New member looking to start over

[oro]

Hey everyone, new to the forum and looking to get into an FD. Little history on my car ownership.

I had a 2001 Eclipse GS that was a mechanical nightmare, glad I got the fast and furious cathode tubes out of my system back then.

Then in 05 I got into an 04 350Z which I was a big fan of and went full bolt ons volks etc after trying to go the turbo route and having a nightmare with a local shop giving me the run around and not wanting to give my money back after lying to me about a part they "ordered" Iost my interest in going further and sold her.

I moved on to an 08 G37S coupe that I went titanium crazy with. Loved the car but commuting so far and the bad gas mileage along with having a daughter now I sold it and currently drive a 2012 Jetta TDI, although it gets 50mpg and seats my daughter and all her things comfortably. It feels empty to me, which brings me here looking into FD's which I've always loved and after having to mess around with the expense of newer cars that I want something older with character that I can work on over time.

[RedR1]

welcome to the forum, man! any specific questions on the FD, or general questions about it that you have? we're all here to both learn, and to educate. They are a nightmare, but sometimes nightmares are so tortuously good you don't want to wake :D Sexwithout pain is like food without flavor ;)

[speedjunkie]

Welcome! I hope you're not looking for an FD as a daily driver lol. If you think the G37 got bad gas mileage...wowee lol.

[ZGN]

I get 20 Mpg in my FD

[oro]

Welcome! I hope you're not looking for an FD as a daily driver lol. If you think the G37 got bad gas mileage...wowee lol.

Oh no I have the TDI for that now, I definitely learned my lesson from driving my G and Z daily, I tried to make that dream last though and took out the passenger seat to make it easier to get my daughter in and out of the G's back seat :icon_no2: I just want to use an FD for what it is, 0 hypermiling and 0 baby hauling. :)

[oro]

welcome to the forum, man! any specific questions on the FD, or general questions about it that you have? we're all here to both learn, and to educate. They are a nightmare, but sometimes nightmares are so tortuously good you don't want to wake :D Sexwithout pain is like food without flavor ;)

Lots of questions for me, I keep seeing most FD's nowhere near me which is making the rollers more appealing just because adding on shipping they are still priced well the only problem is most rollers I find have their interiors gutted and I'm wondering where you guys find replacements.

Also wondering what your thoughts are on rollers versus molested modded out FD's there is a few fd's around me but they are modded to the teeth and I don't know if it would be better to start from scratch or try to redo someone's project which at least one of the guys selling is because he's blown out 3 motors now and just wants to recoup his cash after he got it rebuilt again.

[RedR1]

the only problem is most rollers I find have their interiors gutted and I'm wondering where you guys find replacements.

that's the problem right there. They don't make factory parts for these cars anymore really :( there's a few things you can still get, but the big pieces, and small more uncommon pieces. . . you have to buy a roller and strip it down to the shell for the interior. that's a common thing to see. I'm in the process of saving to grab a shell myself, because I need 9 pieces that aren't made anymore in the interior. Sad, but it's the truth.

There's one option, but it's dependant upon taste. Grab a RHD clip from Canada or ebay, convert your car to RHD, then you'll have new RHD OEM parts still available to you. not everyone is willing to go that route for a 20 year old car, but some have.

every now and again you'll find someone parting out their car, and you just have to act fast to get the pieces that you need.

Also wondering what your thoughts are on rollers versus molested modded out FD's there is a few fd's around me but they are modded to the teeth and I don't know if it would be better to start from scratch or try to redo someone's project which at least one of the guys selling is because he's blown out 3 motors now and just wants to recoup his cash after he got it rebuilt again.

I would never buy an FD that was previously modded if I could help it. the only way I would, is if the owner has all the parts to make it stock and I knew the owner and what all was done and how. Main reason being, you don't know how competent he was. You don't know how legit the shop was that he took his car to. And the main thing, you don't know what kind of electrical nightmare lays under pretty face. Everyone works on a car, but not everyone can work on a car.

the guy blew 3 motors because he either built it wrong, or tuned it wrong. there's a reason as to why he blew 3 motors, and it's not because of luck. I've blown 2 motors myself, the reasons were a stuck injector, and overboosting. if the car is selling for a low price, i'd consider. but i'd consider a rather stock-ish car (lets face it, it'll be hard to find a totally stock car these days) over that. what's your budget? Nice, mostly stock cars are going for around $15k, and PRIME examples of the breed are going for about $20k.

feel free to ask any questions you may have. I definitely want you to get into the FD world on the right foot. not getting into it, then having to sell off your car bc it was more than you anticipated.

[speedjunkie]

I get 20 Mpg in my FD

I figured someone would chime in about good gas mileage after I said that LOL. Teach me your ways oh great one! lol

Actually mine isn't too bad. I was getting about 19 on the highway but that was going uphill from Missouri to Colorado. I still want to see what it's like just driving level.

Oh no I have the TDI for that now, I definitely learned my lesson from driving my G and Z daily, I tried to make that dream last though and took out the passenger seat to make it easier to get my daughter in and out of the G's back seat :icon_no2: I just want to use an FD for what it is, 0 hypermiling and 0 baby hauling. :)

OK good. I wasn't sure if you still had to put her in the back seat but I assumed you knew these were 2 seaters, other than the ones with back seats but I'm not even sure you can fit a carseat in there since they're so small.

[oro]

that's the problem right there. They don't make factory parts for these cars anymore really :( there's a few things you can still get, but the big pieces, and small more uncommon pieces. . . you have to buy a roller and strip it down to the shell for the interior. that's a common thing to see. I'm in the process of saving to grab a shell myself, because I need 9 pieces that aren't made anymore in the interior. Sad, but it's the truth.

There's one option, but it's dependant upon taste. Grab a RHD clip from Canada or ebay, convert your car to RHD, then you'll have new RHD OEM parts still available to you. not everyone is willing to go that route for a 20 year old car, but some have.

every now and again you'll find someone parting out their car, and you just have to act fast to get the pieces that you need.



I would never buy an FD that was previously modded if I could help it. the only way I would, is if the owner has all the parts to make it stock and I knew the owner and what all was done and how. Main reason being, you don't know how competent he was. You don't know how legit the shop was that he took his car to. And the main thing, you don't know what kind of electrical nightmare lays under pretty face. Everyone works on a car, but not everyone can work on a car.

the guy blew 3 motors because he either built it wrong, or tuned it wrong. there's a reason as to why he blew 3 motors, and it's not because of luck. I've blown 2 motors myself, the reasons were a stuck injector, and overboosting. if the car is selling for a low price, i'd consider. but i'd consider a rather stock-ish car (lets face it, it'll be hard to find a totally stock car these days) over that. what's your budget? Nice, mostly stock cars are going for around $15k, and PRIME examples of the breed are going for about $20k.

feel free to ask any questions you may have. I definitely want you to get into the FD world on the right foot. not getting into it, then having to sell off your car bc it was more than you anticipated.

Well I was hoping on $15k being the ceiling but I may have to save up some more to make sure everything is in good condition. There is one near me that is 19k with 101k miles at a corvette dealer, and the body and interior are immaculate as is the engine bay, only problem is that it has a good amount of mods. According to this it's running 297rwhp so it doesn't sound like it's boosted to death, but then again I don't have the true history on it, so I have no idea.