Thread: The Woes of Rare Sports Cars

The Delorian was supposed to be a sports car (its based on the Lotus Esprit).

The DeLorean is not based on the Esprit. It shares many design ideas (wishbone frame, transversly mounted rear engine, etc.) but is it's own seperate car. There aren't any common parts between them.

As for it being a sports car, well, that's a grey area with me. In my mind, it doesn't have the power or grunt, but certainly does have the handling. And it's a RWD, two seater.

http://www.dodge.com/srt-4/index.ht...mepage&type=top
So your telling this isnt a sportscar?
Opinions are like arseholes..

The SRT4 is an amazing little car. Fast, agile, inexpensive. But it's not a sports car.

What year was the 7? Hope it wasn't an FD... the rest I could care less about (we have 1 in my neighborhood and it runs around w/o an exhaust on like 8000rpms at midnight

FDs are one of the worst cars that Mazda ever produced. They were potent sports cars, amazing performers and technologically superior. But by god, if you look up "unreliable" in the dictionary, you will see a picture of the FD.

The SA/FB ('78-'85 RX-7s) are classic sports cars, and while not the fastest things on the planet, cannot be beat for the "fun to drive" factor.

The FC is an amazing car in it's own right. While not as pure as the SA/FB, it is still an absolute weapon (when turbocharged) and will still outhandle 95% of what is produced today.

Oh ok. FD = 92+. FC = old ones. Its part of the chassis number Oh, and the 87s were carburated...

Um, no. All RX-7s with the 13B since '85 were EFI.

Originally Posted by Aaron Cake

FDs are one of the worst cars that Mazda ever produced. They were potent sports cars, amazing performers and technologically superior. But by god, if you look up "unreliable" in the dictionary, you will see a picture of the FD.

The SA/FB ('78-'85 RX-7s) are classic sports cars, and while not the fastest things on the planet, cannot be beat for the "fun to drive" factor.

The FC is an amazing car in it's own right. While not as pure as the SA/FB, it is still an absolute weapon (when turbocharged) and will still outhandle 95% of what is produced today.

Um, no. All RX-7s with the 13B since '85 were EFI.

You obviously know more about the rx-7s than me But yeh, the FD rx-7s were pretty when they didn't have a blown engine or an engine fire

They had that issue w/ the 93's. There was a fuel line leakage recall in 93 on them. There were may Service bulletins as well on those. They made quite a few changes to fix these in 94.

Originally Posted by Custommx3

They had that issue w/ the 93's. There was a fuel line leakage recall in 93 on them. There were may Service bulletins as well on those. They made quite a few changes to fix these in 94.

Yeh, but I think that most of the FDs still had those blown engine problems. I hear that an FC to an FD swap isn't that uncommon.

they both have 13B's

I think the FD had aluminum rotors though

Originally Posted by alti

they both have 13B's

Yeh, but Mazda did something weird to the engine in the FDs... I read about that in SCC.

Originally Posted by Custommx3

They had that issue w/ the 93's. There was a fuel line leakage recall in 93 on them. There were may Service bulletins as well on those. They made quite a few changes to fix these in 94.

Many constant problems with the FD until about late '96 early '97. Of course, in '95 they stopped bringing them to North America, so we were stuck with the "bad" ones. If you buy one nowadays that has been rebuilt a few times and well cared for, then it should be worlds better then the early cars, but still unreliable when compared to the SA/FB/FC.

Yeh, but I think that most of the FDs still had those blown engine problems. I hear that an FC to an FD swap isn't that uncommon.

It's VERY uncommon. Swapping the 13B-REW (FD engine) into the FC chassis is a major hassle due to engine mount location changes, turbo clearance, etc. And of course you'll be needing an EMS system to run it all. If you want to insist on swapping that lineage of engine into an FC, best bet is the 13B-RE from the Cosmo. Nearly the same design of the REW, but much more reliable and cheaper. But if you are going that far, you might as well go one more and do the 20B-REW (3 rotor). It will cost nearly the same.

they both have 13B's
I think the FD had aluminum rotors though

Nope. All of the Mazda rotary engines have had cast steel rotors. Aluminium is WAY too soft.

Yeh, but Mazda did something weird to the engine in the FDs... I read about that in SCC

And that would be what? I can't think of anything "weird" that Mazda did.

Originally Posted by Aaron Cake

It's VERY uncommon. Swapping the 13B-REW (FD engine) into the FC chassis is a major hassle due to engine mount location changes, turbo clearance, etc. And of course you'll be needing an EMS system to run it all. If you want to insist on swapping that lineage of engine into an FC, best bet is the 13B-RE from the Cosmo. Nearly the same design of the REW, but much more reliable and cheaper. But if you are going that far, you might as well go one more and do the 20B-REW (3 rotor). It will cost nearly the same.

And that would be what? I can't think of anything "weird" that Mazda did.

I meant swapping the engine from the FC to the FD.

SCC basically explained what mazda did that caused the engine to be unreliable.

Originally Posted by 0l33l

I meant swapping the engine from the FC to the FD.

That also almost never happens, for basically the same reasons the 13B-REW isn't often put into an FC.

SCC basically explained what mazda did that caused the engine to be unreliable.

The engine block itself was vastly improved from the 13BT used in the FC. Mazda increases oil pressure, lightened the rotors, installed multi-window bearings, teflon coated the rotor housings (for breakin), tightened some clearances, loosened others, redesigned the stationary gears (and hardened them), and numerous other improvements.

The major problem with the FD was the twin turbo system. With 70+ vacuum hoses, multiple valves and actuators, failure was VERY common. And since there was no factory boost gauge (odd, eh?) many people didn't know that they were running around on chronically low boost. With the later 3rd gens, the turbo system was improved to the point where it could be considered reliable.