I am the guy with the FB that you reviewed on your channel when you came to Toronto about 5 years ago. I since bought an FC convertible turbo during the pandemic, and I'm working on it. These cars are so fun!! Love the video!
It was neat that a Canada-spec car ended up representing FBs. The most obvious difference I could see was the lack of cutouts in the lower apron for the brake ducts; I’ve never seen that in the wild!
what would be the fault of the FB if you were to swap a 13b out of a newer RX7 into it? Just don't like the car itself as much? I feel like the FB has a similar historic value and feel as something like a datsun 240z. Where the FC is more like the Z31 and the FD is like... etc.
As a rotary guy, I can say it’s mostly a divergent trait. Rotary ownership sits somewhere between Warhammer 40k figurines and Train-watching on the autism spectrum. Hope this helps to explain the infodumping.
"Our past becomes more important as we get further away from it, encased in a perpetual amber we come to regard as the good old days. A past, for all its imperfections, has endless appeals simply for being what the present isn't." Absolute poetry.
@BauregardSenior87 Parts of your screed are accurate. I would like to point out that you can still buy a little blobyota and you still have a large option of fast, fun cars relatively cheaply. MX-5s, old 5.7 hemi chargers, any coyote or even a 4.6 mustang, V8 camaro, BRZ/x86, WRX/STi. If you want to go fast, you can. A huge difference from the ‘80s and ‘90s is that now the internet can show you exactly how, step by step, you can install enough power and handling options to tattoo a smile across your face forever. (Sometimes simply using junkyard parts.) It’s a great time to love cars if you have some imagination and embrace the opportunities.
I remember when you could throw a rock and hit 50 rx7's on Craigslist and they would offer to give you three of them if you asked for the rock back. Now that I'm an adult who wants a bridgeported rotary it's $5k for a shell. Damn you drifting and nostalgia.
@wusaint that was cheap even for then. I worked at CarMax in 2019 and watched an FD that had sat for 12 years with a seized motor go for $45k at auction. It did have only like 15k miles on it, but still.
Yeap, got mine through a forum for 1k that ended up sitting in a salt flat with a blown clutch for 8 years but we managed to get it running over a single weekend.
@@danjohnson9947 yeah even for 03 that was pretty cheap. Can't remember exactly what year it was or the mileage. But I was pretty floored he found one for that price. Especially when I had paid like $6k for my 89 Supra lol. Don't get me wrong, I loved that Supra but I'd have easily preferred the FD at the time.
When I was looking for my first car in 2015, I found an FC just like this, manual, same blue, factory turbo, for 1500, with no problems. I was talked out of it because it didn't have an airbag... Lmao...
Honestly I think it's true of most car interior design from the past decade, ICE included- It's like auto makes were racing to make their interiors more sleek and electronic, then the pandemic German suplexed them all and it became a race to minimize costs on top of all that.
@BauregardSenior87 Fuel efficiency regulations had the unforeseen consequences of forcing manufacturers to use computers to make ICEs more efficient and reliable which also allowed them to become more powerful and faster than ever. Damn you EPA! 😂 We make more HP more reliably than ever.
@@Surfzap63 reminds me of how the electronics manufacturers were all complaining about lead-free solder regs from the EU (RoHS), until they figured-out they could put the solder pads way closer together without bridging than they ever could with leaded solder. Thus phones, personal stereos, cameras, etc became smaller and thinner than ever.
@@giggiddy3rd gen Camaro, mustang foxbody, 80’s G body and the C4 corvette are some of my favorite looking cars out there. Different strokes for different folks I guess
And is also probably the best character in the entire series. He won all of the races he cared about, taught his brother how to be a racer and a good man, snagged the main character into his racing team to sweep all of the other teams when he decided to move behind the scenes because he couldn't spare the time or risk his own safety once he had to step up to take on the family business, and he was crazy smart. And then you have Takumi, who is a brat that just so happens to be a driving savant and has a pretty decent face.
Man I knew 2 dudes in the early aughts that were HUGE rx7 fans. Between the both of them I think they had like a dozen RX7? something like that. All configurations. Turbo, NA, 80s to 90s models, convertible. you name it. They were rebuilding apex seals every fiscal quarter. They seemed cheap to do and labor didn't seem that tough, as I helped them once with it. They had it down so well that they were doing the whole job in an afternoon and ready to rip that evening. Still, that being said, there was ALWAYS, always, ALWAYS forever perpetually something wrong with the cars; and they were slow to boot. What a weird hobby; RX7 car enthusiast hobby..
IMO, being into RX7s is like being into BDSM. Most people will ask "why do you want the pain?" And those into it will shrug and go back to what they like
I think rotary guys are the kinds of people who would be audiophiles if their interests were slightly different. Audiophiles like music because they can use it to listen to their audio equipment. Rotary guys like rotaries because it gives them an excuse to regularly pull their car's engine out and tear it down while geeking out about it. It's one of those things where the initial justification is more just a means to an end.
@mndlessdrwer I think you're super right! These dudes liked tearing apart their cars and doing the maintenance. It was part of the charm for them. It would drive me nuts but they loved it
Mazda RX2 in blue with black interior, in Oxnard Cali, was my introduction to rotary power. Fell in love with that car, still can smell the leather, and motor oil. Have a great week, lol.
I passed on a 85 RX7 for 500$ back in 2007, all it needed was the rear axal replaced and it was a Turbo that had the turbo removed by a shop. I only passed on it due to knowing Nothing about them... Kicking my own ass over that one!
My buddy's dad had one of these in 1989. I concur about the interior quality control and overall build quality. They were suspect! This car turned heads in the late 80's until you sat in it. Also the paint quality was not great. But oh so much fun.
FC RX-7's were fantastic cars and the NA's would last forever if you did proper maintenance. I bought one when I was 17 that already had 210,000 miles on it. I absolutely tortured that car for another 70,000 miles before I cracked a corner seal. It had no compression on 2 sides of the rear rotor and would not hold idle. I still drove it over the summer learning to heal toe so I could keep it running at stop lights by keeping the idle above 1200 RPM. Then drove it to Florida from Oklahoma to have the engine rebuilt. I AutoXed that car, did track days, probably spent more time above 100mph than below (hyperbole). Rebuilt motor was built stout. 9lb rotors, enlarged oil grooves on the main bearings, 3mm 2 piece apex seals, fully balanced, turbo rotor housings, street port. Eventually put on a Racing Beat road race header with dual 2" pipes going back to a single 2.5" muffler. Thing was loud and fast. In a stop light race it was faster than the Turbo Cars (until they really hit boost). Also, there were no Convertible Turbo RX-7's in the US Market. Any Convertible Turbo is a conversion.
Holy shit I had the hard top version of this car. I am now feeling old. It spins like a fucking dradle on ice. The engine was a lot lower maintenance in the 90s. Though mine was naturally aspirated. The three rotor was the most fun I ever had in a car. Though I almost legit killed myself. Just the slow pan around the cabin really tugged at my heart strings. Thanks for making this video.
I have an FB. Bought it in 2009. It’s an 85 GSL-SE. Just passed 110 K. It still runs great(yes, it’s a real fuel injected 13B),passes CA emissions, and doesn’t leak any fluids. AC, cruise, power windows and mirrors all work. Also have a 2004 RX8 that I’ve had for 20 years. I have not had any of the issues that I keep hearing about. Other than routine maintenance, they are solid cars. Neither leaks a drop. Oil pans are dry. Maybe I’m lucky? Who knows? But there is nothing like taking the tach needle to 9 before shifting. The noise is glorious. So silky smooth. I’m hooked. Always have been. Always will be.
This is an RCR masterpiece! True to form; you've got the great info, the funny nonsense, driving impressions, and the cultural touchstones we know and love.
I picked up my 1988 GTU with 71k on it in 2019, 2 months before the "end of times" started. GTU is a Turbo II outfit without a Turbo engine. I paid 5K, the car had a fresh respray in factory color. Minor imperfections throughout but CLEAN. Interior in near perfect condition. I have since added lowering springs and new struts as the stock ones were shot, exhaust, LRB intake, Koyo Radiator, E-Fan (it overheated during autocross), and a racing seat/ harness. I started down the road of Turbo'ing it but ended up LS swapping a matching B2200. It's funny as I could have gotten an OK FD car back then, but shortly after they became completely bonkers price wise. I'm glad to see the FC might have been an investment lol. What makes it fun to me is it reminds me of riding a motorcycle, there's always an inherent risk when you take it out and when it does good you tap it on the hood and tell it 'good job' like it's your 13 year old dog getting up to go to the bathroom outside 🤣
Holy shit Mr. Reg, you got me with that Turbo Noise in the intro/green light pull lol. Also, idk but in some ways I liked the styling of the FC over the FD, much as I fell in love with the latter thanks to Gran Turismo lol
I bought my FC vert in 2022 and it just drives like poetry. I drove it to Miatas at the Gap 24' with a buddy. For as nervous as I was about the reliability it made it to and from NJ-NC. It had a break down but it seemed like the fuel pump was going bad and after giving it time to cool off - ran just fine. Bought a spare pump just in case and kept running it until I got home. Trip taught me 2 things, that these cars get an awful wrap and they can be dependable sometimes. Secondly, sometimes they deserve that wrap but that's why I won't ever daily it. Genuinely love this car and I'm glad to see it finally reviewed.
I'm more surprised despite FC deviate from the FB/SA for it's lightweight simplistic formula still a success and led into FD that is return to the formula. Really wondering how the thinking works. To me they are just like "yes FB is successful enough to have a successor, but we gonna change the target audience for it" and when introducing the FD doing that again
I am autistic enough to currently have 2 FCs. yes I blabber about the rotary engine to anyone who will listen, it's a problem. but the FC touches something in the car world that nothing else really seemed to get to, its new enough to have adjustable suspension and turbochargers, but old enough that I still smell like gasoline and two stroke oil when i get out of it after a drive. that labor of love is addictive, and most any rotary owners find themselves in a rabbit hole of seeking parts and modifying the cars to keep them on the road, and that you HAVE to be obsessed with one to be able to drive one consistently. it's just unlike anything else, as shitty and crappy as the interiors are, it's also one of the best interior layouts of any car i've ever been in
As a former owner of a street ported FC I can confirm the need to over explain the uniqueness, good and bad, of owning a rotary. Best thing is the comradery that cones from other enthusiasts because they know your pain and feel the love of this machine at the same time. Thanks for this review it is one of my favorites on your channel.
I've been waiting for another RX-7 video since the FD video 2 lifetimes ago. I still rewatch it sometimes but yes... here we go. Time to watch this one
I don't mind the FC but I will never be able to un-see the sheer volume of Porsche 944 in its design DNA. Which is funny because I heard back in the day, VW/Porsche sent Mazda a strongly worded letter during the first gen RX-7 days along the lines of "Look......we're flattered, and we know it isn't a *direct* copy, but can you please not copy our car design next time?" so what did Mazda do for the FC, after getting called out for taking heavy inspiration from the 924? Slapped some tracing paper on a 944 and said "Hey watch me do it again.....but MORE!"
I had an 89 FC. Rollup windows and an LSD. AC and a sunroof were the big luxuries. It was so fun and easy to throw around. The only car I ever bought a warranty for, and yes, it bought me an engine. It had been EXACTLY 1000 miles since i dumped a quart in it on New Years EVE!!! 1996? when it blew. I made sure to add oil more often on the second engine. It ran great when I sold it.
I love the rotary engine as excentric niche in the car world. The FC as being the overshadowed older sister of the FD is like the underdog and I like it more than the FD. I like the RX-8 even more as the sometimes unloved member of the small rotary world. Have mine for 18 years now.
Had a 88 turboII that mom and dad sold for 800 when I left home in 08. Super clean and kept in the garage. No rust at all. And to find out how much they are worth now haha.
I had an FC turbo convertible in Australia from 2003 for almost a decade. I absolutely loved that car. It was one of 2 stock factory turbo convertible RX7s in the country when I bought it. Thing drove like it was on rails. Have you noticed the chasis twist when you increase the power? I had to drop back to 400hp max to stop the twisting, but even 400hp was heavenly in this vehicle. I sold mine for around 5K USD in the early 2010s (with around 15k mods) and saw it advertised for 3x that only 5yrs later. I sold it when all Japanese cars were incredibly cheap and expected to no longer be wanted in coming years. They're now worth more than ever. The last time I saw that car was pics on FB of it wrapped around a tree. I got very familiar with the lag that cane with bigger turbos and 00s tech. It nearly killed me enough times to decide to sell it. I'm sad it's no longer on the road, but I probably should have returned it to stock before selling it in the first place.
Great review. I had a 91 vert before and building a turbo 2 now. Only problem with Convertible S5 cars is that they were really heavy turbo 2 swap definitely the way to go.
Had a naturaly aspirated one with a 5 speed. It was fun. However...it wasn't long term reliable, blew a apex seal and didn't have the resources and knowledge at the time to bring it back to life. Plus V8 swap was tempting. The cars have rather large engine bays, so a lot of swaps have been done. Fun cars but It is a demanding relationship that ranges from a picnic to a dominatrix session, lol. Community and cottage industry knowledge keep them going.
Because of the threeness of the acoustic profile, the 3-rotor kinda sounds like a V6 with [in exaggeratedly gravelly voice for comedic effect] *_balance delete_*
I absolutely love the smile Mr. Regular has while he's driving both cars. I had one of these that I recently sold to a local kid and I see him driving it all the time and I imagine he's doing so with the same smile that I and Mr. Regular had when taking corners in this machine.
I love the sound of that turbo spooling and releasing. My wife asked me how a rotary works. I gave the casual knowledge I have (never owned one) about spinning Doritos that rev endlessly. I also told her you don’t buy an RX because you want a fun little sports car. You buy it because you want a rotary and you are committed to keeping it alive. God help you if you are scrolling through ads for Miatas and you pounce on an RX because it was a good deal.
I miss mine so much. Got T boned by an idiot 10 years ago and she was totaled. The FD body gets a lot more attention but honestly if your tasteful about aftermarket wheels and suspension setups FC's can look very flowy and beautiful. There were also some fantastic RE Amemiya body kits that were made for the FC. Definitely keep a AAA membership on hand if your going to buy one of these.
Hey dude. I love your videos and I want to leave you some sincere feedback. Do with it as you may. I want to watch this video sooooo bad but I got to the 7min mark and I can't weather the 'spicy commentary', shall we say. I know it's kind of your thing and it's funny and sets you apart. However you do have legit and poetic insights as well, that resonate with me and I'm sure a bunch of others. You don't need the less flattering parts to be different. You're clearly intelligent, funny and well versed. I know it's a me problem and you do what you gotta do, but just fyi, if there's more people like me, I think you'd get and maintain more views if you didn't go quite so hardcore. This is all well meaning feedback and totally feel free to ignore it and be you 100% ❤
The FC's are some of my all time favorite cars. The poor mans Porsche 944. From what I remember they were cheap and fun. They handled pretty well. If I saw one in good shape for sale I would jump on it ASAP.
So many dug up memories. My fellow Marine Lance Corporal had an RX-7 in the late 80s. And we’d drive it around SoCal (Orange Country,Irvine, San Bernadino, etc.)…. Good tomes…
I had a 1988 RX7 it was a great car I was 18 at the time the fasted I ever drove it was 130 mph . Not a turbo but did tend to over heat. 2 seater no back seats. Fun car … Didn’t corner well though this was in 1996.
I firmly believe the FC is the true peak of the RX7. The FD has this blobby aesthetic that cements it as a 90s bubble car. The FC has this… Charm, that, outside of the pop-up headlights, makes it timeless in design.
If all the emissions equipment and charcoal canister are in place, they don't stink at all. Just next to impossible to find one that's unmolested these days.
Ayy, the two-stroke mix trick has gone mainstream! Rob Dahm is truly God's gift to the rotary scene Here's hoping the RX-9 that's supposedly dropping in a few years is at least as good as this Also, speaking of Rob Dahm, if you can get him to bring his 4-rotor AWD FD to east-central PA, that'd be an amazing vid
1st comment this is a very good video and the way the video i studied analyzed and reviewed perspective point of view and the fun yet wise tone of it. Despite the humor one of the best rotary videos online i would say because is not yuppy criticisms from the outside. He gets it
I am the guy with the FB that you reviewed on your channel when you came to Toronto about 5 years ago. I since bought an FC convertible turbo during the pandemic, and I'm working on it. These cars are so fun!! Love the video!
Godspeed... errr... Shine on you crazy diamond... wait that sounds like an insult... May the dorito gods be in your favour... I give up.
@ScotterOtter haha I'll take it!
I'm sure he remembers you
It was neat that a Canada-spec car ended up representing FBs. The most obvious difference I could see was the lack of cutouts in the lower apron for the brake ducts; I’ve never seen that in the wild!
what would be the fault of the FB if you were to swap a 13b out of a newer RX7 into it? Just don't like the car itself as much? I feel like the FB has a similar historic value and feel as something like a datsun 240z. Where the FC is more like the Z31 and the FD is like... etc.
As a rotary guy, I can say it’s mostly a divergent trait. Rotary ownership sits somewhere between Warhammer 40k figurines and Train-watching on the autism spectrum. Hope this helps to explain the infodumping.
As a foamer who's also an aspiring rotary owner, can confirm
Fuck, I'm an N-scale guy. Where does that put me?
@ErickC cooked. :D
driving a rotary for the first time is like having only tried chunky peanut butter and for the first time you just ate a dollop of smooth.
Holy fuck dude i... I've never been so pin down before. I have 2 FC turbos and 3 armies 😭
The FC was also in Initial D.
Owned by the cooler brother I might add
@@danielfrancis7798 Cooler and smarter.
Nerd detected
(I wrecked my car listening to Eurobeat)
@@AngelicRequiemX Cooler, smarter, and more romantic
ORE NO EFF CEE
"Our past becomes more important as we get further away from it, encased in a perpetual amber we come to regard as the good old days. A past, for all its imperfections, has endless appeals simply for being what the present isn't."
Absolute poetry.
@BauregardSenior87 Parts of your screed are accurate. I would like to point out that you can still buy a little blobyota and you still have a large option of fast, fun cars relatively cheaply. MX-5s, old 5.7 hemi chargers, any coyote or even a 4.6 mustang, V8 camaro, BRZ/x86, WRX/STi. If you want to go fast, you can. A huge difference from the ‘80s and ‘90s is that now the internet can show you exactly how, step by step, you can install enough power and handling options to tattoo a smile across your face forever. (Sometimes simply using junkyard parts.)
It’s a great time to love cars if you have some imagination and embrace the opportunities.
Such a great perspective! Well said!
Having a fuzzy piston/conrod dangling from the mirror is such a troll.
I had a broken piston/rod from a Kawasaki lawnmower engine hanging from one of the rear tow hooks on mine.
This is exactly what I was trying to figure out how to articulate.
It's all they've got.
How's it a troll? I don't care nearly enough for that to offend me. I saw it and went "Oh, haha, cute."
@@nathanchildress5596 Makes it a 1 cylinder car.
I remember when you could throw a rock and hit 50 rx7's on Craigslist and they would offer to give you three of them if you asked for the rock back.
Now that I'm an adult who wants a bridgeported rotary it's $5k for a shell.
Damn you drifting and nostalgia.
No lie. I had a friend that bought a pristine FD back in like 03 for like $7k.
@wusaint that was cheap even for then. I worked at CarMax in 2019 and watched an FD that had sat for 12 years with a seized motor go for $45k at auction. It did have only like 15k miles on it, but still.
Yeap, got mine through a forum for 1k that ended up sitting in a salt flat with a blown clutch for 8 years but we managed to get it running over a single weekend.
@@danjohnson9947 yeah even for 03 that was pretty cheap. Can't remember exactly what year it was or the mileage. But I was pretty floored he found one for that price. Especially when I had paid like $6k for my 89 Supra lol. Don't get me wrong, I loved that Supra but I'd have easily preferred the FD at the time.
When I was looking for my first car in 2015, I found an FC just like this, manual, same blue, factory turbo, for 1500, with no problems.
I was talked out of it because it didn't have an airbag... Lmao...
hell yeah this felt like an old RCR episode
Oh, you haven't been around long, have you?
It’ll never feel like the old RCR videos without Roman’s title song and outro song.
Not enough literary talk though.
"Playschool futurism" is a perfect way to describe some modern EVs.
And the Violent Femmes line was true poetry.
Honestly I think it's true of most car interior design from the past decade, ICE included-
It's like auto makes were racing to make their interiors more sleek and electronic, then the pandemic German suplexed them all and it became a race to minimize costs on top of all that.
@BauregardSenior87 Fuel efficiency regulations had the unforeseen consequences of forcing manufacturers to use computers to make ICEs more efficient and reliable which also allowed them to become more powerful and faster than ever. Damn you EPA! 😂 We make more HP more reliably than ever.
@@Surfzap63 reminds me of how the electronics manufacturers were all complaining about lead-free solder regs from the EU (RoHS), until they figured-out they could put the solder pads way closer together without bridging than they ever could with leaded solder. Thus phones, personal stereos, cameras, etc became smaller and thinner than ever.
Car styling in the 80's was just phenomenal
Youre joking right. They were the most boxy, unimaginative styles I ever remember. At least the American stuff was.
@@giggiddy3rd gen Camaro, mustang foxbody, 80’s G body and the C4 corvette are some of my favorite looking cars out there. Different strokes for different folks I guess
@@jacobkrouse1954same, i love 80s car designs. the A70 Supra, The R31 Skyline, and The S130 Crowns, are great looking cars.
My standouts of the 80s are the Corolla, EF Civic, PH favorite "Box Type" Lancer, and the Colt Mirage
@@jacobkrouse1954 Have I missed something with the Foxbody Mustang? It just looks super generic to me.
As an FC convertible owner that's doing a turbo swap, I'm ready to have this video sent to me 10-15 times this week.
Bro is that an Elongated Miata
Does 3rd gen Supra counts as a Large Miata or its already a Japanese Trans Am?
And Miata is still the answer.
A factory Wankel Miata nonetheless...
Excuse me, I must go play GT3 now
It’s the Miata’s older coke snorting brother.
FD is an L miata with Rotary.
Just like RX8 is an XL NC miata.
You brought back the weird energy. I like. Lean into it.
Ryosuke Takahashi (the older brother of the guy that drove the FD) in Inital D drove a white FC.
And is also probably the best character in the entire series. He won all of the races he cared about, taught his brother how to be a racer and a good man, snagged the main character into his racing team to sweep all of the other teams when he decided to move behind the scenes because he couldn't spare the time or risk his own safety once he had to step up to take on the family business, and he was crazy smart. And then you have Takumi, who is a brat that just so happens to be a driving savant and has a pretty decent face.
HEADLIGHTS GO UP
Man I knew 2 dudes in the early aughts that were HUGE rx7 fans. Between the both of them I think they had like a dozen RX7? something like that. All configurations. Turbo, NA, 80s to 90s models, convertible. you name it. They were rebuilding apex seals every fiscal quarter. They seemed cheap to do and labor didn't seem that tough, as I helped them once with it. They had it down so well that they were doing the whole job in an afternoon and ready to rip that evening. Still, that being said, there was ALWAYS, always, ALWAYS forever perpetually something wrong with the cars; and they were slow to boot. What a weird hobby; RX7 car enthusiast hobby..
IMO, being into RX7s is like being into BDSM. Most people will ask "why do you want the pain?" And those into it will shrug and go back to what they like
@@MrTakaMOSHi Good analogy, lol
@goatsplitter, sounds like the Vargas Bros. from @angelmotorsports
I think rotary guys are the kinds of people who would be audiophiles if their interests were slightly different. Audiophiles like music because they can use it to listen to their audio equipment. Rotary guys like rotaries because it gives them an excuse to regularly pull their car's engine out and tear it down while geeking out about it. It's one of those things where the initial justification is more just a means to an end.
@mndlessdrwer I think you're super right! These dudes liked tearing apart their cars and doing the maintenance. It was part of the charm for them. It would drive me nuts but they loved it
Mazda RX2 in blue with black interior, in Oxnard Cali, was my introduction to rotary power. Fell in love with that car, still can smell the leather, and motor oil. Have a great week, lol.
I passed on a 85 RX7 for 500$ back in 2007, all it needed was the rear axal replaced and it was a Turbo that had the turbo removed by a shop. I only passed on it due to knowing Nothing about them... Kicking my own ass over that one!
Don't worry you could just burn that same 500 bucks rn and it would have been the same thing
That would never be all it needed.
The cheapest part of owning a shit box is the entry fee
My buddy's dad had one of these in 1989. I concur about the interior quality control and overall build quality. They were suspect! This car turned heads in the late 80's until you sat in it. Also the paint quality was not great. But oh so much fun.
@BauregardSenior87 truth.
a series 13b turbo, and then a 20b NA turns up. That turbo is highflow. As a person whos had many (last one died) thanks for the mammaries!
Well... Technically the FC is Initial D lore too...
FC RX-7's were fantastic cars and the NA's would last forever if you did proper maintenance. I bought one when I was 17 that already had 210,000 miles on it. I absolutely tortured that car for another 70,000 miles before I cracked a corner seal. It had no compression on 2 sides of the rear rotor and would not hold idle. I still drove it over the summer learning to heal toe so I could keep it running at stop lights by keeping the idle above 1200 RPM. Then drove it to Florida from Oklahoma to have the engine rebuilt. I AutoXed that car, did track days, probably spent more time above 100mph than below (hyperbole). Rebuilt motor was built stout. 9lb rotors, enlarged oil grooves on the main bearings, 3mm 2 piece apex seals, fully balanced, turbo rotor housings, street port. Eventually put on a Racing Beat road race header with dual 2" pipes going back to a single 2.5" muffler. Thing was loud and fast. In a stop light race it was faster than the Turbo Cars (until they really hit boost).
Also, there were no Convertible Turbo RX-7's in the US Market. Any Convertible Turbo is a conversion.
Holy shit I had the hard top version of this car. I am now feeling old.
It spins like a fucking dradle on ice.
The engine was a lot lower maintenance in the 90s. Though mine was naturally aspirated. The three rotor was the most fun I ever had in a car. Though I almost legit killed myself.
Just the slow pan around the cabin really tugged at my heart strings. Thanks for making this video.
i've been waiting for this guy to review an FC rx7 FOR YEARS. FINALLY.
I have an FB. Bought it in 2009. It’s an 85 GSL-SE. Just passed 110 K. It still runs great(yes, it’s a real fuel injected 13B),passes CA emissions, and doesn’t leak any fluids. AC, cruise, power windows and mirrors all work. Also have a 2004 RX8 that I’ve had for 20 years. I have not had any of the issues that I keep hearing about. Other than routine maintenance, they are solid cars. Neither leaks a drop. Oil pans are dry. Maybe I’m lucky? Who knows? But there is nothing like taking the tach needle to 9 before shifting. The noise is glorious. So silky smooth. I’m hooked. Always have been. Always will be.
The 3 rotor straight up sounds like a 2-stroke dirt bike “BAHHHHH…..BAHHHHHHH……….BAHHHHHH”
I have waited for this episode since the og mx5 review. Now FC prices will rise even more 🥺
Track day bro?
@@Age2003 5 sets of tyres bro 👀
they already rose like 5 years ago
@@Age2003but also....DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE WANKEL?!!!!!!
This is an RCR masterpiece! True to form; you've got the great info, the funny nonsense, driving impressions, and the cultural touchstones we know and love.
5:40 “Just like your kinks, a rotary engine is a labor of love” is a fucking grade A line delivered without the slightest pretension whatsoever lmao
Man, the FC Turbo II really has one of the prettiest Taillights of all japanese Cars. Just classic.
This was well worth the wait! You guys did an excellent job putting all my word vomit of facts into a coherent video 🤣
I was expecting more roasting but it's such a good video
Great review, felt like the older ones. Im not saying the newer ones are nessecarily bad, just that this is the good stuff. Thank you
I picked up my 1988 GTU with 71k on it in 2019, 2 months before the "end of times" started. GTU is a Turbo II outfit without a Turbo engine. I paid 5K, the car had a fresh respray in factory color. Minor imperfections throughout but CLEAN. Interior in near perfect condition. I have since added lowering springs and new struts as the stock ones were shot, exhaust, LRB intake, Koyo Radiator, E-Fan (it overheated during autocross), and a racing seat/ harness. I started down the road of Turbo'ing it but ended up LS swapping a matching B2200. It's funny as I could have gotten an OK FD car back then, but shortly after they became completely bonkers price wise. I'm glad to see the FC might have been an investment lol. What makes it fun to me is it reminds me of riding a motorcycle, there's always an inherent risk when you take it out and when it does good you tap it on the hood and tell it 'good job' like it's your 13 year old dog getting up to go to the bathroom outside 🤣
Holy shit Mr. Reg, you got me with that Turbo Noise in the intro/green light pull lol.
Also, idk but in some ways I liked the styling of the FC over the FD, much as I fell in love with the latter thanks to Gran Turismo lol
Oh, to have bought one of these back when they were cheap instead of being 17 years old then
I bought my FC vert in 2022 and it just drives like poetry. I drove it to Miatas at the Gap 24' with a buddy. For as nervous as I was about the reliability it made it to and from NJ-NC. It had a break down but it seemed like the fuel pump was going bad and after giving it time to cool off - ran just fine. Bought a spare pump just in case and kept running it until I got home. Trip taught me 2 things, that these cars get an awful wrap and they can be dependable sometimes. Secondly, sometimes they deserve that wrap but that's why I won't ever daily it. Genuinely love this car and I'm glad to see it finally reviewed.
that ridiculous FC dashboard is the best
My first car was an FB , 81 GS . Man that car was so much trouble . But when it worked there was nothing like it .
I'm more surprised despite FC deviate from the FB/SA for it's lightweight simplistic formula still a success and led into FD that is return to the formula.
Really wondering how the thinking works. To me they are just like "yes FB is successful enough to have a successor, but we gonna change the target audience for it" and when introducing the FD doing that again
i think the fc had a variant that addressed that issue with a sportier variant in australia
I am autistic enough to currently have 2 FCs. yes I blabber about the rotary engine to anyone who will listen, it's a problem. but the FC touches something in the car world that nothing else really seemed to get to, its new enough to have adjustable suspension and turbochargers, but old enough that I still smell like gasoline and two stroke oil when i get out of it after a drive. that labor of love is addictive, and most any rotary owners find themselves in a rabbit hole of seeking parts and modifying the cars to keep them on the road, and that you HAVE to be obsessed with one to be able to drive one consistently. it's just unlike anything else, as shitty and crappy as the interiors are, it's also one of the best interior layouts of any car i've ever been in
As a former owner of a street ported FC I can confirm the need to over explain the uniqueness, good and bad, of owning a rotary. Best thing is the comradery that cones from other enthusiasts because they know your pain and feel the love of this machine at the same time. Thanks for this review it is one of my favorites on your channel.
I never expected to see an FC convertible. Like I couldn't love the look of this car enough
I can’t believe I wasn’t a fan of FC convertibles while growing up, that car is beautiful. Looks like a blast to drive
As much as I want another coupe rx7, I love the turbo noises with the top down. I wouldn't trade it for anything
Did I tell you it has a rotary engine??
🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺🔺
NO WAY!!!! I know those cars. AND I know those stacks from anywhere. Crazy that RCR was in my backyard!!!
Piston plushie on the mirror, so cute 😊
Finally some FC love for us owners, I'm only upset its not my TII being reviewed! Lol
Can we talk about how Adam and Dave are RX7 bros? Dudes rock.
That's literally how I met Dave. Through my first rx7.
Pegging reference aside, your narration is stellar. I can tell you put a lot of thought into each episode. Nice work.
I've been waiting for another RX-7 video since the FD video 2 lifetimes ago. I still rewatch it sometimes but yes... here we go. Time to watch this one
I don't mind the FC but I will never be able to un-see the sheer volume of Porsche 944 in its design DNA. Which is funny because I heard back in the day, VW/Porsche sent Mazda a strongly worded letter during the first gen RX-7 days along the lines of "Look......we're flattered, and we know it isn't a *direct* copy, but can you please not copy our car design next time?" so what did Mazda do for the FC, after getting called out for taking heavy inspiration from the 924? Slapped some tracing paper on a 944 and said "Hey watch me do it again.....but MORE!"
The piston plushie is a glorious piece of irony.
"You are about to experience sound with no movement" - Mike Finnegan
That intercooler has seen better days...
1:08 WHY don't cars look this wicked anymore?! LOOKIT THAT SCOOP.
Pedestrian safety, aerodynamics, advances in panel construction, crush zones, the fall of pop-up headlights, etc.
I had an 89 FC. Rollup windows and an LSD. AC and a sunroof were the big luxuries. It was so fun and easy to throw around. The only car I ever bought a warranty for, and yes, it bought me an engine. It had been EXACTLY 1000 miles since i dumped a quart in it on New Years EVE!!! 1996? when it blew. I made sure to add oil more often on the second engine. It ran great when I sold it.
I love the Simon's Cat sticker on the gas tank.
A local mazda dealer had one on display in the late 90s, always thought it was a really beautiful car
I love the rotary engine as excentric niche in the car world. The FC as being the overshadowed older sister of the FD is like the underdog and I like it more than the FD. I like the RX-8 even more as the sometimes unloved member of the small rotary world. Have mine for 18 years now.
Best modern rendition of a 2 stroke car ever made.. zoom zoom Mazda we miss you
Thanks Mr Regular! I almost look forward to Mondays because of you
So much inspiration for the Miatas came from this FC. Love to see it.
The FC convertible is beautiful, reminds me of a small NSX
This was waaaaaaaay too positive. Had lots of turbo FC’s.. nothing like that BOV.. addicting. Nice cars fellas.
The cars are great an all that, but I come back to this channel for the writing. Thanks for another fenomenal piece.
I have two FC's, one turbo and one N/A. I love driving them both! They are super fun either way.
Had a 88 turboII that mom and dad sold for 800 when I left home in 08. Super clean and kept in the garage. No rust at all. And to find out how much they are worth now haha.
A friend of my brother had an 88 RX7 convertible. Such a fun car.
I had an FC turbo convertible in Australia from 2003 for almost a decade. I absolutely loved that car. It was one of 2 stock factory turbo convertible RX7s in the country when I bought it. Thing drove like it was on rails.
Have you noticed the chasis twist when you increase the power? I had to drop back to 400hp max to stop the twisting, but even 400hp was heavenly in this vehicle.
I sold mine for around 5K USD in the early 2010s (with around 15k mods) and saw it advertised for 3x that only 5yrs later. I sold it when all Japanese cars were incredibly cheap and expected to no longer be wanted in coming years. They're now worth more than ever. The last time I saw that car was pics on FB of it wrapped around a tree. I got very familiar with the lag that cane with bigger turbos and 00s tech. It nearly killed me enough times to decide to sell it. I'm sad it's no longer on the road, but I probably should have returned it to stock before selling it in the first place.
I owned an 82 when i was 18. First engine i learned to work on. Fun moment of my life...
I got one of those in red, brother and I swapped it ourselves.
And I also have the same dead piston hanging!
Those chapter names 😏
Great review. I had a 91 vert before and building a turbo 2 now. Only problem with Convertible S5 cars is that they were really heavy turbo 2 swap definitely the way to go.
RcR at its finest. Reminds me of the early days
I love the FC. Easily one of my top three cars of all time.
That thing is magical. I literally have a book on it. I didn't write it but I still have a book on.
Had a naturaly aspirated one with a 5 speed. It was fun. However...it wasn't long term reliable, blew a apex seal and didn't have the resources and knowledge at the time to bring it back to life. Plus V8 swap was tempting. The cars have rather large engine bays, so a lot of swaps have been done. Fun cars but It is a demanding relationship that ranges from a picnic to a dominatrix session, lol. Community and cottage industry knowledge keep them going.
80s and 90's Japanese cars really had such great style
Because of the threeness of the acoustic profile, the 3-rotor kinda sounds like a V6 with [in exaggeratedly gravelly voice for comedic effect] *_balance delete_*
I love that you still throw back to the classics, and have the integrity to break the glass on fanboi bullshit. Well done.
i seriously love the fc, saw a light blue one fly by me and it sounded perfect
I love how 3 rotors sound like 6 cylinders that are revving twice as high as they actually are
There is something magically about driving an 80s convertible
I absolutely love the smile Mr. Regular has while he's driving both cars. I had one of these that I recently sold to a local kid and I see him driving it all the time and I imagine he's doing so with the same smile that I and Mr. Regular had when taking corners in this machine.
The expression of good real passion. 😍
That was me while he was driving it. I was just cheesing because I'm usually driving. So it was fun to have someone else romp on it
I love the sound of that turbo spooling and releasing.
My wife asked me how a rotary works. I gave the casual knowledge I have (never owned one) about spinning Doritos that rev endlessly. I also told her you don’t buy an RX because you want a fun little sports car. You buy it because you want a rotary and you are committed to keeping it alive. God help you if you are scrolling through ads for Miatas and you pounce on an RX because it was a good deal.
I miss mine so much. Got T boned by an idiot 10 years ago and she was totaled. The FD body gets a lot more attention but honestly if your tasteful about aftermarket wheels and suspension setups FC's can look very flowy and beautiful. There were also some fantastic RE Amemiya body kits that were made for the FC. Definitely keep a AAA membership on hand if your going to buy one of these.
Hey dude. I love your videos and I want to leave you some sincere feedback. Do with it as you may.
I want to watch this video sooooo bad but I got to the 7min mark and I can't weather the 'spicy commentary', shall we say.
I know it's kind of your thing and it's funny and sets you apart. However you do have legit and poetic insights as well, that resonate with me and I'm sure a bunch of others. You don't need the less flattering parts to be different. You're clearly intelligent, funny and well versed.
I know it's a me problem and you do what you gotta do, but just fyi, if there's more people like me, I think you'd get and maintain more views if you didn't go quite so hardcore.
This is all well meaning feedback and totally feel free to ignore it and be you 100%
❤
I remember these cars. Everyone and their brother wanted one when I was a kid. Me included. Rotary are cools. 😊
0:14 I can hear the video playing in my head
The FC's are some of my all time favorite cars. The poor mans Porsche 944. From what I remember they were cheap and fun. They handled pretty well. If I saw one in good shape for sale I would jump on it ASAP.
So many dug up memories. My fellow Marine Lance Corporal had an RX-7 in the late 80s. And we’d drive it around SoCal (Orange Country,Irvine, San Bernadino, etc.)…. Good tomes…
I had a 1988 RX7 it was a great car I was 18 at the time the fasted I ever drove it was 130 mph . Not a turbo but did tend to over heat. 2 seater no back seats. Fun car … Didn’t corner well though this was in 1996.
I firmly believe the FC is the true peak of the RX7. The FD has this blobby aesthetic that cements it as a 90s bubble car. The FC has this… Charm, that, outside of the pop-up headlights, makes it timeless in design.
If all the emissions equipment and charcoal canister are in place, they don't stink at all. Just next to impossible to find one that's unmolested these days.
pop up up and down headlights!
FC all the way. The styling is just perfect. Perfect.
Ayy, the two-stroke mix trick has gone mainstream! Rob Dahm is truly God's gift to the rotary scene
Here's hoping the RX-9 that's supposedly dropping in a few years is at least as good as this
Also, speaking of Rob Dahm, if you can get him to bring his 4-rotor AWD FD to east-central PA, that'd be an amazing vid
1st comment this is a very good video and the way the video i studied analyzed and reviewed perspective point of view and the fun yet wise tone of it. Despite the humor one of the best rotary videos online i would say because is not yuppy criticisms from the outside. He gets it
The rubber band analogy is making me think this rx7 feels like 125 2 stroke
Rotary engines are VERY easy to pull and repair. As it was common in standard piston designs for a long, long time.
I've been trying to get my hands on one forever. I don't need anything fancy, but I do need a rotating triangle in my life.