I already have one in-mind, and it seems like a solid ride. I know the seller and have a good bit of confidence in him, not worried about getting screwed at all. He's very familiar with all the BS quirks that comes with maintaining a rotary like, not using synthetic and redlining at least once a day, etc. and hasn't modified anything. Mileage is also pretty low.
I plan to take it to the local Mazda dealership and get a full inspection done, including a proper compression test. Without the compression test, I'm gonna be pretty nervous. From there, I'll drive it around and see how it rides. I'm expecting at least on-par with Scion.
I already plan on doing the reliability mods like Sohn oil adapter, BHR coil packs, catless midpipe, and possibly aftermarket cooling mods.
What do you guys think? Are dealerships with testers hard to find? None of the fuckheads around here can even answer their phones.
why even risk it? you know the engine is gonna blow.
Brandon Reyes
Does it have to blow? With a dedicated 2-stroke oil feed and proper revving it should last a good bit right? So long as the initial compression tests yield good results...
Levi Hall
I should also mention it has a transferable aftermarket warranty with like, 40k miles left
Kevin Long
If you want to avoid headaches, make sure it's post-2008, as for the earlier models you have to premix fuel and deal with the apex seals meme, as well as tons of other corrections they made in the Renesis II
Camden Richardson
The basic rule of thumb when it comes to the renesis is once you hit 60k, you will be rebuilding it at some point.
Aiden Hall
i would just buy a cheap one with a blown engine and have the engine rebuilt
Leo Morris
just figure out how to do a compression test or go have one done.
I want an Rx8 bad. They are perfect when you have a garage and can wrench. Without that i would be a little worried of the engine going to shti.
Austin Cruz
You should really checkout the rx8club forums. They have all the information you need. If you are ever worried about having to rebuild the engine, the rx8 is not for you. No matter what you do you, you will have to rebuild it at one point.
Elijah Price
I suppose I'm not too worried about rebuilding at some point, but I don't have special tools and it will be acting as a daily.
It's attractive to me because it's inexpensive and fun to drive, where my FR-S is nothing but a debt pool. I guess I understand why it's cheap
Either way, I'm fairly mechanically inclined and I like taking some risk for reward.
Leo Gonzalez
>inexpensive Just how bad is your frs? Rx8's have a rather expensive upkeep. Premium fuel, premixing, terrible fuel economy, ect.
Christopher Bennett
>Looking to replace slow car with unreliable slow car 10/10 fucking genius
Austin Long
>There are people on this board RIGHT NOW who still think speed is everything.
Jose Martinez
Welcome to Veeky Forums faggit
Colton Brooks
speaking of rebuilds, why the fuck is a kit of seals and gaskets $1200 fucking dollars?
Brody Brown
Don't worry user, they'll own a car one day
Benjamin Howard
I'll be able to get away with not premixing if I install the oil adapter.
Buying the RX will be a cash deal, so no more debt. I owe a good bit on my FR-S and there's no real track future for it. The RX could work both though.
Premium fuel and 15mpg aren't a big concern for me.
Thomas Reyes
u rite
I'll get a WRX and bee cool like you.
Carter Reed
can't fix stupid
Justin Gray
you should get it user,
I think most the drawbacks are overblown. Especially if it isn't a DD.
If it passes a compression test, you should be ok for a long ass time if you follow some guidelines.
Grayson Jenkins
It will be a DD, but that's kinda what I'm thinking too. The guy who has it now is older, looking for a more comfortable car, but has had it for a long time and understands how to keep it healthy. I'm just really hoping one of these Madza dealers around here has a compression tester. I've heard they can be difficult to come by
Jaxson Wilson
Why not just learn to rebuild the engine yourself?
Andrew Murphy
I got the same car a few years ago. Pretty much everything you wrote is good.
I've had no issues with mine. Just routine maintenance like fluid changes, filters, brakes, and tires.
Liam Lopez
Awesome, good to hear. I never thought I'd get one of these, but I need a small backseat for the kid, but don't want to settle on something big and heavy.
I'm genuinely excited as fuck.
Jace Gray
By the time you sell the FRS (at a huge loss probably), and pay for registration fees, and factor in repairs you will probably end up breaking even or losing money.
Isaiah King
No way
I paid 17k, can easily sell for 15k now. I'll end up making 2k back.
The RX i can get for 6.5k, so I'm assuming.
Jason Reed
>I paid 17k, can easily sell for 15k now. I'll end up making 2k back.
So you bought the car and made like one payment before you decided to sell it?
A 6.5k rx8 is either going to be older or need some kind immediate of repairs.
Kayden Martinez
nope, owned it for a year and a half. It just hasn't depreciated much and the competition around here is non-existent.
That RX isn't valued at anything more than 6500. I feel like it's a very reasonable offer for a series 1 in decent shape.
Tyler Richardson
>paying this much for an RX8
2007 and later models go for about 2-3k in the UK.
Ian Carter
>UK
Lucas Robinson
If you aren't comfortable with rebuilds Don't buy a fucking rotary
If you don't mind rebuilds, then rotaries are a fucking awesome flame-spitting barrel of laughs that you're guaranteed to enjoy the fuck out of. ...Pic unlrelated
Nathaniel Bell
Even the series 2? I likely wouldn't be buying this one if i didn't happen to know the owner. Too risky
Austin King
BUT I WANT THE CAR
why can't rotaries just be happy?
John Howard
Mine has been a great car. I love driving it.
I thought the backseats were a meme at first, but they're spacious enough to fit one of my short (5'6") friends behind me, despite being 6'3" myself.
Robert Jenkins
Just learn to rebuild it. It's not that fucking hard. You have a garage? Good. Go buy pic related and a factory service manual... Used Renesis engines are cheap as fuck. Keep two bottles of coolant and 4 quarts of 5w30 under the engine stand in the corner... With practice, you can change the engine in 2 hours. You have the lifetime of your current engine to learn how to rebuild its replacement.
Robert Murphy
OP here,
That honestly sounds like a good bit of fun. I've never rebuilt a motor, kinds of freaks me out with the whole clearance measurements and special little fuck-fuck things i have to do but I'm not a retard so i could learn.
Owen Foster
Or you could just find a cheap one with a blown renesis and swap a J32A2 into it >reliable engine >cheap >better powerband >more power >screams to a 7400rpm redline and sound ds glorious doing so DID I MENTION THAT THE J32A2 IS CHEAP?!
Angel Campbell
The FSM will give you all the numbers, and walk you through most of the procedures... Experience and the internet will fill in the gaps.
Nathaniel Nguyen
I should add that I likely wouldn't go for power or anything. I just want stock reliability, even if it is a meme.
Kevin Richardson
If you use the words "cheap" and "engine swap" in the same post, then you've never done one, and you've never known anyone who has. Swaps are complicated, expensive, and time consuming... If you haven't done it before, it would be far more efficient to multiply the cost of your chosen engine by.... 10 or so, pile up that much cash in your passenger seat, soak it in gas, and set the fucking car on fire.
Jacob Ward
That is the right attitude and decision. Many people try to fly before they can crawl in that respect. Stock reliability shouldn't be a meme. They're not unreliable, they just don't have the longevity of other motors. Just think of it this way... You get to enjoy a fresh engine with factory horsepower forever... And you can beat on it like it owes you money because if it breaks, you know how to fix it. It's liberating. Who cares if a piston engine can limp along for a few hundred k? Not like it'll be making stock power after turning 6 digits anyway.
Joshua Rogers
I didn't say or imply the swap wasn't complicated, and/or cheap He would have to make a tubular subframe in order to get the J32 to sit right, which would take a good amount of time even for a seasoned pro, all I was saying is the J32 itself is cheap
Owen Reyes
Ya, not doing that, even if it would be super fun. Ya, exactly. If i get familiar enough with it, I may even end up getting a project FC RX-7 or something to beat on the track with.
Jason Sullivan
because people/beginners dont know how to source equivalent parts themselves also, people are lazy
the most costly seals in a rebuild should be your apex seals and maybe your corner and side seals if they are not reusable
Andrew Ramirez
Coward
Dominic Garcia
lol
Juan Wood
>having to rely on Veeky Forumstists who's opinions are shaped my memes alone >same Veeky Forumstists who ride the bus and/or drive some europoor shitbox Don't bother getting it, you're obviously retarded.
Brandon Sullivan
>rx8 Kek; poor man's RX7
Hunter Myers
because they're shit engines
Elijah Brooks
is there a torrent of a good rebuild dvd/video somewhere?
Nathaniel Robinson
They should have one. Mazda dealerships sometimes are the only mechanics around that will work on rotaries. I bought a 2005 RX8 back in 2012 with a blown motor for 2K. The car was in pristine condition. Thankfully I live somewhere where I have a rotary specialist shop. The owner sold me a brand new R3 Renesis and total cost for everything, including installation, was 5k. I basically got an almost new car for under 7K, the handling and cornering of the RX8 is amazing. It's a damn shame 3 years later some fucking women in a f250 ran a red light and destroyed my weekend fun ride. One of these days I will get another RX8.
Joshua Miller
this covers most of it, but i think there are some minor things different with the 13BSEP vs the REW
Damn, dude. That sucks she ruined it for you, sounds like you had a good time building it up.
I was actually able to finally talk to someone at the dealership and they quoted 300 for a real-deal compression check. They'll throw in the rest of the inspection for free.
I'll split the cost with the seller, should be worthwhile.
Samuel Perry
I don't really feel like it's a downgrade. I've had fun in the FRS but it's a car that'll need significant upgrading in order to be properly tracked.
The RX may not be far behind, but initial cost is much lower, so if I can score a dope ride now and DD it, I may be able to dual purpose it for a little while until i get a dedicated project.
I need back seats with LATCH for my kid, so S2000 is out of the question. Otherwise, I would've already had one.
Gavin Allen
is tru
FD are $$$
Evan Allen
how tf do you fit in an rx-8 yourself im 6'2 and cant fit with the seat all the way back
Blake Anderson
Paying $150 isn't that bad at all. The rotary shop that I used to go to would charge $75 for a compression test. And you get a mechanical inspection on top of that.
James Moore
Must be a body proportion thing. I have long legs, so me fitting in the RX-8 is more about the space around the steering wheel than the height within the cabin for me.
Also, I'm pretty slim.
Jeremiah Roberts
user do it. I recently rebuilt my motorcycle's V twin engine. I have only ever rebuilt a 50cc 4 stroke before that. Just make sure you have the feeler gauge, take proper measurements, get a few metal trays and magnets for bolts and shit, take plenty of pics with your smartphone and don't half-ass things. The effort, patience and time will reward you with a nice engine.
You could always go out and buy a broken 50cc 4 stroke engine for 2 bucks and tear it apart, just to see how shit works >hurr durr piston engine isn't like a rotary I know. I'm not saying it's the same but it'll get you an understanding of how mechanical components work, if you're uncomfortable with that
