Hi all.

[Sam.rog]

Great to see a forum with regular traffic through it.

I currently own a Subaru Impreza type r limited.
Which I daily.

Ive had a few impreza and possibly fancy a change in the not too distant future.

Few questions which probably get asked all the time.

Who daily drives their rx7? Are they a realistic prospect in 2025.
I know they are thirsty. The impreza is low 20s on a good day.
Impreza have good parts availability as its all big lego and they made loads of them which means keeping them on the road is easy. Is the rx7 a pain to get parts for?

As you can see in the pic I also have a small child who loves cars. Can you fit a child in the back? Do they need to go in the front?

What price will I need to pay for a non special edition but excellent condition car? Prices seem to be firming up like they have on all jdm cars. Would 30k get you into a non rusty nice condition car?

Finally, anyone fancy a swap.

 

[Francob]

Hey mate, welcome.

I’d say £30k would get you into a pretty tidy one.

Parts are somewhat easy to find. I’ve just ordered a load of gearbox parts direct from Mazda for example and there is plenty of aftermarket stuff for them.

The majority of owners I know don’t daily them but that’s not to say it can be done, I’m sure a few do.

Child could likely get in the back seat but they are pretty tight. I’m sure someone else can comment, my daughter is 7 and I think she’d need to be in front.

 

[Tjp8]

I did daily mine for around 8 years, took my son to and from school everyday then to and from work ect i wouldnt put my kid in the back of it very often as its a little bit cramped in the back and an adult no way will they enjoy being in there.


They are very thirsty cars to run i recon well under 20 mpg unless ur coasting everywhere or on a real long run, i do oil and filter changes every 2kish miles.

Plenty of places to get parts but not overly cheap anymore

 

[JoeLanger]

You get about 20-25 mpg with a good tune and normal driving. I dailied mine for about a month, 30 mile commute cost a lot

 

[Sam.rog]

Thanks all.
I just want to say I’m not bothered about fuel costs with this car. It will do 5-7k a year so it’s not a big deal.

What I’m slightly concerned about is my commute is 7miles each way through heavy Manchester traffic.
What are they like in stop start traffic?
Is the clutch heavy or awkward (Ive never been in let alone driven an rx7).
I know they run hot would this traffic be an issue?
It takes about 40 minutes to an hour to do 7miles.
I cycle when the wethers nice and light outside so only really used in winter for commuting.

Anyone around Manchester want to show me round one it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Rikmister1]

Everyone has different opinions and everyone’s cars are totally different from one another. My fd doesn’t do many miles and I’ve been in stop start traffic and it isn’t nice (removed ac). It does get very hot inside even With windows and roof open. The trans tunnel becomes a radiator and it doesn’t do the car any good. Lots of slow stop start traffic will start to choke the engine up unless you give it a good clear out

 

[JoeLanger]

I'm from warrington.
Mine is not good in traffic. Just sits getting extra hot. I used to do a 10mile commute taking 50mins.
Would not do that in my FD

Might be OK if you got water injection

 

[jack.am]

Used to daily mine when it was a lightly modified twin turbo, it’s fine, just keep on top of vey regular servicing. The 13b isn’t as delicate as memes would have you believe, certainly no more or less than the Subaru boxer.

With the age of these cars it’s chassis problems that need careful attention. Rust, bushes, bearings, etc.

 

[Sam.rog]

Servicing isn’t an issue. I do the impreza every 6 months anyway.
Also keeping on top of rust is a daily hobby owning 90s Japanese cars.

I’d be looking to keep it pretty standard around the 360hp mark. Thats where Ive found the sweet spot to be with imprezas. 1200kg and 360hp no TC and no abs with a fantastic 4wd system and a electronic controlled centre diff.

Would the factory twin turbo be best at that power level?
Most I’d want is an exhaust, intake and a link ecu for the extra protection and sensors available now.
Do all the fd3 come with TC and ABS? I want it on a rwd car in wet conditions.

I’ve also though of trying an rx8 as a dry run before dropping 30k on a rx7.

 

[TK1234]

You're really pushing the boundaries of stock twins to get that kind of power. You'd need to change the fuelling (pump and FPR at the minimum), intercooler and downpipe as a starter. None of which are particularly hard but at that point, you're well on your way to a single turbo setup. Which is generally seen as a more simple and potentially reliable option.

As far as I'm aware, no FD came with TC and ABS is a little on the rudimentary side but it does the job in keeping you out of a tree. Good tyres help a lot but probably as with the Impreza, you need to show some respect to the car, particularly when it's cold or wet.

 

[Paulm]

With modified twins (midland turbos can rebuild them with uprated internals), a few fueling mods, new intercooler and radiator and engine management, you would have a very nice street car.
The RX8 is a great platform, but the side ported engine lacks power, still a fun drive. The biggest problem with them now is finding a good one, many have rust issues and as the price has been so low for a while poor maintainance, even if you get a good one, throwing 6-7K into it in mods turbo etc, it will only generate an few more HP. If you have the funds I would look for an FD with good history.

 

[Sam.rog]

With modified twins (midland turbos can rebuild them with uprated internals), a few fueling mods, new intercooler and radiator and engine management, you would have a very nice street car.
The RX8 is a great platform, but the side ported engine lacks power, still a fun drive. The biggest problem with them now is finding a good one, many have rust issues and as the price has been so low for a while poor maintainance, even if you get a good one, throwing 6-7K into it in mods turbo etc, it will only generate an few more HP. If you have the funds I would look for an FD with good history.

Thats what I like to hear.
Its what I’ve done with my impreza. Taken newer subaru bits and put them in an old chassis. Best of both worlds. Or oem+ if you like.
6speed dccd swap, vf37 twinscroll turbo and manifold ect.

Make it more modern without killing what originally made them great.

I’ve started enquiries about getting one imported next year. What to expect price wise ect.
Any go to importers for these as they are a bit niche.
This one has taken my fancy but will be thick end of £40k on the road in the UK which is 25% over my budget.

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[TK1234]

In terms of value, you'd almost certainly get a car either as good or nearly in the UK for a lot less cash

 

[JoeLanger]

They have no TC. ABS is terrible.

Other mazda parts dont fit, these are way more niche than impreza

You will not get 360 from twins, people will say otherwise but they're generous dynos.
Exhaust, intake, ECU, (you'll need an ECU) will be just over 300bhp

You could puclsh the boost a little, but the twins can't really handle it. Anymore is single turbo.

 

[noyzboy]

You really need to sit in one before you go any further to make sure you have headroom. They are snug. There is no adjustment for the steering wheel position. I found that I could not see the indicator repeaters on the dash with the stock wheel that came on my car. I had to switch to an earlier stock larger wheel. Maybe I have a couple of extra vertebrae

 

[tinaandnigeluk]

Regarding children. Not all FDs have rear seats, some like mine have storage bins. Never had problems in stop start traffic but mine is stock. So as others have said it will depend on the build/mods.

 

[Sam.rog]

Oh god.
This is going to be expensive.
Currently in my imaginary shopping bag is
A borg warner 7670 plus all the supporting mods
Ohlins r+t coilovers.
Rays ce28.
Link or haltech ecu.

Think my minds made up.
After some bodywork the impreza is for sale in the spring.

 

[jack.am]

Go 8374, 7670 isn’t the best for rotary.

 

[Sam.rog]

Ok.
The impreza is up for sale.

Is there anyone around the North West or Manchester area who is happy for me to have a look over their RX7 and a small ride out to see if it’s really what I want.

Cheers