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Ever since I was about 12 years old, I always wanted an RX7. The year was 2003 and Need for Speed: Underground 1 was just introducing me to Japanese cars at the time. When I came across the FD, I thought it was one of the coolest looking cars I ever saw, always higher on my wish list than any Supra or Skyline. The fascination with them continued for years, in college I even did a presentation on the Wankel Rotary engine as an engineering feat.
Fast forward to 2015/2016, I started looking to buy an FD RX7. But the prices of them at the time had started to rise (If only I knew what they would be costing these days), and they were getting a little out of budget with the e30s taking most of my money. Eventually I moved down the cheaper option of a 1jz Toyota and have been there ever since.
Owning an RX7 has been in the back of my mind always, and finally this year I decided I couldn't wait around any longer. With the way prices were going, it was now or never! I got word of a few different cars around the country, but one stood out to me most. It also had the most realistic price out of the lot. I had been enquiring about it for months while the owner was deciding to sell or not. Eventually in October I got word it was finally for sale and, well, I drove to Dublin and you can guess what happened!
Took these photos just after I made a deal on the car
It was was pretty much everything I was looking for!
1. A standard and original car - Only modifications are an aftermarket cat-back exhaust, some springs, a blow-off valve, and some really old Apexi intake.
2. Early model - I like the early pre-facelift look... although I'd love some late model taillights (Vintage status is nice too). A 91 car is very rare too as the first cars rolled off the line in December 1991. This car is number 399 off the production line
3. Efini - Just a cooler badge and name than Mazda
4. Red - It always had to be red! If I had got a different colour, I'd probably paint it red
5. A sit in and drive car - Car is Taxed and tested
Now all that being said the car is not perfect... It has one large flaw that I will be rectifying as soon as I can.... It's Automatic! Yes I know, who in their right mind went to go buy an RX7 back in 1991 and spec'd an auto box... But fear not, the car will 100% be manual swapped in the future! On the upside, it made the car much cheaper than any other I was looking at! This was also helped by the paintwork also needing attention. Now the car looks great photographed, but the paint is tired and the lacquer is peeling a bit on the spoiler and rear bumper. There was also an attempt at some point to respray the sides of the car, and the paint has reacted in places. To be honest, the paint condition didn't bother me that much as the car was straight and solid... Even if the paint was only a little tired, I still would have planned on a full respray as I want this car to be perfect in time. So I will be getting the car painted in the next year or so, albeit in no rush since it's driving away just fine as is
So viewed on a Sunday, transferred money on the Monday, and I jumped on a train from Cork to Dublin after work on the Tuesday! I couldn't wait around after the money was gone from my account! A friend of mine picked me up at Heuston and dropped me at the house to collect the car. The owners were really interesting people! 60year old Mike and his wife Ilona who have owned the car since it came into Ireland back in 2007!
They used to bring it to shows and the Drive for Charity events nearly every year. They have spent a lot of time with the car over the years and I could tell it was a tough sale for them, but they wanted to see the car go to someone that will look after it. They had done a lot of work to the car over the years, such as new genuine Mazdaspeed shocks all around. They couldn't source genuine springs, so they decided to fit Tein springs instead which look to have just slightly lowered the car. They also fitted the later model OEM wheels which I really like.
I got into the car and drove it back to Cork that night. Car drove beautifully!
Made for a good table at McDonalds
Made the trip home without any issues
The car came with some cool spares and extras. Along with the two original keys, it came with these cool custom Rotor style keys they got from the old Irish Rotary Forum days
Loads of paperwork and history, printed service manuals, show plates
Some lovely scale model RX7s
Oh and a crook lock! Haven't seen one of these in a long time
The car jumped straight into daily driver duties for the rest of the week
Brought the car back to the homeplace in Clare that Friday then. Boot space in the FD leaves a lot to be desired
Bags go in the back seats which are only fit for small children with no legs
The rest of the interior is just great then!
Back home to Clare then. And between Tuesday and Friday, I had covered nearly 750km of trouble free driving.
Met some of the other inmates
Took some time to have a quick look under the car
Had a look around the engine bay, which needs a bit of tidying
And that's enough for one update. I have had the car nearly 2 months now and have been driving it any chance I get. I'm really loving it!
Fast forward to 2015/2016, I started looking to buy an FD RX7. But the prices of them at the time had started to rise (If only I knew what they would be costing these days), and they were getting a little out of budget with the e30s taking most of my money. Eventually I moved down the cheaper option of a 1jz Toyota and have been there ever since.
Owning an RX7 has been in the back of my mind always, and finally this year I decided I couldn't wait around any longer. With the way prices were going, it was now or never! I got word of a few different cars around the country, but one stood out to me most. It also had the most realistic price out of the lot. I had been enquiring about it for months while the owner was deciding to sell or not. Eventually in October I got word it was finally for sale and, well, I drove to Dublin and you can guess what happened!
Took these photos just after I made a deal on the car
It was was pretty much everything I was looking for!
1. A standard and original car - Only modifications are an aftermarket cat-back exhaust, some springs, a blow-off valve, and some really old Apexi intake.
2. Early model - I like the early pre-facelift look... although I'd love some late model taillights (Vintage status is nice too). A 91 car is very rare too as the first cars rolled off the line in December 1991. This car is number 399 off the production line
3. Efini - Just a cooler badge and name than Mazda
4. Red - It always had to be red! If I had got a different colour, I'd probably paint it red
5. A sit in and drive car - Car is Taxed and tested
Now all that being said the car is not perfect... It has one large flaw that I will be rectifying as soon as I can.... It's Automatic! Yes I know, who in their right mind went to go buy an RX7 back in 1991 and spec'd an auto box... But fear not, the car will 100% be manual swapped in the future! On the upside, it made the car much cheaper than any other I was looking at! This was also helped by the paintwork also needing attention. Now the car looks great photographed, but the paint is tired and the lacquer is peeling a bit on the spoiler and rear bumper. There was also an attempt at some point to respray the sides of the car, and the paint has reacted in places. To be honest, the paint condition didn't bother me that much as the car was straight and solid... Even if the paint was only a little tired, I still would have planned on a full respray as I want this car to be perfect in time. So I will be getting the car painted in the next year or so, albeit in no rush since it's driving away just fine as is
So viewed on a Sunday, transferred money on the Monday, and I jumped on a train from Cork to Dublin after work on the Tuesday! I couldn't wait around after the money was gone from my account! A friend of mine picked me up at Heuston and dropped me at the house to collect the car. The owners were really interesting people! 60year old Mike and his wife Ilona who have owned the car since it came into Ireland back in 2007!
They used to bring it to shows and the Drive for Charity events nearly every year. They have spent a lot of time with the car over the years and I could tell it was a tough sale for them, but they wanted to see the car go to someone that will look after it. They had done a lot of work to the car over the years, such as new genuine Mazdaspeed shocks all around. They couldn't source genuine springs, so they decided to fit Tein springs instead which look to have just slightly lowered the car. They also fitted the later model OEM wheels which I really like.
I got into the car and drove it back to Cork that night. Car drove beautifully!
Made for a good table at McDonalds
Made the trip home without any issues
The car came with some cool spares and extras. Along with the two original keys, it came with these cool custom Rotor style keys they got from the old Irish Rotary Forum days
Loads of paperwork and history, printed service manuals, show plates
Some lovely scale model RX7s
Oh and a crook lock! Haven't seen one of these in a long time
The car jumped straight into daily driver duties for the rest of the week
Brought the car back to the homeplace in Clare that Friday then. Boot space in the FD leaves a lot to be desired
Bags go in the back seats which are only fit for small children with no legs
The rest of the interior is just great then!
Back home to Clare then. And between Tuesday and Friday, I had covered nearly 750km of trouble free driving.
Met some of the other inmates
Took some time to have a quick look under the car
Had a look around the engine bay, which needs a bit of tidying
And that's enough for one update. I have had the car nearly 2 months now and have been driving it any chance I get. I'm really loving it!
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