1994 Mazda RX-7 FD | I’d Buy One, Except…

The 1994 Mazda RX-7 FD is one of the most stunning Japanese cars of the ’90s. But is its timeless design worth the potential maintenance headaches that come with a rotary engine?

🚗 Vehicle in This Video:
1994 Mazda RX-7
- Made 93-2002 but only sold in the US for 3 years (93-95) because sold so poorly
- Wankel engine, 13B-REW (1.3L) 2 rotor
- Stock sequential identical two turbos make 255hp 217lbft
- 1800-4000, 4000+ but transition “seamlesss” at 4500 to have both operating
- Didn’t work well though - boost would drop momentarily at transition and then surge back
- 50/50 weight distribution
- All FD were turbocharged (in previous models it was a rare option)
- Weighs 2700lb
- Great visibility, and can see tops of fenders from driver’s seat to place it on the road. Part of the design brief
- Designed at Mazda’s California studio
- Other Japanese competitors were too bloated and heavy and tech filled. 700-1000 lb heavier like Supra, 300zx, mitsubishi 3000gt vr4
- Clutch feel
- Torsen LSD
- 5 speed manual
- 305hp at the wheel because of larger injectors, new ECU, no cat, and tune.

Engine Modifications
- removed AC
- removed emissions(air pump, acv, egr, aws)
- removed oil metering pump
- relocated battery rear passenger bin
- simplified sequential turbos and replaced rubber lines with silicone lines
- upgrade radiator and intercooler with Greddy V-mount
- upgrade coils to IGN-1A ignition coils
- upgrade spark plugs to BUR9EQP all around
- upgrade to Rx7 FC thermoswitch
- upgrade to autostaff radiator outlet tank
- upgrade to IRP oil filler
- Upgrade to Single belt main pulley setupt
- upgrade ecu to Apexi power FC
- upgrade fuel pump to supra fuel pump
- upgrade to ceramic coated downpipe -delete pre cat
- upgrade to magna flow resonator - delete
- Upgrade primary injectors from 550cc to 750cc
- Upgraded secondary injectors from 850cc to 2000cc
- Upgrade oil coolers to oem R2 dual oil coolers

Suspension Modifications
- Replaced OEM power rack with Atomic rex Manual rack
- Installed titanium front strut tower bar with brake booster brace
- Installed Ohlins FPSpec DFV
- Corner balance performed with RZ+forge wheels

Interior modifications
- Momo Montecarlo steering wheel on NRG short hub
- titanium shift knob and e-brake
- removal of passenger air bag
- OEM spirit R recaro seats.
- Extended throttle pedal for heel/toe

Exterior Modifications
- 99 spec bumper
- 99 spec spoiler
- s2000 antenna mod
- Seats can be swamped out for OEM leather seats for comfort
- Wheels can be interchanged for OEM spirit R wheels front: (17 x 8 +50) Rear:(17x8.5+50) tires: Dunlops front:235/45R17 Rear: 255/40R17
- or RZ+ Forged with a square setup for HPDE(17x9.5 +45) Tires: Bridgestone RE71-255/40 R17

See how I rank this and other cars here 👇

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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Introduction
02:07 POV Review
12:15 Final Thoughts

#povreview #rx7 #jdm

[tizodd]

I owned a '93 FD a few years back. I now have a '22 Supra 3.0 (which I love), but I still get excited when I see an RX7. Such a timeless beauty😍

[DeathrowDC]

I discovered your page a couple days ago and I have been binging your videos. You give the perfect balance of car/driver enthusiast content and financial advice that I believe many of us who love cars really need.

[Monstacheeks]

I currently own one…I’m glad that I have all the discontinued items to make this car Work!!!

[therealandrewwilliam]

Couple interesting facts about these cars:
1. this car is still listed in the internal MNAO (Mazda North American Ops) employee vehicle policy as not eligible. When new, employees could get one as a lease or demo, but many cars were written off with rear end damage from that 3-4k where the second turbo kicks in, and people lost it, especially on freeway on ramps. They they amended the policy.
2. there is only one US spec RX-7 Type-R. It was done by the corporate team who converted a 1994 US car with all Type-R parts. The parts were slowly shipped over by Mazda Japan in cargo vessels with cars for dealers. The team slowly did this in the basement of Mazda HQ in Irvine, CA over months. That car is LDH and has a sunroof which no Type-R had from factory, and was done for the U.S. VP of Sales at the time.

Also....the factory steering wheel is a large diameter and my least liked thing about these. I am 6'2" and cant really heel-toe because of it. The JDM Nardi spec wheel is smaller and I am told solves a lot of issues. Same wheel on NB Miatas, and retains the airbag.

[redcarrot]

I am only 1 minute into the video and I have to say it is RX7 "mod" done right! No outrageous body kit to take away its naturally beautiful lean curve lines.

[mazdaspeedrx]

Best car that I probably will not want to own unless I have unlimited money. Love it

[Omgwatanb]

Great video. Love the FD RX7 content. Those roads are horrible!!!

[rocketboi]

FD is my dream car! I'll hopefully be able to own one some day

[jcrbama]

A friends dad had a new '94 FD back when we were in high school, naturally in that ever so 90's green / dark teal color. Yeah, we almost binned that thing a few times. The turbo lag around 4-5k was legitimately brutal. Also as they got older those apex seals are a real pain to deal with. There was a stretch there in the early 2000's, before The Fast and the Furious, that they got pretty cheap and I'd have liked to get one, but was in my early 20's and didn't have the money for a 2nd car. Also after that movie, the prices we're way higher than the value pretty much permanently.

[Online_ToughGuy]

Same here bro! I’d buy one except… I’d need to make 20% more annually.

[rushfactorygarage]

Always wanted an fd as a kid. But prices are still too high. You can get a decent higher mileage e46 m3 for the cheaper than most fd’s nowadays.

[verdict]

I can't imagine my FD without power steering. It's already pretty heavy feeling, seems like without it it would be significantly harder to catch slides. Maybe I'm just a wimp, haha. They sell resistors that plug into the factory harness to turn the airbag light off. One came with my hub, Daikai S-601.

[PatrickHenry-ts]

Its not a maintenance headache owners just don't take care of them. My friend has a non turbo FC and its on a lot of original engine parts, but he also rebuilds it himself.

[jamesreynolds]

I owned a '95 RX7, a little tail happy with the 225s. Fikse forged wheels with 235s up front and 275s in the rear solved that problem. The Ford 5-speed was clunky for a Japanese car - a PDK dual clutch auto (like my current car, Porsche Cayman) and a 3-rotor engine rather than 2-rotor would have made it a real supercar. I had a Porsche (VW) 914-6 back in the 70s. The RX7 and the 914-6 is why I drive the Cayman now.

[rotarycomptech]

The engines for these cars both left-hand and right hand drive are the exact same I know I bought one For my left-hand drive FD3SRX7 So you’re a little incorrect on the air conditioning unit

[Stern_Radio]

Schönes Auto, aber die Straßen sind wirklich schlecht in Amerika

[ajaxman]

You should learn how drive a car with manual transmission 🥴