SVVG

iTrader: (1)

This is re my second car.

Have always fancied an RX7 and have decided that I am pretty much in love with how they look.... anyone have any experience of these? (the mark III). Most seem to have had engine rebuilds - and the main places like Jimmy's RX7s and Dragon Performance all seem to sell their cars with rebuilds just having been carried out (think they need them every 45K miles?).

Other option is to spend a few £K on my Pug 306 S16, but the most I'll get out if it is 200BHP, if I'm lucky (manifold, cams and throttle bodies) and it will probably blow up... - and for a few more K I could get an RX7... which is also likely to blow up....Other option is to go for a turbo GTI6/T16 or ex touring car MI16 engine (built by Longmans) put in my 306. This is surely foolishness however?

Most opinions I've received so far on this are "Buy a house"... so would welcome some less sensible - although relevant to the question (!) views...

Cheers!

AudiLover

lol get rid of all 306 ideas and get a propper car if you require performance

TimmyboyWRX

its nearer 70k miles that they need rotor tips replacing, and this is a ful engine strip down so usually alot of other bits are replaced too. Look long and hard at the RX7 if you really want one, i wanted one before the scoob and to be honest the servicing costs wouldve bankrupted me ( from my research anyway) oil every 2k, plugs every 5k, water and oil pumps going more regularly than id care to think lol etc....

Mate has a 205 with an mi16 running TBs, very very fast car, very nice

TimmyboyWRX

but despite all that, if its a 2nd car you know that RX7 makes sense, youl love it, they are gorgeous!

SVVG

iTrader: (1)

Kind of love my S16 - no one in their right mind will nick it (although I do think it looks cool - all debadged ) and I can get loads of cr*p in it wiith the large boot and split folding seats - and it's great to bomb around in. Also spent about 2K on it fixing the usual things which go wrong woth the car at this sort of age and mileage (12 years old and 76K) so it should be pretty fine for the foreseeable future. Only do about 4-5K miles a year in it too....

Reason I bought it was I needed a London car, and didn't want to keep the P1 on the streets for fear of it being nicked/vandalised/canibalised (it's been relatively modified)... Would probably be just as paranoid with a gorgeous RX7 - which I wouldn't be able to get stuff into - whereas if I spent some cash on engine upgrades on the 306, no one would know from the outside.... RX7s are lurrrrrvly though..... Damn being sensible!!!

Proabably going to end up buying a house....

ScoobyDoo555

Once again, Audilover shows how little knowledge he/she actually has about cars!!

The S16 is a very capable car with even now, one of the best handling chassis out there. Would put quite a few cars to shame still (including a fair proportion of the VAG fleet - not mine though )

However, considering what you've said with your requirements within a car, I would still steer clear of the RX7.

I've just bought a GTi-6 for the wife to drive, and it blows my S4 Avant, BOTH of my modded Scoobies and my other hot cars out of the water when it comes to handling and sheer excitement value. It feels lightening quick PUshing out 176bhp, it's no slouch either.
IIRC, the main difference between the S16 and the 6 was mainly the gearbox and less bhp.
Nevertheless, a potent machine

For the money (especially if you're looking at a house too), I'd mod the 306, as it's cheap motoring and wont give you potentially big bills like the RX7

All IMHO, of course

DAn

AudiLover

if he wants a gd handling tin car he could buy a caterham.

ScoobyDoo555

good car, but a bit more (money) than what the poster's looking at (if I've read the post properly)

DAn

DBMSCOOBY99

I've got a RX7 at the moment and it's great. I would defiantly recommend you trying one. They aren't really any more expensive to run than my old Scooby, actually it's probably cost me less to run on the servicing side. There a real drivers car and you can get a lot of power for not a lot of money. But there are some real bad examples on the market, which will be a big money pit. So if your looking for one I wouldn't buy anything under £6000 and without a rebuild by a good specialist. Also it's worth asking if the car has had any cooling mods as if it has thats good. As they run hot without mods which reduces the engine life.

I'm now looking to get a nice single turbo with about 450bhp next year which will be fun.

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

Lets just say that when I had my last RX-7 I ended up buying a GTi-6 as a second car so I would have something to drive while the other thing was having engine rebuilds.

Completely different in every way, but both good cars in their own right.

Would never recommend an RX-7 if you are saving to buy a house as they are cheap to modify - 300bhp is very easy to get, and for £1500 you will be up to around 350bhp. As a result you end up doing this and then getting dragged into the continually tuning because it is no longer fast enough (it soon gets very expensive), even at 500 I was still having this problem

I sold my slightly quick RX-7 a month or two back and took a standard car in part exchange. I have someone interested in buying it early next year, but if you have £5k burning a hole in your pocket...

SVVG

iTrader: (1)

Mmmmm - decisions, decisions - thanks for feedback. I think practicality will get the better of me... Have been in some rapid Pugs with turbo conversions or casm and throttle bodies etc. and reckon 3-4K on some engine work, done by Longmans (via Pug Performance) could be the way forward. Gives me the stealth for peace of mind re car being nicked from streets of London and practicality re boot space.... and if the engine's good then I can always flog that on. I will forever yearn for an RX7 however.....

Re the house thing I think I'll go for a 100% mortgage in any event...

My folks and the P1 are in Cambs so I might take a trip up to Jimmys RX7s (or whatever the garage is called) as have a mate in Norfolk so will see what they're like to drive....

Thanks again for opinions - and for those looking to sell, it's worth dropping me a PM when you're ready to do so. Am not in the habit of time wasting so will be straight re whether I'm interested or not.

Thanks again!