NoPistons -Mazda Rx7 & Rx8 Rotary Forum

Ok...finally at a point that I can start doing some serious work on the FD. It had been sitting in the garage for a little over a year, with me unable to do much work on it. Over the weekend, I did most of the refreshing that needs to be done before taking a car out of storage, and decided to drive it in to work this morning. 50 miles each way, mostly highway, some stop and go, etc. I found myself comparing the feel of the car to the RX-8 wife and I have been commuting in for the last few months now.

Steering:

FD still has full stock power steering, and it feels so much lighter now. I've been considering switching over to a manual rack already, and much more likely now. Initial turn in seems less precise, but considerably more stable around the rest of the corner.

Power:

I've gotten used to the NA powerband of the renesis. I found myself trying to do my normal roll onto the gas when poking along in traffic, and was rewarded with a bit more bucking and snorting than I remember. I didn't push it too hard on the way in, since today is much more of a shakedown drive, to see how the car has held up through storage.

Suspension:

Damn. I'd repressed the memory of just how punishing the R1 bilsteins are. One section of the commute is particularly rough concrete with what felt like Grand Canyon sized expansion joints.

Overall:

While driving the 8, I'm constantly reminded just how similar the drive seems to the FD. Now that I've hopped back to the FD, I'm well aware just how different the two cars really are. In the 8, I find myself annoyed by the little rattles from plastic pieces in the dash. In the FD, I'm sure there are rattles, but there's no way I would hear them over the road noise, exhaust, tire drone, and all the other beautiful sounds the car makes all on its own.

I don't think I'll be using the FD for commuting much. Too many miles, not really the best choice for the job. I'll save it for having fun and cruising around on the weekends.