A couple of RX8 questions...

The main issue I can see is finding one that comes with a stack of receipts that would allow me to keep the Mazda engine warranty.

I like the idea of them a lot, I'm just not sure that it's worth buying a low-mileage example (there are several for sale out here, mostly 2004s though) unless I can (a) get it checked over by a rotary specialist I haven't found out here yet and (b) it has complete service history to Mazda's liking.

If it's going to break anyway (mazda seems to think so) i would buy the cheapest one you can to leave room for fixing it.

If you can find one with a nice transferable warranty and the price difference isnt more than you'll ever get back out of the warranty.. sure, let someone else fix it. Either way, you're paying for it SOMEHOW.

The point was more that if I spend that much money on a car I'd like to get one iwth a larger part the Mazda 8 year/100k engine warranty intact and not buy one that's about 5 minutes and 3 miles from the warranty expiry date.

Oddly enough the ones that appear for sale (and not even cheap for sale) are either close to the time limit or mileage limit. I know I can take care of a rotary engine if it's in good shape, but I can't afford (well OK, I'm not willing to afford) to pay for an engine rebuild or replacement. Plus the other issue is the lack of rotary specialists out here - pretty much any specialist is a 3-4 hour drive away.

Hmm. Given that I so far haven't found anything I'm massively happy with I'm beginning to think that I might want to consider a CPO RX8. And I found this - not my favourite colour but I could live with it:

http://www.dublinmazda.com/certified/Mazda/2009-Mazda-RX-8-2149e6dd0a0d06490009396f27974f28.htm

Any comments?

I would think you could snag a brand new one for about the same money. Mazda is not able to sell RX-8s right now. Bad for them, good for you!

There doesn't seem to be much inventory around at the moment, only ones I could find were a couple of Sports down in the Bay Area with list prices about 2-3k above this one.

Might be worth thinking about.

$24k is their "internet price" on a used car? That seems crazy high.

Tim, have you checked up here around the way-North Bay? There's at least a few RX8s on the local Mazda lot here in Santa Rosa (or there were the last time I looked, they even had an R3).

RX8 prices seem to be all over the map - the main bonus with that car is that it's one of a handful (two, IIRC) CPO RX8s in a 250 mile radius from me. I'm still not sure that I want to drop that much cash on a car that only appeals to weirdos like the average GRMer .

The only RX8 that the dealer in Santa Rosa lists on their website is a 2005 Shinka (labelled as a "Sport") that seems a little expensive at $15k w/ 5xk miles, but I guess that's dealer pricing for you.

$15k for a clean Shinka with 50k miles doesn't seem outrageous... I'd be happier at $13k, though.

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

I guess I'm a little cheap then . Not sure that the dealer is willing to give $2k, but I guess that getting RX8s out the door at the moment isn't exactly something you do before breakfast.

And while we're in critique this RX8 ad mode, this one keeps haunting me (it's the one that actually started this thread):

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/cto/2626560739.html

.... Why haven't you bought that yet? It's even the best color!

In reply to 92CelicaHalfTrac:

Because it's an 8 year old death motor? Chances are that famous 100K warranty has timed out by now. I'd get a copy of said doc and read the fine print. Then call a dealer and have him run the VIN for backup before even considering it. If all checks out well and you enjoy the test drive, offer $10K, settle on 12 and you have a nice car.

Hmmm....who wants to buy a 2006 phantom blue mica RX-8 with 62k miles?

In reply to Dashpot:

It's still got another year's engine warranty going as the seller mentions - the time limit on the warranty got extended to 8 years IIRC.

BoxheadTim wrote: In reply to Dashpot: It's still got another year's engine warranty going as the seller mentions - the time limit on the warranty got extended to 8 years IIRC.

This.

They have an 8 year, 100k mile warranty.

Well, I blame GRM then.

Showed a photo of both the one I linked above and the Shinka at the dealer in Santa Rosa to the wife and she decided that she really likes them. Well, better than a yellow S2000 anyway.

So it looks like a manual RX8 is on the menu now.

Bumping this thread - I'm going to look at a manual, hardtop 2005 tomorrow. Already had a Mazda replacement engine ~25k ago and new coils at the same time (although I'll probably still go for the BHR coils if I end up with the car).

Just went through the GRM buyers guide for the RX-8, apart from checking out the engine and all that, anything else specific I need to look for that might not have been mentioned in the guide?

At the mileage this car has I am expecting some suspension wear but I'm most likely just going to slap on some yellow Konis anyway if I end up buying it.

Keep us posted, the RX8 is on my short list for a next car

Rust under the battery tray.

Drive it long enough to trip any possible CELs that were hidden.

How crispy is the wiring harness? They do get crispy.

It is very common with some crowds to drop 25mm spacers on the wheels to get it more flush. I'd check the state of the threads on the studs to see if they are chewed up.

That is all I have for now.

Get a compression test done as well. See if it has the upgraded starter, upgraded battery, and latest computer flash. Not sure when that came out. They helped prevent flooding

In addition to what's been mentioned, make sure the trans shifts ok from 1-2 and 3-2 (downshift) both hot and cold. The shift forks can bend pretty easily if abused. I've had two used transmissions with this issue.

Definitely take a longer drive to check for CELs. If the coils were replaced, the old ones probably weren't working well and that can burn out cat-cons, which are horrifically expensive for these cars.

I wouldn't do the BHR coils - I just put essentially the same thing (Yukon LSx coils and the same wiring harness as BHR) on my GF's RX-8 and am not very happy with them. Read up about the differences in coil dwell time if you want to know more. I would just go with new OEM coils again if they give you any problems.

Check for cracking around the passenger's airbag panel in the dashboard - it's a really common issue caused by thermal expansion and looks much worse when the dash is cold.

Listen carefully for a squeaky clutch pedal (this might have been in the GRM guide). The original pedals have issues with cracking or bending and it can cause slave cylinder failures that will leak hydraulic fluid all over the firewall. There is a service bulletin for this, but I don't think they'll replace the slave cyl, just the pedal.

If the car has an aftermarket air intake with aftermarket AFM and it's not from a top-notch brand, you'll want to replace it. The OEM setup is very good and most aftermarket AFMs do not work that well with the OEM ECU.

I don't think the cars are quite as bad as their reputation. At this point probably most of the major issues have been resolved on any cars with half-way responsible owners (that's probably the biggest issue in general - crappy previous owners). They're really fun cars that are quite practical for the daily grind, especially if you don't do a ton of high-speed highway driving (where the MPGs suffer most compared to other similar vehicles).

BoxheadTim wrote: I'm most likely just going to slap on some yellow Konis anyway if I end up buying it.

I'm not sure what you're planning on doing with the car, but I'd also recommend you check the price of Mazdaspeed shocks through Mazdamotorsports.

They made the RX8 up until 2012 right?

Snrub wrote:

BoxheadTim wrote: I'm most likely just going to slap on some yellow Konis anyway if I end up buying it.

I'm not sure what you're planning on doing with the car, but I'd also recommend you check the price of Mazdaspeed shocks through Mazdamotorsports.

Replacement for both the CRX and the Miata, so it'll be a streetable car that I can for example leave at the airport that would end up doing double duty as a PDX & Time Trials jalopy.