Okay, here goes.I am now the proud owner of a 1990 Mazda RX-7 GXL. Stop throwing tomatoes, please. We don't chastise ignorant first time classic car buyers for purchasing a Ferrari 348 because they insist "it's still a Ferrari!", and I find it deplorable that others are pointing fingers at me when they can't even validate why they purchased a 240SX to begin with. And while there are those who think I am heading down the highway to perdition because I have openly expressed my desire to swap out my 13B rotary for an engine with much bigger displacement that is popular with the crowd in Bowling Green, Kentucky, let's examine the facts.

My love for the FC body style doesn't date back to high school; back then I was more enamored with my DC2 Integra and my best friend's C4 Corvette. I've always admired the car from afar, but it wasn't until last November (when I played air hockey with my 240SX along the sides of the freeway in Los Angeles) that I realized my dreams of purchasing another really good, really affordable rear-wheel drive were now exclusively limited to purchasing another S13 (not S14/15) and an RX-7. Ultimately I went for another S13, but I was frequently combing the internet for a cheap Mazda as well with the hopes of owning both.

Earlier this month, I found what seemed to be a perfect fit: a 1988 RX-7 GTU being sold by one Jeremy Lewis from Parkersburg, West Virginia on eBay Motors. He had swapped in a Series 5 motor with 61,000 miles on it, (in RX-sevenese, that means he swapped in the more powerful 1989 motor that put out 160 horsepower), installed a Racing Beat "cat-back" exhaust system and a new clutch. There was no utterance of the scariest word to all potential car buyers: RUST. I happily plunked down $1,900 for it and had it promptly shipped out to California. When I picked up and drove it home on the freeway, I was ecstatic. While there was some definite wear and tear, it was nothing I couldn't fix or live with, and the motor was fantastic. I got home, stepped out of the car, closed the door and nearly swallowed my tongue. Somehow, I had missed two sizable holes on the driver's side rocker panels that could only have been caused by one thing that we simply can't fathom over here on the left coast. I kneeled down and looked through the wheelwell. Shit.

Yes, I found more rust. Big, cancerous holes in my subframes caused by rust. Rust that my man Jeremy Lewis forgot to disclose in his eBay ad. Or on the phone, or email. Bastard. So I posted some negative seller rant on eBay. Big whoop. How does that change the fact that I just paid two grand for a big metal turd that I won't be able to drive past my 26th birthday this year?!

I'll save myself a few paragraphs of narrative and let you know that I just purchased another FC a few days ago, this time from a kindly older man in Phoenix who insisted on finding a seller who would give the car a good home and fix it up. Done. But it doesn't change the fact that I'm still going to take flak for "wasting" (not spending) money on an old car, or the perpetual eye-rolling I get from friends when I tell them I am totally cool with keeping my car naturally aspirated. Turbocharging is so commonplace in this industry, it almost seems criminal not to. My reasoning for all of this is such:

1. I'm well aware of the finite number of affordable, RWD cars out there. You've got your dwindling number of 240SXs, and you have your RX-7s. I challenge you to find me any others that can be had in decent condition with strong aftermarket parts support for under $3,000. And trust me, I've looked. I looked for cars in Washington, Montana, Florida, Georgia and New York just this month alone.

2. Obviously, the decision to keep my engine naturally aspirated is a somewhat strange one, since Series 4 Turbo II RX-7s put out 186 horsepower and Series 5 Turbos got bumped up to 200. Yes, more power is always more desirable. But there is also an issue of reliability, which is important to me. Since my 240SX is now collecting dust at a fabrication shop in Orange County, I must have a dependable semi-daily driver.

3. The elephant in the room is, of course, the third generation FD. I could heap praise on that car all night if you let me; it's great. It looks beautiful, the handling and balance is superb, the 13B-REW is fantastic and still highly desirable in 2007 and I can't resist a car that Playboy Magazine called its Import Car of the Year in 1993. It also rendered the Porsche 944S obsolete, and I happen to be highly biased towards that car (I own a 968). But ultimately, I'm choosing the FC for the exact reasons I listed above. You can't find an FD in decent condition with a manual transmission under $2,000! In fact, searches online reveal that it's not uncommon to find a totally stock FD in decent condition for prices hovering near $10,000. I'm also not keen on pushing around a vehicle with early sequential twin-turbocharger technology, if only for the reliability issue.

4. A former colleague of mine at American Honda once told me she believed her company's engines were superior simply because "they just sound better." Well, if we're using that sort of logic to justify our purchases, then I'll go on record as saying I simply adore the sound of a rotary engine.

So far, my second FC has proven to be remarkably strong. It survived 7 hours of driving in 95 degree weather, drove 300 miles on one tank of gas, consumed 2 quarts of oil, and only troubled me with one flat tire back in Los Angeles. I'm merrily shopping around now for some temporary wheels; did I mention that I nearly jumped for joy when I found out Al in Phoenix already had a 5-lug wheel conversion done? I'm also in dire need of a complete bushing set. Believe it or not, I am running on original equipment suspension from 1990.

In the meantime, I will be in Atlanta for Formula Drift on May 12. Come say hi and I'd love to hear your opinions on the new beater-mobile. You will be able to ID me as the sweaty Asian girl who isn't pretty enough to model.