#TBT, the "back when I was young and stupid" edition.

"citizennick" (citizennick) 01/15/2015 at 12:55 • Filed to: None

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Back in 2001, when I was 17, I spent my savings on a 1994 RX7 Touring model. It was silver on red leather, exactly what I wanted, my dream car. Leading up to buying it I had been scouring the internet for months, trying to find that perfect FD. After awhile I found one down in Texas. It had 90k miles, the red leather that I HAD to have (seriously, I had to have red leather), and it was the 1994 model (I love red leather, but red door panels and everything like the 1993 model? Nah). But there was one sad caveat.

It was an automatic.

But there was something amazing that came with it. A 3-year/36,000 mile warranty. Yes, a dealership included a warranty along with the purchase of a car with a rotary engine.

And thank God there was a warranty, because not even a month later the transmission goes out. So what do I do? Manual swap, obviously. So I tracked down a transmission and everything else needed for the swap, and with a little help from the shop the warranty company paid out for the swap/install. I know, some of you might find that shady but they only paid the cost it would have been to put in a new automatic transmission.

I loved the thing, it was mint, beautiful, far too much fun to drive. But right on cue the motor blows. Of course. So I got a BRAND NEW crate motor put in under the warranty. I was set for life in that car, I was picturing all the adventures my FD bud and I were going to have.

Until this happened:

This is where I talk about the "young and stupid part". After getting a fresh new motor I decided to mod it, throwing all my money at go-fast goodies. Some of those goodies happened to be street drag radials. During this time of go-fast goodie installs the local county roads department decided to put this new hybrid type of gravel mixed with the devil's shit onto our perfectly fine gravel road. When it rains it's like driving on grease. So, on the worst day of my life I decided to run and get some tacos for lunch. Knowing the road is really bad but still stupid enough to take my car, I head out, going a max of 15mph down the road. I'm not 100ft when I start sliding, I'm having a huge "oh shit oh shit" moment and do all I can to correct it. And as if the car gods rebuked me I continued sliding towards the ONLY BRIDGE IN MILES. My passenger side slides directly into the end of the barrier, and my car careens down into the creek. It was a blur, the first surreal moment of my life, I thought it was a dream. I soon figured out it wasn't and had to climb up to the passenger door just to get out. I ran back to the house, the whole time yelling at myself for being a complete idiot.

The sheriff came out, struggling to get down the road in his Jeep Cherokee (again, what was I thinking?) and called in to have a crane come and lift my car out of the creek.

Since then I've bought cars, have got rid of cars, all in the endless hope of filling the void left by my RX7. I'm sure you're saying to yourself "well why didn't he keep it?" And my answer is:

"you don't know what you have until it's gone."

Devon lost his burner, understands electric cars don't require front grilles > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 12:38

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Tragic, but beautiful.

Thanks and condolences.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 12:43

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This is heartbreaking :(

Party-vi > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 12:57

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FYI I attempted to send your re-share to drafts because your story finally posted to the Oppo main page. Should be good now.

citizennick > Party-vi 01/15/2015 at 12:59

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yeah I saw that, I deleted that re-share, thanks for the help. Next time I write something I'll just use my computer.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:05

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My dream is to one day own an FD, I feel so bad for you!

citizennick > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 01/15/2015 at 13:08

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Writing this gave me a renewed vigor to try and locate the car. I tried a long time ago with no luck, assuming it probably got sent to the yard with fairly significant passenger side quarter panel damage. Love the FD, not many great examples of this car out there anymore.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:10

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Holy shit that's awful, I assume this was some time ago have you thought about buying another FD?

I justified financing my M3 by saying that I was going to have this car for life and your story reinforced my desire to never be without an E46 M3!

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:11

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When I do it I'll probably just grab one with a good frame/body and swap in the rest.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:12

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That's one sucky story. Whatever became of that stupid road surface? Sounds like the DOT could have been ripe for some kind of legal action for putting that shit on the road.

DoYouEvenShift > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:15

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Man thats a sad story. Go find you another one. Theyre really nice cars imo. I still have my first car. 6 speed Z28. I cant imagine life without it.

citizennick > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo 01/15/2015 at 13:17

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Oh yeah, every once in awhile I've looked for one. Have a wild hair of doing an LSx swap to one. The rotary is something I don't want to deal with again.

Love your M3, just two years after this happened I bought an 04 M3 in Jet Black!

citizennick > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 01/15/2015 at 13:20

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I had thought about taking some sort of action, even the sheriff thought the road was ridiculous. Needless to say they didn't do that for much longer. I wish I could remember the name of the surface, I'll see if my parents remember. The road itself is the most traveled gravel road in the county, you would think sooner or later they'd throw some pavement on it.

citizennick > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 01/15/2015 at 13:26

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I've always thought about getting one and putting a simple LS3 in it. I miss the car but the motor, eh, as cool and unique they are I'd rather work on something I can wrap my head around.

BeaterGT > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:26

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Fuck the pizza guy story, this is the worst thing I have read all day. It also makes me wonder how much I can get away with my 3year/30k warranty.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:31

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Thats probably what I would do, it would be a project car anyways, why not make it reliable while you are at it? I love the idea of rotary engines, but the application is usually less than perfect.

citizennick > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 01/15/2015 at 13:34

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and you'll get twice the gas mileage with an LS motor! Hah

citizennick > BeaterGT 01/15/2015 at 13:38

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it helped being friends with the shop owner. Fairly easy to get away with.

BeaterGT > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:41

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Can it be any shop? I know someone who owns a Subaru Performance shop, I would love to bring my car there for "warranty work"

citizennick > BeaterGT 01/15/2015 at 13:44

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you would think so as long it's a reputable place. There is no Mazda dealer in my area so that might have helped me. And it's a small town, not much to pick from.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:45

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I am so sorry for your loss.

DoYouEvenShift > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:53

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Like it was meant to be.

I would dd the shit out this car.

I Do It For Miatas, NC Owner > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 13:55

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Just curious, why didn't you? You could have been seriously injured from the city's negligence. And it spinning out isn't even your 17 year old self or the RWD cars fault, it's the surfaces fault. I'd sue their ass!

citizennick > I Do It For Miatas, NC Owner 01/15/2015 at 14:04

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I imagined it would have gone either way. I was the guy with street slicks on, though they offer some tread it's not much at all.

I Do It For Miatas, NC Owner > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 14:12

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Oh I see. Well I'm sorry for your loss! At least you owned a car at one point that the rest of us fawn over, and that is legendary in it's own right.

MonkeePuzzle > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 14:30

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ouch! right in the feels!

so sorry!

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > citizennick 01/15/2015 at 15:57

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As much as I love the rotary engine I dont want to deal with how finicky they tend to be, the S54 in the M is already a big enough maintenance queen. How long did you own your M3 and what made you sell it?

citizennick > GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo 01/15/2015 at 16:18

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I only had it for a year, stupid decision, loved the car but it wasn't practical for me because of what I did and where I lived.

If and when I get another RX7 it's going to have a healthy LS motor going in it.

wiffleballtony > citizennick 01/16/2015 at 00:02

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The FD is on my list for the perfect garage. Shame to see what happened to yours.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > citizennick 01/16/2015 at 01:19

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[as I'm reading along]

I want it!

I want it!!

I want it even more!!!

 NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I still want it!

CaptDale - is secretly British > citizennick 07/13/2016 at 16:59

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Damn it guys!! Why is everyone posting about FDs? I really need one!!