat that can’t escape. Nothing is really helping this setup at the current moment but the plan is to go top mount/vmount, add a custom undertray and duct everything
@ I understand if you want to do a v mount. But your biggest issue is no under tray. The air is just going through the intercooler and down under the rad.
I track my car with the the same ets front mount and rad. No issues getting hot. I would put money on it that if you put on a factory under tray and sealed the air gaps between the front mount and rad all your heating issues would be gone.
Also a must mod for the FD is an electric water pump. Works so much more efficiently then the stock pump.
@ well plan is to do both here soon! Good to know on the waterpump. I’ll start. Chipping away at each!
The turbos sound craazy😮💨
I want to own one soon. How easy is it to learn how to work on these things? I’m willing to learn regardless lol
As long as you're persistent.... Not too long, being mechanically inclined helps. At the end of the day its just a car, just need to be willing to learn and make mistakes to learn
@ appreciate the feedback. The more “how to” videos that get posted, the better.
@ yessir!!!
@@iamjaycorbie find local enthusiasts that are willing to help, that will be a huge bonus when it comes time to turn wrenches.
Look to the forums for guidance, especially from owners with higher post counts and more years on the forum. Dale Clark is a great source. There are others like him.
TH-cam videos definitely help too.
As a rhd 89 FC turboII owner, I agree with a lot of what you said. You do the work yourself, or it doesn’t get done. The door slamming is a real thing 😅. My car battery was dead the next day because I didn’t close the door hard enough. It’s a quirky car but the driving experience makes it worth it!
@@Ejiokpa16 Absolutley!!
@ I’m excited for this journey and what you do with the FD!
A question for the community. So what kind of enthusiastic car does not require the ability to repair it yourself, or is it easy to learn on? Will the RX-8 be better?
Hmmmmmmm. Theres not a ton of project cars from this era that will be any better. One thing about rotaries is that there are far less moving parts so when it comes down to it you're not dealing with a ton of options of issues. My first car was a lexus IS300 and I'd say any manual toyota is a great first start into this world, there isnt a ton to go wrong and they're cheapish to repair. Of course mine makes 700hp now and I've put 4 different motors in it but thats all come from knowing nothing and learning along the way
Not a fan of where you chose to film… you couldn’t have found a more secluded/isolated location where you’re not in the middle of traffic?
@@epauloconnor typically there’s no one over here, timing wasn’t great but the roads super wide and the cop didn’t have a problem with it so🤷🏻♂️
You don't need music when you can listen to the rotary engine 😂
I replaced my head unit with water temp, oil temp and oil pressure gauge
@@royl7107 haahah awesome!
Ditch the pettit intercooler and grab a defined autoworks v-mount or get a cxracing v-mount radiator and an intercooler and run a v-mount. Also ditch the twins, they create a lot of EGT’s and have high EMAP which is what causes the REW to fail. I just put an efr in mine, i highly suggest it.
So currently it’s ETS front mount, that combined with the lack of ducting, and the twins is no good for the setup. I’ve been thinking about going single but I really like the Pettit upgraded twins so I’ve been just debating going true twin upgrade, welding all the holes shut, and just make a reliable 350-400 with the upgraded twins and just duct it properly, replace the FMIC with either a Pettit IC or greddy v-mount, duct the hood or get a feed hood, and just at least start there. If I still can’t get around it I’ll go single (I’m not afraid of pulling the motor twice if I have to) but if I can I’d like to keep the twins. Still some time before the decision is made so I’ll keep weighing the options, but biggest thing for me with this car is driving to the track, tracking it, and driving it home. Mountain runs on weekends, cruises with the wife, and just generally reliability
@ i ran non sequential for a while, the thing to remember with it is it is harder on the turbos and creates more heat as well is a pain to maintenance. I made my own v-mount set up bc i think $3500 for a greddy v-mount was a bit much. I haven’t done any ducting and made my brackets then had a machine shop laser cut them in stainless for me and my Intake air temps are about as low as they can get and my coolant temps are always at 180 and stable unless absolutely thrashing it. I have a few friends running the full cxracing v-mount kit who experience no cooling issues.
@ awesome to hear!!! I have a couple of fab friends so I’ll get talking with them and see what we can cook up. Thanks brother!
Still one of the sexiest cars of that era. Glad you found a cool cop BTW. Good video
@@alphawrapper thank you!!!
Love the colour, what's it called? Also great vid!
@@ac_motorsports cosmic blue! It’s a 3m wrap
Whats your power goal for the FD and will have track days 👀
When I do the true twin upgrade I’d say 350-400! But moreso looking for reliable efficient horsepower with 30 min sessions on track and easy mountain runs where I don’t have to worry about getting too hot and obvi AC for my fiance!
@ nice looking forward to that
I’m God by Clams Casino. Already a fan.
you've got great taste my friend!
Im using an old 3sgte in my car (same car in my avatar) 3sgte dont get much fanfair (even though it delivered wins to toyota in wrc and jgtc), but i needed cheap reliable motor which is scarce with 90s turbo jdm
@@BlueJDMMR2 I use the same valve seats from your motor in my 1jz head on my IS!! Love a good 3S!
@HenryJZX as a general rule of thumb i dont associate 90s turbo jdm with "turnkey reliability". I do with 3sgte/e-series transaxle though.
I know the 2jz/1jz's are also excellent by those metrics too btw
First I look at you I thought you were smeedia hahahaha
Owning a RX7 from 1st gen 2nd gen and 3rd gen is totally different my 1st gen no issues just heater hoses and vacuum lines as well on my 2nd gen too 11yrs of driving until my Automatic Starter failed so I parked it n began to drive my 2nd gen more fun to drive then I found a 92 Convertible Automatic I got it for the fun to drive top down at 4am now FDs is more complicated I wanted one as a N/A no turbos almost got a FD but the person died n car vanished n yes FD has issues but if u can work on em it's better than going to a shop like he said it start with the simple parts that goes out 1st also make sure the electric fans are working because no rotary can't get Hotter than normal that's their downfall overheating so I'm paranoid if my gauge goes above normal
So Brapbrapbrapbrap On
@@joaquinncisneros5886 NA rotaries will run FOREVER! Turbos are the killer! My ideal setup would be an NA 3 rotor making 350-400. Don’t need much power, but braps and reliability!
Is your car really slow. 😮
@@islander121974 you know it is😂😂
❤
Do NOT buy RX7's. They are NOT RELIABLE! THEY ALSO LACK TORQUE! RX7's suck, rotary suck!
Trust me, you do not want to get near any RX7.
Sincerely,
A rotary nerd
@@stayntune was waiting for that😂😂😂
wtf this road is right beside my apartment 🤣
@@invalidnumbers654 hey neighbor😂😂
And why are you in the middle of the road. Did you break down. 🤔🫣
@@islander121974 😂😂😂